Vintage Airplane - Feb 2011

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Feb 2011

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I took the opportunity to attend

the 2010 Wright Brothers Memorial

Dinner on December 17 at the EAA

AirVenture Museum. This year’s

guest speaker was Col. Joe Kit-

tinger, who set the still-standing al-titude record for a parachute jump

of 102,800 feet. Joe accomplished

this record-setting jump way back

in 1960 from a balloon while test-

ing various pieces of equipment for

the U.S. Air Force. This testing was

conducted for the purpose of devel-

oping equipment and procedures

so that our pilots could survive

high-altitude, high-speed emer-

gency egress from a fighter aircraft.

The technology developed out of

these experiments is still in use to-

day in front-line fighters all over

the world.

Joe Kittinger is a remarkable in-

dividual whom I am proud to have

met. He has survived life’s chal-

lenges on many fronts. He was a

squadron commander in the Air

Force, flying more than 480 mis-

sions during three tours in South-

east Asia, all in the F-4 Phantomover Vietnam. During his last

combat tour as commander of the

555th Fighter Squadron, his air-

craft was shot down, and he was

imprisoned for 11 months in a

notorious North Vietnamese POW

camp known as the Hanoi Hilton.

Joe received the Distinguished Fly-

ing Cross five times throughout his

career. Two were for his balloon ex-

periments, and three were for his

combat tours in South Vietnam. Heis an absolutely captivating speaker.

Joe also wrote a book that chron-

icles a lifetime of aviation experi-

ences, including his fascination for

barnstorming around the United

States for several years in a D-25

New Standard. His book is titledCome Up and Get Me, and I heartily

recommend it as a great read.

Harold Neumann’s Monocoupe

is now back in Oshkosh, and we

recently reinstalled the 90AW War-

ner engine. “Dr. Phil” Riter, the me-

chanic/project team coordinator,

and I installed the engine, bump

cowl, and prop, and the aircraft

is looking great. We will soon be

moving on to painting and install-

ing the tail feathers and then the

monster one-piece wing sometime

this coming spring. It’s really nice

seeing this project coming to a

close. It’s been a great experience

for numerous members of EAA Vin-

tage Chapter 37 as well.

It’s not too early to begin plan-

ning for the 2011 flying season. I

have to tell you that the upcoming

flying season holds a unique level

of excitement for me. I endured acouple of eye surgeries late last fall

to correct cataracts in both of my

eyes. I also learned through this

experience that if I threw enough

money at the problem, I could po-

tentially regain the eyesight that I

enjoyed for the first 40 years of my

life. After signing on to having new

lenses implanted in each of my

eyes during the cataract procedure,

I had a good chance of coming out

of this experience with uncorrectednear and far vision of 20/20.

After having endured this expe-

rience I have described this simple

procedure to many of my friends as

a ”complete non-event.” I am very

fortunate to now enjoy 20/20 vision

in both eyes without ever havingto wear eyeglasses again. The best

news it that it is an approved FAA

procedure!

I started my 2011 flying season

with a good friend by flying to the

annual New Year’s Day “hangar-

over” fly-in at EAA Chapter 938 in

Nappanee, Indiana. This was my

first flight since the surgeries, and

my pilot-in-command friend in my

Cessna 120 was laughing at me full

time when I would comment, “Hey,

I can see and read the water tower

on that little town down there,”

or “Wow, I can see the destination

runway 11 miles out.” You have no

idea how that made me feel! So, as

you can imagine, I am really look-

ing forward to getting back in the

saddle with my new eyes.

The planning for EAA AirVen-

ture 2011 continues at a brisk rate.

I am particularly excited about theplanned celebration of the 100-year

anniversary of air mail. The display

will reside in the Vintage area, and

we already have commitments for

some awesome aircraft represent-

ing this era of aviation. You will be

amazed with what you see! It’s a lock!

See you at EAA AirVenture Osh-

kosh—July 25-July 31, 2011.

GEOFF ROBISON

PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Col. Joe Kittinger


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IFC Straight & Level Col. Joe Kittinger by Geoff Robison

2 News

4 A Family Burger Bomber The Colvins’ Consolidated Vultee L-13 by Budd Davisson

10 Vintage Chapters Across the USA VAA Chapter 15, Hampton Airfield (7B3) by John Maloney

14 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part V After the war by Robert G. Lock

20 The Antiques in Winter, Part III If airplanes could talk . . . by Roger Thiel

22 Light Plane Heritage The Hild Marshonet by Owen S. Billman

26 The Vintage Mechanic Bendix 30x5 wheels by Robert G. Lock

32 The Vintage Instructor Taking the fear out of crosswind takeoffs by Steve Krog, CFI

34 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

38 Classified Ads

40 But It’s Cold Outside

Hangar time—a finer time by S. Michelle Souder

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

A I R P L A N E FEBRUARYC O N T E N T S

S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower

Director of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy

Production/Special Project Kathleen WitmanPhotography Jim Koepnick

Copy Editor Colleen WalshSenior Art Director Olivia P. Trabbold

EAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson

Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]

Fax: 920-426-4828

Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz

Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]

Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke

Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: [email protected]

Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012

Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia CanzianiTel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected]

C O V E R S

Vol. 39, No. 2 2011

FRONT COVER: Congratulations are due to EAA’s Chief Photographer Jim Koepnick as he sur-

passes his 500th magazine cover photograph with this shot of the rare Consolidated L-13, a military

liaison airplane now serving as the “family truckster” for Clu Colvin and his brood. Read about it in

Budd Davisson’s article starting on page 4.

BACK COVER: Air Trails was one of the most popular aviation pulp magazines in the years prior to

World War II. Their annual Light Plane Survey issues often had colorful artwork depicting the great

airplanes of that decade. Can you name them all? The answers are on page 38.

4

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FCC Pulls Order toProhibit 121.5 MHz ELTs

Citing a request by the FAA, the

Federal Communications Com-mission (FCC) issued a f inal rule

on Tuesday, January 11, remov-

ing its earlier prohibition of 121.5

MHz emergency locator transmit-

ters (ELTs) in the United States .

Last June the FCC published a

change to 47 CFR Part 87 calling

for “prohibiting the certification,

manufacture, importation, sale, or

use of 121.5 MHz ELTs other

than the Breitling Emergency

Watch ELT,” due to the fact

that satellite monitoring of

121.5 MHz units terminated

in 2009.

After protests by EAA and

othe r o rg a n i z a t i ons , t he

FAA soon requested that the

FCC not implement the rule

amendment because it cre-

ated a conflict in federal regu-

lations; general-aviation aircraft

are required to be equipped withELTs—the overwhelming majority

of which are 121.5 MHz. Since the

current supply of 406 MHz ELTs is

not sufficient to replace all exist-

ing 121.5 MHz ELTs in the short

term, such a law would essentially

ground most general-aviation

(GA) aircraft, the FAA said.

EAA brought forth that very is-

sue when the FCC rule was pub-

lished in the Federal Register and

worked with other aviation asso-ciations to explore all avenues of

action to address the rule before it

went into effect.

EAA contended the regulatory

change would impose a substan-

tial and unwarranted cost on

GA and also would create a bur-

den for the GA community and

those ground-based rescue units

that continue to use the 121.5 fre-

quency to perform searches and

save lives.At the very least, EAA con-

tended, the FCC’s action was

conducted without properly com-

municating with the industry or

understanding the implications ofits action.

This week’s FCC final rule states

that no action will be taken re-

garding 121.5 MHz ELTs until

further notice, following an addi-

tional opportunity for interested

parties to comment.

Pilot Certificate ChangesThis month, EAA will submitcomments to an FAA notice of

proposed rulemaking entitled

“Photo Requirements for P i -

lot Certificates.” The proposal,

which is in response to a congres-

sional mandate resulting fr om

the Intelligence Reform and Ter-

rorism Prevention Act (IRTPA),

would require a pilot, when fly-

ing, to carry a pilot certificate

that includes a photo.The proposal, as written, could

cause unnecessary financial hard-

ship for EAA members, would

not increase the current level of

security (now, pilots must pres-

ent their pilot certificate along

with a government-issued photo

ID), and may not meet all of the

IRTPA requirements.

EAA recommends members

submit their comments to the

docket, FAA-2010-1127. (See www.SportAviation.org for a direct link.)

