February 1995 Vol 23 No2

CONTENTS 1 Straight amp Level

Espie Butch Joyce

2 AlC NewsCompiled by HG Frautschy

4 Aeromail

5 From the Archives HG Frautschy and Dennis Parks Page 11

8 Members ProjectsNorm Petersen

11 Contemporary Custom Class II Winner 1959 Cessna 180BNorm Petersen

13 Staggerwing Hospitality H G Frautschy

16 Frank Warrens Thompson Trophy Paintings Page 13

18 Jimmy Rollisons Laird SpeedwingNorm Petersen

25 Mystery AirplaneGeorge Hardie

27 Pass it to Buck EE Buck Hilbert

28 Welcome New Members

29 Calendar Page 18

30 Vintage Trader

FRONT COVER Jimmy Rollison Vocaville CA rolls his Laird Solution into a turn for his portrait during EAA OSHKOSH 95 EAA photo by Jim Koepnick shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-200mm f28 lens 1250 sec at f 63 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore

BACK COVER Doug Weilers 1959 Cessna 180B was picked as the Contemporary Custom Class II winner at EAA OSHKOSH 94 EAA photo by Jim Koepnick shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 8O-200mm f2 8 lens 1 250 sec at f 71 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moorebull

Copyright copy 1995 by the EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc All rights reserved VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM AntiqueClassic Division Inc of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center 3000 Poberezny Rdbull PO Box 3086 Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices The membership rate lor EM AntiqueClassic DiviSion Inc is $2700 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $1500 is for the publication of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation POSTMASTER Send address changes to EM AntiqueClassic Division Inc PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 FOREIGN AND APO AiDDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via suriace mail ADVERTISING - AntiqueClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising We invite constnuctive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken EDiTORIAiL POLICY Readers are encouraged to submtl stories and photographs Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor No renumeration is made Material should be sent to Editor VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 4141426-4800

The words EAA ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION EAA ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are reg registered trademarKs THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EM AVIATION FOUNDATION and EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher

Tom Poberezny

Vice-President Marketing and Communications

Dick Matt Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cox Editor

Henry G Frautschy

Managing Editor Golda Cox

Art Director Mike Drucks

Computer Graphic Specialists Sara Hansen

Olivia L Phillip Jennifer Larsen

Advertising Mary Jones

Associate Editor Norm Petersen

Feature Writers George Hardie Jr Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers Jim Koepnick Mike Steineke

Carl Schuppel Donna Bushman

Editorial Assistant Isabelle Wiske

EAA ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC OFFICERS

Presidenl Vice-President Espie Butch Joyce Arthur Morgan

PO Box 1001 W211 N1l863 Hililop Dr Madison NC 27025 Germantown WI 53022

910573-3843 414628-2724

Secretory Treasurer Steve Nesse EE Buck Hilbert

2009 Highland Ave PO Box 424 Albert Lea MN 56007 UnionIL 60180

507373-1674 815923-4591

DIRECTORS John Berendll Robert C Bob Brauer

7645 Echo Point Rd 9345 S HoyneCannon Falls MN 55009 ChicagoIL 60620

507263-2414 312779-2105 Gene Chose John S Copeland

2159 Carlton Rd 28-3 Williamsburg Ct Oshkosh WI 54904 Shrewsbury MA 01545

414231-5002 508842-7867 Phil Coulson George Daubner

28415 Springbrook Dr 2448 Lough Lone Lawton MI 49065 Hartford WI 53027

616624-6490 414673-5885 Charles Harris Stan Gomoll

7215 East 46th St 1042 90th Lone NE Tulsa OK 74145 Minneapolis MN 55434

918622-8400 612784-1172 Dale A Gustafson Jeannie Hill 7724 Shady Hill Dr PO Box 328

Indianapolis IN 46278 Harvard IL 60033 317293-4430 815943-7205

Robert Uckteig ROberi D Bob Lumley1708 Bay Oaks Dr 1265 South 124th St

Albert Lea MN 56007 Brookfield WI 53005 507373-2922 414782-2633 Gene Morris George York

115C Steve Court RR 2 181 Sloboda Av Roanoke TX 76262 Mansfield OH 44906

817491-9110 419529-4378

SH OWes Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa WI 53213

414771 -1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS SJ Willmon

7200 SE 85th Lane Ocala FL 32672

904245-7768

ADVISORS Joe Dickey Jimmy Rollison

55 Oakey Av 640 Alamo Dr Lawrenceburg IN 47025 Vacaville CA 95688

812537-9354 707451-0411

Dean Richardson Geoff Robison 6701 Colony Dr 1521 E MacGregor Dr

Madison WI 53717 New Hoven IN 46774 608833-1291 219493-4724

STRAIGHT amp LEVEL

by Espie Butch Joyce

The calendar pages seem to be zipshyping by as fast as can be - in only 45 to 60 days the 1995 fly-in season will be in full swing Everyone agrees that the annual kickoff event is the EAA Sun n Fun fly-in held in Lakeland Florida in April each year Over 25 years this fly-in has grown from a small local flyshyin to a great week-long event If you have attended Sun n Fun you undershystand what Im talking about If you havent yet had a chance to spend a week in the spring in Florida for the fly-in you owe it to yourself to check it out

Credit needs to be given to Billy Henderson the spark plug for this flyshyin for many years Also special credit needs to be given to Adair Henderson Billy s wife Adair has given support above the call of duty to help make this event what it is today The dates for Sun n Fun 95 are April 9 through the 15th If you need more informashytion call 813644-2431

Your AntiqueClassic Division offishycers and directors are holding your February 95 Board of Directors meetshying in Lakeland Florida this year Some of the activities will be held at

the soon-to-be-opened Fa ntasy of Flight complex that Kermit Weeks is building at Polk City Florida some 15 miles from Lakeland I visited this site a little over a year ago At that time Kermit had a 6000 foot by 300 foot sod runway installed as well as several buildings There also is a large lake adjoining this property that Kermit says is large enough to operate his Short Sunderland flying boat Being located on Interstate 4 between Orshylando and Tampa should make this quite an aviation attraction for tourists [ will give you an updated report on this hopefully in March

As I was growing up in Madison North Carolina my father had an airshyport there from the mid 1940s Myasshysociation with the airport and aviation has afforded me the great fortune to be friends with a great many people inshyvolved in founding aviation businesses One of these individuals is Mr Tom Davis Tom is the founder of Piedshymont Airlines which was headquarshytered in Winston Salem North Carshyolina before it merged with USAir Tom also is a member of EAAs Presishydents Council

On January 28 1995 it was my pleashysure to be present with a number of other people to witness the 60th anshyniversary of Toms first solo flight That day Tom once again soloed the same E-2 Cub that he soloed the first time Afterwards there was a recepshytion that gave everyone a chance to visit Tom really has some interesting tales about his first starting out in aviashytion at Camel City Flying Service with him landing in farmers cow passhytures trying to sell Stinson lOAs and the like Thats a long way from ownshying a number of Boeing 767s

Your AntiqueClassic Division has started an aggressive membership campaign Throughout the year we will be direct mailing an invitation to all EAA members inviting them to join your AntiqueClassic Division Some people have already received this mailer those who have not will in the future

Do your part for the AntiqueClasshysic Division ask a friend to join us Lets all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation Remember we are better together Join us and have it all

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

DUES INCREASE

As detailed in the pres ident s notes contained in Decembers AC News a dues increase of $7 was voted on and apshyproved during the last AC Board of Dishyrectors meeting Effective February 1 1995 the dues for membership in the AnshytiqueClassic Division of EAA became $27 As mentioned before increased costs for providing services for each memshyber particularly postage and paper costs for the magazine are expected to rise subshysta ntially - indeed a rise in paper costs has already taken place with further inshycreases expected as the paper industry tries to make up lost ground for depressed paper prices during the past few years

AM WEATHER CANCELED

Popular with aviators and other professhysionals who rely on accurate weather foreshycasting the Public Broadcasting Systems ea rly morning program AM Weather has been given the ax by Maryland Public Television producers of the program The program is to be replaced by a mornshying business show AM Weather s last broadcast was February 3 1995 If youd care to write your comments can be adshydressed to

Raymond K K Ho President Maryland Public Television 11676 Owings Mills Blvd Owings Mills MD 21117

CENTERSPREAD PAINTINGS

To kick off our celebration of the Golden Age of Air Racing starting with this month s issue and continuing into the July edition we will present two of Frank Warren s paintings of the airplanes of the pre-war Thompson Trophy races Each year is depicted in an individual painting with each aircraft that flew in the race shown in its racing colors The airplanes that dominated the races are placed in the foreground while the airplanes that comshypeted to lower places fill out the backshyground Many readers will remember Mr Warren as the artist who portrayed a ficshytional formation of WWI airplanes and movie replicas flown by Hollywoods greatest stunt pi lots of the 20s and 30s H was featured on the back cover of the February 1993 issue of Vintage Airplane Frank has graciously loaned the entire seshylection of the Thompson Trophy series to the EAA Air Adventure Museum where

2 FEBRUARY 1995

compiled by HG Frautschy

they are on display in the Air Racing Gallerys trophy cases

GOLDEN AGE AIR RACERS RETURN TO OSHKOSH

Why start the above mentioned paintshyings now Well due to popular demand the celebration of the Golden Age of Air Racing at EAA OSHKOSH will have a second edition 1995s EAA Convention and Fly-In will feature a display of air racshyers that should be quite a sight including a number of airplanes that are being comshypleted within the next few months We ll have a list of airplanes expected to be at the Convention later in the year as plans firm up but be sure and mark your calenshydars - you sure don t want to miss this one

CLIFF ROBERTSON WORK EXPERIENCE 95

Just a reminder that applications for participants in the Cliff Robertson Work Experience program at EAA are due by April 1 1995 Two participants are to be selected They are to be aged 16 or 17 and one youthful mentorCFI will also be picked to work with the teens during the summer of 1995

A package of information and applicashytion materials can be secured from the Education Office at the address below

EAA AIR ACADEMY 95

The EAA Air Academy for youth age 15-17 will be presented from July 15 through 31 1995 Applications will be considered in the order received Intershyes ted youth parents members and Chapshyters are urged to secure further informashytion about the twelfth annual Air Academy by contacting the EAA Educashytion Office PO Box 3065 Oshkosh WI 54903-3065 or by calling 414426-4888

EAA AIR ADVENTURE WEEKEND

As detailed in last months AC News the EAA Air Adventure Museum has created a unique way for EAAers and their families to experience the museum s Pioneer Airport With just a littl e adshyvance publicity the weekend packages are quickly filling up Here s what the weekend offers

Saturday night accommodations for

two at a local motel A VIP museum pass and insiders

tour of the EAA Air Adventure Museum and the Weeks Flight Research Center

Weather permitting a flight in four unique and different aircraft

An open cockpit biplane A cabin class antique monoplane A classic Bell 47 helicopter EAAs magnificent 1929 Ford Tri-Moshy

tor Best of all your flight in the Ford also includes time in the co-pilotS seat

The cost is only $295 per person or $495 per couple Weekends are filling fast so place your reservations as soon as possible Call the EAA Flight departshyment at 414426-4886 for information and please remember that flying is subject to cancellation andor change due to weather (including excessive wind) or other facshytors

FAA MEDICALS

Considering the average age of EAAers (47) and the importance in their lives of sustaining a current FAA medical it s not surprising that the NPRM conshycerning revising the medical guidelines for certification Outlined in the December issue of Sport Aviation (page 14) the reshyvision has far reaching ramifications for all who fly aircraft requiring a medical

Also the FAA has published an NPRM Docket No 26493 Policy conshycerning the special issuance of medical certificates to diabetic airman applicants The FAA is considering a policy change concerning individuals with diabetes melshylitus who apply for airman medical certifishycates Under the current FAA regulashytions an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus that requires insulin or any other hypoglycemic drug for control disqualifies an individual from medical certification The FAA may change that current policy to allow certain individuals who are inshysulin-dependent to be issued medical cershytificates All comments regarding this proposed policy change must be received by the FAA by March 291995 To obtain a copy of the proposal contact Dennis P McEachen FAA 202493-4075 fax 202267-5399 The address for your comshyments is

Federal Aviation Administration Office of the Chief Council Attn Docket 26493 800 Independence Av SW Washington DC 20591

FLIGHT ADVISORS

As of the end of 1994 EAA has reshyceived more than 300 Flight Advisor apshyplications Over 200 of the applications have been approved laying the groundshywork for what can be a significant factor in improving the safety record of sport aviation

The Flight Advisor program has re shyceived additi onal fin anci al support from Lycoming and Murphy Aircraft Manufacshyturing Ltd This new patronage adds to the commitment made by A VEMCO to support the Flight Advisors program For more information contact EAA Info rmashytion Services at 414426-4821

CESSNA FUEL REQUIREMENTS

As many o f yo u now know Cess na is in the process of setting up the production line for single engine piston powered airshycra ft aga in (The new fac tory will be in Independ ence KS ) At a rece nt ASTM co nfe re nce a tt e nd ed by EAA s Harry Zeisloft and staff member Earl Lawrence Cessna made the announcement that they will not produce aircraft with fuel requireshyments highe r th an 82 octane As o ne o f the prime movers in the formation of this new specification fu el based on automoshytive raw stock Cessna has informed Lyshycoming and Continental of their requireshyments

The bas ic fu e l would be transpo rted through th e la rger automotive gaso line distribution system to a distribution censhyter equipped with a fu el testing lab The fuel could then be tested at a distribution center certified to meet specifications and then sold as the new grade 82 UL aviation fuel The new fuel specification would alshylow for the use of MTBE andor ETBE as octane enhancers but would limit alcohol to extremely low fractions of one percent Until th e new specification is approved production pl ans for the new fu el are unshyknown

The new specification has been submitshyted to th e A TSM for final approva l exshypected to co me during the co ming yea r The only downfall of the new specification is that aircraft currently requiring 80 ocshytane will need an amended or supplemenshytal type ce rtifi ca te to use this fu e l The exact details on how this will be wo rked out are still being discussed

EAA s resea rch on th e e ffec ts o f MTBE a nd ETBE continu es with th e EAA Aviation Foundation s Cessna 150 Well have more to report on this issue in next month s NC News

BERGESON REFERENCE GUIDES

J o hn Be rgeso n has bee n bu sy o ve r there in Remus MI compiling his yea rly updates into a 5 yea r compilation refe rshye ncing a ll co pi es o f EAA pe ri odi ca ls Covering the yea rs 1990-1994 the guide complements the reference put together by John cove ring 1953-1989 The cos ts are

