I

THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE

By E. E. "Buck"Hilbert, President
EAAAntique/ClassicDivision
"THATSAME OLD QUESTION"
Over and over again. "Hey! that's an aerobatic airplane, ain't it?" How do you answer?
Is it? Ifit's a Classic, it's twenty or more years old. Ifit's Antique, thirty. S'ure it'll do aero-
batics, but what shape is it in structurally?
Are those old wires still o.k.? Is the old tubing and that engine mount sound? How old
is that wood spar? What about those twenty-five year old wing and mount bolts? That
aluminum skin? The spar fittings? We know we can take it, how about that old airplane?
With all FAA regulations satisfied, if you're still certain that all those pieces that hang in
there to make up your airplane will do just that, then the answer has to be a very loud, proud
AFFIRMATIVE! If there is the least doubt, then you use my line: "Heck, I only do that kinda
stuff by mistake!" and then wait till you've had a chance to personally pull that bird down
and make sure all those pieces are "RIGHT" ... Think about it.
The first person who can identify the designer of this aircraft can take his choice of an
EAA publication (see page15) .Send your(ha!) guessestoJackCox at EAA Headquarters.
2
Ted Koston Photo
VOLUME1- NUMBER4 MARCH 1973
TABLEOF CONTENTS
Chuck Klessig ...Wanderlust In A 1917 Standard... .............................. . 4
The Wiley Post Biplane...Jack Cox .............................................. 7
Those Delightful Ultra-Lights...Gene Chase ....................................... 10
Around The Antique-Classic World ....... ... . .. ....... ...... ... ........ . ... .. ..... . 12
EAA Air Museum News ............................................................"14
How To Join The Antique-Classic Division ......................................... 14
Calendar of Events....... . .. .. ... ............ . ... .......... ...... . .... . .......... . 14
ON THE COVER ...Chuck Klessig's 1917Standard J-1. Photo byTed Koston.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Publisher- Paul H. Poberezny Editor- JackCox
Assistant Editor- Gene Chase Assistant Editor- GoldaCox
BACKCOVER - Clarence Chamberlin and the Bellanca "Columbia".
ANTIQUEANDCLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT- VICE PRESIDENT
E,E. HILBERT J.R.NIELANDER,JR.
8102 LEECH RD. P.O.BOX 2464
UNION,ILLINOIS 60180 FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. 33303
SECRETARY TREASURER
RICHARD WAGNER NICK REZICH
BOX 181 4213 CENTERVILLE RD.
LYONS, WIS. 53148 ROCKFORD, ILL. 61102
DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
DOROTHY CHASE, EAA HEADQUARTERS
Postmaster:SendForm3579toAntiqueClassicAircraft,Inc., Box229,
HalesCorners,Wisconsin 53130
Copyright 1973 AntiqueClassic Aircraft,Inc.All Rights Reserved.
3
(Ted Koston Photo)
Chuck Klessig ... Wanderlust In A
1917 Standard
By Lawrence Gehrlein (EAA 15158)
ThermalG. RanchGliderport
RFD4, HamotRoad
Waterford, Pennsylvania16441
Chuck Klessig to me is a Homebuilder's Classic. To
know Chuck is an enriching experience in this age of
strife and the struggle for most people trying to find
theirthingto do.
lt all happened in the winter of 1971 when Grayce,
my good wife, and I were chasing the sun in the good
ole southvia WinnabagoMotorHome.
As I muse and look back, it was inevitable that we
would cross paths with Chuck in Tucson, Arizona at
Ryan Field. In our travels we had been hearing this
name "Chuck Klessig" and the story of the fabulous
StandardJ-1 hewas rebuilding.
Grayce andI drove our Motor Home onto Ryan Field
on a bright sunshining day - to be exact, February 9,
1971. We parkedjustoutside ofEAA Chapter 81's very
ownhangar.As Iwalkedintothehangar,therewasa fel-
lowverymuchengrossedinsplicingtheflyingwiresfor a
Standard J-1. Yes, I was about to meet Chuck Klessig,
and a week later as we again hit the road, with Chuck
wavinggood-bye,IknewthenthatIhadjustspenta most
profitable week which enrichedmylife ineveryway.
ChuckKlessig,theman, wasbornsixtyoneyearsago
and he hails from Galesburg, North Dakota. His past
readssomewhatlikea story book.Inthedepressionyear
of1930 Chuck soloed a Wllco 9 and this startedhimout
inalifelonginvolvementwithflyingandflyingmachines.
In1942ChuckcrossedtheborderintoCanadaandjoined
up with the Royal Air Force Transport Command. He
servedthereuntil1947whenheagaintookuphiscivilian
4
life. You canwellimaginethestoriesofthewaryears-
Chuck sure has a bag full of them. The most refresh-
ingthingaboutthemis thattheyareallaboutflyingand
notflying bullets andkilling.
Aftermusteringoutofthe CanadianTransportCom-
mand, Chuck was once again at loose ends, so, the trail
to flying adventure again beckoned. He soon landed a
job delivering a Norseman to South America, and while
inArgentina,SouthAmericahetaughtstudentstherudi-
mentsofflying, hisonebiglove.