NTSB RecommendsMandating ShoulderHarnesses

In a letter issued last month, theNational Transportation SafetyBoard (NTSB) recommended thatthe FAA require aircraft withoutshoulder harnesses be retrofit-ted to include them. Aircraft cur-rently equipped with shoulderharnesses would be required to

be modified if the seat restraintsystem is incorrectly installed.The NTSB made the recom-mendations after a three-yearstudy concluded that correctlyinstalled shoulder harness/lap belt combinations providesignificantly greater protec-tion in GA accidents than alap belt alone. The NTSB ad-opted six recommendations,which also included a revi-sion of restraint systems cer-

tification standards.The NTSB based its conclusion

on an analysis of more than 37,000GA accidents, finding that the risk

of fatal or serious injury was 50

percent higher when an occupant

was restrained only by a lap belt as

compared to the combination lap

belt and shoulder harness.

The NTSB recommended that

the FAA further study the feasibil-

ity of requiring airbag-equipped

aircraft. Currently, more than 30

aircraft manufacturers offer air-

bags as s tandard or optionalequipment. Airbags were first ap-

proved for use in the pilot and

copilot seats in GA aircraft in

2003. Today nearly 18,000 airbag-

equipped seats are installed in

more than 7,000 of the 224,000

GA aircraft in the United States,

according to the NTSB.

NTSB recommendations are

non-binding; only the FAA has

the authority to mandate such ac-

tion through the federal rulemak-ing process.

VAA NEWS

2 FEBRUARY 2011

T

stils

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ific


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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Sun ’n Fun Fly-In

Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL)

Lakeland, Florida

March 29-April 3, 2011

www.Sun-N-Fun.org

AERO FriedrichshafenMesse Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany

April 13-16, 2011

www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/html/en

Virginia Regional Festival of Flight

Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ)

Suffolk, Virginia

April 30-May 1, 2011

www.VirginiaFlyIn.org

Golden West Regional Fly-In

and Air Show

Yuba County Airpor t (MYV)Marysville, California

June 10-12, 2011

www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org

Arlington Fly-In

Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO)

Arlington, Washington

July 6-10, 2011

www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH),

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

July 25-31, 2011

www.AirVenture.org

Colorado Sport International Air Show

and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC)

Denver, Colorado

August 27-28, 2011

www.COSportAviation.org

Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In

Grimes Field Airport (I74)

Urbana, Ohio

September 10-11, 2011http://MERFI.com

Copperstate Fly-In

Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ),

Casa Grande, Arizona

October 20-22, 2011

www.Copperstate.org

Southeast Regional Fly-In

Middleton Field Airport (GZH),

Evergreen, Alabama

October 21-23, 2011

www.SERFI.org

Upcoming Major F ly - Ins


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4 FEBRUARY 2011

A FamilyBurger

Bomber

The Colvins’ Consolidated Vultee L-13

BY BUDD DAVISSONJIM KOEPNICK


7/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

“Meet me by that

big, yellow,

round-nosed

t h i n g . Y o u

can’t miss it,

because it towers over all the other

‘planes.’”

“Did you see the inside? You

could roller-skate in it!”

“What happened to the tail? It

looks as if someone stood up too fast

in the tent under it and broke it.”

“It has a nurse painted on the

nose. Maybe it’s an ambulance of

some sort.”

And so it went for the entire

week of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh:

The Colvin clan’s colossus towered

above the Vintage aircraft area,

prompting all manner of com-

ments and guesses. Some about its

identity. Some about its mission in

life. Some about how short it couldland. There were no guesses about

its speed—that was obviously mea-

sured in various degrees of “slow.”

What few could know was that

the airplane was the direct result

of 2-year-old Baron Colvin’s birth.

His father, Clu (who’s part Chero-

kee, and Clu means “Little Bird.”

Fitting, eh?), explains, “We were

doing pretty good with our ’54 Bo-

nanza. But we already had two kids,

so Baron definitely put us over thelimit. We needed more seats.”

Incidentally, the degree of the

Colvin family’s dedication to avi-

ation can be seen in their kids’

names: The eldest daughter (8 years

old) is Piper; number one son is Lear

(6); and Baron brings up the rear.

The need for space was just one

of several factors behind Clu’s de-

cision to find an L-13. “When we

knew Baron was on the way and

we were going to rapidly outgrowour Bonanza,” says Clu, “I initially

thought I’d be buying

something like an old

C-310. But then I started

looking at how we used

airplanes. The majority

of the time we were just

going out to lunch and

didn’t need 180 knots.

What we needed was a

solid 90 knots and lots of room. Be-

sides, I knew the L-13 fairly well be-

cause my dad had a couple projects

and one flying at one time.”

Actually, his father had practically

everything at one time or the other.

“I’m third-generation aviation,”

Clu says. “Granddad was a general-

aviation pilot, and my dad went to

Spartan School of Aeronautics right

out of high school. He was an IA [a

mechanic with inspection authori-

zation], but buying, selling, and ex-

porting aircraft was a big part of hisbusiness. At the same time, however,

he also rebuilt or restored a huge

variety of aircraft, including Cubs,

Stearmans, BT-13, T-6, B-25, and just

about everything in between.”

To say that Clu was into avia-

tion almost as soon as he was out of

diapers is no exaggeration. “Mom

really got on Dad’s case one time,

when she came out in the shop

and found he had me down in the

tail cone of a Mooney, bucking riv-ets without ear protection. I was 5

years old at the time.”

Further ensuring that Clu had

few, if any, barriers between him-

self and aviation was that he

was raised on his father’s farm in

northeastern Oklahoma.

“It actually was a working farm,”

Clu says, “so we farmed during the

summer and built airplanes during

the winter. Dad had a runway on

it, and later when I got married, webought 75 acres, built a house, and

started farming on the other end of

the runway.”

The farm gave Clu a childhood

that was very av-centric because of

its semi-isolated location 7 miles

from a small town of less than 300.

“We don’t have a stop light, which

means, as a kid, my world was very

much centered on the farm, and

that meant airplanes. I rebuilt a

Cub mostly on my own as an after-

school project when I was 12 years

old and built up my first Luscombe

when I was 14. And of course I hadthe obligatory and highly illegal

‘farm solo’ when I was 14.

“One day an FAA inspector was

out at Dad’s place inspecting an air-

plane he was going to export. He

had been out lots of times and saw

me always working on airplanes. I

wasn’t 18, so I didn’t have an A&P

[airframe and powerplant me-

chanic] ticket yet. The inspector cor-

nered me and said, ‘I want you in

my office on your 18th birthday totake the A&P exam,’ which I did.”

He moved to Oklahoma City,

Oklahoma, to work for an airline

as a mechanic, quickly becoming

its top dog for C checks on MD-80s.

He was still flying his brains out

and, at one point, met the airline’s

chief pilot, which resulted in an of-

fer to fly as a flight engineer.

“I flew as an engineer for a cou-

ple of years, moved into the right

seat, then was furloughed. I woundup with another carrier that was ab-

Actually, they could be considered bigger

than we need, since they were originally set

up for six seats or two litters. But whoever

has too much room in an airplane?

JIM KOEPNICK


8/44

6 FEBRUARY 2011

sorbed by yet another carrier until,

in 2001, I landed at my present job

where I’m based out of Denver.”

When he’s not playing airline pi-

lot, Clu, like his father before him,

is rebuilding airplanes—lots of air-

planes. Especially Luscombes.

“I’ve had at least 20 to 25 Lus-

combes,” he says. “Most of the time,

I’ll take a real basket case and build

it up to where it’s a pretty easy proj-

ect for someone and then sell it. Ihave fuselage and wing jigs, and I’ll

go through them and replace every-

thing that needs replacing, which is

usually because of corrosion. This

is especially true of the wings. I’ve

gotten to where I don’t trust the

spars. I had 13 sets of wings at one

point, and every single one of them

had at least one spar with bad inter-

granular. So, since Univair has the

extrusions for the spars, I just re-

place them. That lets me sleep bet-ter at night knowing everything I

sell has good spars.”

Even though a lot of Luscombes

come and go, he’s working on one

for himself. “I have three T8F Lus-

combes and will finish one up and

keep it,” says Clu.