Basic Volume 1953-1989 $22 Basic Volume 1990-1994 $10 A complete set is $30 All pay me nt is to be in U S fund s

VISA a nd Maste rCard accepted Pos tshypaid (book rate) to the USA and Canada Othe r co untri es add $6 pe r ite m above ($12 for both volumes)

Send your order to John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbroo k R e mus MI 49340shy9625 517561-2393 John also has copies of all the periodicals and will make a copy from any issue for 35cent per page ($5 minishymum order)

NASM COLLECTION ADDITION

Dan H agendorn Tea m Leader in the Archives division of the National Air and Space museum wrote to advise us all that th e Louise McPhetridge Thade n Collecshytion (Acession No XXXX-0006) has been processed and is now open to researchers

Mrs Thade n was a founder and charshyte r me mb e r of th e 99s a nd th e fir s t woman along with her navigator Blanche Noyes to win th e Be ndix Tro phy race She also se t nume rous endurance speed and altitude records during her aviati on ca reer and in her la ter years she was an enthusias tic supporte r of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation in Tullahoma TN

The Thade n co ll ection a t th e NASM co nsis ts o f photographs newsclippings and correspondence documenting her avishya tion career and an exce llent findin g aid compiled by NASM staffe r Karen Whiteshyhair is available

If you d like to conduct resea rch with the collection an appointment is needed shygiven the somewhat limited facilities availshyable at the NASM Appointments ensure yo u will be abl e to vi ew your requ es ted collecti on when you wish rather th an beshying to ld th a t th e re was no room in th e archives for you th at day The staff also requests th at you limit th e number o f reshyqu es ts to o ne pe r mo nth a nd no mo re than five subj ects or aircraft per lette r In that way th ey can se rve as wid e an audishyence as possible

You may make your requests for inforshymation or an appointme nt via mail teleshyphone or Fax as well as E-Mail

The address is National Air and Space Museum Archives Division - Mail Code 322 Washington DC 20560 Phone 202357-3133 Fax 202786-2835 E- Ma il address NASMAR C H

SIVMSIEDU

WILLIS BILL CHOMO

E AA first paid employee Willis Bill Chomo passed away Decembe r 24 1994 Bill served in the Wisconsin Air National Guard 128th Refu eling Wing with EAA Founder and Chiarman of the Board Paul Po be re zn y Bill was hir ed to wo rk a t EAA se rving as the directo r o f mainteshynance and aircraft res toration during part o f hi s ne arly 30 yea rs as a n EAA e mshy

ployee H e was th e project ma nager on ma ny of th e a ircraf t built in th e EAA Foundati o n sho ps incl uding th e single a nd two pl ace Acro Spo rts Pober Pixie a nd th e firs t Spirit of St Lo uis replica For 15 years he was the chairman of the outdoor workshops during the EAA Conshyventions More recently Bill worked on a varie ty of aircraft projects lending his exshypertise to those who wished to learn from his experie nce Our co ndole nces to hi s friends and family including his daughtershyin-l aw Ca thy a curre nt me mb er o f th e EAA Headquarters office staff

FRANK CAROLYN AND SCOTT RYDER

Fra nk Ca ro lyn a nd Sco tt R yde r of Arab AL were kill ed in th e cras h of Franks Piper Malibu near the Rochester MN airport on December 22 1994 Frank and Carolyn were bringing Scott home afshyter successful surgery to remove a benign tumor on his pituitary gland and had just departed for home on a n IFR fli ght pl an into a 600 ft ove rcas t wh e n th e Malibu was seen to enter a right turn and disapshypea r from th e FAA s rada r sc reen It crashed in a steep nose down attitude in a fi eld a little less tha n two miles north of the Rochester MN airport As of the secshyo nd wee k o f J a nu a ry no pre limin a ry cause has been establi shed as a possible explanatio n fo r the crash and it remains under investigation

Scott Ryde r age 33 was th e editor of The First Warpl anes the magazine of the organiza tion started early last year to give a common banner fo r a wide range of WW I era aviation enthusiasts to rally unshyder Scott managed a remarkable attitude fo r someone whose li fe was filled with poshytentia lly life- threatening health problems during the las t year and his loss as he saw the end of this particular struggle is particshyularly poignant

Frank and Carolyn Ryde r we re a coushyple who I rarely saw apart - sure they may have been at opposite parts of the airport but they were partners in the truest sense right down to their decision earlier in the year to sell the company he founded Ryshyde r Inte rn ati o nal H e was an inve nt o r and his firm was set up to deve lop prodshyucts and then sell them to industry for proshyduction Frank and Carolyn then planned on devoting their energies full time to the La ke Gunte rsv ill e Fighte r Replica mushyseum they founded and to the movement that had just begun to expand His zeal for aviation knew few boundaries and his loss leaves a tremendous void in a segment of sport aviation that he enjoyed seeing grow in acceptance and e nthusias m Frank is survived by three other sons from a previshyous marri age - Clint Todd and Brandon Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Ryders family and their many friends around the world

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

DUES INCREASE

As detailed in the pres ident s notes contained in Decembers AC News a dues increase of $7 was voted on and apshyproved during the last AC Board of Dishyrectors meeting Effective February 1 1995 the dues for membership in the AnshytiqueClassic Division of EAA became $27 As mentioned before increased costs for providing services for each memshyber particularly postage and paper costs for the magazine are expected to rise subshysta ntially - indeed a rise in paper costs has already taken place with further inshycreases expected as the paper industry tries to make up lost ground for depressed paper prices during the past few years

AM WEATHER CANCELED

Popular with aviators and other professhysionals who rely on accurate weather foreshycasting the Public Broadcasting Systems ea rly morning program AM Weather has been given the ax by Maryland Public Television producers of the program The program is to be replaced by a mornshying business show AM Weather s last broadcast was February 3 1995 If youd care to write your comments can be adshydressed to

Raymond K K Ho President Maryland Public Television 11676 Owings Mills Blvd Owings Mills MD 21117

CENTERSPREAD PAINTINGS

To kick off our celebration of the Golden Age of Air Racing starting with this month s issue and continuing into the July edition we will present two of Frank Warren s paintings of the airplanes of the pre-war Thompson Trophy races Each year is depicted in an individual painting with each aircraft that flew in the race shown in its racing colors The airplanes that dominated the races are placed in the foreground while the airplanes that comshypeted to lower places fill out the backshyground Many readers will remember Mr Warren as the artist who portrayed a ficshytional formation of WWI airplanes and movie replicas flown by Hollywoods greatest stunt pi lots of the 20s and 30s H was featured on the back cover of the February 1993 issue of Vintage Airplane Frank has graciously loaned the entire seshylection of the Thompson Trophy series to the EAA Air Adventure Museum where

2 FEBRUARY 1995

compiled by HG Frautschy

they are on display in the Air Racing Gallerys trophy cases

GOLDEN AGE AIR RACERS RETURN TO OSHKOSH

Why start the above mentioned paintshyings now Well due to popular demand the celebration of the Golden Age of Air Racing at EAA OSHKOSH will have a second edition 1995s EAA Convention and Fly-In will feature a display of air racshyers that should be quite a sight including a number of airplanes that are being comshypleted within the next few months We ll have a list of airplanes expected to be at the Convention later in the year as plans firm up but be sure and mark your calenshydars - you sure don t want to miss this one

CLIFF ROBERTSON WORK EXPERIENCE 95

Just a reminder that applications for participants in the Cliff Robertson Work Experience program at EAA are due by April 1 1995 Two participants are to be selected They are to be aged 16 or 17 and one youthful mentorCFI will also be picked to work with the teens during the summer of 1995

A package of information and applicashytion materials can be secured from the Education Office at the address below

EAA AIR ACADEMY 95

The EAA Air Academy for youth age 15-17 will be presented from July 15 through 31 1995 Applications will be considered in the order received Intershyes ted youth parents members and Chapshyters are urged to secure further informashytion about the twelfth annual Air Academy by contacting the EAA Educashytion Office PO Box 3065 Oshkosh WI 54903-3065 or by calling 414426-4888

EAA AIR ADVENTURE WEEKEND

As detailed in last months AC News the EAA Air Adventure Museum has created a unique way for EAAers and their families to experience the museum s Pioneer Airport With just a littl e adshyvance publicity the weekend packages are quickly filling up Here s what the weekend offers

Saturday night accommodations for

two at a local motel A VIP museum pass and insiders

tour of the EAA Air Adventure Museum and the Weeks Flight Research Center

Weather permitting a flight in four unique and different aircraft

An open cockpit biplane A cabin class antique monoplane A classic Bell 47 helicopter EAAs magnificent 1929 Ford Tri-Moshy

tor Best of all your flight in the Ford also includes time in the co-pilotS seat

The cost is only $295 per person or $495 per couple Weekends are filling fast so place your reservations as soon as possible Call the EAA Flight departshyment at 414426-4886 for information and please remember that flying is subject to cancellation andor change due to weather (including excessive wind) or other facshytors

FAA MEDICALS

Considering the average age of EAAers (47) and the importance in their lives of sustaining a current FAA medical it s not surprising that the NPRM conshycerning revising the medical guidelines for certification Outlined in the December issue of Sport Aviation (page 14) the reshyvision has far reaching ramifications for all who fly aircraft requiring a medical

Also the FAA has published an NPRM Docket No 26493 Policy conshycerning the special issuance of medical certificates to diabetic airman applicants The FAA is considering a policy change concerning individuals with diabetes melshylitus who apply for airman medical certifishycates Under the current FAA regulashytions an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus that requires insulin or any other hypoglycemic drug for control disqualifies an individual from medical certification The FAA may change that current policy to allow certain individuals who are inshysulin-dependent to be issued medical cershytificates All comments regarding this proposed policy change must be received by the FAA by March 291995 To obtain a copy of the proposal contact Dennis P McEachen FAA 202493-4075 fax 202267-5399 The address for your comshyments is

Federal Aviation Administration Office of the Chief Council Attn Docket 26493 800 Independence Av SW Washington DC 20591

FLIGHT ADVISORS

As of the end of 1994 EAA has reshyceived more than 300 Flight Advisor apshyplications Over 200 of the applications have been approved laying the groundshywork for what can be a significant factor in improving the safety record of sport aviation

The Flight Advisor program has re shyceived additi onal fin anci al support from Lycoming and Murphy Aircraft Manufacshyturing Ltd This new patronage adds to the commitment made by A VEMCO to support the Flight Advisors program For more information contact EAA Info rmashytion Services at 414426-4821

CESSNA FUEL REQUIREMENTS

As many o f yo u now know Cess na is in the process of setting up the production line for single engine piston powered airshycra ft aga in (The new fac tory will be in Independ ence KS ) At a rece nt ASTM co nfe re nce a tt e nd ed by EAA s Harry Zeisloft and staff member Earl Lawrence Cessna made the announcement that they will not produce aircraft with fuel requireshyments highe r th an 82 octane As o ne o f the prime movers in the formation of this new specification fu el based on automoshytive raw stock Cessna has informed Lyshycoming and Continental of their requireshyments

The bas ic fu e l would be transpo rted through th e la rger automotive gaso line distribution system to a distribution censhyter equipped with a fu el testing lab The fuel could then be tested at a distribution center certified to meet specifications and then sold as the new grade 82 UL aviation fuel The new fuel specification would alshylow for the use of MTBE andor ETBE as octane enhancers but would limit alcohol to extremely low fractions of one percent Until th e new specification is approved production pl ans for the new fu el are unshyknown

The new specification has been submitshyted to th e A TSM for final approva l exshypected to co me during the co ming yea r The only downfall of the new specification is that aircraft currently requiring 80 ocshytane will need an amended or supplemenshytal type ce rtifi ca te to use this fu e l The exact details on how this will be wo rked out are still being discussed

EAA s resea rch on th e e ffec ts o f MTBE a nd ETBE continu es with th e EAA Aviation Foundation s Cessna 150 Well have more to report on this issue in next month s NC News

BERGESON REFERENCE GUIDES

J o hn Be rgeso n has bee n bu sy o ve r there in Remus MI compiling his yea rly updates into a 5 yea r compilation refe rshye ncing a ll co pi es o f EAA pe ri odi ca ls Covering the yea rs 1990-1994 the guide complements the reference put together by John cove ring 1953-1989 The cos ts are

Basic Volume 1953-1989 $22 Basic Volume 1990-1994 $10 A complete set is $30 All pay me nt is to be in U S fund s

VISA a nd Maste rCard accepted Pos tshypaid (book rate) to the USA and Canada Othe r co untri es add $6 pe r ite m above ($12 for both volumes)

Send your order to John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbroo k R e mus MI 49340shy9625 517561-2393 John also has copies of all the periodicals and will make a copy from any issue for 35cent per page ($5 minishymum order)

NASM COLLECTION ADDITION

Dan H agendorn Tea m Leader in the Archives division of the National Air and Space museum wrote to advise us all that th e Louise McPhetridge Thade n Collecshytion (Acession No XXXX-0006) has been processed and is now open to researchers

Mrs Thade n was a founder and charshyte r me mb e r of th e 99s a nd th e fir s t woman along with her navigator Blanche Noyes to win th e Be ndix Tro phy race She also se t nume rous endurance speed and altitude records during her aviati on ca reer and in her la ter years she was an enthusias tic supporte r of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation in Tullahoma TN

The Thade n co ll ection a t th e NASM co nsis ts o f photographs newsclippings and correspondence documenting her avishya tion career and an exce llent findin g aid compiled by NASM staffe r Karen Whiteshyhair is available

If you d like to conduct resea rch with the collection an appointment is needed shygiven the somewhat limited facilities availshyable at the NASM Appointments ensure yo u will be abl e to vi ew your requ es ted collecti on when you wish rather th an beshying to ld th a t th e re was no room in th e archives for you th at day The staff also requests th at you limit th e number o f reshyqu es ts to o ne pe r mo nth a nd no mo re than five subj ects or aircraft per lette r In that way th ey can se rve as wid e an audishyence as possible

You may make your requests for inforshymation or an appointme nt via mail teleshyphone or Fax as well as E-Mail

The address is National Air and Space Museum Archives Division - Mail Code 322 Washington DC 20560 Phone 202357-3133 Fax 202786-2835 E- Ma il address NASMAR C H