After about a year in South America, he joined up
with the Department ofAgriculture inthe U. S. A. Aid
Program, and the next few years were spent in Africa
and the Middle East teaching the natives how to spray
crops with airplanes. As far as Chuck is concerned, how
wouldyouspraycrops butwithanairplane?
AftertheU. S. A. AidProgramwascompleted,Chuck
decided to take the next few years a little slower, so he
spentthreeyears onfoot looking for theLostDutchman
gold mine - you might say looking for Pie in the Sky.
Chuckcameoutofthis foot sore andwithemptypockets
- butwitha newhobby. Along with flying, he is now a
rockhound.
In1965 Chuckgotaroundto gliding, andinone year
he built and flew a beautiful BG-12 sailplane. Anyone
elsewould have taken atleastfour years to build a BG-
12,butnotChuck- hegotwithitandfinishedupinone
year.
When Chuck first soloed back in 1930, he discovered
a Standard J-1 sitting under a cotton tree. He was inter-
ested and through the years sent many antiquers out to
look at the old ship. But the ravages of time had taken
their toll, and no one took up the challenge to rebuild
it.
After Chuck built the BG-12, he was again at loose
ends. Not one to be idle for long, he started dreaming
of flying to the 1971 EAA Fly-In in a brand new Standard
J-1 airplane. This is all he needs - a dream - and the
wheels are set in motion! Out to the farm and the old
cotton wood tree, and there it is, the old Standard IN-1
fuselage still more or less intact. All the wood was rotted
but 90% of all the metal fittings were o.k. To Chuck this
was a most valuable find. The N-number was 947 and it
was built in New Jersey during the year 1917, with
Serial Number 2434.
' So now Chuck again went to work with the deter-
mination and grit that only another homebuilder would
know about and appreciate.
He had no wings, so, he had to start from scratch.
Fortunately, the Air Force Museum was good enough to
loan him a complete set of drawings, which resulted in
near perfect and original wings and fuselage. His next
move was to find and buy Curtiss OXX-6 engine. This
done, he spent the next summer in rebuilding it. As win-
ter approached Chuck took his camp truck and pulled
a trailer loaded with an OXX-6 engine, parts and tools,
etc., and headed for Tucson, Arizona, Ryan Field and-his
new-found friends in EAA Chapter 81. The winter weather
in Arizona is fine and he is able to build to his heart's
content.
It is at this point that our paths crossed and I had
TOP. Charlie and his passenger show up as shadows
on the side of the Standard' s clear doped fuselage.
(Dick Stouffer Photo)
(Ted Koston Photo)
BOTTOM. Detail of the Standard 's tail feathers.
Yep, that's a gen-U-ine tailskid!
the honor to help dismantle the J-1 to get it ready for
covering. With all his work (and we all know what work-
ing to a deadline is!) he still had time to spend showing
me how to splice wire cable.
For one week my good wife did needle work, patiently
waiting for my interlude with Chuck Klessig to' come to
an end. As I finish writing this, I remember the evening
Chuck showed us the violin he made and the wonderful
music he played on it. I wondered then what new ad-
ventures awaited this versatile and interesting man. I
know now that he did, indeed, make it to Oshkosh -
from Tucson to Wisconsin in 10 days and 42 hours of
flying time! I know he took home a raft of trophies and
awards, plus the of all the EAAers. In the
winter of 1971-72 Chuck and the Standard became
movie stars - if you look closely at some of the com-
mercials on T.V. you may see them reliving the days of
yesteryear.
In 1972, Chuck and the Standard made the long flight
eastward once again, landing at Oshkosh after more air-
time crossing the country than modern jets take to circle
the globe. It's a sure bet, however, that the folks in
their aluminum tubes with the tiny peep hole view of
Mother Earth never get to know what a beautiful planet
we live on like Chuck does from the rear hole of that
46 year old flying machine.
The last word we have on ole Chuck is that he is near-
ing completion of a Pitts . .. guess he has discovered
aerobatics!
So, Chuck Klessig, - wherever you are - good luck
with that Pitts ... and if you are still on the trail of the
Lost Dutchman, I hope you stub a toe on a gold nugget
as big as a grapefruit!
(Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Photo)
Charlie Klessig, a truly intrepid aviator.
5
CHUCK KLESSIG ...
(Ted Koston Photo)
LEFT. So you think youngsters today are "tuned out"
concerning helmet and goggles aviation? Look again
at those admiring glances!
(Lawrence Gehrlein Photo)
BELOW. At this stage Chuck had a long way to go be-
fore he and the Standard would slip the surly bonds
of earth.
(Photo Courtesy Author)
ABOVE. Believe it or not, this is what Chuck had to start with to restore his Standard J-1 . It always
takes money, patience and skill to restore any antique ... in this case, it also took just plain guts!
6
THE WILEY POST BIPLANE
By Jack Cox
The building of replicas of antique aircraft is grow-
ing by leaps and bounds. A lot of mail received at
EAA Headquarters is from members inquiring about the
availability of plans for some old bird from aviation's
tender years. World War I fighter replicas - some scaled
down and some full size - are so popular that various
type clubs have sprung up like poppies in Flanders
Fields. Movies like the Blue Max have spurred this build-
ing activity so that a reasonable facsimile of the fight to
defeat the Fokker Scourge could be easily recreated if
all the World War I replicas could be assembled in a
couple of fields a few miles apart.