But Luscombes wouldn’t even

come close to solving his family

transportation problem. “When we

decided to go big, low, and slow,

I automatically thought aboutthe L-13,” he says. “When I was

a kid, Dad had four or five proj-

ects around, so I knew them really

well. And they were exactly what

we needed. Actually, they could be

considered bigger than we need,

since they were originally set up for

six seats or two litters. But whoever

has too much room in an airplane?

“I hadn’t seen one for sale for

some time, so I came up with a way

of ferreting projects out. I ran a bo-

gus ad on eBay in which I just said,‘Airplane for sale.’ Since it was eBay,

I knew I was going to get tons of re-

sponses, which I did, including one

from eBay itself, because what I was

doing, running an ad to sell some-

thing when I really didn’t have

anything to sell, was against their

rules. I knew that, which is why I

put the ad up on Friday, knowing it

would take them until Monday to

take it down.

“All I wanted to do was talk to alot of people who were looking to

buy airplanes and get the word out

about the L-13. Practically no one

knows anything about the airplane,

and this way I could spread the

word until someone sees one. And

that’s exactly the way it worked.

“The first one that came up was

in Scottsdale. It had no firewall-

forward, which is pretty standard

for these projects because the six-

cylinder, 240-hp, flat Franklinthey originally had turned out to

be very difficult to keep running.

So, a lot of the airplanes became

lawn ornaments because of no

available engines.

“Originally designed and proto-

typed by Stinson before it was ab-

sorbed into Consolidated Vultee,

the military actually bought 300

of the aircraft in 1946 and ’47. It

was supposed to be the ultimate

ambulance/liaison/utility airplane,

so it has a lot of unique features.For one thing, for battlefield mo-

bility, it’s designed specifically to

be able to be towed through a hole

no wider than a Jeep. So, not only

do the wings and tail fold, but the

main gear wheels can be pivoted

back inside the landing gear legs,

giving it a really narrow profile. I

don’t have the right brake line fit-

tings on my gear legs, so I can’t ro-

tate the wheels, not that I have any

reason to.“The flaps are massive, as are the

wings, so it can really come down

steep and land at practically zero

airspeed. Most of its role was taken

over by the helicopter, so shortly

after the Korean War they were all

surplused. Unfortunately, the lack

of a suitable engine meant a lot

of them wound up rotting behind

hangars. Not all of them, though.

“Two companies went through

the STC [supplemental type certifi-cate] process to certify the airplane

Stowing the horizontal tail requires nothing more than the removal of a couple of pins

and the relocating of the brace strut to two different mounts on the tail and fuselage.DEKEVIN THORNTON


9/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

for a 300-hp, R-680 Lycoming ra-

dial. One was known as the Cen-

taur 101. They also did a couple as

Centaur 102s with 300-hp Jacobs.

Besides being more horsepower,

the Lycoming was a well-provenengine, and at the time there were

lots of them available surplus. An-

other company did a Lycoming

type certificate and named their air-

craft the Husky. It carried eight pas-

sengers with two bench seats in the

back. They used the airplanes as air

taxis bouncing around the Carib-

bean islands.

“Because one of the companies

had done a Lycoming 680 design

investigation for the USAF, theycould easily market the conversion,

and that’s what saved many of the

few L-13s that have survived. With

that engine, it began working in

Alaska and anywhere a high-lift air-

plane was needed, such as for tow-

ing gliders. They also came up with

a conversion for a 450-hp P&W

[Pratt & Whitney], and at least one

of those has survived and is being

restored. Now that one ought to be

a real hoss.”Once Clu had committed to

purchase the first L-13 project, he

found himself on a roll as a second

one popped up on his radar almost

immediately. This one was in Van

Nuys, California.

“That airplane was a complete

airplane, although modified some-

what with metal over the skylights

and other changes. One odd thing

about this airplane was that I havea picture of me standing in front

of it as a little kid. [Even though]

this one was a complete airplane

as compared to the project I had

just trailered home, I wasn’t sure I

wanted it. I had just won a salvage

bid on a C-195 that had an engine

my friend Nick Howell wanted for

his Staggerwing, so I was already

committed. Still, the 195 was more

or less in the same direction as

the L-13, so I threw a number atthe L-13 owner, deciding ahead of

time that if he took it, we’d just

take two trailers and bring them

back together. I wasn’t about

to fly it home. Complete or not,

it hadn’t flown for 25 years, and

I learned long ago that it’s much

easier to take an airplane apart on

the ramp than in a pasture. That

assumes you find the right pasture

at the right time.“He took the offer, so we took off

with two trucks and trailers think-

ing we were picking up two air-

planes. However, when we started

loading the L-13, we found I hadn’t

bought one L-13 but closer to two-

and-a-half, because there was an-

other project fuselage and wings

as part of the deal. He hadn’t men-

tioned that. So, at that point I

owned three-and-a-half L-13s.”

Because he commuted to Denverfor his airline job, Clu had a han-

With Clu’s son Lear up in the cock-pit, Clu Colvin (far right) had two

of his flying buddies, Matt Mitchell

(left) and Brandon Jewett (center),

with him during our EAA AirVenture

photo shoot.

The cockpit is very utilitarian, with steeply sloping sides on the instrument

panel to allow for maximum visibility. The beefy control yoke columns are

unusual, being a triangular cross-section.

How many airplanes that you’ve flown come with a trap door? Befitting one

of its military roles as a liaison aircraft, the L-13 has this cargo pickupdoor in the aft section of the cabin.

D E K E V I N T

H O R N T O N P

H O T O S


10/44

8 FEBRUARY 2011

gar at Front Range Airport, which

is only minutes from where he’s

based. He has always had an air-plane project in that hangar, includ-

ing the oldest Taylorcraft flying, so

he dropped the L-13 off there where

he could work on it during the dead

times while staying in Denver.

“When we started taking the air-

plane apart, and bear in mind that

it appeared nearly flyable, it became

obvious that this was an airplane I

would have flown only if someone

was shooting at me. For one thing,

the yoke was rusted tight, andit took some banging to break it

loose. The landing gear wasn’t L-13

gear. I don’t know what it was, but

it definitely was not L-13. The L-13

gear is a little odd to begin with be-

cause the legs don’t line up right

and left: They are a little offset fore

and aft, so the upper ends of the

legs can miss each other and push

against oleos that pivot from the

opposite gear leg attach point.

“The tail wheel was…well…I don’t know what it was. It was

a cobbled-together something or

other. It looked as if someone had

stolen the original and stuck thisthing under it so no one would no-

tice. I’m certain the owner didn’t

even know it had been changed.”

The L-13 is much bigger than it

looks in photos unless someone is

standing next to it to give it scale.

It’s actually a little taller than a

Beaver and a fair amount wider.

Or at least it looks wider, because

the cockpit is so open and airy.

That’s one of its most attractive

attributes; the entire flight deck isjust that, a deck, and only the pi-

lot’s seat appears to be more or less

permanently attached in place. Ev-

erything else is quickly removable

to allow a wide variety of seating/

cargo arrangements. The structure

is also easy to access which makes

bringing a dead one back to life a

little less difficult.

“We crawled all over this thing,”

says Clu, “and were amazed at what

a small amount of corrosion wefound. There was a little rust here

and there on the tubing, but the alu-

minum needed nothing but a good

cleaning. Considering how disrepu-

table the airplane looked, we were

pleasantly surprised. We wound up

doing a refurbishing job, not a res-

toration. In fact, that had been our

goal all along because we wanted a

working airplane that we could en-

joy, not a showpiece that we’d worry

about scratching. So we didn’t go

nuts with the thing in any area.

“We haven’t done the panel yet

because we want to find a radio com-

pass and take everything back to

pretty much original, but usable. The

panel hasn’t been cut, so the radios

are mounted in such a way that they

can be removed leaving no marks.“The engine supposedly only

had a hundred hours on it since

overhaul, but that was back in ’77.

So when an accessory gasket let go

while we were running it up, we

dropped the engine off. As soon as I

got it apart, it was obvious the parts

were in good shape, so rather than

doing a complete overhaul, I just

did an IRAN—inspect and replace

as necessary—which was mostly

hoses and gaskets.”When it came time to fly the air-

plane for the first time, Clu went

out of his way to avoid one of the

usual pressure points of first flights.

“We did it late in the evening

with no one but helpers around.

No spectators. You don’t need a

peanut gallery on a test flight.