SIVMSIEDU

WILLIS BILL CHOMO

E AA first paid employee Willis Bill Chomo passed away Decembe r 24 1994 Bill served in the Wisconsin Air National Guard 128th Refu eling Wing with EAA Founder and Chiarman of the Board Paul Po be re zn y Bill was hir ed to wo rk a t EAA se rving as the directo r o f mainteshynance and aircraft res toration during part o f hi s ne arly 30 yea rs as a n EAA e mshy

ployee H e was th e project ma nager on ma ny of th e a ircraf t built in th e EAA Foundati o n sho ps incl uding th e single a nd two pl ace Acro Spo rts Pober Pixie a nd th e firs t Spirit of St Lo uis replica For 15 years he was the chairman of the outdoor workshops during the EAA Conshyventions More recently Bill worked on a varie ty of aircraft projects lending his exshypertise to those who wished to learn from his experie nce Our co ndole nces to hi s friends and family including his daughtershyin-l aw Ca thy a curre nt me mb er o f th e EAA Headquarters office staff

FRANK CAROLYN AND SCOTT RYDER

Fra nk Ca ro lyn a nd Sco tt R yde r of Arab AL were kill ed in th e cras h of Franks Piper Malibu near the Rochester MN airport on December 22 1994 Frank and Carolyn were bringing Scott home afshyter successful surgery to remove a benign tumor on his pituitary gland and had just departed for home on a n IFR fli ght pl an into a 600 ft ove rcas t wh e n th e Malibu was seen to enter a right turn and disapshypea r from th e FAA s rada r sc reen It crashed in a steep nose down attitude in a fi eld a little less tha n two miles north of the Rochester MN airport As of the secshyo nd wee k o f J a nu a ry no pre limin a ry cause has been establi shed as a possible explanatio n fo r the crash and it remains under investigation

Scott Ryde r age 33 was th e editor of The First Warpl anes the magazine of the organiza tion started early last year to give a common banner fo r a wide range of WW I era aviation enthusiasts to rally unshyder Scott managed a remarkable attitude fo r someone whose li fe was filled with poshytentia lly life- threatening health problems during the las t year and his loss as he saw the end of this particular struggle is particshyularly poignant

Frank and Carolyn Ryde r we re a coushyple who I rarely saw apart - sure they may have been at opposite parts of the airport but they were partners in the truest sense right down to their decision earlier in the year to sell the company he founded Ryshyde r Inte rn ati o nal H e was an inve nt o r and his firm was set up to deve lop prodshyucts and then sell them to industry for proshyduction Frank and Carolyn then planned on devoting their energies full time to the La ke Gunte rsv ill e Fighte r Replica mushyseum they founded and to the movement that had just begun to expand His zeal for aviation knew few boundaries and his loss leaves a tremendous void in a segment of sport aviation that he enjoyed seeing grow in acceptance and e nthusias m Frank is survived by three other sons from a previshyous marri age - Clint Todd and Brandon Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Ryders family and their many friends around the world

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

The Flight Advisor program has re shyceived additi onal fin anci al support from Lycoming and Murphy Aircraft Manufacshyturing Ltd This new patronage adds to the commitment made by A VEMCO to support the Flight Advisors program For more information contact EAA Info rmashytion Services at 414426-4821

CESSNA FUEL REQUIREMENTS

As many o f yo u now know Cess na is in the process of setting up the production line for single engine piston powered airshycra ft aga in (The new fac tory will be in Independ ence KS ) At a rece nt ASTM co nfe re nce a tt e nd ed by EAA s Harry Zeisloft and staff member Earl Lawrence Cessna made the announcement that they will not produce aircraft with fuel requireshyments highe r th an 82 octane As o ne o f the prime movers in the formation of this new specification fu el based on automoshytive raw stock Cessna has informed Lyshycoming and Continental of their requireshyments

The bas ic fu e l would be transpo rted through th e la rger automotive gaso line distribution system to a distribution censhyter equipped with a fu el testing lab The fuel could then be tested at a distribution center certified to meet specifications and then sold as the new grade 82 UL aviation fuel The new fuel specification would alshylow for the use of MTBE andor ETBE as octane enhancers but would limit alcohol to extremely low fractions of one percent Until th e new specification is approved production pl ans for the new fu el are unshyknown

The new specification has been submitshyted to th e A TSM for final approva l exshypected to co me during the co ming yea r The only downfall of the new specification is that aircraft currently requiring 80 ocshytane will need an amended or supplemenshytal type ce rtifi ca te to use this fu e l The exact details on how this will be wo rked out are still being discussed

EAA s resea rch on th e e ffec ts o f MTBE a nd ETBE continu es with th e EAA Aviation Foundation s Cessna 150 Well have more to report on this issue in next month s NC News

BERGESON REFERENCE GUIDES

J o hn Be rgeso n has bee n bu sy o ve r there in Remus MI compiling his yea rly updates into a 5 yea r compilation refe rshye ncing a ll co pi es o f EAA pe ri odi ca ls Covering the yea rs 1990-1994 the guide complements the reference put together by John cove ring 1953-1989 The cos ts are

Basic Volume 1953-1989 $22 Basic Volume 1990-1994 $10 A complete set is $30 All pay me nt is to be in U S fund s

VISA a nd Maste rCard accepted Pos tshypaid (book rate) to the USA and Canada Othe r co untri es add $6 pe r ite m above ($12 for both volumes)

Send your order to John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbroo k R e mus MI 49340shy9625 517561-2393 John also has copies of all the periodicals and will make a copy from any issue for 35cent per page ($5 minishymum order)

NASM COLLECTION ADDITION

Dan H agendorn Tea m Leader in the Archives division of the National Air and Space museum wrote to advise us all that th e Louise McPhetridge Thade n Collecshytion (Acession No XXXX-0006) has been processed and is now open to researchers

Mrs Thade n was a founder and charshyte r me mb e r of th e 99s a nd th e fir s t woman along with her navigator Blanche Noyes to win th e Be ndix Tro phy race She also se t nume rous endurance speed and altitude records during her aviati on ca reer and in her la ter years she was an enthusias tic supporte r of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation in Tullahoma TN

The Thade n co ll ection a t th e NASM co nsis ts o f photographs newsclippings and correspondence documenting her avishya tion career and an exce llent findin g aid compiled by NASM staffe r Karen Whiteshyhair is available

If you d like to conduct resea rch with the collection an appointment is needed shygiven the somewhat limited facilities availshyable at the NASM Appointments ensure yo u will be abl e to vi ew your requ es ted collecti on when you wish rather th an beshying to ld th a t th e re was no room in th e archives for you th at day The staff also requests th at you limit th e number o f reshyqu es ts to o ne pe r mo nth a nd no mo re than five subj ects or aircraft per lette r In that way th ey can se rve as wid e an audishyence as possible

You may make your requests for inforshymation or an appointme nt via mail teleshyphone or Fax as well as E-Mail

The address is National Air and Space Museum Archives Division - Mail Code 322 Washington DC 20560 Phone 202357-3133 Fax 202786-2835 E- Ma il address NASMAR C H

SIVMSIEDU

WILLIS BILL CHOMO

E AA first paid employee Willis Bill Chomo passed away Decembe r 24 1994 Bill served in the Wisconsin Air National Guard 128th Refu eling Wing with EAA Founder and Chiarman of the Board Paul Po be re zn y Bill was hir ed to wo rk a t EAA se rving as the directo r o f mainteshynance and aircraft res toration during part o f hi s ne arly 30 yea rs as a n EAA e mshy

ployee H e was th e project ma nager on ma ny of th e a ircraf t built in th e EAA Foundati o n sho ps incl uding th e single a nd two pl ace Acro Spo rts Pober Pixie a nd th e firs t Spirit of St Lo uis replica For 15 years he was the chairman of the outdoor workshops during the EAA Conshyventions More recently Bill worked on a varie ty of aircraft projects lending his exshypertise to those who wished to learn from his experie nce Our co ndole nces to hi s friends and family including his daughtershyin-l aw Ca thy a curre nt me mb er o f th e EAA Headquarters office staff

FRANK CAROLYN AND SCOTT RYDER

Fra nk Ca ro lyn a nd Sco tt R yde r of Arab AL were kill ed in th e cras h of Franks Piper Malibu near the Rochester MN airport on December 22 1994 Frank and Carolyn were bringing Scott home afshyter successful surgery to remove a benign tumor on his pituitary gland and had just departed for home on a n IFR fli ght pl an into a 600 ft ove rcas t wh e n th e Malibu was seen to enter a right turn and disapshypea r from th e FAA s rada r sc reen It crashed in a steep nose down attitude in a fi eld a little less tha n two miles north of the Rochester MN airport As of the secshyo nd wee k o f J a nu a ry no pre limin a ry cause has been establi shed as a possible explanatio n fo r the crash and it remains under investigation

Scott Ryde r age 33 was th e editor of The First Warpl anes the magazine of the organiza tion started early last year to give a common banner fo r a wide range of WW I era aviation enthusiasts to rally unshyder Scott managed a remarkable attitude fo r someone whose li fe was filled with poshytentia lly life- threatening health problems during the las t year and his loss as he saw the end of this particular struggle is particshyularly poignant

Frank and Carolyn Ryde r we re a coushyple who I rarely saw apart - sure they may have been at opposite parts of the airport but they were partners in the truest sense right down to their decision earlier in the year to sell the company he founded Ryshyde r Inte rn ati o nal H e was an inve nt o r and his firm was set up to deve lop prodshyucts and then sell them to industry for proshyduction Frank and Carolyn then planned on devoting their energies full time to the La ke Gunte rsv ill e Fighte r Replica mushyseum they founded and to the movement that had just begun to expand His zeal for aviation knew few boundaries and his loss leaves a tremendous void in a segment of sport aviation that he enjoyed seeing grow in acceptance and e nthusias m Frank is survived by three other sons from a previshyous marri age - Clint Todd and Brandon Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Ryders family and their many friends around the world

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

MAIL

Dear Editor

1 read with great inte rest the le tte r from Bill Riedesel carried in the Aero Mail column in the Octobe r issue He me ntioned som e familiar conditions which prevailed in the aviat ion indusshytry in the la t e thirti es s uch as pay check size - I can recall building Navy H e lldivers and H awk 75s at CurtissshyWright in Buffalo for the prince ly sum of 50 cents per hour This was in 37 38 a nd 39 They hadn t hea rd of the minimum wage at that time

After having re built three D a rts I know where he is coming from when he talks about ma king the holes in the wing line up with the ones in the fuseshylage It s pretty hard to get the nuts on the bo lt s so m e tim es afte r banging the m in

I couldn t le t pass his comment reshygardin g th e 0 windows in Allen Jo hnson s D a rt In fa irness to Allen I must say that the windows were stanshydard on the first five airplanes actua lly four as numbe r one was o riginall y a n open cockpit I h ave pictures of N18064 sin 2 N18065 sin 3 N18066 sin 4 a nd N20401 sin 5 a ll take n ea rly o n some in th e factory a nd all have the 0 windows It is my unde rstandshying that th e parts for these a irpl a nes were made at Mo nocoupe but assemshybled at Columbus Apparently Culver opted to di sco ntinue th e m in s ubseshyquent productio n

Bills me ntion a bout the clip-wing D art with the big Warn er also trigshygered a nosta lgia trip In 1946 I had the opportunity to fly that bird when R ay Applegate who was building th e post-war D a rt made a n unsched ule d stop at o ur FBO in Buffalo with e nshygine problems on 20912 After the reshypairs were made I got to test fl y the D art and was certainly impressed with its performance It wasnt until yea rs later that I realized they werent a ll like that

I a m presently building a replica of that airplane except with an 10-360 inshystead of the Wa rner W a lter Maple in Chatsworth CA is also buildin g a r ep li ca but hi s will h ave th e 165 Wa rner a nd will be a truer re plica

4 FEBRUARY 1995

Bill thanks for triggering the memory trip

Sincerely Lloyd D Washburn Port Clinton OH

Editors note In addition to his replica project Lloyd is the president of the Culver Dart Club and an acknowledged expert reshylated to things aeronautica Culver His expertise on the aircraft contributed greatly to the article on Allen Johnsons Dart pubshylished in the July 1994 issue of Vintage Airshyplane - HGF

To the EAA and AntiqueClassic Dishyvision members

For as long as I can remember since my childhood I have ma intained a virshytuallove affa ir with the airplane you see be low The C urtiss mode l 68 Hawk III re presents a lot to me not th e least of which are he r spectacular lines and genshyeral appearance Just as the P-6E Hawk motivate d Ralph Rosa nick th e H a wk III motivates m y drea m s And th a t dream is basically simple but I reckon that translating the dream to reality will be a whole lot more difficult - to build a re plica of th e H a wk III a nd fly it to OSHKOSH Who knows ma ybe even myoid buddy Tommy Walke r will fly it too How m a ny re plicas are flown by th e same pilots who fl ew the originals back in 1937

Tommy was 80 on Novembe r 18 a nd

hes still flyi ng Me Im not even a pilot (yet) I m just a life long a irplane nut and a halfway dece nt aviation art ist and hi s tory buff Hopefull y by look ing at this picture you can see why Therefore what I would like to ask is this

If you have a ny information regardshying plans manuals sche ma tics or eve n your own memories of the Hawk In Id like to hear from you Drop me a line at my address o r give me a call anytime afshyter 8 pm Eastern time I joined the AnshytiqueClassic Division last February for I figured if anyone could he lp me transshylate a dream into reality the EAA would be it Only time will tell

Thanks again Peter Marshall 41 Howe St Apt 1 New Haven CT 06511 203733-3268

To who it may concern

Im trying to gather information about a WW II German aircraft called the Fieseler Storch The mode l I m inte rshyested in is the Fi-156 It was built by the Morain e-Sa ulni e r Co mp a n y at th e Puteaux factory Some were also built in Mraz Czechoslovakia

Eventually I would like to build o ne that was as close to the original as possishyble I m writing your organization to see jf you might have a ny in fo rmati o n on this particular aircraft or any suggestions on whe re I might obtain plans or specifishyca tions

Absolutely a ny information will be greatly appreciated Thank you for your time

Sincerely Don E Kunkel 16533 Old Glenn Hwy Chugiak AK 99567 907696-8749

Weve sent information on Ladislao Pazshymanys 34 scale replica Storch project but if anyone can help Don contact him in Alaska

Curtiss Hawk III

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Mail Planes of National Air Transport in the 1930s

by Dennis Parks

(Above) Nationals Douglas M3 SIN 314 registered C-7163 after being re-engined with a 525 hp Hornet

(Below) liberty powered Douglas M3 Mailplane SIN 624 registered C-1060 The Douglas Mailplane series was a civilian development of their very successful Army observation plane the 0-2 series The first production version of the mailplane the M-2 was ordered by Western Air Express which began operations w ith them in 1926 NAT was the largest user of M-3s and M-4s acquiring 18 of the airplanes for use on their Chicago-New York route They continued using the Douglas mailplanes until October 1930 The M-4 could carry 1000 pounds of mail at a speed of 110 mph