More recently we have noted a trend toward building
full sized replicas of more ordinary antiques - particu-
larly the ultra-lights of the 1920s and 1930s. For in-
stance, elsewhere in this issue you will read about Gene
Chase's racy little Church Midwing which, technically,
is a restoration, but required one heck of a lot of build-
ing from scratch due to the condition of the "original".
In a lot of cases, prospective owner/builders either can't
find an original to restore, or else they can't afford what
they locate. I don't have to elaborate on what has hap-
pened to old airplane prices in recent years. At any rate,
the result is that a lot of people are now building up their
own Curtiss "Juniors", Heaths, Pietenpols, etc., mid we
are getting inquiries on such birds as Velie Monocoupes,
Kari Keen Coupes, Star Cavaliers and other low pow-
ered jobs.
One old bird on which we can count on getting a let-
ter or two a month is the Wiley Post biplane. EAA Head-
quarters does not have any plans for this aircraft, so
we refer everyone to the only person we know who owns
one - Marion McClure of Bloomington, Illinois. (0. K.,
now you know who the culprits are, Marion!) Marion,
in fact, owns two Wiley Posts - the only two known
to exist of the 12 or 13 believed to have been built. There
are rumors of a basket case in Florida and, if such things
hold true to form, this article will result in a spate of let-
ters telling us of a couple more hidden away in some
barn or basement.
It is easy to understand the interest in the Wiley Post.
It is a neat little side-by-side, open cockpit biplane that
was so simple in structure that no homebuilder or ex-
perienced restorer would have a great deal of trouble
whipping one out. It was powered with a converted Model
A engine that, along with the airframe, was type certifi-
cated. This brings up an important point. The Wiley Post
received Approved Type Certificate No. 561 which
means that Marion McClure can restore his two birds,
NC13957 and NC13961, license them in the Standard
Category, and fly with no restrictions . .. unless for some
reason he has a crying need to land at Chicago O'Hare.
Then he would need radio, transponder, and an extra en-
gine to power the generator to run all that garbage!
For those who would build a replica, you will have to
license your plane in the Experimental-Amateur-built
Category. Unless you could somehow come up with an
original Wiley Post Model A Ford conversion, you would
have to go with an uncertified engine and fly the bird
in an FAA-proscribed test area for 75 hours before you
would be turned loose to come to Oshkosh to show off
your handiwork. You purists would want to stick to the
Model A engine, of course, but it crosses this heretic's
mind that the Chevrolet Vega (such as in Forrest Lov-
ley's Pietenpol Scout - see SPORT AVIATION, No-
vember 1972, page 31) would be a natural. From what
Gene Chase tells me about his experiences with NC13961,
the airplane could use the extra power.
The Wiley Post A started life in the early 1930's
as the Straughan Biplane. It was developed and initially
produced in Wichita but the plant was eventually re-
located in Oklahoma City where the name was changed
to the Wiley Post A - hoping, quite naturally, to trade
on the name of the famous Oklahoma aviator.
The Wiley Post was an amazingly light airplane. The
airframe, minus Model A engine, weighed a mere 292
pounds. Mind you this was for a machine with two 28
foot wings and a length of 19 feet 81/2 inches. With an
empty weight of 581 pounds, the airframe weighed
just 3 pounds more than engine and prop! Gross weight
was 998 pounds so, at least on paper, that left 417 pounds
for fuel , oil, water, and skinny aviators.
The neatly cowled engine was accessible through
hinged side panels held in place by suitcase-type fasteners.
(Photo by the late Tom Matthews)
John Bouteller props his Wiley Post A.
(Photo by the late Tom Matthews)
John Bouteller of Tulsa Oklahoma in his Wiley Post, N13961, Serial Number 12. This picture was
taken in February of 1962 shortly after the plane was restored . N13961 was subsequently sold
to Marion McClure of Bloomington, Illinois.
The radiator was hung from the top wing between the
front cabanes (see photos) so that the cowling had few
drag inducing openings - all-in-all a rather clean nose
for that period. The converted Model A was cruised at
1,700 rpms which produced a blazing 68 mph and if one
twisted the "A's" tail so that 1,900 rpms - the redline -
were achieved, 78 mph was allegedly possible.
The Wiley Post's landing gear was a clean shock cord
unit with nice fat air wheels to soak up the bumps and
bounce out of gopher holes. The first Straughan is
usually pictured in old magazines like Popular Aviation
with the gear legs uncovered, but production models
were fabric covered. The bird was completely devoid of
such niceties as brakes and tailwheel - it was certified
that way - which helped keep the originally adver-
tised selling price down to $990.00 F. O. B. Wichita.
The construction of the airframe was typical for light-
planes of the 30's - all-wood wing and steel tube fuse-
lage, every bit cocooned in fabric and made pretty and
slick by coats of the good kind of dope. The wings were
very lightly built with no leading edge reinforcement
other than a single nose stringer. The accompanying
pictures show the spindly looking round tubing used for
N-struts as well as the cabanes. This is one place where a
few ounces of extra weight in the form of some balsa and
fabric tape wrapping for streamlining should have been
used. I shudder to think of the drag caused by those
round tubes ... on, of all places, a low powered airplane.