“The airport is at 5,400 feet MSL

[mean sea level], and I chose the

long runway just in case. While

taxiing out, I messed with the tail-wheel lock and found it different

DEKEVIN THORNTON DEKEVIN THORNTON

JIM KOEPNICK

The wings are folded after accessing the forward spar mount and releas-

ing the wing root fairing.


11/44

than most tailwheel locks in that

it locks it steerable, not centered;

when unlocked, it becomes full

swivel, which is usually the case.

“As the power went in, the air-

plane had barely started moving

before the tail wanted to come up,

and a few seconds later it was off

the ground. This at 5,400 feet MSL!

However, as it started accelerating,

the trim began trying to push the

nose up and the forces got quite

high. I found later that the trim

cable was wrapped the wrong way

around the trim drum and I hadn’t

noticed it. I did my Schwarzeneg-

ger thing, keeping the nose down

and the power back until I came

around and landed it. On that firstone, I wheeled it on so I could take

off again if I needed to. Even on

that first approach the flaps were

something to be reckoned with:

There’s a big pitch change, which

helped with the out-of-trim condi-

tion, but until you’ve seen it, you

can’t comprehend the view out the

windshield with the flaps all out.

You’re looking at nothing but pave-

ment, because the nose is so far

down. And that’s on every landing.We flew it again the next day with

absolutely zero problems.”

At this stage of the airplane’s de-

velopment, it was still in bare alu-

minum. But painting something

that big is a pretty daunting task,

and Clu gave some thoughts to

having a professional paint it.

“I changed my mind and de-

cided to paint it myself when I got

the first quote,” he says. “I know

that $8,000 isn’t that unusual fora paint job, but I just couldn’t see

paying that much. So I took ad-

vantage of a good friend, Brandon

Jewett, who wanted to fly the air-

plane so badly he could taste it. In

exchange for some flights in the

airplane, we took it up to his pri-

vate runway and painted it out in

a pasture with the help of Tom Al-

exander, Don Smallwood, and Matt

Mitchell. Nothing complicated.

Like I said, I didn’t want a show air-

plane, but I don’t think it turned

out too badly.”

Yellow isn’t a color often associ-

ated with ex-USAF aircraft, but it

was actually fairly common during

the mid-’50s.

“I went for yellow because,

among other things, when youhave something this ugly, you

don’t want to hide it. You want it

to stand out. Besides, I remembered

that some of Dad’s L-13 parts were

yellow. The nose art is inspired by

my wife Jenifer, and it’s set up as

an air ambulance, ‘Intensive Care

Unit.’ We’re thinking about paint-

ing our T8F Luscombe the same

way and naming it ‘First Aid Kit.’

“When I brought the airplane

home, I buzzed t he runway so

my dad would come out. The first

thing he said when I got out of the

cockpit was, ‘I wouldn’t pay $8,000

for that paint job,’ and I replied, ‘I

didn’t. I paid $457.”

So now the Colvin family has

a five-place, $100-hamburger air-

plane. Clu laughs, “At 17 gallons

an hour and 105 to 110 mph, that

hamburger had better be pretty

close, or it’ll be more than a hun-

dred bucks.”

We, however, think he has to

look at his airplane from a different

angle. Its normal useful load is 1,900

pounds (wartime useful load was

4,200 pounds!), so with all 110 gal-lons on board, he can carry his entire

family and some baggage for six-

and-a-half hours. That’s a lot of fly-

ing! Or he can carry four-and-a-half

hours of fuel and carry eight people

with room to spare. That being the

case, Clu says the airplane can be his

hamburger bird until child number

six shows up. We wonder if he’s re-

ally considered that.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

DEKEVIN THORNTON


12/44

10 FEBRUARY 2011

Located 2 miles west of the

New Hampshire coastline,

Hampton Airfield (7B3) has

one 1,800-foot grass run-

way, 04-22. Owned by Mike

and Cheryl Hart since 1975,

the field hosts a primary flight school, a

fixed base operator, and an antique air-

craft restoration busines s. It’s also the

home of one of the Northeast’s most ac-

tive groups of Vintage Aircraft Associa-

tion members, VAA Chapter 15 (we refer

to ourselves as VAA15).

The flight school has been operating

Piper J-3s continuously since 1946. Best

of all, you can solo them! This is the place

to come for a tailwheel endorsement. The

school also offers C-172s. Should you pre-

Vintage Chapters

Across the USAVAA Chapter 15, Hampton Airfield (7B3)BY JOHN MALONEY

PRESIDENT OF VAA CHAPTER 15

The construction of the chapter’s German primary glider project, an SG38, is one of the many

projects VAA15 has undertaken at Hampton Airfield.


13/44

Remember, We’re Better Together!

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AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.

Dick has retired from a great career of flying corporate and charterflights in jets, recips, and helicopters as well as a 16 year position asa Safety Program Manager in South Carolina. Due to his contributionto so many pilots, he was named Aviator of the Year in 1999. Dicknow enjoys time at his local airport, Whiteplains Plantation, where hekeeps this very pretty, 1950, PA-20, Piper Pacer.

It has been a great pleasure to be a customer of AUA. I alwaysreceive friendly, understanding and knowledgeable service. To me,AUA means, Always Understands Aviators!

— Dick Hitt

Dick HittLexington, South Carolina

A&P, IA

Commercial – Helicopter

ATP – Lear Jet, Sabreliner,Citation 550, King Air 300

VFI – Single Engine,Multiengine, Instrument

Ground Instructor


14/44

12 FEBRUARY 2011

fer that someone else does the

piloting, you will find outstand-

ing tours of the Granite State in

a New Standard open-cockpit bi-

plane, truly a unique experience.(Leather flight jacket, helmet,

and goggles not included.)

A very welcoming place, the

field is home to The Airfield Café

for breakfast and lunch. On week-

ends you may find a group of re-

tired pilots sharing brunch and

war stories. During the summer,

the Loop–T-Scoop ice cream bar

remains open until early evening.

It is a great place to enjoy your

favorite flavors while watchingsome of the classic aircraft based

at 7B3. You might see Stearmans,

Wacos, New Standards, Cubs, or a

variety of homebuilts and ultra-

light vehicles.

Hampton Airfield is home to

VAA15. The chapter boasts both

a clubhouse and a workshop,

thanks to the generosity of Mike

and Cheryl Hart. The group re-

cently completed building an

SG38 glider completely fromscratch. SG stands for Schulgleiter ,

VAA15 presents its 2009 scholarship to winner Robert Nee (fourth from the left). Also pictured

are Fred Drake, Marcey Nee (Robert’s mother), George Vossler, Ken Perkins, Errol Dow, and

George Schumacher.

Casey Brown’s fl ight instructor, Bill Rose; Casey Brown of Eliot, Maine;

Casey’s mother, Alison; Kim Brown; Casey’s father, Nick; Kent Lawrence,

one of the scholarship committee members; VAA15 Technical Advisor DickBlevens; and Sue Gagne.


15/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

a German primary glider, circa 1930. After World

War I, because of restrictions on motorized air-

craft, Germany focused much of its effort on glider

development; the SG-38 was an ideal “stick and

rudder” trainer. Indeed, the first part of its name

means “school” in German. In this country, the

glider is known as a Northrup, named not for avia-

tion’s Jack Northrop, but for the man who first im-

ported one.

VAA15’s SG38 was an educational project and

hands-on learning experience for our members.

It took approximately 700 hours to complete. Wetook the plans from an old Popular Science maga-

zine and converted the measurements from met-

ric. Everything is scratchbuilt: The ribs are Sitka

spruce, the fuselage is built with birch Haskelite,

and the runner shoe is ash. We fashioned the land-

ing and flying wires from 1/8-inch stainless cable,

the control wires from 1/16-inch, and the bracing

wires of 3/32-inch. We covered the wings and tail

feathers with the Poly-Fiber process.

VAA15 sponsors a scholarship program for young

people entering the aviation field. Robert Nee of

Salem, New Hampshire, won the $1,000 award in2009. He is a student at Daniel Webster College in

Nashua, New Hampshire.

On the third weekend in May, Hampton Airfield

hosts an annual “Fly Market,” an aviation flea mar-

ket with quite a bit of nonaviation stuff. To raise

funds for our projects, VAA15 sponsors a pancake

breakfast plus burgers and dogs, perfectly cooked

by our talented members. This is a treat not to be

missed. Come on up!