F ro m the co ll ec ti o n of R ober t Grospitch a fo rmer dispatcher with United in Chicago comes a gro up of photographs taken during 1930 of air mai l operations of NAT Na tiona l A ir Transport National A ir T ra nspo rt was the bra inchild of Clement Keys a fo rmer WALL ST REET JOURNA L financial edito r who became involved as a promoter of aviat ion corposhyrati ons His fi rst avi at ion success was in gaining control of Curtiss in 1916 In 1925 he fo rm ed North A merican Avia tion fo r the express purpose of providing organizashytion and fi nancing for his av iatio n ente rshyprises

NAT was incorporated in May of 1925 to gain control of the air mail route linking Chicago and New York In November NAT wo n the contract for the ChicagoshyDallas route Service started on this route in May 1926 with a fleet of ten Curtiss Carshyrier Pigeons In Apri l 1927 NAT was awarded th e Chicago-New York route Se rvice began in September with existing Carrier Pigeons but these were replaced quickly by 18 Douglas Mailplanes purshychased from the Post Office Department Eight Travel Air 5000s were also used on the route In 1930 NAT was purchased by United Air Lines

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(Below and right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon serial numshyber G-2registered NC-311 N being loaded This photo was one of the many used as the basis for drawings done by illustratorauthor Edward Shenshyton in the book Couriers of the Clouds published in 1930 and again in 1937

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(Below left) Pitcairn PA-5 Mailplane Serial Number 25 built in 1928 NAT Number 49 Pitcairn was one of the few commercial airshycraft companies that built aircraft specifically for air mail service The PA-5 Mailwing was primarily for service on the New YorkshyAtlanta run The Mailwing carried from 500-600 pounds of mail at a speed of 105 mph

(Below right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II Mailplane serial number G-2 with a Curtiss Conqueror engine The first one was the Curshytiss entry in the 1925 Post Office competition for a single-seat mail plane to be powered by a Liberty engine NAT purchased their first one from the Post Office and had 10 others built Three new ones were constructed in 1929 as the Carrier Pigeon II and used a geared 600 hp Conqueror engine with a useful load of over 2000 pounds and a cruising speed of 123 mph

6 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above)The photo shows the amazing clear-span NAT hangar at Chicago durshying 1930 Inside are three Boeing Model 95 Mailplanes NC-425E NC-412E NCshy397E Boeing constructed 25 Model 95 Mailplanes during 1929 Twenty went to Boeing Air Transport one to NAT and four to Western Air Express With airshymail carriers emerging as passenger opshyerations using aircraft such as the Ford Trimotor that carried passengers plus mail the Boeing 95 was one of last airshycraft special-built just to carry mail The 95 had a useful load of over 2600 pounds and a cruising speed of 120 mph

(Left) This view is a good example of the hustle and bustle that accompanies the loading of a mailplane The aircraft is a Douglas M4 with a Liberty Engine How about the 5 cent air mail postage sign on the mail truck

(Below) Aerial View of Douglas M4 Mailplane NAT No 45 Note the covered front cockpit large lights under lower wing and very tall radio antenna

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB

An extremely rare type of flying club is represented by this photo of the AtholshyOrange Aero Club Inc of Athol Masshysachusetts Located in the northlcentral part of the state midway between the communities of Athol and Orange MA the 45 member flying club is most unique in its equipment and its longevity Picshytured in front of one of th e club s hangars are the clubs three tailwheel aircraft a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65 N33999 SIN 2851 a 1949 Piper PA-16

Athol- Orange Aero Club

Clipper N5972H SIN 16-596 and a 1946 Aeronca Champ N83563 SIN 7ACshy2241 Note the original paint schemes In addition the club has a Cessna 150 and a 172 for those who enjoy noseshywheels The Athol-Orange Aero Club was founded way back in 1937 starting with a 40 hp 1-2 C ub and about nine members One of the founding memshybers 85-year-old Erwin Stocky Stockshywell (EAA 12215) is still going great guns today and back in 1946 flew the

club s new Aeronca Champ home from the factory The Piper Clipper has been owned by the club since 1950 and the Taylorcraft was donated to the club by member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673) who had owned it for many many years Two of the club members are AampP meshychanics and another is a CFI who gives members their BFRs The club has two hangars with one heated and featuring a second floor lounge and meeting room overlooking the airport

8 FEBRUARY 1995

John and Debbie Baughs J-3 Cub

Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA 126172 A C 9070) of Oshkosh WI this 19461-3 Piper Cub N98674 SIN 18804 was flown to its new home in Nashville TN by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA 64463 A l e 1180) who we re totally amazed at the beautiful landscape they observed on the way having previously made the trip num e rous times in the family P-51 Mustang or T-34 The Cub has since become a family treasure and you can see the beautiful detail in the inshyterior and on the engine as the airplane has been steadily upgraded since purshychase At present John reports the Cub is down for a tot a l recover so before long we will see a bright and shining new 1-3 on the line Meanwhile John bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric start so she can keep up with her many many Young Eagle rides involving kids in the Nashville area

Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

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~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

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New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Mail Planes of National Air Transport in the 1930s

by Dennis Parks

(Above) Nationals Douglas M3 SIN 314 registered C-7163 after being re-engined with a 525 hp Hornet

(Below) liberty powered Douglas M3 Mailplane SIN 624 registered C-1060 The Douglas Mailplane series was a civilian development of their very successful Army observation plane the 0-2 series The first production version of the mailplane the M-2 was ordered by Western Air Express which began operations w ith them in 1926 NAT was the largest user of M-3s and M-4s acquiring 18 of the airplanes for use on their Chicago-New York route They continued using the Douglas mailplanes until October 1930 The M-4 could carry 1000 pounds of mail at a speed of 110 mph

F ro m the co ll ec ti o n of R ober t Grospitch a fo rmer dispatcher with United in Chicago comes a gro up of photographs taken during 1930 of air mai l operations of NAT Na tiona l A ir Transport National A ir T ra nspo rt was the bra inchild of Clement Keys a fo rmer WALL ST REET JOURNA L financial edito r who became involved as a promoter of aviat ion corposhyrati ons His fi rst avi at ion success was in gaining control of Curtiss in 1916 In 1925 he fo rm ed North A merican Avia tion fo r the express purpose of providing organizashytion and fi nancing for his av iatio n ente rshyprises

NAT was incorporated in May of 1925 to gain control of the air mail route linking Chicago and New York In November NAT wo n the contract for the ChicagoshyDallas route Service started on this route in May 1926 with a fleet of ten Curtiss Carshyrier Pigeons In Apri l 1927 NAT was awarded th e Chicago-New York route Se rvice began in September with existing Carrier Pigeons but these were replaced quickly by 18 Douglas Mailplanes purshychased from the Post Office Department Eight Travel Air 5000s were also used on the route In 1930 NAT was purchased by United Air Lines

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(Below and right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon serial numshyber G-2registered NC-311 N being loaded This photo was one of the many used as the basis for drawings done by illustratorauthor Edward Shenshyton in the book Couriers of the Clouds published in 1930 and again in 1937

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(Below left) Pitcairn PA-5 Mailplane Serial Number 25 built in 1928 NAT Number 49 Pitcairn was one of the few commercial airshycraft companies that built aircraft specifically for air mail service The PA-5 Mailwing was primarily for service on the New YorkshyAtlanta run The Mailwing carried from 500-600 pounds of mail at a speed of 105 mph

(Below right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II Mailplane serial number G-2 with a Curtiss Conqueror engine The first one was the Curshytiss entry in the 1925 Post Office competition for a single-seat mail plane to be powered by a Liberty engine NAT purchased their first one from the Post Office and had 10 others built Three new ones were constructed in 1929 as the Carrier Pigeon II and used a geared 600 hp Conqueror engine with a useful load of over 2000 pounds and a cruising speed of 123 mph

6 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above)The photo shows the amazing clear-span NAT hangar at Chicago durshying 1930 Inside are three Boeing Model 95 Mailplanes NC-425E NC-412E NCshy397E Boeing constructed 25 Model 95 Mailplanes during 1929 Twenty went to Boeing Air Transport one to NAT and four to Western Air Express With airshymail carriers emerging as passenger opshyerations using aircraft such as the Ford Trimotor that carried passengers plus mail the Boeing 95 was one of last airshycraft special-built just to carry mail The 95 had a useful load of over 2600 pounds and a cruising speed of 120 mph

(Left) This view is a good example of the hustle and bustle that accompanies the loading of a mailplane The aircraft is a Douglas M4 with a Liberty Engine How about the 5 cent air mail postage sign on the mail truck

(Below) Aerial View of Douglas M4 Mailplane NAT No 45 Note the covered front cockpit large lights under lower wing and very tall radio antenna

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB

An extremely rare type of flying club is represented by this photo of the AtholshyOrange Aero Club Inc of Athol Masshysachusetts Located in the northlcentral part of the state midway between the communities of Athol and Orange MA the 45 member flying club is most unique in its equipment and its longevity Picshytured in front of one of th e club s hangars are the clubs three tailwheel aircraft a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65 N33999 SIN 2851 a 1949 Piper PA-16

Athol- Orange Aero Club

Clipper N5972H SIN 16-596 and a 1946 Aeronca Champ N83563 SIN 7ACshy2241 Note the original paint schemes In addition the club has a Cessna 150 and a 172 for those who enjoy noseshywheels The Athol-Orange Aero Club was founded way back in 1937 starting with a 40 hp 1-2 C ub and about nine members One of the founding memshybers 85-year-old Erwin Stocky Stockshywell (EAA 12215) is still going great guns today and back in 1946 flew the

club s new Aeronca Champ home from the factory The Piper Clipper has been owned by the club since 1950 and the Taylorcraft was donated to the club by member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673) who had owned it for many many years Two of the club members are AampP meshychanics and another is a CFI who gives members their BFRs The club has two hangars with one heated and featuring a second floor lounge and meeting room overlooking the airport

8 FEBRUARY 1995

John and Debbie Baughs J-3 Cub

Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA 126172 A C 9070) of Oshkosh WI this 19461-3 Piper Cub N98674 SIN 18804 was flown to its new home in Nashville TN by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA 64463 A l e 1180) who we re totally amazed at the beautiful landscape they observed on the way having previously made the trip num e rous times in the family P-51 Mustang or T-34 The Cub has since become a family treasure and you can see the beautiful detail in the inshyterior and on the engine as the airplane has been steadily upgraded since purshychase At present John reports the Cub is down for a tot a l recover so before long we will see a bright and shining new 1-3 on the line Meanwhile John bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric start so she can keep up with her many many Young Eagle rides involving kids in the Nashville area

Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

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~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

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APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

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APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

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(Below and right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon serial numshyber G-2registered NC-311 N being loaded This photo was one of the many used as the basis for drawings done by illustratorauthor Edward Shenshyton in the book Couriers of the Clouds published in 1930 and again in 1937

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(Below left) Pitcairn PA-5 Mailplane Serial Number 25 built in 1928 NAT Number 49 Pitcairn was one of the few commercial airshycraft companies that built aircraft specifically for air mail service The PA-5 Mailwing was primarily for service on the New YorkshyAtlanta run The Mailwing carried from 500-600 pounds of mail at a speed of 105 mph

(Below right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II Mailplane serial number G-2 with a Curtiss Conqueror engine The first one was the Curshytiss entry in the 1925 Post Office competition for a single-seat mail plane to be powered by a Liberty engine NAT purchased their first one from the Post Office and had 10 others built Three new ones were constructed in 1929 as the Carrier Pigeon II and used a geared 600 hp Conqueror engine with a useful load of over 2000 pounds and a cruising speed of 123 mph

6 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above)The photo shows the amazing clear-span NAT hangar at Chicago durshying 1930 Inside are three Boeing Model 95 Mailplanes NC-425E NC-412E NCshy397E Boeing constructed 25 Model 95 Mailplanes during 1929 Twenty went to Boeing Air Transport one to NAT and four to Western Air Express With airshymail carriers emerging as passenger opshyerations using aircraft such as the Ford Trimotor that carried passengers plus mail the Boeing 95 was one of last airshycraft special-built just to carry mail The 95 had a useful load of over 2600 pounds and a cruising speed of 120 mph

(Left) This view is a good example of the hustle and bustle that accompanies the loading of a mailplane The aircraft is a Douglas M4 with a Liberty Engine How about the 5 cent air mail postage sign on the mail truck

(Below) Aerial View of Douglas M4 Mailplane NAT No 45 Note the covered front cockpit large lights under lower wing and very tall radio antenna

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB

An extremely rare type of flying club is represented by this photo of the AtholshyOrange Aero Club Inc of Athol Masshysachusetts Located in the northlcentral part of the state midway between the communities of Athol and Orange MA the 45 member flying club is most unique in its equipment and its longevity Picshytured in front of one of th e club s hangars are the clubs three tailwheel aircraft a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65 N33999 SIN 2851 a 1949 Piper PA-16

Athol- Orange Aero Club

Clipper N5972H SIN 16-596 and a 1946 Aeronca Champ N83563 SIN 7ACshy2241 Note the original paint schemes In addition the club has a Cessna 150 and a 172 for those who enjoy noseshywheels The Athol-Orange Aero Club was founded way back in 1937 starting with a 40 hp 1-2 C ub and about nine members One of the founding memshybers 85-year-old Erwin Stocky Stockshywell (EAA 12215) is still going great guns today and back in 1946 flew the

club s new Aeronca Champ home from the factory The Piper Clipper has been owned by the club since 1950 and the Taylorcraft was donated to the club by member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673) who had owned it for many many years Two of the club members are AampP meshychanics and another is a CFI who gives members their BFRs The club has two hangars with one heated and featuring a second floor lounge and meeting room overlooking the airport

8 FEBRUARY 1995

John and Debbie Baughs J-3 Cub

Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA 126172 A C 9070) of Oshkosh WI this 19461-3 Piper Cub N98674 SIN 18804 was flown to its new home in Nashville TN by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA 64463 A l e 1180) who we re totally amazed at the beautiful landscape they observed on the way having previously made the trip num e rous times in the family P-51 Mustang or T-34 The Cub has since become a family treasure and you can see the beautiful detail in the inshyterior and on the engine as the airplane has been steadily upgraded since purshychase At present John reports the Cub is down for a tot a l recover so before long we will see a bright and shining new 1-3 on the line Meanwhile John bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric start so she can keep up with her many many Young Eagle rides involving kids in the Nashville area

Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

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~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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(Above)The photo shows the amazing clear-span NAT hangar at Chicago durshying 1930 Inside are three Boeing Model 95 Mailplanes NC-425E NC-412E NCshy397E Boeing constructed 25 Model 95 Mailplanes during 1929 Twenty went to Boeing Air Transport one to NAT and four to Western Air Express With airshymail carriers emerging as passenger opshyerations using aircraft such as the Ford Trimotor that carried passengers plus mail the Boeing 95 was one of last airshycraft special-built just to carry mail The 95 had a useful load of over 2600 pounds and a cruising speed of 120 mph

(Left) This view is a good example of the hustle and bustle that accompanies the loading of a mailplane The aircraft is a Douglas M4 with a Liberty Engine How about the 5 cent air mail postage sign on the mail truck

(Below) Aerial View of Douglas M4 Mailplane NAT No 45 Note the covered front cockpit large lights under lower wing and very tall radio antenna

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB

An extremely rare type of flying club is represented by this photo of the AtholshyOrange Aero Club Inc of Athol Masshysachusetts Located in the northlcentral part of the state midway between the communities of Athol and Orange MA the 45 member flying club is most unique in its equipment and its longevity Picshytured in front of one of th e club s hangars are the clubs three tailwheel aircraft a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65 N33999 SIN 2851 a 1949 Piper PA-16

Athol- Orange Aero Club

Clipper N5972H SIN 16-596 and a 1946 Aeronca Champ N83563 SIN 7ACshy2241 Note the original paint schemes In addition the club has a Cessna 150 and a 172 for those who enjoy noseshywheels The Athol-Orange Aero Club was founded way back in 1937 starting with a 40 hp 1-2 C ub and about nine members One of the founding memshybers 85-year-old Erwin Stocky Stockshywell (EAA 12215) is still going great guns today and back in 1946 flew the

club s new Aeronca Champ home from the factory The Piper Clipper has been owned by the club since 1950 and the Taylorcraft was donated to the club by member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673) who had owned it for many many years Two of the club members are AampP meshychanics and another is a CFI who gives members their BFRs The club has two hangars with one heated and featuring a second floor lounge and meeting room overlooking the airport

8 FEBRUARY 1995

John and Debbie Baughs J-3 Cub

Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA 126172 A C 9070) of Oshkosh WI this 19461-3 Piper Cub N98674 SIN 18804 was flown to its new home in Nashville TN by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA 64463 A l e 1180) who we re totally amazed at the beautiful landscape they observed on the way having previously made the trip num e rous times in the family P-51 Mustang or T-34 The Cub has since become a family treasure and you can see the beautiful detail in the inshyterior and on the engine as the airplane has been steadily upgraded since purshychase At present John reports the Cub is down for a tot a l recover so before long we will see a bright and shining new 1-3 on the line Meanwhile John bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric start so she can keep up with her many many Young Eagle rides involving kids in the Nashville area

Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

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~ E

~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

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New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB

An extremely rare type of flying club is represented by this photo of the AtholshyOrange Aero Club Inc of Athol Masshysachusetts Located in the northlcentral part of the state midway between the communities of Athol and Orange MA the 45 member flying club is most unique in its equipment and its longevity Picshytured in front of one of th e club s hangars are the clubs three tailwheel aircraft a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65 N33999 SIN 2851 a 1949 Piper PA-16

Athol- Orange Aero Club

Clipper N5972H SIN 16-596 and a 1946 Aeronca Champ N83563 SIN 7ACshy2241 Note the original paint schemes In addition the club has a Cessna 150 and a 172 for those who enjoy noseshywheels The Athol-Orange Aero Club was founded way back in 1937 starting with a 40 hp 1-2 C ub and about nine members One of the founding memshybers 85-year-old Erwin Stocky Stockshywell (EAA 12215) is still going great guns today and back in 1946 flew the

club s new Aeronca Champ home from the factory The Piper Clipper has been owned by the club since 1950 and the Taylorcraft was donated to the club by member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673) who had owned it for many many years Two of the club members are AampP meshychanics and another is a CFI who gives members their BFRs The club has two hangars with one heated and featuring a second floor lounge and meeting room overlooking the airport

8 FEBRUARY 1995

John and Debbie Baughs J-3 Cub

Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA 126172 A C 9070) of Oshkosh WI this 19461-3 Piper Cub N98674 SIN 18804 was flown to its new home in Nashville TN by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA 64463 A l e 1180) who we re totally amazed at the beautiful landscape they observed on the way having previously made the trip num e rous times in the family P-51 Mustang or T-34 The Cub has since become a family treasure and you can see the beautiful detail in the inshyterior and on the engine as the airplane has been steadily upgraded since purshychase At present John reports the Cub is down for a tot a l recover so before long we will see a bright and shining new 1-3 on the line Meanwhile John bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric start so she can keep up with her many many Young Eagle rides involving kids in the Nashville area

Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

+ ~ u sect

~ E

~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

+

Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

+

all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

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New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago

This handsome young man is R alph Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh WI phoshytographed in 1949 standing by the company owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh Airport His father was one of the founder s of Oshkosh Truck Corp and the Stinson was used in the business for a number of years Note the wooden Sensenich propeller the mishycarta radio mast for the low-freque ncy wire antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on the wings with their forward facing tubular vents The original factory paint scheme was overall red with a cream colored stripe Ralph says he has many fond memories of flying this Stinson back in the good old days He has been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a strong booster for the organization especially with hi s many business contacts around the world

Jerry Guyers Luscombe 8A

A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A N77807 SIN 3534 is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085 A C 20476) of Olathe Kansas He purchased the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year and a half including trips to Kitty Hawk NC Bar Harbor ME Warrenton VA and EAA Oshkosh Cruising along at 100 mph (solo) Jerry is amazed whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lusshycombe story or experience At one stop a 76-year-old man approached with a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe Jerry took him for a most enjoyable ride and the old timer just bubbled with enthusiasm Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications however navigation is by map and compass The aerial photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the level lands of Kansas

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

+ ~ u sect

~ E

~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

+

Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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1959 CESSNA by Norm Petersen 1808

10 FEBRUARY 1995

(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane we can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely) from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the controls

(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental enshygine drives a constant-speed Hartzell proshypeller to provide the excellent performance of a 180 A farmer friend in Minnesota used to say about his 180 When you grab a handful of throttle by God - somethin happens

(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of his award-winning Cessna 180B realizing he has come a long way since his first ride in an Ercoupe at the tender age of five years

Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

+ ~ u sect

~ E

~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

+

all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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Way back in 1959 the Cessna Aircraft Company was busy building smaller airshyplanes (which they have not done in reshycent years) and among their substantia l prod uction that year were 306 Cessna 180B models powered with a Continental 0 -470K engines of 230 hp A popular airshyplane especially among utility type users the 180B has been red uced over the years to a remaining 101 a ircraft o n the FAA register Numerous others are located around the world doing yeoman service The register total lists 2933 of all the varishyous Cessna 180 models remaining

One of the 101 is N5128E SIN 50428 a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson WI who flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh 94 with two passengers who are fellow employees at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis Neither passenger Tony Dockendorf (EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell had atshytended an Oshkosh Fly-In before To say they were wide-eyed would be the undershystatement of the year

Dougs beautiful 180B caught the AlC judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and when the shouting was over the neatly done airplane had won the Custom Class II Award in the Contemporary category Exciting as it may be it was not Doug Weilers first award at Oshkosh In 1979 his Cessna 140A N5389C SIN 15522 regshyistered to Doug and his wife Jean ran off

+ ~ u sect

~ E

~~t-------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ (Above) Over the fluffy clouds the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the passhysengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moores photo plane The tires on Dougs plane are 700 X 6 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty

(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear patented by Steve Wittman leads down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes a vital necessity in handling a Cessna 180 on the ground especially in strong winds

with the Outs tanding In Type award for the Cessna 120140 class

Doug Weiler was smitten with the avishyation bug when he had his first ride in an Ercoupe at the age of five In 1965 he soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went on to earn his Commercial and CFI tickshyets A four-year stint in the Air Force was followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot in Ohio flying a Merlin III a King Air a Westwind a King Air 100 and a Sabershyliner plus a few more assorted types All of this considerable and varied backshyground earned him a Ground Instructors job at Northwest Airlines In recent weeks he was selected by Northwest to go on line and will be flying a Boeing 727 by the time you read this (and a happier or more excited pilot you will not find anywhere)

On the personal side Doug has owned two Vagabonds two Citabrias a Cessna 170 a Cessna 140A a Champ and the Cessna 180B His lovely wife Jean is also a pilot and their two boys Craig age 12 and Dale age 10 are showing a noticeshyable aviation bent just like their parshyents

The 180B was purchased in 1985 in Richmond VA where it had served for many years as an aerial photographer s platform with a special camera hole in the belly of the aircraft The photographer would sit in the baggage compartment and

work the huge aerial camera mounted in the floor in front of him while the pilot atshytended his duties from the front seat Beshycause of this type of work the Cessna had received excellent maintenance over the many years and had usually been hangared

One item the seller agreed to was to have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged before delivery Doug says this item alone cost the seller about $2800 before the job was completed

A new cowling helped to clean up the front end of the airplane while inside Doug built a new instrument panel to upshygrade the capabilities and also re-wire the entire panel and electrical system A new interior was next on the agenda When the old headliner was removed several dead mice were found that when exshypunged really helped to clean up the odor in the cabin Extra soundproofing was added before the new interior was inshystalled to quiet the cabin in flight In adshydition a new back seat was installed the photo opening in the belly was covered over and the interior paint was all redone New glass all around helped to brighten up the cabin and improve visibility over the old glazing

Externally all new bolts were inshystalled in the tail section and a new Scott 3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

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When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

(Top) Cruising over the Wisshyconsin countrys ide with the sun illuminating the pretty paint scheme is Doug Weilers award -winning Cessna 1808 N5128E

(Left) Custom panel built by Doug Weiler features a shockshymounted gyro panel on the left engine instruments in the censhyter with radios above and t o the right A really neat and well thought out touch are the small non-skid strips fastened on the lower rudder pedals

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Patiently waiting to go roaring off into the blue sky the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass Many pilots enjoy the look of a tailshydragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go

12 FEBRUARY 1995

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all the help he can get Shortly after this work was completed Doug was flying one day when he saw the ammeter peg itself on the discharge side The generashytor had gone to melt down and the su rge of e lectricity took about $2000 wort h of e lectronics with it Biting his upper lip Doug invested in a new 50shyamp a lternator and started fixing each item in order Thankfully the problem has never returned

Eventually the old paint job had to go so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services in Springfie ld IL where the award-winshyning paint scheme was put on with AlumishygripTM paint Doug says he sent about five pages of instructions along to the shop however the paint job came out perfect in spite of all his help

With a 1035 lb useful load the 180B trucks along at 131 kts at a setting of 21 inches and 2300 rpm and burning about 11 gph It is possible to slow down to 115 kts and with proper leaning cruise along at 8 gph which puts maximum range at nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on board For a family of four like Doug Jean and their two sons the 180 is the perfect airplane It gets off well hauls a nice load and is comfortable to fly over considerable dista nces Throw in the opshytions of auto fuel skis and floats the 180 becomes a most desirable airplane And then to top it off it wi ll even bring home a Custom Class II Award in the Contemshyporary bracket A hearty Congratulashytions to Doug and Jean Weiler of Hudshyson Wisconsin

Text and photos by HC Frautschy

(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they left the exhaust stack here you go Richard Bud Fuchs of St Louis MO is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing Bud gave a special talk Flying the Staggerwing in addition to his flight and proficiency checks offered at the Convention

(Above) An old antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego CAl tried to gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mushyseum Foundation president John Parish

ospitality L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention held in Tullashyhoma TN was a wonderful experience for antique airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its relshyatives the Travel Air and Twin Beech not to menshytion their invited guests the Howards Twin Bonanshyzas and Spartans While the weather was not cooperative during the beginning of the convention it cleared nicely for the weekend and our generous hosts the John Parish family made SUre that all who were interested were made to feel welcome

The highlight of the weekend was the dedication of the new Beech Center linking the Eddie Ross Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Lishybrary as well as the main museum building and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel

During the Saturday evening banquet Margie Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the 1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for Lewis Bud Lindemer who was lost to the family and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 41994 Bob Hoff last year s recipient presented the award with honor and kindness While saddened by their loss the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing enshythusiasts Lindy had been selected prior to his death to receive the Merit award for his outstanding conshytribution to the Staggerwing Club and the Foundashytion of his time talent resources and especially his lets do it attitude

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

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Groton CT Berkeley CA

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Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

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Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

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Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

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Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

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(Above) The new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum in Tullashyhoma TN honors the memory and accomplishments of both Olive and Walter Beech and it showcases the restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued from an upstate New York farm field by the late Steve Pfister

(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the Beech Center The inset pictures show an unusual feature of this Stagshygerwing something that production models didnt have - a split rudder to act as an air brake Staggerwing Museum Foundation president John Parish shows off the rudder in the deployed position

14 FEBRUARY 1995

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

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28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

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FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

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MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

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MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

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HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

(Above) EC Dub Yarbroughs Travel Air frames the Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum In the background you can see skydivers as they end their jumps at the Tullahoma airport Excellent coopershyation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant there were no traffic conflicts and the convention crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper forshymations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3

(Continued on page 23)

(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo IL flew their E-17B SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention Theyre flying to the satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester TN Jim a retired airline pilot was a smooth and attentive formation pilot This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this parshyticular Staggerwing

(Below right) Christine and Paul St Onge came to the convention in her bright blue C-17B

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

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When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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1930 THOMPSON TROPHY

by Frank Warren

The winners

77 Charles Speed Holman - Laird Solution 2019 mph

35 James Hazlip - Travel Air Mystery S 1998 mph

37 Ben Howard - Howard Special Ike 1628 mph

Others in the race

83 Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing

92 Bvrett Williams - Wedell Williams

28 Frank Hawks - Travel Air Mystery S

27 Capt Arthur Page - modified Curtiss 3

16 FEBRUARY 1995

1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

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28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

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FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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1929 THOMPSON CUP

by Frank Warren

The winners

31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R 19490 mph

80 Lt R G Breene - Curtiss XP-3A 18684 mph

Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 16380 mph

Others in the race

210 Lt II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3

33 IM McConaughey - Travel Air Bll-D

71 HS Myhres - Simplex

30 CD Boyer - Cessna Airmaster

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

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WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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LAIRD

18 FEBRUARY 1995

by Norm Petersen

(Top) You can almost feel the power imshypulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the Laird in close to the photo plane One has to look close to be absolutely sure it isnt Speed Holman in the cockpit