Factory publicity releases claimed a rate of climb of
400 feet in the first minute and a landing speed of 28
8
miles per hour. The service ceiling was listed as 10,000
feet and absolute ceiling was 12,500 feet. Fuel capacity
was seven gallons which allowed for 140 miles range,
headwinds notwithstanding. As a selling point, prospec-
tive customers were told that one could easily land the lit-
tle bird on a highway, taxi up to any ordinary filling sta-
tion (remember when they were called that?), fill her up
with auto gas ... and if any repairs were in order, just
ring up your friendly Ford dealer and have him rush out
some good cheap parts.
Merciful heavens, where did we go wrong???
The Wiley Post differed from most of its contemporary
open cockpit competitors in that it featured side-by-side
seating. Dual controls were standard. Seating was such
that one's head just barely protruded above the top of
the fuselage and even then was shielded from the prop
blast ... and hot water ... by a low, frameless wind-
shield.
We have no idea whether copies of the factory draw-
ings are still available for the Wiley Post A or not. We
do know that Marion McClure is presently restoring
N13957. Perhaps, while it is apart, some of you could
rush to Bloomington and take some measurements and/
or detailed photos for use by the folks who are panting
at the prospect of building their own. Barring that, you
could do as Bob McCartney of Tulsa is doing. He is
building his replica of the Wiley Post from Cleveland
Model airplane plans - which were drawn from mea-
surements of Marion's N13957!
WILEY
POST . .
(Tom Matthews)
RIGHT. The Wiley Post looks
like a model airplane - but
it is for real, as is the C-97.
(Tom Matthews)
BELOW. While John Bouteller
props the Model A engine, the
reader can take a closer look
at the surprisingly thin N-
struts and cabane struts.
Round struts are high drag
producers. Also notice the ai -
leron gap seals made of thin
aluminum sheet.
(EAA Archives)
ABOVE. Marion McClure' s N13957 at
an early Rockford EAA Fly-In. This
plane is presently undergoing com-
plete restoration .
(Dick Stouffer Photo)
LEFT. Marion and his Wiley
Post in a spot landing contest.
9
(Photo by Wayne Hamil'l)
Gene Chase's 1928 Church Midwing.
THOSE DELIGHTFUL ULTRA-LIGHTS
By Gene R. Chase
Frequently I am asked how my 1928 Church Mid-
wing flies. It flies like other low powered, ultra-light air-
craft of the period. That's great, but this answer is mean-
ingless to those who have nothing to relate it to.
The controls are responsive and very light, pressure-
wise. It handles as nicely on the ground as any plane I've
flown with a tail skid and no brakes. The plane is really
a delight to fly, but this has not always been the case. In
my attempt to be as authentic as possible with the restora-
tion of the Church, I created some flight problems which
have since been corrected. I'll explain these later.
The first Church aircraft was built in 1928 by Mr.
James Church in Chicago, who converted a Heath Super
Parasol into a midwing configuration. The fuselage con-
struction was the bolted, wire-braced type. The fuselage
on my Church is the same, which means that it is one
of the very early models.
Therefore, I reasoned that with my authentic restora-
tion I would experience some of the same sensations as
Mr. Church did with his first flights. My reasoning may
have been accurate, but my good judgement was not.
For example, no where could I find that the aileron
gaps were sealed originally, so neither were mine. In
this configuration the plane was extremely sluggish in
all departments. The take off run was long, climb was
very slow, and the glide very steep for such a light plane
(367 Ibs. empty). In fact, I had to carry 2,000 rpms for
the landing approach.
The aileron response was practically non-existent,
particularly in right turns. (The Henderson engine turns
anti-clockwise as viewed from the cockpit.) Because of
this I would make no intentional right turns below traffic
pattern altitude, especially after the following incident.
I was making a right hand pattern and turning from
base onto final with a 15k, 30
0
right crosswind. Along
the right side of the runway was a row of fairly tall trees,
and as I turned into the area blanked by the tree row, I
was unable to bring up the right wing with full left aileron
and rudder. Also, the application of full power did not
slow the descent.
Not until ground effect took over did the plane respond
to my efforts in the cockpit, and I was able to land in a
conventional manner rather than on the nose and a wing
tip.
This experience convinced me that I had carried
my "authenticity kick" far enough, and the plane did not
fly again until the aileron gaps were sealed. This made
all the difference in the world, and I would most-em-
phatically recommend to anyone planning to restore a
Church, Heath, or any comparable aircraft, that they
seal the aileron gaps. These low powered planes need
all the help they can get!
One thing that surprised me was the amount of
wind in the cockpit while flying such a slow plane. It
has no air speed indicator, but clocking the section lines
shows a 60 mph cruise. The Church also has no wind-
10
shield per se, but does have an effective "windshield
cowling".
Another unique feature is the 1" gap between the
lower wing surface and upper fuselage longeron. This
is for downward visibility and is very helpful. But it is
also the source of most of the breeze through the cock-
pit.
The cockpit is quite snug and the way I fit into it, I
have no trouble sealing this gap with my arms. This adds
considerably to pilot comfort.