In 2010, VAA Chapter 15 did award two $500

scholarships to be used for flight training at our

home field, Hampton Airport, in 2010. Casey Brownand Kyle Drake were our scholarship winners.

What Our Members

Are Restoring

Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done

and you’re busy flying and showing it off? If so, we’d like to

hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial

source (no home printers, please—those prints just don’t

scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from

your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can

burn photos to a CD, or if you’re on a high-speed Internet

connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word

document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program

asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For

more tips on creating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s

website at www.vintageaircraft.org . Check the News page for

a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph?

For more information, you can also e-mail us at vintageaircraft@

eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825.

near ng completion of a restoration? Or i

Kent Lawrence with Rob Drake (accepting the award for

his son, Kyle Drake, who was away at school). Kyle is

an air traffic control student. In the background is Kim

Brown’s Dakota Hawk, a kit from Fisher Flying Products

kit that members were tweaking prior to its first flight.

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16/44

14 FEBRUARY 2011

In 1946, after being discharged

from the Army Air Corps,

Frank opened his own shop

at Stinson Airport, a short dis-

tance from where he grew up. His

brother Nick had just opened the

Pylon Club tavern.

Nick approached Frank with a

proposal: design and construct aracer for the Goodyear-sponsored

races at the Cleveland National Air

Races. These races became popu-

lar after the war and featured some

of the hottest World War II mili-

tary fighters of the time, “souped

up” to go even faster. Also featured

was a new class of racer, the Good-

year-type racer with engines up to

85 hp. The Continental C-85 wasthe engine of choice. His brother

My FriendFrank RezichPart V

After the war BY ROBERT G. LOCK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REZICH FAMILY COLLECTION

Above Lead Photo: Frank with the

Rezich Brothers Racer, RBS-1,

which he designed for the Cleve-

land National Air Races.

Right: An artist’s rendition

of the Rezich racer with

race number 43.


17/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

Mike came to him and said, “De-

sign it for me. You know what the

heck you’re doing. Let’s get on

with it. I’ll finance it, and you do

all the work.” Frank also remem-

bers, “It wasn’t even finished when

Bill Odom got killed [in 1949] and

there went the races.” The racer was

never completed.Nick and Frank were involved

in the construction, but the design

was all Frank’s. The ship was des-

ignated the Rezich Brothers Racer,

RBS-1. Nick’s son Jim provides ad-

ditional information on the racer.

“I believe this photo was taken in

1951 or 1952. You can see Steve Bev-

ell’s Lil Spook #77 in the background.

The ship was owned by the Pylon

Club, as my dad was interested in

air racing and flying in air races.

He attended the 1947 Cleveland

races and the 1950, Detroit races. I

think the construction on the racer

was started in 1950 when my dad

opened the Pylon Club tavern. The

plan was for Frank to build the air-

plane and Dad to fly it. The airplane

was also designed to have the C-85

engine removed and a 600-cubic-

inch engine installed for use in the

Unlimited races. The racer was do-nated to the EAA and displayed in

the museum in Hales Corners, Wis-

consin. When the museum moved

to Oshkosh, they changed their pol-

icy to having only fully completed

airplanes on display. So, they at-

tempted to sell the RBS-1.”

Overcoming some technicalities,

Jim was able to obtain the racer.

The ship now resides with the fam-

ily in its uncompleted state.

While work in his hangar was spo-

radic and sometimes slow, Frank re-calls a series of events that took him

to the Illinois Air National Guard.

“Right after the war—I don’t

know how long I was out, but an

Air National Guard colonel, Wil-

son Newhall, came over and said

he wanted me to go to work for the

Guard. I responded I didn’t want

any more military, and he said

no, no, no, you work as what we

call full-time maintenance people;

you’re civil service. He said he was

buying a P-63 and we’re going to

Cleveland with it. We’re gonna race

it. Oh, okay. I didn’t have a job.

There was no Howard. So the Na-

tional Guard of Illinois was right

there at Chicago Municipal. They

had another strip on the north side

of Chicago with two runways that

was called the ‘orchard’ that is to-

day O’Hare. So, every three or four

weeks the Illinois, Michigan, andWisconsin National Guard would

go on an encampment. I was chief

of maintenance for Illinois, and

Mike Sitik was chief of mainte-

A two-view sketch of the racer as

designed by Frank. Note the simi-

larity of this drawing to a Cassutt

racer that came after this design.

Jim recalls, “Tom Cassutt was a

TWA pilot who was a frequent visi-

tor to the Pylon Club and shared

an interest in the new Goodyear

racers. He was able to see the

RBS-1 taking shape, and he sure

copied a lot of the same ideas that

Frank and Dad had in the design.

He was able to get his airplane fin-

ished, and it was well received.It went on to be a popular sport

airplane and was even upgraded

with a tapered wing in place of the

‘Hershey Bar’ wing.”


18/44

nance for Michigan. So when Mike

went to work for Ford, he came

over and kept pestering me, ‘Come

on, Frank, you gotta go to work for

Ford. We need guys with radial en-gine experience.’ Mike Sitik spent

three hours with me and kept say-

ing ‘Come on, Frank, I’ll give you

the general foreman’s job.’ That’s

how I got the job at Ford.”

The tumultuous 1940s were

over, and those who came home

from the war looked for new ho-

rizons and stable employment.

Frank wanted to settle into a more

normal life, get married, and raise

a family.Ford had received a contract

from the military to build R-4360

radial engines that were used in

Boeing C-97 and Model 377 Stra-

tocruiser, the Convair B-36, the

Northrop XB-35, and the Douglas

C-124. Frank was hired and imme-

diately went into management of

the aircraft engine division, assem-

bly, and test section. Ford was get-

ting its engines out into the field.

The first engines were being builtfor the massive B-36 that was be-

ing constructed at Convair’s Fort

Worth, Texas, plant.

As Frank familiarized himself

with the new 28-cylinder radial

engine, a new position opened,that of a technical representative

from the Ford plant. Frank re-

calls, “The military says to Ford…

you gotta have technical reps out

there in the field, just like Pratt &

Whitney. I go to the guy who is

the head of service and tell him

I want to be the first guy who

goes west or southwest. So I was

assigned to Fort Worth and the

Convair factory. I’ve got a picture

of me walking on the top of thewing of a B-36.”

Frank has always been a peo-

ple person, working with people

rather than against them. That is

his strength—confronting a prob-

lem, then designing a solution.

When one looks back over Frank’s

experiences prior to that point in

his career, he was honest and hard-

working, and his word was good. If

he made a commitment, he would

follow through. He seemed to bein the right place at the right time.

People noticed him and were envi-

ous of his talent.

Having spent two years in Fort

Worth, and with his work at the

Convair plant winding down,Frank received his next assignment.

Frank was assigned to the West

Coast, specifically at the North

American Aviation plant in El Se-

gundo, California.

At that time they were building

the F-100 Super Sabre jet-powered

aircraft. Pratt & Whitney designed

the model J-57 afterburning en-

gine. Ford began production of

these engines under contract to

Pratt & Whitney, and ace 4360 techrep Frank Rezich would be involved

with the installations in new pro-

duction aircraft and retrofit in ex-

isting aircraft. So Frank began work

at El Segundo.

Frank recalls, “I came out here

because we [Ford] delivered the en-

gine for the F-100. It was an engine

swap—the original airplane had a

G.E. nonafterburning engine, and it

didn’t perform. Along comes Pratt

with the J-57 with afterburner. SoI came out here as a factory rep for

16 FEBRUARY 2011

A new R-4360 B-36 engine, with Frank standing third from the right.


19/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

that engine at North American. A

lot of people don’t understand gov-

ernment contracts. North American

builds the airplane, and there are

certain products that the govern-

ment furnishes, GFP. Engines are

one of them. I came out here and

met the vice president of manufac-

turing, their production and engi-

Frank (right) on the wing of a B-36 at the Convair factory in Fort Worth, Texas, perhaps trouble-

shooting the installation of an R-4360.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Working closely with factory engineers and assembly peo-ple, Frank solved critical problems with his hands-on methods.


20/44

18 FEBRUARY 2011

neering people. Pratt & Whitney

was also delivering engines, so you

could get an airplane with either

Pratt & Whitney or Ford manufac-

tured engines installed. Well, they

were just ramping up production

around 1954.”