(Above left) This is 1929 all over again Note the unusual rudder pedals with the inboard extensions for wheel brakes The pilot slides his foot inward when brakes are needed and presses on the rudder bar extension The button on the right of the instrument panel is the starter - real class for 1929

(Left) The business offices of the sleek Laird complete with period instruments in the rear cockpit and mahogany instrushyment panels Note the tiny door for entershying the two-place front cockpit

T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

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When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

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T he voice on the phone was inshyquisitive Where could I find a ha nga r for a month or two

during EAA O shkosh It was fun t o talk aga in with a rea l a irpl a neshylovin guy from California But wh y did he need a hangar for so long

In short order the exciting answers came to light - Jimmy Rollison (E AA 181914 A C 9884) of Vacaville CA was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203 to the big EAA affa ir in O shkosh A close fri end of mine with a distinct weakshyness for biplanes agreed to give up his hangar for those po rtions of July and August necessa ry to house the Laird durin g it s s t ay in O shkosh so th e fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy a nd a rrangeme nts wer e comple ted The wait began

Meanwhile the stork was making a second delive ry to the Rollison houseshyhold in the form of young James Russhysell R ollison named for his grandfashyth e r a nd b y introducing a fe w co mplica ti o ns (as yo un gs t e r s are known to do) he managed to hold up the O shkosh de pa rture of th e Laird fo r seve r a l wee ks Jimmys wife Mary Ann was busy with the ir 4-yearshyo ld daughte r J ane a nd the ir newly arri ved son so Jimmys close fri end B a rry W e ll s (E AA 391999 A C 17765) was e lected to the once-in-ashylife time trea t of flying front seat in a Laird Speedwing from California to Oshkosh

Early in the morning of July 26 the Laird was packed full of all the necesshysary goodies that two men need fo r a ten day tri p a nd the big PampW R -985 e ngin e was fire d up T a keoff was at 7 a m and the twosome with Jimmy in the rear cockpit and Barry packed in the fro nt cockpit a nd every conceivable space a ro und him fill e d with a bo u t 120 lbs of stu ff hea d e d northeast a lo ng Inte rsta te 80 at 160 mph - truly a unique cruisshying speed fo r an open cockshypit bi p la ne - but th a t s what Matty Laird designed into the Speedwing

Most legs were about two hours in length as Jimm y says the wind a nd no ise ge t prett y severe beyond th a t Besides the old bod needs a chance to stre tch a nd res t afte r flyin g that long The a irplane is quite stable but a bit heavy on the controls much like a n N3N bipla ne The front contro l stick had bee n re moved for th e trip (more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to do all the flying from the rear cockpit

Barry Wells expla ined Each stop wo uld rea ll y brin g out th e lo ca ls They wa nted to know wh a t kind of a irplane it was never having seen a

L a ird before Howe ve r a t O gde n Utah a n e ld e rl y m a n nea rl y 80 walked up and immediately identified th e a irpl a ne a nd told a b o ut fl y ing the m m any years ago H e o ffe re d a wealth o f in forma tion o n La ird a irshypl anes and Jimmy a nd I li ste ne d inshyte ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afra id we might miss some thing B a rry sa id the entire trip felt a lmost like a timeshywarp - making a 1929 trip in 1994 shya n expe rie nce like he had neve r had before or since

The ove rnight stop was m ade a t Cheyenne WY where the two travelshye rs a nd the ir airpl a ne we re m ade to feel comple te ly welcome The service was so exce ption a l th ey s t o ppe d ove rnig ht o n th e r e turn tr ip a t th e same place The nex t morning they were off and running early with a stop at Kearney NE for fuel fo llowing the concre te compass called Inte rsta te 80 The next stop was a t Olin (Ole) Pas h s beautiful airport at H a rl a n Iowa easily located by the R eshypubli c F -84 m o unt e d o n a co nc re t e pylo n Aga in

th ey we re tre ate d lik e r oy alty a nd made it a po int to re me mbe r to stop for fuel on the return trip

The fin a l fli ght for d ay No2 was into Madison WI where the duo enshyjoyed a beautiful welcome and stayed over to ente r the busy O shkosh pa t shyt e rn ea rl y th e n ex t mornin g (wi se move) Needless to say the arrival in Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speedshywin g create d quite a se nsa tion and Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were as busy as o ne-a rmed paper hange rs trying to answer a ll the questions tha t were offe red by the multitudes Many inte rvie ws including so me (o n ca mshye ra ) in front o f the A ntiqueClassic R ed Barn were conducted to learn the fascinating history of a 1929 Laird bishyplane tha t fl ew for the very fi rst time in February of 1993

How could th is be It seems th at in the tough times of the ea rly 1930s depressio n E M Ma tty Laird had built two Spee dwin g a irpl a nes a nd

was we ll into th e thi rd a ir fra m e wh e n the fin a ncia l ro pe got too sho rt a nd he closed his C hicago

+

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

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(Left) Beautiful view of the famous double cowl designed by Matty Laird Note four flying wires and two landing wires in wing truss a sign of a rugged airplane Aluminum javelin stops wires from vibrating

(Below) In 1929 a fast airplane reshyquired a large engine and a small airframe Please note that the Speedwing has plenty of both Very sanitary engine and prop installation caught the judges attention

facto ry T he a irframe was cra ted up a nd s to re d fo r a spe ll before be in g sold fo r $450 (plus $145 fo r crati ng) to Bud Powell in 1940 It passed th rough severa l hands before ending up in the hands of no ted antiquer J oe Era le on Long Island NY It was at this juncshyture that Jimmy Rollison s fa ther Ji m R ollison lea rned of the Speedwi ngs ex iste nce and while fl ying for T W A Jim visited J oe Era le a nd purch ased th e c r a tes of Sp eedwin g p a r ts for $1000 plus a 450 PampW engine for anshyothe r $700 Much to hi s future chashygrin Jim declined to purchase ano ther of Joes offe rs the single place Laird Solution fo r $750

The crates of Speedwing parts were de livered to the R ollison household in V acav ill e CA w he r e th e yo un g Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for

20 FEBRUARY 1995

playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

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playing Jungle Jim and other kid s games Who would ever suspect that nearly forty years late r the grown up Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge EAA Oshkosh 94 ga thering in the same Laird that was packed in th e crates The road to Oshkosh 94 would prove to be a long one

Numerous attempts at completing the Speedwing were started over the years but often the people doing the work would run up against the lack of factory drawings to make the necesshysary parts to complete the airplane One such attempt involved a number of years of work by noted antiquer Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414 A IC 3136) whose shop is located just south of Minneapolis near Jordan MN On several occasions this author was pershymitted to examine the Laird closely as it was be ing work ed on in the shop The many many clever de tails as deshysigned by Matty Laird were evident in the structure as Forrest carefully exshyplained the project To me it was the treat of a lifetime that ran shivshyers down my spine as I s tood in total awe of Matty Laird s

if it were your own airplane D an beshygan the formidable job

Using an English wheel to form many of the compound aluminum panels and employing a unique grease gun rig that forces aluminum into the proper shape Dan was able to proshyduce some very nice pieces that helped to maintain th e look that Matty Laird was capable of designing R eshyme mber that this airplane is a small high speed biplane with a big 450 Pratt e ngin e out front to make it go A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the essence

Th e doubl e cowl wa s one of Matty Laird s ideas that rea lly he lped in the drag depa rtment The first cowl handles engine cooling air whil e the second contains all th e accesso ri es and oil tank that have bl ast tubes d ishyrected to them All this stuff is out of the slipstream which reduces drag In addition the la rge narrow Bendix wheels with the ir 12-inch mechanica l brakes inside produce minimal drag

nal colors of black and gold (Matty Laird s trademark) were done in DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a flex agent added The inte rior of the cockpits was don e in black leather sewn by Dan Murrays wife Linda Again attention to detail is evident and one really gets a feeling of 1929 when sitting in the airplane

By February of 1993 the long long process of finally completing the Laird Speed wing had come to pass and Dan Murray called Jimmy Rolliso n to come to Santa Paula and get ready for the first flight As Jimmy says It was quite a day I felt like a genuine Laird factory test pilot - which I was There were no rea l probl e ms on that first flight The a irpla ne was nose heavy and there were little adjustments here and there that would have to be made but th ey all seem e d insignifica nt to me I was flying The Laird All those years all the dreams and frustrations the memo ries of Matty Ill go to my grave with no other feeling like I

had that day The fun meter was really pegged that day

Dan Murray made the secshybra inchild Such impressions The Laird was started in the early 1930s by o nd flight in the Laird and are remembered forever the crew in Matty Lairds factory but came up with a couple of ideas

Eventually Jim Rolli so n for fine tunin g the airplanewasnt completed until 1993 decided to se ll the Laird proshy Considerable weight was

jec t and although other av- added to the tai l to get rid of enues were open it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow to see the airplane in any other It was quite a day I felt like a genuine three-point landings Both pishyhands The young Jimmy Rolshy lots agreed the airplane was lison knowing what the Laird Laird factory test pilot - which I was blessed with excess powershymeant to his father went all out to acquire the project - and succeeded The entire project was trucked from Minnesota to California and the next sceshynario began

Receiving a phone call one day from Matty Lairds grandson Jimmy was asked if he was interested in some old airplane blueprints that he had inshyherited Later that same day Jimmy was in Carson City NV goi ng over original factory blueprints that Matty had drawn years ago going all the way back to Wichita Among the huge collection of cotton vellums were the Speedwing drawings - the key to comshypleting the airplane Here was the missing link

Not too long after this major find Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA 199326 AIC 9377) aircraft rebui lder from Santa Paula CA After some negotiations a deal was st ruck for Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the project (en masse) was delivered to his shop on November 1991 Taking inventory D an fo und h e had the wings tail surfaces a seat two I-struts (both for the same side) the fuselage and most of the landing gear With inshystructions from Jimmy to restore it as

just add coal and climb from any attitude - it rea ll y moves - Jimmy Rollison out sma rtl y Getting used to

Fortunate ly the set of smooth Un ishyversa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls had been purchased years ear li e r when they were still avai lable Alshythough the Laird would n orm a ll y have had a tailskid installed in 1929 (all grass a nd dirt runways) a Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed for use on hard surface runways and taxiways

Although the BT-13 engine purshychased with the project many years ago was avai lable it was held in reshyserve and another Pratt amp Whitney Rshy985 was majored and installed in the airplane It swings a Hamilton metal propeller that was rescued from the office wall of a Ford Motor Co execushytive by a friend of the Rollisons Apshyparently it had become surplus when it was replaced on the nose of a Ford Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop deshyveloped by Ford und er license from Hamilton

Being so ld on the Blue River Ceshyconite covering process Dan Murray covered the e ntire a irplane with this system up through final finish The fishy

the brakes was a bit unusual as Matty Laird had designed rudshy

der pedals with extensions inboard to slide your toe upon and push Once the all-important feel is learned the brakes are quite effective Directional control is quite outstanding with the rudder producing directional authorshyity right from the start Like nearly all biplanes the Laird is blind in the three-point position but it isnt twitchy and mean - it tracks straight

Various trips were made in the western part of the US before the long trip to Oshkosh On a ll occashysions the speedy biplane performed perfectly and came home with an award at nearly every fly-in including Grand Champion at the 1994 Cactus Fly-In

Meanwhile on Tuesday night at Oshkosh 94 a s light miscue on the timing of the awards program had both Jimmie Rollison and Barry Wells absent when the winner of the Outshystanding Open Cockpit Award for the Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was a nnounce d 1929 Laird LC-RW300 NC4442 Jimmy Rollison Vacaville

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

CA However all was no t lost as the beautiful Lindy trophy was soon deshylive re d to Jimm y for it s pres ti gio us ride home in a genuine Laird Speedshywing

Leaving O shkosh on W edn esday mo rnin g with a ll t he ir n ecess iti es tucked into the streamlined a irframe the dynamic duo of Rollison and Wells headed the speedy bip lane southwest

from Oshkosh picked up Inte rstate 80 and headed west with the first stop at O le P as h s H a ri a n I ow a a irport Fr o m t he r e th e wes tbo u nd fli g ht stopped at Lexington NE for fue l beshyfo re heading in to Cheyenne WY for an welcome overnight stop

Feeling a ce rta in kinship wit h and reve re nce for Speed Ho lma n a nd Jimm y Doolittle both form e r L a ird

A happy family by their pride and joy J immy and Mary Ann Rollison with their threeshyyear-old daughter Jane pose by the family chariot the Laird Speedwing NC4442 SIN 203

22 FEBRUARY 1995

racing pilots it was easy for Jimm y and Ba rry to unde rsta nd how these forme r gr eats could like such an a irshyplane Matty Laird s genius was easy to u nd e rstand as th ey sped we st to shywards the setting sun By evening the L a ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA and two ve ry tire d (but ha pp y) pil o ts we r e glad to be home

The trip to O shkosh had taken 12 hours and thirty minutes and the trip ho me re quire d thirtee n hou rs with na ry a miss of any kind from the Pratt amp Whitney engine And the fa bulous pe opl e th ey ha d me t a lo ng th e way m ad e th e e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad shyve nture - rese rved fo r the ve ry very few who had exper ie nce d the vibrashytions of a Laird Speed wing

Jimmy R ollison has fl own the airshypl a ne a bo ut 160 h o urs to d a te a nd looks fo rward to many more ho urs of pure j oy with th e Speedwin g Hi s good friend Barry We lls has just finshyished a 1943 Lockheed Lo des tar N6166 which used to be long to actor Cary Grant With its big W right R shy1820 engines of 1350 hp each you will know when it arrives at E AA Oshkosh 95

H ave yo u eve r no ti ced how th is bus in ess ge ts m o re exc it ing everyyear

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

STAGGBKWING (Continued from page 15)

(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR 1313 is currently under restoration as resources pershymit - here you can see the right wing and prop prior to their restoration

(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing Young Eagle award from Ron Morrison who was last years winner

(Below) Among other invited guests of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the Convention are Howard aircraft This Howard DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves of Santa Paula California

(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla shyhoma TN is full of interesting artifacts includshying numerous tools used to build Staggerwings These are some of the tools built and used by Eldon Bud Penny who among other tasks spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

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Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

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Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

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and Hands-On Instruction

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Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

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Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the familys F-17D Staggershywing First restored by their late father Bill the airplane was alshymost completely destroyed in a hangar fire The Morrisons then reshystored the airplane in Bill s honor

(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum Jennifer one of Olives grandchildren and Mattie Schultz (not shown) the Museum Founshydations executive Director cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the Center Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beechs daughters