The plane would fly hands off, but this isn't practical
because there is no other place to put one's hands, as
long as they are in the cockpit. An occasional wa",e to a
passing aviator is permissible, but this should be of short
duration because it changes the plane's flight attitude.
Straight and level flight is a delicate balance be-
tween pitch attitude and rpm. The slightest change in
one makes a noticeable change in the o t h ~ r I hasten to
add that these comments are not offered as criticisms but
as characteristics that make the plane fun to fly.
About 1,600 rpm works well for the landing approach.
This setting prevents rapid engine cooling and gives a nice
rate of descent. I'm always careful to not lower the nose
too much because both the air speed and engine rpm
build up rapidly. \
Three point landings are easily made, and here again,
I control rate of descent with power all the way to touch
down.
The Church Midwing is t he only Henderson-powered
plane I've flown, and I've always kept in mind the ad-
vice offered me by men like Jim Church, Ray Hegy, and
Bob Burge. They all said to stay close to the airport be-
cause the Henderson had a habit of breaking prop shafts.
It happened to me and, fortunately, I was over the run-
way making a fly-by and was able to land without inci-
dent. I am now installing a newly-made prop shaft on
which was turned a 3/ 16" radius between the flange and
shaft. This was the weak point on the originals as they
contained no radius. I would strongly advise anyone
planning to restore a Henderson-powered plane to re-
place the original prop shaft and thus eliminate a most-
likely failure.
I've always enjoyed flying vi ntage aircraft and par-
ticularly the light planes. So it's little wonder that I have
a special affection for the ultra-lights. The Church Mid-
wing has afforded me many pleasurable moments fl y-
ing behind the smooth-running Henderson, and I would
like to see more of the deli ghtful ultra-li ghts fl ying.
(Photo by Ben Newby)
Gene Chase and the fabled Henderson engine. These
converted motorcycle engi nes powered many early
homebuilts.
(Photo by Dick Stouffer)
Church Midwing instrument panel. Top, altimeter; mid-
dle, tachometer; bottom left to right , throttle, oil
temperature, Choke (top), carb heat , push button mag
switch, oil pressure.
CHURCH MIDWING
Wing Span .. ..... .... . . . . . ................... 26' 8"
Length .. .. . . ... . . . .. . . . . ..... . . . . . .. . . . ... . . 16' 10"
Height . . .. , . . .. . .... . . . . . ... . .... . ... . . . . .. . .. 4' 10"
Empty Weight ... . .. ... . ...... . ..... . . . . .. .. 367 Ibs.
Gross Weight .. .. . ....... . ... .. . . .. . . . . . .. . . 595 Ibs.
Fuel Capacity . . ........ . . ... ... ..... .. .. .. . 4V2 gals.
Oil Capacity . . . .. . . .. ... .. . . . . . . ..... .. . .... 6 quarts
Cruise Speed . ..... .. . .. . ..... . ..... . ... .. .. 60 mph
Landing Speed ... . . ... .. .. . .. . .. .... .. .. .. .. 28 mph
Fuel Consumption . . . ... . ... .... .. ... . ..... .. . 2 gph
(Photo by Gene Chase)
The Church Midwing under restoration .
AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD
HOUSTON CHAPTER
The Antique-Classic Division's newest Chapter has
just been chartered in Houston, Texas. They are known
as the Houston Antique Flyers and will hold meetings
every fourth Sunday of each month at 2:00 P.M. at
various airports in the Houston area. Officers for 1973
are:
President Vice President
John B. Kane W. C. "Corky" Pyron
Rt. 1, Box 12C 41 Bucan
Cypress, Texas 77429 Houston, Texas 77022
Secretary Treasurer
J. J. Paul Ken Dwight
1518 Ronson Rd. 12231 Perry Rd.
Houston, Texas 77055 Houston, Texas 77070
We hope to have news of this group's activities
and aircraft in forthcoming issues of The Vintage Air-
plane.
THE SPEED BIRD
John N. Denny, 1220 Sabal Drive, San Jose, Cali-
fornia 95133 writes: "I've been a member of EAA over
4 years and have never asked for help before, but I
need it now. I am restoring one of the rarest planes on
the West Coast, a one of a kind prototype of the old Bird
Company called the "Speed Bird". It never reached pro-
duction because of the Depression. My problem is with
the engine. It originally had an 85 Le Blond - and needed
more - so, I was happy when I found a 125 Warner. I
have been overhauling the Warner in an Adult Educa-
tion Aeronautics Class and have found that much of the
valve train needs replacing. I need new exhaust valves,
valve springs and guides. I have contacted Paul Dailey
in Texas and a few other sources only to find that 125
Warner valves - especially exhaust valves - are virtual-
ly non-existent. If I have to, I can make the guides, but
really need those valves. Can someone help me get this
rare airplane going again?"
THE SPEED BIRD (Photo Courtesy John Denny)
SKYRANGER CLUB
R. A. "Zot" Barazzotto, 1604 Madison St. , Bellevue,
Nebraska 68005 writes: "I have a Commonwealth Sky-
ranger 185 under restoration and I'm in the process of
getting a second. Scott Carson of Federal Way, Wash-
ington (State) has enough parts to build 3 Skyrangers
and is well along on restoring his "Fleet". Together we
formed an organization called SPARS (Society for the
Preservation and Restoration of Skyrangers), to exchange
information and, hopefully, keep a few Skyrangers fly-
ing long into the future."