Frank’s daughter Kathy was bornin 1956, when Frank and Eileen

were living in Canoga Park. “As

production really got going I got

a couple more reps. They [North

American] had their own test cells,

and we had a contract with PAC

that if any warranty work was re-

quired it was done at PAC [Pacific

Aeromotive Corporation]. Any-

way, I was the senior rep on the

West Coast for Ford.”

Near the end of the Ford con-tract, Frank recalls, “Barry Stoh,

the vice president and general

manager [of North American],

came to me and asked what I was

going to do when the contract was

over. I said just go across the run-

way to the commercial side. He

said that was pretty tough over

there, and so he made me an offerto come work for us [North Ameri-

can]. So I thought about it a day or

two, and I came back to him. What

do you have in mind? He said how

about assistant to me. We haven’t

had any problems with your en-

gines, and if they needed fixing,

the work was done on time. Your

people got along with our people.

You will have a special assignment

out of this office. He made me su-

perintendent of the whole NorthAmerican Palmdale plant!”

It should be noted here that

Frank did not want to go back to

Chicago. He liked the West Coast,

and that is where he wanted to

live. I recall a story Frank told

about changing a fuel valve in a

DC-3 on the ramp of Chicago Mu-

nicipal Airport in the dead of win-ter. With freezing weather and fuel

flowing down his arms, the cold

was miserable. He thought at that

time, “I need to get out of here and

go where the summer tempera-

tures are bearable, but the winter

temperatures are mild.” He eventu-

ally settled in the Canoga Park area

of Southern California, between

Santa Barbara and San Diego.

Next month, we’ll share some

incredible stories from the NorthAmerican days and the XB-70.

Frank Rezich at North American Aviation with a new Ford-built Pratt & Whitney J-57 afterburn-

ing engine still in the shipping can. By the end of this contract, Frank’s life would take anotherinteresting turn.


21/44

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It’s gonna bea big day. All

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Monday, July 25Opening Day Concert

Tuesday, July 26Tribute to Bob Hoover

Wednesday, July 27Navy Day

Thursday, July 28Tribute to Burt Rutan

Friday, July 29Salute to Veterans

Saturday, July 30Night Air Show Returns

Sunday, July 31Big Finale, the Military Scramble

Join us for a big celebration ofthe 100th Anniversary of NavalAviation. See it all, from the CurtissPusher replica to the Navy’s hottesthardware. All week long.


22/44

20 FEBRUARY 2011

The Great Lakes’ Story

The other antique airplanes had

felt some sympathy for the only bi-

plane in the group—called a Great

Lakes—because in the fall some mi-

nor repair issues had come up on its

annual inspection, and it had not

flown since.

At last it spoke up: “I heardthe earlier talk about the airplane

types that did not survive the De-

pression, and my line was one of

them. But such was my design’s

unique ability to revive—thus, I

have many descendants.

“My line was started in 1928,

one of the “brioso” startups that

took advantage of the Lindbergh

success. I am from 1931, as the

factory was soldiering on during

the Depression and the situationtoughened terribly. My rakish lines

and aerobatic ability captured the

hearts of aviators, but in the end,

not their thin wallets. And like so

many others, my factory’s doors,

too, closed in 1932.

“Everyone thought that we

were, well, down. But evidence of

our line continued in a surpris-

ing and spectacular way, as ourdesign’s popularity as an air show

mount kept us going.

“Like the success of Depression-

era movies, people would pay a

little something for the diversion

of an aerial exhibition. It was one

of the few ways for pilots to make

money in the 1930s, and we Great

Lakes were, well, back up at a time

when many other airplanes never

left their hangars for lack of funds.

“Then came the war, and airshows stopped. Our status, like the

majority of civilian lightplanes, was

down again.

“But after the war, something

surprising happened, rare in Ameri-

can aviation. As our air show work

resumed, our nimble design was ap-

preciated, even with all of the ex-

military biplanes on the market,

and we were up again, and referredto in the 1950s as ‘still the standard’

for such flying. Many pilots mar-

veled at our air show performances,

and unable to buy one of us, peti-

tioned the design holders for sets of

plans. This was done, and in work-

shops all over the country, Great

Lakes biplanes were again made by

individuals in the new homebuild-

ers movement.

“As the postwar ‘tail fin years’

passed, new trends in aerobatic fly-ing and competition again threat-

The Antiques in WinterPart III

If airplanes could talk . . .BY ROGER THIEL

This is the third installment of a story,

wherein a large communal lightplane hangar

in the present-day American Midwest in win-

ter, six antique airplanes come to life and

tell their tales of Depression-era survival

to the newer airplanes, who are worried

about recent national economic issues.


23/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

ened the Great Lakes line. Rather

than the beautiful, sweeping, left-

hand/right-hand choreographed

nature of our performances, a new

trend called ‘vertical penetration’

came to pass, and the situation

again for us looked, well, down.

“Then something happened,

even more unusual than the 1950sdemand for my plans, something

unique at that point in American

aviation. In 1974, on a wave of nos-

talgia and the desire for traditional,

open-cockpit flying, a factory

tooled up and began manufactur-

ing my line anew, some 40 years

after my company’s demise, in a

final swing up of our decades-long

up-down ride.

“And so this winter, my tail

feathers need some minor repair

work and some fabric re-covering.

Am I therefore never to fly again?

Am I expunged from the list?

Should I give up? Of course not!

I will be patched up, and I will

fly again. The whole issue, quite

frankly, seems normal to me.

“Because, you see, as my line’s

history bears so well—down is

not out —and up can often be just

around the corner!”

The Cessna’s Story

Known for minding its own busi-

ness and usually remaining silent,

the Cessna 140, with its sleek, un-

derstated aluminum covering, and

the only all-metal aircraft among the

six antiques, spoke up last, and the

other five took immediate notice.

“It was a great gamble to make

me in 1946,” it said. “As the war

ended, Cessna changed over frommaking wooden-winged, twin-

engine trainers to a brand new line

of three different aircraft models.

“To the civilian mar ket, we

looked modern and different, but

of conservative design, and this was

extreme risk for us. Everything was

designed around patient, safe util-

ity. We received undramatic ‘form

follows function’ monocoque fuse-

lages and thin spring-steel landing

gears of a sort not seen before onmajor production aircraft.

“But look at a picture of me on an

aircraft ramp in the late 1940s, near

a parking lot with contemporary

autos, and note the huge contrast.

The public wanted bulgy, tanklike,

‘we won the war’ cars, but Cessna

minded its own svelte air business,

making its models functional and

finished in efficient taste.“In the postwar bust, we fought

for what business there was. And

with our step toward great moder-

nity already taken, there was no

turning back. We were forced to

promote an understated product

and fought to persevere.

“We recovered from the postwar

slump in slow, undramatic fashion,

minding our own business and re-

lying on our sheer practical utility

to persevere. Slowly this happened,

ushering us into the more pros-

perous era in which ‘swords were

beaten into tail fins.’

“I morphed into the Cessna 150,

and my bigger brother into the 172

Skyhawk, which went on to be-

come the most popular airframe in

all of world aviation history!

“My line’s story might be com-

pared to comedian and straight

man Bud Abbott, who was con-sidered a better talent and paid a

higher salary than his partner,

punch line-grabbing Lou Costello.

Hardly any of my line has thrilled

an air show audience or flown in

a speed dash, and yet we patiently

and undramatically ‘bring them

there’ and get it done every time—

again and again and again.

“As American manufacturer An-

drew Carnegie said, ‘Put all your

eggs into one basket, and thenwatch that basket.’

“Understated, subdued, and yet

the most popular of all time. And

how did we Cessnas do it? Why, by

minding our own business!”

Had the young airplanes been

listening? The ant iques didn’t

know. And if so, would they even

care? Did all of the storytelling

even matter at all? The six old air-

planes settled into their tidy warren

of tail feathers, struts, wing panels,fuselage sides, and tail wheels.

From the unjoined portions of

the metal hangar, tiny furrows

and channels of light stabbed in,

and the shadow-shapes they made

etched weird, angular caricatures of

airplanes onto each other and onto

the cold floor.

The old planes’ thoughts became

hazy, too, drifting in and out ofwarm summer flights, of easy engine

starts, of being washed and polished,

of being photographed, and of tak-

ing people up for their first time off

earth. These and hundreds of other

pictures, incomprehensible to those

who do not fly, came and went.