The Staggenuing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing To attend the Convention Staggerwing Museum Foundation membership is required Dues are $30 per year and if you are passing anywhere close by you owe yourself a visit to this world class facility The mailing address is StaggerwingMuseum Foundation PO Box 550 Tullahoma TN 37388 For directions or more information you can call them at 615455-1974

24 FEBRUARY 1995

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

ysteryPane

side view of this aircraft equipped with a tail wheel and front landing gear Where or when the picture was taken we do not know

John Underwood Glendale CA adds

Its the Schroeder-Wentworth Mercury SWM built by Mercury Airshycraft at Hammonsport NY for the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition in its original form The central undercarriage and outriggers were replaced after taxi trials with a more conventional straight-axle landshying gear This was a big airplane the largest of all the entries with a span of

This moths Mystery Plane should be a comparatively easy one The license number is a give away But there must be more interesting information on it such as how many were built etc Anshyswers will be published in the May 1995 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadshyline for that issue is March 25 1995

The November Mystery Plane was a mystery to many - only a few answers were recieved JF Mead Jr Chairman of the Board Mercury Aircraft Inc Hammondsport NY writes

The airplane is the SchroedershyWentworth safety ship designed by Major Shorty Schroeder to compete in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in 1929 and built by the Aerial Service Corporation of Hammondsport New York Note the unusual center fuseshylage landing wheel and large variable wing camber in the side view picture

I have been told this aircraft was successfully tested in Hammondsport dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt Field Long Island where it was dam-

by George Hardie

aged and withdrawn from competishytion I do not know what happened to the aircraft as it was never returned to Hammondsport Page 8 of the Octoshyber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a

57 feet and 480 square feet of wing area It was 30 feet in length and had a 150 hp Comet

Unique features were the fullshyspan variable camber capability hyshydraulically articulated and Schroeders automatic two-position propeller Harvey Mummert had a hand in its conception and supervised its construction Unfortunately there

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

was no time for tes ting and the SWM was trucked to Mitchel Fie ld Long Isshyland to meet the deadline

Schroede r took it u p for a test hop o n 21 November 1929 to try the variab le camber and ai leron control got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly augered into the base hospital T he

fact t hat he was not injured spoke w e ll for the crafts struct u ra l inshytegrity Howev e r the SWM was damaged beyond repair and o u t of the ru nn ing

RW Shorty Schroeder was an Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot both in and out of the military He is

perhaps best remembered for his high flying (1919) and pylon turns in the first Ford Trimotor at the National A ir Races

Other answers were received from Charl ey Haye s New Lenox IL and Robert Wynne Mercer Island WA

(Above and left) These two views of the Schroeder-Wentshyworth safety ship show the full span variable camber wing Unfortunately the variable geometry wing did not prove to be successful in this case as RW Shorty Schroeder spiraled in from 300 feet at Mitchel Field Long Island NY just before the trials were to begin for the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition

(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth safety ship in its original configurashyt ion including outrigger style landing gear and 150 hp Comet engine

26 FEBRUARY 1995

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

---------------Crr~--I~ - u) ~ bull l(

rJ bull ~ bullPASS

dfo B UCK by Buck Hilbert bull EAA 21 bull Ale 5 bull PO Box 424 bull Union IL 60180

Dear Buck

Im writing to you since I often read your column in Vintage Airplane and know you are receptive to correspondshying with wannabee restorers like me I am a 400+ hour pilot presently grounded since I moved to Toledo and sold my share in a P A28-R200 and have kids in college I want an airshyplane so bad I can taste it but I cant afford much right now

Ive been toying with the idea of restoring a nice old short wing Piper or similar but i dont have an AampP lishycense and Im befuddled by all the FAA rules about lay people workshying on certified airplanes I am meshychanically inclined love working on machinery of all types have an engishyneering degree (and career) and know I could do justice to an aircraft restorashytion project I just dont know how to get around all the restrictions and road

blocks set up by the government I suspect that other folks have acshy

complished beautiful aircraft restorashytions without being government certishyfied My question is - How Do I need to develop a friendship with an AI somewhere (dont know any around here yet) in order to do the work myself Do I need to hire an AI to inspect my work at various steps in the process If so how are these steps defined

As you can tell Im totally ignorant of the requirements for a commoner to do a restoration job If there is a way around all the red tape I don t know about it Can you help me unshyderstand in plain language what I need to do to get a legal restoration comshypleted

Thanks for any response SSAE enclosed

Sincerely Daniel J Shoop Maumee OH

Hi Dan

Happy New Year Didnt mean to deshylay this reply but the holidays and all

There is no reason you couldnt do a restoration on an antique or classic airshyplane Others have done it and you can too

Dont be too concerned with the go v-

Dean and Jean Thomas Liberty SC sent along this photo and a birth announcement detailing the arrival of their new 1955 Champion 7EC N29246 SIN 334 It has the standard Continental C-90 engine and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs Congratulashytions on your new arrival

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

ernment If you are able to ge t acshyquainted through your local EAA Chapshyter or from the local scene somewhere with a friendly AampP or an fA then you can work under their superv ision Get yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular AC43 13 (Acceptable M ethods Techshyniques and Practices - Aircraft In specshytion and Repair) from the FAA and use that as a guide when you have a quesshytion Also many of the manufacturers such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish informationhow-to booklets that are free for the asking And don t forget the excellent v ideos that EAA produ ces shythe Welding Covering with Ray Stits and others are all a bonanza of informashytion on how all of these processes work (See page 32 for ordering information) The A ampP or IA need only make an occashysional inspection as you progress or be there if you have a problem or question

I know there must be some more peoshyple in the Toledo OH area I don t have an up-to-date Chapter Directory but if you call the EAA Chapter Office up in Oshkosh 414426-4876 they ll give you the location of the neares t EAA or AC

Chapter along with a local contact

Over to you Buck

Certainly there must be many others out there like Dan who want to rebuild and airplane and ha e the talent do so but lack the guidance to get started f sent the address ofa mechanic I know in the general region to Dan but for many others out there in a similar situshyation you may wish to try this in addishytion to the EAA Chapter route If you know what type of airplane you re inshyterested in ie a fabric co ered taishydragger or if you want something co shyered with sheet m etal ask around at your local airport - odd are there are one or two A ampPs in your area who ha e become kno wn as old airplane mechanics You ll want someone fashymiliar with the typ e of airplane you want to rebuild - these days AampPs are not taught ery much about steel tube fabric co ered airplanes so there are fe wer around wh o kn o w th e ty p e Once you find out who they are you

may wish to approach them about your project The worst they can say is no right

Dear Buck

While in the process of acquiring an Aeronca C-3 Master the lack of reliashybility of the magneto on the E-113 enshygine was mentioned

Len Tanner mentioned that you had an STC to modify the mag to make it more re liable I would most appreshyciate any information regarding your modification

Thanks Jim McCord Lansdale P A

Happy New Year Jim

I don t know whether to congratulate you or kick you everybody knows that Aeronca C-3s are worthless Hah If we can keep them believing that we can have them all to ourselves

I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-

New Members

Ken Godse ll Belmond lA Cha rles Gra uer Wilson KS Billy Da n G reeson Winchester TN Larry Greine r Belleville IL Judy Haight Madison WI George W Hamm Jefferson MD Gregg Hart Ede n Prairie MN Arthur W Heilmer Bloomington MN Leroy V He ndricks Larned KS William C H offman Somerse t PA Marvis T Hogen Kadoka SO Ha rry Hough A nchorage AK Frank E Howard Macon GA Fred Huey Tyrone GA Jo hn W Hughes Houston TX Donald W Hull Baton Rouge LA G Roland Je nson

Outlook Saskatchewan Canada Harry W Jo nes Cente rville IN Marvin K J orda n Rensselaer IN James R Ka le Ente rpri se A L Le roy J Ke ilma n Billings MT Dua ne Ke nnedy Vancouver WA J P King Gadsden AL

William A Aaberg Stoughton WI Craig Craft Aberdeen MS James R Kn ight Bismarck NO Gary S A llen Las Vegas NV Wilbur D Crawford Ka nsas City MO Scott A Lie fe ld Palmdale CA James C A nderson Dunbar WV Robert W Davenport Vero Beach FL William H Lightsto ne Dallas TX Ed Auker Hardin MT Irl Davis G ig Harbor W A W H Lowther Lynn MA Chris R Austin Palm Coast FL Gerard J Dederich Wadsworth IL Brooks Ma rqolie n Stow MA W Douglas Auxier Batav ia OH Joel Dixon Beve rly OH Norman L Massey Middleborough MA David A Baird Salt Lake City UT Philip M Dodderidge Bluemont VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati OH P W Benecke Ho ng Kong Dal Donner Arlington TX Richard McDonald Subtle KY G reg Bo rde lon Housto n TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Wo rth TX Donn T Borde n Wellington NV Eric F Dyck Chill iwack BC Canada Richard McLean Ca nyon Lake T X Joseph W Braswell Oakwood G A Earl Ebe rly Portla nd OR Richard L Me rkley Weyauwega WI Gerald R Brown Aurora NE L Bea r E be rt Fayetteville GA Joseph N Miller Pocono Pines PA Larry Buck Rural Retrea t V A John E E ichma n Fort Wayne IN Michae l H Misinco Macon GA Phillip G Burgess Fairfield PA Sal Fallavollita Miami FL A lan Douglas Mo ler Wichita KS Scott L Burnett Wightwood CA Randy Flagg St rong ME Ma ry C Mo rong Spring TX Carl E Carr Rockfo rd OH Da n K Flaherty G ranite City IL Stephe n M Murphy Heather Casey She rwood AR Ronald E France Brighton MI T ullamarine Victori a Australia Cary D Conklin Scoti a NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto Italy Patricia A Moyer Yamhill OR De nnis L Cot a Hains City FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park CA Jerry Nelson Hillsboro OR

28 JANUARY 1995

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

sion that I have been running on my C-3(s) for over thirty years In all that time I have never had an ignition problem nor has anyone else that made the conversion

The only one that we so far as to subshymit a 337 on the installation was John Kuranz and I have included a copy for your perusal John did not get an STC but a field approval for the entire airplane which included this modification as well as several others such as brakes and a tailshywheel He has been flying the airplane for abou t twelve years and again has had no problems

If you have trouble finding a magneto and the impulse I may be able to help you Meanwhile I we would appreciate info and pictures of your project so that we can maybe put you in Vintage Airshyplane HG and I are always interested and so are our AntiqueClassic members in what a guy does with his airplanes

Over to you Jim

-----------shyFly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation only alld does not COllstitllle approval sponsorship involvemellt cOlltrol or direction of any evellt (1y-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA Att Golda Cox PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Informatioll should be receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date

FEB 18 - MINNEAPOLIS MN - 1995 APRIL 29 - LEVELLAND TX - EAA Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference Chapter 19 Fly-In Breakfast 8061797-1900 612296-8202 APRIL 29middot30 - GRIFFIN GA - Alexanshy

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA der Aeroplane s Builders Workshop 1shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 800831-2949

FEB 18-19 - NASHVILLE TN - APRIL 30 - CUMBERLAND MD shyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In Breakfast 3011777shy1-800831-2949 2951

FEB 25-26 - RIVERSIDE CA - EAA APRIL 30 - HALF MOON BA Y CA shyChapter 1 Open House 909686-1318 Pacific Coast Dream Machines Fly-In

FEB 26 - WARROAD MN - Lions 415726-2328 Skiplane Fly-In Breakfast 218386-1818 MA Y 5-7 - WOODLAND CA - First

MARCH 3middot5 - CASA GRANDE AZ- Annual Gt Valley Fly-In 916666-1751 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 FAX 916666-7071

MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER WI - 3rd MAY 6-7 - CLEVELAND OH - 11 nd Annual Midwest Constructors Confershy Annual Air Racing History Symposium enceOpen House American Champion 216255-8100 Aircraft Factory 1-800323-0611 MA Y 6middot7 - GEORGETOWN TX - 9th

MARCH 3-5 - CAS A GRANDE AZ- Annual Fly-In Airshow 512869-1759 37th Annual Cactus Fly-In 602641-7467 MAY 7 - Rockford IL - EAA Chapter

MARCH 11 - PUNTA GORDA FLshy 22 annual fly-in breakfast at Mark Clarks EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshy813575-6360 port Wallace Hunt 815332-4708

MARCH 11-12 - FT PIERCE FL - 7th MA Y 13 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA Annual Delight of Flight AirshowFly- In Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 407461-0346 813575-6360

MARCH 11middot12 - SAN ANTONIO TX - MA Y 13 - VIDALIA LA - EAA ChapshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop ter 912 Spring PicnicBanquet Rain date 1-800831-2949 520 3181757-2103

MARCH 16-18 - 1995 Women in Aviashy MAY 13 - TOCCOA GA - EAA Chapshytion Conference 618337-7575 ter 1011 Parade of Planes Fax 7061779-2302

MARCH 18middot19 - DALLAS TX - MAY 19-21- PAULS VALLEY OKshyAlexander Aeroplanes Builders Workshop Antique Airplane Fly-in Contact Dick 1-800831-2949 Fournier 405258-1129 or Bob Kruse

MARCH 21-26 - AVALON AUSshy 405691-6940 TRALIA - AirShow DownUnder 95 MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - Chapter 325 602314-0290 EAA DayUS Air Force Museum 216382shy

APRIL 1 - TUSKEGEE AL - EAA 0781 Chapter 998 3rd Annual Spring Fly-In MA Y 20 - CRESTVIEW FL - EAA 2051749-0987 Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast 904862shy

APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA FL - EAA 2673 Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-ln MA Y 20 - DAYTON OH - EAA Chapshy813575-6360 ter 325 EAA day at the US Air Force Mushy

APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO LA - EAA seum 216382-0781 Chapter 836 Catfish Festival Fly-In 318435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH 4711 WI - 43rd Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport

APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND FL - 21st Aviation Convention Wittman Regional Annual Sun n Fun EAA Fly-In and Conshy Airport Contact John Burton EAA PO vention 813644-2431 Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 414426shy

APRIL 22middot23 - SPRINGFIELD IL - 2nd 4800 Annual Charlie Wells Memorial Flyshy JULY 14-16 - RED LAKE ONTARIO InDrive-I n 217483-3201 CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman

APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS LA - EAA Floatplane Festival Events for both pilots Chapter 529 Fly-In Rain date 56 318942- and pedestrians Contact the Norseman Fesshy2254 tival Committee at 8071727-2809