"Would you pass along the word to those who would
be interested in receiving our newsletter?" (Edi tor:
Consider it done, Zot!)
PIPER J-5A WANT
J -5A Cub Cruiser needs airworthy left landing gear vee
No. 30452-00 and Left wing tank. Could use a copy of
drawings showing installation of the optional gas tank
and its plumbing. Kemper, 565 Fair St., Warwick, Rhode
Island 02888.
AERONCA ENGINE
WANTED
John P. Wood (EAA 64159), 3415 West 80th Street,
Inglewood, California 90305 owns Aeronca K NC 19339.
He needs an Aeronca E-113-C engine in good condition
and/or a crankshaft for same. Also a dual mag set-up,
and any other Aeronca K or E-113-C goodies are on his
want list
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
LIFE MEMBERS
Without any solicitation, three men have paid for Life
Membership in the Antique-Classic Division. Frank Lang
(EAA 30970, Antique-Classic Life Member 1), 11702
S. Center Dr., Lemont, Illinois 60439, Buck Hilbert. An-
tique-Classic President (EAA 21, Antique-Classic Life
Member 2), and John Turgyan (EAA 71313, Antique-
Classic Life Member 3), 1530 Kuser Rd., Trenton, New
Jersey 08619, are the men who have shown complete
confidence in this new division of EAA - and have
served notice to those who are responsible for the pub-
lication that we have our work cut out for us!
12
Buck is by now well known to all of you by virtue
of his article on his Fleet in the January Vintage Air-
plane. Frank Lang is a Chicago area antique and classic
enthusiast of long standing. He is a real Swift buff and
is active in Charlie Nelson's Swift Association. If any
of you attend the National Swift Fly-In in May (see
Calendar of Events) look Frank up and say howdy. John
Turgyan is fast becoming the most widely traveled an-
tiquer i,n the country. If you are holding a fly-in almost
anywhere in the U. S., don't be surprised if a gleaming
red Howard DGA-15P comes roaring in. John has been
known to visit two fly-ins per weekend several hundred
miles apart! You' ll see him and the big red machine at
Oshkosh.
Life Membership in the Antique-Classic Division is
available for the same rates and payment schedule as
in EAA - $225.00, payable in lump sum or in three an-
nual installments of $80, $80, and $65.
PIPER FL V-IN
EAA's Antique and Classic Division will hold its
first independent aviation activity on Sunday, June 3,
1973 at the Burlington Municipal Airport, Burlington,
Wisconsin (25 miles S. W. of Milwaukee). This will be a
fly-in/swap meet for owners of Piper aircraft from the
E-2 to the PA-20 Pacer.
The Burlington airport is the site of the prop.osed
new EAA HeadquarterslMuseum complex and has ample
space for parking for aircraft and camping for those who
want to fly or drive in early - or stay late. Appropriate
recognition will be made for exemplary Pipers, various
activities are planned, and anyone who has Piper parts
are encouraged to bring them along so a great flea .. . er,
Cub Market (?) can be set up.
So that we will have some idea of how many of you
plan to attend, please drop us a card in the mail with
your name, address, aircraft type and "N" number if you
plan to be on hand June 3. Although the activities will
center around Piper aircraft, all interested sport flyers
are welcome. For further information contact EAA
Headquarters.
A SPADE IS A SPADE!
In response to Antique-Classic President Buck Hil-
bert's hilarious description of his trials and tribulations
as a slave to a Fleet, (January The Vintage Airplane),
his friend Bill Haselton (EAA 22608, Antique-Classic
91),1238 Catherwood, South Bend, Indiana 46552, writes
this "stinging" rebuttal. (Note to Women's Libbers -
it's all in fun, we love all airplane nuts, Mr ., Mrs. or Ms. )
"I'm rather di sgusted with the attitude of some pilots.
To get right to the heart of the matter and to call a spade
a spade', I'm disgusted with Buck Hilbert.
In the January, 1973 issue of The Vintage Airplane
he made the unforgiveable, unpardonable, and asinine
mistake of calling his airplane a "him".
This misstatement is as unpardonable as calling the
mass of metal that is used as a propulsive force on a vin-
tage aircraft a "motor" instead of an engine. Any dunce
knows that a motor uses electricity to make it turn while
an honest-to-goodness engine is what is used to pull or
push an aircraft. Now that I've gotten that off my chest
and have cleared the air, let's get on with my diatribe
against Buck for calling an airplane a "him".
At one of my chance meetings with Buck, he men-
tioned that for a living he flew a DC-8 which was a
"big mama".
Now, I submit that there is little basic difference be-
tween a DC-8 and a Fleet. They both have wings, fuse-
lage, and an engine, so why should one be called a "her"
and the other a "him"?