Outside, the municipal light

buzzed amidst the whistling sound

as the unconcerned night wind

blew tufts of stale snow into small

eddies, atop the stark hibernating

vegetation, into the ditches of the

section line roads . . . and behind

all of this was the distant sound of

the encroaching trucks, marching

in their endless, carnivorous line,

roaring like lions.


24/44

22 FEBRUARY 2011

Light Plane Heritage

published in EAA Experimenter February 1991

Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts

related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se-

ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF

THE HILD MARSHONETBY OWEN S. BILLMAN

It began during World War I . . .

two young men, already deeply

involved in aeronautics, became

determined to design and manu-

facture for sale an airplane—for the

Sunday flier that would be their

equivalent of Henry Ford’s ubiq-

uitous Model T Flivver. These men

were Frederic Hild and his brother-

in-law, Edward Marshonet.

Like so many optimists of theday, they visualized a postwar pe-

riod when returning servicemen,

aviators, “doughboys,” and “swab-

bies” alike would insist on their

right to fly affordable airplanes far

and wide across this free land—if,

as, and when they chose. To that

end they applied themselves to

their drawing boards and came up

with a small, single-seat biplane

fitted with a two-cylinder, 20-hp

engine that drank gasoline in rela-

tively small sips.

By war’s end these men, living

in Hempstead, Long Island, had

achieved an enviable reputation in

aeronautical circles. In 1910 they

entered into a partnership and

operated a business they rathergrandly called The American Aero-

nautical Supply House.

They manufactured and offered

for sale a Bleriot “type” mono-

plane. With that small word en-

closed in quotation marks, one can

only wonder if their offering had

the stamp of approval of Louis Ble-

riot, or may have resulted from the

borrowing of his original plans. Re-

gardless, their first sale of an aero-

plane came in 1911.

It is recorded that in 1912, Hild

taught himself to fly in one of their

own production ships, a common

practice in those early days. He rap-

idly gained experience and soon

flew an exhibition for representa-

tives of Fédération AéronautiqueInternationale. On February 22,

1913, he was issued Aero Club of

America license number 216.

Hild immediately found his ser-

vices in demand, so he began mak-

ing exhibition flights. One was in

Newton and another in Asbury

Park, both in New Jersey.


25/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23


26/44

24 FEBRUARY 2011

On March 4, he flew from Hemp-

stead to circle New York City, ran

out of fuel, and landed on a farm,

on what is now known as Roosevelt

Island, gliding in on final under the

Queensbury Bridge.

He taught flying around Hemp-

stead, as well as that hotbed of aero

activity, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

He and Marshonet soon sold out

their supply house in Hempstead

only to establish United Eastern

Aeroplane Corporation, 1251-57

DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn.

When war broke out in Europe

they sold that interest and went

into design work, first for the Cur-

tiss Aeroplane and Motor Company

in Garden City, Long Island, andlater for Standard Aircraft Corpo-

ration in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It

was during this period they gained

the knowledge and experience that

enabled them to develop the design

for their sportplane. At war’s end in

1918 they began building and test-

ing it. It was ready late in 1919.

Their sportplane was quite

small. Wingspan (upper) was 24

feet, and length was 19 feet. Power

was supplied by a two-cylinder, 20-hp engine of unknown origin. It

was a small V-twin that looked sus-

piciously like a motorcycle engine

of the period.

Their concept was unique in

that both upper and lower wings

were swept, the upper one to the

rear and the lower one forward.

Both sets of wings were tapered.

Attached to a cabane strut over the

fuselage, the top wing’s rear spar

was located about over the pilot’shead; the front spar of the lower

wing attached to the bottom lon-

geron at a point about even with

the pilot’s hips. At first glance this

appears to be a strange configura-

tion, but close examination seems

to reveal a method in their mad-

ness, as we will see.

The fuselage consisted of a long,

wooden box that connected the

pod housing the engine and pilot

with the tail assembly. Entry to

the cockpit was gained by stepping

up onto the 18-inch-high fuselage

deck with one foot and then into

the cockpit with the other while

grasping a handhold in the cutout

center of the upper wing, slithering

forward until comfortably seated.

It can be seen that without the

method of staggering the mount-

ing of the wings in this way, entry

to the cockpit of such a small bi-

plane would have been very diffi-

cult, if not impossible.

Specifications:

Span top plane 24 feet

Span lower plane 19 feet 3 inches

Chord top plane 5 feet to 3 feet

Chord lower plane 4 feet 6 inches to 3 feet

Gap 3 feet to 4 feet

Overall length 19 feet

Angle of incidence 4 degrees

Wing section N.P.L. No. 4

Total area of mainplanes 160 square feet

Area of ailerons (two) 20 square feet

Stabilizer 6 square feet

Elevators 9 square feet

Fin 3 square feet

Rudder 6 square feet

Factor of safety throughout 7

Empty weight 450 pounds

Gross weight 700 pounds

Speed range (40-hp engine) 35-65 mph

Climb 780 fpm

Glide 1 in 8


27/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

Dihedral angle of the upper wing was 0 degrees and

that of the lower 6 degrees. It was claimed that the

unusual layout of the wings made for excellent stabil-

ity, lateral as well as longitudinal. The wings could be

folded very quickly by one man, and the plane stored

in a space measuring just 9 feet by 20 feet.

No performance figures are available for the 20-hp

version, but the same airframe powered with a 40-hp

engine claims a speed range of 35 to 65 mph.

Advertisements showing the new plane appeared

beginning with Aerial Age magazine dated March 1,

1920. It included a photo of the Sportsman in profile,

proclaiming that readers should own one for pleasure

or business . . . save time, earn money. The ad pro-

claimed, “It is easy and safe to fly. Enjoy good health

and recreation by flying through the air.”

Some of the features mentioned were:

•You can see the wheels while landing.

•Slow landing speed.•Will start or alight on roadway, etc., no needfor large field.

•Can be stored in a small barn, garage, etc.when not in use. No need to erect a hangar.

•Ease in getting in and out of seat, particularlydesirable for ladies.

•Economical. Fuel cost 1 cent per mile.•Low upkeep cost. Plane can be moved about on

ground by one person.

•Motor reliable and efficient. Easy and simple tooperate. 18 years of reputation in back of it.

•Large factor of safety. Excellent stability. Work-manship and materials guaranteed for one year.•Price complete, $2,000.Sales of their Sportsman apparently did not mate-

rialize as hoped, for as later in 1920, Hild and Mar-

shonet dissolved their partnership and went their

separate ways. It is not known what happened to the

latter, but Hild was next reported in Chicago, where,

in 1927, he founded the Hild Floor Machine Com-

pany. This business was quite successful, and he op-

erated it until 1954, when he sold out and retired to

Florida. He died unexpectedly in Miami on October

31, 1963, at the age of 73. Much of the material for this article was found in a per-

sonal letter dated April 24, 1963, signed Fred C. Hild, to

E.A. Goff, Secretary, Early Birds of American, courtesy of

the Library at the National Air and Space Museum, Wash-

ington, D.C.

It is regrettable that so little information is available in

regard to Edward Marshonet. It is evident that he was a si-

lent partner of Hild’s.

References:

Aerial Age Weekly , March 1, 1920

Flight magazine, March 25, 1920

NASM Library

Journal of American Aviation Historical Society ,

Spring 1968

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28/44

26 FEBRUARY 2011

Ear ly a i rc ra f t whee ls were

classified as either spoke type

(clincher), spun disc type (Bendix

30x5), or cast drop-center type

(Bendix and Hayes). See Figure 1.

Very few aircraft stil l operate with

the spoked clincher-type wheels.

Some, however, operate with the

spun disc Bendix 30x5 wheel, and

many more still operate with the

cast drop-center type wheel.

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Bendix 30x5 Wheels

THE VintageMechanic

FIGURE 1

First, let’s look at loadings on wheels during ground operation

and landing. Normal landings do not impose a heavy load on

the wheels (assuming it is not a hard landing). Nevertheless, the

Bendix 30x5 wheels do not absorb side loads well. The faster

the airplane is moving on the ground, the heavier the load im-posed on the wheels.