Chester M Owenby Vincent Page George Pascal Paul J Patterson Auburn D Pearman John M Pinson Lynn R Pinson

Arden NC Katy TX

Louisville KY Pittsburgh PA

Tupelo MS Harker Heights TX

Tipton OK Dave Puckrin St Albert Alberta Canada Thomas Pue Eric Rappaport Mark Robertson H J Robinson Mark Robinson Arnold Roosa Edward H Rosen Robere Salmons Ronald L Sass Craig Saxton Marius Schreiber E R Sessoms Oscar M Smith Ed Snell Richard Spiegel George W Sprankle Phillip W Stewart Roland Stone Harry B Sutton Robson Sweney Giambattista Tarditi Buck Taylor Russell B Thompson Mike Torbett Kent Travis Melvin T Treider David Warner Jim Wasson Clare D Weidman John F Wendel Sammie L White Garry Williams Lauren M Williams

Marshfield WI Cary NC

5eosauqua IA Veradale WA

Layton UT West Chicago IL

Groton CT Berkeley CA

Overland MO Alamo CA

Moelin Switzerland Hartsville SC

RomeGA Tucson AZ Chicago IL

Cypress TX Highland CA

Silver City NM Brownsburg IN CincinnatiOH

Genoa Italy Eastsound W A UniontownOH

Kingwood TX Portland OR

Arlington TX Fort Pierce FL

Oregon City OR Eagle Rock V A

Lakeland FL Repton AL

New Windsor NY Petaluma CA

WELCOME

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complele product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and slyles of materials $300

Qil1~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

LEXANDER __ EROPLANE COMPANY INC

Our Main Product is Service

bull Hardware

bull Airframe Parts bull Interiors amp Covering Materials

bull Presewn Fabric Envelopes

Call 1-800-831-2949 for a FREE Catalog and

Subscription to Aeroplane News

Ask about our Workshops 2-Full Days of Detailed Classroom

and Hands-On Instruction

for only $15O

Your Choice Fabric Covering Composite

Basics Welding or Sheet Metal Basics

PO Box 909 Griffin Go bull Fox 404-229-2329

30 FEBRUARY 1995

When it goes on display again the Spruce Goose will be sporting tough new fabric control surfaces by Poly-Fiber The AirVenture Museum people want them to last and Poly-Fiber will On the Goose and on your airplane too Watch for announcements of future Poly-Fiber builder workshops Find out how easy it really is to do it yourself

rh~ B~nchmark 01 Aircraft Fabric Cov~ring Sys~ms

Custom~r S~rvice 800-361-3490 Other Stuff 909-684-4280

Post Office Box 3 129 Riverside California 92519 Aircraft Cca~igs -

EAAVideos in PAL European Format O~-iff 15Discount ~ to ALL

~DfO EAAMembers

Enjoy all the sights and sounds ofEAA Oshkosh 94 with the annual Fly-in Convention video

BUYBOTH TAPES oy pound 19 95 gtcc-gt QltampQ

Experience the fun ofseaplanes with Wake ofWings

CODE 941 30 Mins_ pound995 +pound2 pampp

Send ChequesPostal Orders Catalogue and Payable to CORD AV Ltd Credit Card Orders

HOTLINECORD AV Dept EAA lel (0234) 840122 2(b) Cleveland Street or

Kempston Bedford FAX (0234) 841076 MK42 8DN ENGLAND rr8FASTERBYFAX

MOVING IS THERE A NEW LOCATION

IN YOUR IMMEDIATE FUTURE Be sure that your membership and

Vintage Airplane follows you Let us know at least two months in advance of your move

Send your change of address (include membership number) to VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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or call1-S00-S43-3612

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PO BOX 3086 OSHKOSH WI 549OJ3086

414(426-4800

35 per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to The Vintage Trader EM Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oahkoah WI 54903-3086

Payment muat accompany ad VISAIMaaterCard accepted

MISCELLANEOUS

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(NEW) This ampThat about the Ercoupe $1400 Fly-About Advenshytures amp the Ercoupe $1795 Both books $2500 Fly-About PO Box 51144 Denton Texas 76206 (ufn)

Sitka Spruce Lumber - Oshkosh Home Bldg Ctr Inc 414235shy0990 Oshkosh Wisconsin (c-695)

CURTISS JENNY MEMORABILIA - You can now own memorashybilia from the famous JENNY which has starred in TREASURES FROM THE PAST as well as the EAA videos YOUNG EAGLES and ITS GOTTA BE A JENNY We have posters post card pins T-shirts airmail cachets etc We also have RIC documentation exclusive to this historic aircraft Sales of these items support operating expenses to keep this JENNY flying for the aviation public We appreciate your help SASE for your free price list Ken Hyde 7099 Glenn Curtiss Lane Warrenton VA 22186 (12-2)

Rare Propeller Hub - 15 spline 2-38 inch 10 3-34-inch 00 8 hole 6-58 inch dia bolt pattern 6-inch prop 708985-9074 (2-4)

Ultralight Aircraft - One year old in April 1995 and our monthly publication is still growing Buy sell trade kit built fixed wing powshyered parachutes rotor sailplanes trikes balloons and more Stoshyries galore Sample issue $300 Annual subscription $3600 INshyTRODUCTORY OFFER OF ONLY $2400 Ultraflight Magazine 12545 70th Street Largo FL 34643-3025 2-1

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog 1-800-843-3612

Wheel Pants - The most accurate replica wheel pants for antique and classics available on the market today 100 satisfaction guarshyanteed Available in primer gray gel coat Harbor Ultra-Lite Products Co 1326 Batey Place Harbor City CA 90720 phone 310326-5609 or FAX 310530-2124 (ufn)

WANTED

Wanted - Tripod to stack a Cub or Champ nose down - tail high in hangar Plans or pictures acceptable 6161739-7401

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

CUSTOM BUILT SPORT AIRCRAFT HANDBOOKTO ORDER Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid A guide

to construction standards for the amateur aircraft builder TopshyFOR FAST SERVICE ics include the definition of an amateur-built airplane Federal

CALL TOLL FREE requirements FAA inspections aircraft registration procedures operating limitations design construction and fabrication conshytrol systems electrical equipment and many other topics1-800-843-3612 140 pages $1495

(outside US and Canada 414426-4800) EAA AIRCRAFT BUILDING TECHNIQUES

FAX ORDER LINE AVAILABLE AIRCRAFT WELDING24 HOURS EACH DAY (414) 426-4873 Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid Fundashymental welding techniques for the building and repair of sport

or write EAA Dept MO PO Box 3086 aircraft Includes an introduction to oxyacetylene welding various OshkoshVVI54903-3086 techniques tools how to get good results structural tubing repair

design considerations how to bend tubing and more 113 pages $1195 (Also see EAAs new Welding video on page 7)

Plus shipping and handling Major credit cards accepted

EAA AIRCRAFT BUILDING TECHNIQUES WOODTake the guesswor k out of building

Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid Learn your own airplane with help from EAA the basics of working with wood in aircraft applications Chapshyand aircraft builder Tony Bingelis ters include determining moisture content characteristics sizes

and weights of standard plywoods getting smooth cuts aircraft Imagine nearly 1000 pages of information on type glues wood and wings jigs clamps sanding wood and

practical proven airplane building techniques In- many other topics 136 pages $1195

Reprints of the original Flying and Glider Manuals publ ished beshytween 1929 and 1933 by Modern Mechanix and Inventors magazine

1929 Flight lessons building the Heath Super Parasol Russhysell-Henderson Light Monoplane and an easy-to-build glider

1930 Plans for a Heath Baby Bullet light plane metal floats building the Northrop Glider and more

1931 Build the Longster the Church Midwing the Heath Seashyplane Parasol and more

1932 Build the Pietenpol Air Camper the Powell P-H Racer the Penguin practice plane plus building your own hangar

1933 Build the Gere Sport Biplane Pietenpol floats the Pietenpol Sky Scout and the Henderson Longster

Valuable information for the builder or historian BUILD and FLY

THE SP OR TPLAH E AU TH ORITY O F AMERICA Collect all five volumes $695 each or $2995 for all five Save $500

CONTENTS~ l i~~middot middotmiddotmiddot ---shy Ylt~ ~ o~~- ~~ i- D - ~ - -n _ _~ lt0 bull bull bull

~~~~~~~~~ ~ J - -- oJ

formation every builder needs from beginner to r---------TJ~~m expert These three books are illustrated with phoshytos cutaway drawings and easy-to-understand descriptions that help resolve the most complicated problems Valuable information for anyone building designing or restoring an airplane

SPORTPLANE BUILDER $1995 (Aircraft Construction Techniques - 324 pages)

FIREWALL FORWARD $1995 (Engine Installation Methods - 308 pages)

SPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES $2095 (A Builders Handbook - 372 pages)

SPECIAL OFFER BUY ALL THREE FOR ONLY $5297

FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS

erage for the

with rates that are down to earth

WILLIS 8i11 ALLEN Jr

Son Diego Aerospace Museum 2nd VP

Board

International Aerospace HaJJ of

Fome past President

Staggerwing Museum Foundation President

Trovelair DMsion

AUA Inc has worked out a policy that

provides solid coverage of my aircraft

They have taken the lead in the field by

recognizing the need for higher limits of

liability on passengers while still providing

the absolute best rates for multiple aircraft

owners AUA is my kind of insurance

agency They should be yours toO

- Bill Allen

approved

To become an

EAA Antique a

Classic llivision

Get the coverage you need with rates you

can afford Give AUA a call - it s free

800-727-3823

AUAs Exclusive EAA AntiqueClassic Division Insurance Program

Lo er liability and hull premiums

t discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

hand-propping exclusion

component parts endorsements

iscounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember We re Setter Together

AVIATION UNLlMlrED AGENCY

CUSTOM BUILT SPORT AIRCRAFT HANDBOOKTO ORDER Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid A guide

to construction standards for the amateur aircraft builder TopshyFOR FAST SERVICE ics include the definition of an amateur-built airplane Federal

CALL TOLL FREE requirements FAA inspections aircraft registration procedures operating limitations design construction and fabrication conshytrol systems electrical equipment and many other topics1-800-843-3612 140 pages $1495

(outside US and Canada 414426-4800) EAA AIRCRAFT BUILDING TECHNIQUES

FAX ORDER LINE AVAILABLE AIRCRAFT WELDING24 HOURS EACH DAY (414) 426-4873 Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid Fundashymental welding techniques for the building and repair of sport

or write EAA Dept MO PO Box 3086 aircraft Includes an introduction to oxyacetylene welding various OshkoshVVI54903-3086 techniques tools how to get good results structural tubing repair

design considerations how to bend tubing and more 113 pages $1195 (Also see EAAs new Welding video on page 7)

Plus shipping and handling Major credit cards accepted

EAA AIRCRAFT BUILDING TECHNIQUES WOODTake the guesswor k out of building

Prepared by Paul Poberezny and SH Wes Schmid Learn your own airplane with help from EAA the basics of working with wood in aircraft applications Chapshyand aircraft builder Tony Bingelis ters include determining moisture content characteristics sizes

and weights of standard plywoods getting smooth cuts aircraft Imagine nearly 1000 pages of information on type glues wood and wings jigs clamps sanding wood and

practical proven airplane building techniques In- many other topics 136 pages $1195

Reprints of the original Flying and Glider Manuals publ ished beshytween 1929 and 1933 by Modern Mechanix and Inventors magazine

1929 Flight lessons building the Heath Super Parasol Russhysell-Henderson Light Monoplane and an easy-to-build glider

1930 Plans for a Heath Baby Bullet light plane metal floats building the Northrop Glider and more

1931 Build the Longster the Church Midwing the Heath Seashyplane Parasol and more

1932 Build the Pietenpol Air Camper the Powell P-H Racer the Penguin practice plane plus building your own hangar

1933 Build the Gere Sport Biplane Pietenpol floats the Pietenpol Sky Scout and the Henderson Longster

Valuable information for the builder or historian BUILD and FLY

THE SP OR TPLAH E AU TH ORITY O F AMERICA Collect all five volumes $695 each or $2995 for all five Save $500

CONTENTS~ l i~~middot middotmiddotmiddot ---shy Ylt~ ~ o~~- ~~ i- D - ~ - -n _ _~ lt0 bull bull bull

~~~~~~~~~ ~ J - -- oJ

formation every builder needs from beginner to r---------TJ~~m expert These three books are illustrated with phoshytos cutaway drawings and easy-to-understand descriptions that help resolve the most complicated problems Valuable information for anyone building designing or restoring an airplane

SPORTPLANE BUILDER $1995 (Aircraft Construction Techniques - 324 pages)

FIREWALL FORWARD $1995 (Engine Installation Methods - 308 pages)

SPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES $2095 (A Builders Handbook - 372 pages)

SPECIAL OFFER BUY ALL THREE FOR ONLY $5297

FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS

erage for the

with rates that are down to earth

WILLIS 8i11 ALLEN Jr

Son Diego Aerospace Museum 2nd VP

Board

International Aerospace HaJJ of

Fome past President

Staggerwing Museum Foundation President

Trovelair DMsion

AUA Inc has worked out a policy that

provides solid coverage of my aircraft

They have taken the lead in the field by

recognizing the need for higher limits of

liability on passengers while still providing

the absolute best rates for multiple aircraft

owners AUA is my kind of insurance

agency They should be yours toO

- Bill Allen

approved

To become an

EAA Antique a

Classic llivision

Get the coverage you need with rates you

can afford Give AUA a call - it s free

800-727-3823

AUAs Exclusive EAA AntiqueClassic Division Insurance Program

Lo er liability and hull premiums

t discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

hand-propping exclusion

component parts endorsements

iscounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember We re Setter Together

AVIATION UNLlMlrED AGENCY

erage for the

with rates that are down to earth

WILLIS 8i11 ALLEN Jr

Son Diego Aerospace Museum 2nd VP

Board

International Aerospace HaJJ of

Fome past President

Staggerwing Museum Foundation President

Trovelair DMsion

AUA Inc has worked out a policy that

provides solid coverage of my aircraft

They have taken the lead in the field by

recognizing the need for higher limits of

liability on passengers while still providing

the absolute best rates for multiple aircraft

owners AUA is my kind of insurance

agency They should be yours toO

- Bill Allen

approved

To become an

EAA Antique a

Classic llivision

Get the coverage you need with rates you

can afford Give AUA a call - it s free

800-727-3823

AUAs Exclusive EAA AntiqueClassic Division Insurance Program

Lo er liability and hull premiums

t discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

hand-propping exclusion

component parts endorsements

iscounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember We re Setter Together

AVIATION UNLlMlrED AGENCY