It could be that Buck needs to go through psycho-
analysis and, perhaps, the analyst would find that this is
just a freudian slip. Analyzing it myself, it could be that
Buck's mother was as big as a DC-8 and his father the
size of a Fleet! Since the DC-8 serves to put bread on the
table and a roof over his head, it could be that this is
the role his mother played in his childhood. If this is
true, as I have no doubt it is, then Buck's father was
the Fleet and, therefore, the Fleet deserves to be called
a "him", but only by Buck!
I submit that an aircraft is a her and should always
be designated as such. Just look at the names that have
been given to the planes we see at the annual conven-
tion - Miss Los Angeles, Millie's Mink, Pretty Purple
Puddy Tat (yes, cats can be female, and while a male is
a "tom", a female is known as a "queen" which just
goes to show that a female airplane is better than a
male.)
Some planes have been given the name of the de-
signer and I submit that this has been done in the name
of the wife. Her last name is the same as his! I do know
I would rather look at the designer's wives than at the de-
signer. They're so much prettier!
I think an airplane is a pretty thing and since
women are so much prettier than men, it just naturally
follows that an airplane should be called a "her".
Look at all the things in everyday life that we tall
"her". Boats, hurricanes (who ever heard of a himi-
cane!), cars, trains, countries (Britain), and almost every
mechanical thing that man uses is thought of as "her".
To this list I submit that we henceforth and forever
call any and all airplanes "her", notwithstanding Buck
Hilbert's ideas.
There are reasons for calling an aircraft a "her".
Some of them are all of the following, all of them are
some of the following, and all females are the following
. .. cantankerous, moody, demanding, unpredictable
(they unpredictably stall), obstinate (they won't start),
a headache, need loving care, demand lots of attention,
stubborn, get middle age spread (from adding new equip-
ment), droop, need a face lift every 15 years, expensive,
object of love, have to be babied, have to be waxed and
polished like make-up, they stand out, have their own
systems, have excess -baggage, are complex creatures,
and they are top heavy. A man usually loves his airplane
so it follows that a plane just has to be a "her".
If those reasons aren't enough to call an airplane a
"her" instead of a "him" just write a note to Buck and
get him to defend his use of the word.
In the meantime, I'm going back to the arms of my
wife. There's no better place in the world."
EAA IN ACTION
The FAA recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rule
Making (NPRM 72-35) which would make the legal VFR
ceiling in uncontrolled airspace 1200 feet instead of the
present 500 feet. The FAA has received some 300 pub-
lic comments 90% of which were in opposition. EAA
has also opposed the proposal on the grounds that the
500 foot legal VFR ceiling has served well in the past,
and, if enacted, would reduce the flyable days per year
by, perhaps, a month in total - thus making the light
airplane even less utilitarian in nature. One EAA Chap-
ter (166 in Hartford, Connecticut) has just submitted a
petition containing the si gnatures of 1500 EAA members
from around the country - 100% against. The closing
date for comments was March 22, 1973.
13
EAA AIR MUSEUM NEWS
(Photo by Lee Fray) (Photo by Dick Stouffer)
"01' Number One", the very first Travel Air 1000/2000, is being restored, for permanent display
in the EAA Air Museum. At the left above, Bob Ladd, kneeling, and Lou Poberezny put some finish-
ing touches on the fuselage. At the right above is the rear cockpit instrument panel . The aircraft
was donated to the Air Museum by Dave Jameson of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
HOWTO JOIN THE ANTIQUE-
CLASSIC DIVISION
Membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division is open to all EAA members who have a special
interest in the older aircraft that are a proud part of our aviation heritage. Membership in the An-
tique-Classic Division is $10.00 per year which entitles one to 12 issues of The Vintage Airplane pub-
lished monthly at EAA Headquarters. Each member will also receive a special Antique-Classic mem-
bership card plus one additional card for one's spouse or other designated family member.
Membership in EAA is $15.00 per year which includes 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. All
membership correspondence should be addressed to: EAA, Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY 4-6 - SANTEE, SOUTH CAROLINA - 5th Annual Spring Fly-In
of Carolinas-Virginia EANAntique-Classic Chapter 395. Wings and
Wheels Museum-Airport . Contact : Morton Lester, Box 3747, Mar-
tinsville, Va. 24112.
MAY 4-6 - PASO ROBLES. CALIFORNIA - 3rd Ryan SC, St. PT
Fly-In. Contact: T. D. Strum, 1570 Kensington Circle, Los Altos,
Cal. 94022 - Rain Date : May 11-13.
MAY 18-20 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA - AnnuaIFly-ln.
MAY 18-20 - CALLAWAY GARDENS, GEORGIA - Eastern 195 An-
nual Meeting. Business meeting followed b\' maintenance semi-
nar. Family type affair. Contact : Bill Terrell , M. D., Rt. 2, Box 380,
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. (513) 393-4454.
MAY 20 - HARVARD, ILLINOIS - Dacy Airport, Antique Fly-In.
Contact : Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, III. 60014.
MAY 25-28 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - Staggerwing Fly-In.
Contact : W. E. " Dub" Yarbrough, Lannon Mfg., Box 500, Tulla-
homa, Tenn. 37388.
MAY 25-28 - GILBERTSVILLE, KENTUCKY - National '73 SWift
Association Fly-In. Contact : Charlie Nelson, Swift ASSOCiation,
Inc. , Box 644, Athens, Tenn. 37303.