29/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

Figure 2 illustrates what happens when

an aircraft touches down in a crosswind

landing, in this case from left to right. As

the aircraft slows, the rudder becomes

increasingly ineffective. Unless brake

is used, the ship will weathervane into

the wind. If it is traveling fast enough, it

will complete a turn, thus damaging the

wheel, landing gear, and outboard wing. If

things get really bad, it will flip over on its

back. A conventional tailwheel-type air-

craft would rather travel down the runway

tail-first. Therefore, the tricycle landing

gear is much preferred for modern flight

training. Consider when the aircraft goesout of control, there is a tremendous side

loading placed on the wheels.

Figure 3 clearly shows what happens when an aircraft places heavy side loading on the wheels. The aircraft

is a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, and the wheels are spoked type clincher. Side loading on the wheels caused by the

aircraft sliding sideways has collapsed the spokes, a common problem with this type of wheel. Similar loads

can be imparted on the spun disc type Bendix 30x5 wheels if the aircraft ground-loops and slides sideways. The

spinnings are not designed to withstand heavy side loads.

Photo from Ron Alexander (http://PeachStateAero.com) and the collection at Candler Field Museum. The photo, taken in 1926, is of DougDavis who was based at Candler.


30/44

The aluminum hub casting can be seen along

with the side spinnings, inner band, and side

beads. Roller bearings cannot be used in this

wheel assembly.

Figure 5 illustrates the Bendix 30x5 roller bearing

type spun disc wheel. Note the difference in the hubcasting to accept tapered roller bearings on the axle (left).

Using the chart, one can easily see a maximum

wheel load of 1,600 pounds per wheel and a guaran-

teed side load ultimate strength of 3,300 pounds.

The inboard spun disc is attached to the cast alu-

minum hub with steel rivets. These rivets should al-

ways be checked for looseness. Looseness will be

accompanied by a trace of black soot-like dust around

the head, indicating that the rivets are moving or the

aluminum under the head is loose. The outer portion of

the inboard disc is attached to the liner and bead as-

sembly with heat-treated alloy 2117 (AD) or 2024 (DD)flush head rivets of 5/32 inch or 3/16 inch diameter.

The outboard spun disc is attached to the bead and

liner assembly with flush-head, heat-treated rivets, the

same as the inboard disc. The disc is fastened to the

hub with 5/16-inch diameter bolts. In most installa-

tions these bolts also fasten a bearing cover to keep

dirt out of bearings.

When inspecting these type wheels it is necessary

to deflate the tire, loosen the bead area, and move it,

in order to inspect the rivet heads. Look for loose or

missing rivets. Again, if the rivet is loose, there should

be a black powder around the head. Mechanics callthis the “smoking rivet.”

Figure 5 contains notes on installation of the wheel

and brake assembly. These wheels are designed only

to carry the maximum load, which the tire manufac-

turers specify for standard tires, not oversize. These

loads should never be exceeded. Maximum thickness

for the brake-mounting flange is also shown in the

illustration.

The brake-mounting flange must be machined true

to the axle within 0.0005 inch, measured at the out-

side diameter of the flange. The brake assembly must

be concentric with the wheel drum or drum-to-lining

clearance cannot be properly set. Brake lining should

be adjusted to the least clearance possible beforedragging occurs. This clearance is from 0.005 inch

to 0.010 inch (0.008 inch to 0.010 inch is usually the

norm) depending whether the brake is mechanically

or hydraulically activated. It might be necessary to

turn the wheel brake drum on a lathe to assure that

it is absolutely round, or adjustment of clearance will

be impossible. Make a check by inserting 0.010 inch

feeler gauge in the slots on the brake-backing plate.

If accurate adjustments cannot be made, check the

drum to see if it is, in fact, round.

28 FEBRUARY 2011

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

Bendix manufactured 30x5 wheels in two basic

types, the plain bearing and roller bearing type

hubs. The plain bearing hubs used bronze bush-

ings, which slid over the axle and centered thewheel on the axle. Of course, wear was always a

problem and the bushings had to be lubricated at

regular intervals. Figure 4 shows a cross-section

sketch of the plain bearing Bendix 30x5 wheel.


31/44

Figure 8 is a photograph of my 1929 Com-

mand-Aire 5C3 with Bendix 30x5 wheels and

a Scott 3200 steerable tail wheel. The airplane

handles extremely well on the ground, even

when landing in a crosswind above 20 mph.Daily inspection includes feeling the inner and

outer spun discs for wrinkling and checking

for any loose rivets. On one occasion, the riv-

ets that attach the inner disc to the hub were

found to be loose. This was discovered when

one wheel made a “groaning” sound when

the airplane was pushed forward. I found the

paint cracked around the rivet heads, a clear

indication of loose rivets. The wheel was re-

moved from service. I would not authorize

any riveted repairs to the discs other than replacement of a rivet. Riveted repairs, no matter how good, will only

return approximately 80 percent strength to the part. Therefore, I would say no sheet metal repairs to the spundiscs.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

FIGURE 6

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 8

Figure 7 shows a typical tapered roller bearing. Bearings should be removed, cleaned, inspected, and re-packed with grease at each 100-hour or annual inspection. Any discoloration or grooving of the race is grounds

for replacement. Always use a good grade of heavy-duty wheel bearing grease. Most mechanics will hand-pack

the bearings with grease, forcing the grease from one side of the rollers to the other side, assuring that all open

areas around the rollers are completely filled. Never blow compressed air over the bearing, causing it to spin.

Bearings should be cleaned in mineral spirits or cleaning solvent.


32/44

30 FEBRUARY 2011

Have a comment or question

for Bob Lock, the Vintage Me-

chanic? Drop us an e-mail at vin-

[email protected], or you can

mail your question to Vintage

Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Osh-

kosh, WI 54903.

FIGURE 9

FIGURE 10

INSPECTION:

Jack the a i rplane, spin the

wheel, and look for excess wobble.

This indicates a side loading may

have been imposed on the wheel or

it was repaired incorrectly.

Deflate the tire, move the bead

to expose the rivet heads on the in-

side of the wheel rim area. Look forloose or missing rivet heads, and

any cracks along the bead area.

Check for cracks, dents, or wrin-

kling of spun discs. Run your hand

over the disc to feel for irregulari-

ties. Look closely at the hole in the

outboard disc, where the air valve

extenders are installed, and check

for cracks.

Conduct this inspection as often

as necessary to assure the wheel

is in serviceable condition. At mini-mum disassemble the tire from the

wheel at annual inspection time to

thoroughly inspect the wheels.

Only the pilot knows of a hard

landing or heavy side loading, and

if the inspecting mechanic is not

promptly informed, wheel failure

could occur with subsequent dam-

age or loss of the airplane.

In Figure 9, when a severe side load is imposed on these 30x5 wheels,

a catastrophe is in the making.

Finally, Figure 10 shows an original Bendix 30x5 wheel and the disas-

trous effects of side loading beyond maximum. Note that the flush rivets

around the bead are mostly intact, although a few have failed from over-

stress. Failed rivets can be seen by observing shadow of the wheel on

ground—missing rivets allow light to pass through the drilled holes. Obvi-

ously this wheel cannot be repaired, but the hub was undamaged. When

repairing or assembling these wheels, only the highest-quality craftsman-

ship is acceptable. If the wheel fails, severe damage to the airplane will

occur. Hearing wing spars crack or hanging upside-down in the rear seat

is not comfortable! Keep a close watch on all 30x5 wheels for any signs ofdamage or deterioration.


33/44

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vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.


34/44

32 FEBRUARY 2011

BY Steve Krog, CFI

THE VintageInstructor

Taking the fear out of crosswind takeoffs

“Every time I taxi to the runway

for takeoff my palms begin to sweat,

and I get a nervous knot in my stom-

ach, especially when at a fly-in with

a large audience. I’ve read your pre-

vious articles about crosswind land-

ings and have put your tips to practice

with great success. I no longer fear the

crosswind landing, but the takeoff is

another matter.”

Crosswind takeoffs can be a little

intimidating, especially with a lot

of observing critics judging your

every move. But, just as with cross-

wind landings, a little forethought,

some practice, and learning to re-

lax will go a long way to perfectingthat takeoff.

I’ve found when either giving dual

instruction or providing Biennial

Flight Reviews (BFR), the hardest part

of the takeoff is self-induced pilot

anxiety! Whether sitting in the front

seat of a J-3 Cub or in the right seat of

a Taylorcraft BC-12D, I can practically

read the student’s or pilot’s pu

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