MAY 26-28 - HAMILTON, OHIO - National Waco Fly-In. Hamilton,
Ohio Airport . Banquet on Saturday night featuring Clayton Bruk-
ner, President of the Waco Company, as guest speaker. Contact:
National Waco Club, 2650 W. Alex.-Bellbrook Rd ., Dayton, Ohio
45459.
JUNE 1-3 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - Annual Fly-In. Contact: An-
tique Fly-In, P. O. Box 2312, Merced, Calif. 95340.
14
JUNE 3 - BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN - Burlington Municipal
Airport. Piper Fly-In/ Swap Meet for Piper Aircraft from the E-2
to the PA-20 Pacer. Sponsored by EAA/Antique Classic Division.
For further information contact EAA Headquarters.
JUNE 8-10 - DENTON, TEXAS - Denton Municipal Airport . 11th
Annual Texas Antique Fly-In. Everyone welcome. Texas hospitality
assured . Contact: Jack Winthrop, 3536 Whitehall Dr. , Dallas, Texas
75229.
JULY 21-22 - LA RUE, WISCONSIN - 5th Annual Antique Trans-
portation Meet. Near world famous Baraboo, Wisconsin. Antiques
only. Registration fee - $5.00. This is a fun meet . For information,
contact Edward C. Wegner , 10 Stafford St., Plymouth , Wisc. 53073.
JULY 29-AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 21st Annual EM
International Fly-In Convention. Complete program and awards
for antique and classic aircraft. World 's greatest aviation event.
AUGUST 10-12 - ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON - EANAntique Fly-
In. Contact : Dick Baxter, 15845 8th N. E., Seattle, Wash. 98155.
Phone 206/EM5-1657.
SEPTEMBER 28-30 - GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA - Gastonia
Municipal Airport. Carolinas-Virginia Chapter 395 Annual Fall
Fly-In. Contact Morton Lester, P. O. Box 3745, Martinsville, Va.
24112.
SEPTEMBER 28-30 - GALESBURG, ILLINOIS - 2nd National
Stearman Fly-In. Contact: Jim Leahy, 445 N. Whitesboro, Galesburg,
Illinois 61401 or Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, Illi-
nois 60014.
EAA Antique/Classic embroidered patches(pict ured at right)
- A distinctive,colorful emblem. $1.50 each
EAA Caps- men and ladies.Specify small , medium, large,
orextra large. Ladies,one size.$2.25 each
1973 EAA Calendar. Made ofheavy,unbleached cloth.
Features full colorrenditions ofa Standard J-1,
P-51,Scorpion Helicopter,and a Dyke Delta.$2.30 each
EAA Flight Bags. Durablenylon with waterproofl ining. Blue
with EAAdecal on both sides. $4.50each
-------- *--------
Write for a complete listing of EAA publications and
free of charge. Includes a listi ng of all available back issues of Sport
Aviation
-------- *--------
EAA PUBLICATIONS OFINTERESTTOANTIQUE AND
CLASSIC ENTHUSIASTSAND/OR RESTORERS
Wood . Vol. 1 ........ . .... . . . . . ... ... $2.00
Wood. Vol. 2 $2.50
Sheet Metal. Vol. 1 ......... $2.50
Sheet Metal , Vol . 2 ......... $2.50
Ti ps on Fat igue $2.50
Welding $2.00
Dope and Fabric $2.50
Hand Tools, Vol. 1 .............. $2.50
Hand Tools, Vol. 2 $2.50
CAM 18 (Reprint ) . ........ $3.00
CAM 107 (Repri nt) . ..... ... $4.00
Flying and Glider Manual Reprints ..
1929. $2.00
1932 ... $2.00
1929-32 $2.00
'" Add 30cpostage for first manualplus10c
foreach addi tional one
merchandise -
Wings Of Memory - 72 pages of Aero Digest repri nts. Covers the greats of civil
aviation from 1932 to 1941 . Ryan STA, Howard DGA-9, Fairchild 24, Cessna Air-
master,Rearwin Speedster ,Fleetwings " Sea Bird", Stinson SR-1O,Stearman Model
80, and many more.Beautiful photos, 3-views andflight reports.$2.50
Golden Age Of Air Racing - 168 pages covering the great 1929-1939 air raci ng
era. All about the racers and their pi lots who flew for the Bendix, Thompson,
Greveandother trophies.$2.75
Back Issues ofAmerican Airman. Whi letheylast - 25c ea.
ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS- When you complete the restoration ofan an-
tique or classic (specify which) , you are eligible for a beautiful cert i ficate you will frame and be
proud to display in your home or office. These certificates are free, courtesy of EAA to recogni ze
youreffortstosave anothergreatold airplane.Justsend your name and addressand the year, make
and model (i ,e.- 1937 Monocoupe 90A) ofyouraircraft. Solo certificatesare also available.
JOIN EAA- JOINTHE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION- WRITE FOR INFO PACKET- $1 .00
EAA Antique/Classic Division
P. O. Box229
HalesCorners,Wisconsin 53130
15
The Vintage Airplane is the official publication of Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc.,
a division of The Experimental Aircraft Association, Hales Corners, W i s ~ o n s i n