I

November 1998 Vol. 26, No. 11

CONTENTS
Straight & LeveIlEspie "Butch" Joyce
2 AlC News
3 Aeromail
4 The Steco Aeroplane/
H. G. Frautschy
7 Mystery Plane/ H. G. Frautschy
8 What Our Members Are Restoring/
H. G. Frautschy
10 Chaos or Orderly Confusion?/
Steve Krog
12 From the Archives/
H. G. Frautschy
13 The "Spirit of Carnauba"/
H.G. Frautschy
EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher
TomPoberezny
Editor-in-Chief
JackCox
Editor
HenryG.Frautschy
ManagingEditor
GoldaCox
ContributingEditor
JohnUnderwood
ComputerGraphicSpecialists
BethBlanck OliviaL. Phillip
PierreKotze
StaffPhotographers
JimKoepnick LeeAnnAbrams
KenLichtenberg MarkSchaible
Advertising/EditorialAssistant
Isabelle Wiske
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION,INC.
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
Espie"Butch"Joyce GeorgeDaubner
P.O. 80x35584 2448LoughLane
Greensboro,NC27425 Hartford,WI53027
91O/393-{)344 414/673-5885
Secretary Treasurer
SteveNesse Harris
2009 HighlondAve. 7215East46thSt.
AlbertLeo,MN5tiYJ7 Tulsa. OK 74145
507/373-1674 918/622-&100
DIRECTORS
JohnBerencft GeneMorris
7645EchoPointRd. 5936SteveCourt
ConnonFalls, MN55009 Roonoke,1X76262
507/263-2414 817/491-9110
Phil Coulson RobertC. "Bob" Brauer
28415SpringbrookDr. 9345S.Hoyne
Lawton,MI49065
ChicaW'IL60620
616/624-6490 312/ 79-2105
JohnS.Copeland
55OakeyAv.
1 ADeaconStreet
Lawrenceburg,IN47025 NOrthborout,MA01532
812/537-9354
fIJ8/3 3-4775
JoeDickey
DaleA.Gustafson
StanGomoll
7724ShadyHill Dr.
104290th Lane, NE
Indianapolis,IN 46278

317/293-4430
RobertUCkteig
JeannieHill
1708BayOaks r. P.O.80x328
AlbertLea, MN5tiYJ7 Harvard, IL60033
507/373-2922 815/943-7205
DeanRichardson RobertD. "Bob" Lumley
6701 ColonyDr. 1265South 124thSt.
Madison,WI 53717 8rookfield,WI53005
608/833-1291 414/782-2633
S.H."Wes"Schmid GeoffRobison
2359LefeberAvenue 1521 E.MacGregorDr.
Wauwatosa,WI53213 NewHaven,IN 46774
414/771-1545 219/493-4724
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
GeneChase E.E. "Buck"Hilbert
2159 Rd. P.O.Box424
Oshkosh, WI 54904 Union,IL601BO
920/231-5002 815/923-4591
GeorgeYork
181 SlobodaAv.
Mansfield, OH44906
419/529-4378
ADVISORS
SteveKrog RogerGomoll
1002HeatherIn. 321-1/2S.Broadway
Hartford,WI53027 Apt.3
414/966-7627 Rochester, MN55904
507288-2810
AlanShacklefon DavidBennett
P.O.80x656 403TannerCt.
SugorGrove, IL 60554-0656 Roseville, CA95678
630-466-4193 916-782-7025
17 Vintage Excitement at
EAA AirVenture '98
19 A Rare Bird!
Norm Petersen
22 Born Again!
Tome & Ei leen Macario
25 Welcome New Members
26 Pass ItTo BuckIBuck Hilbert
30 Membership Information/Classified Ads/Calendar
Page19
. .
1Ir
'"
EAr,)
FRONTANDBACKCOVERS...TestpilotTomWallisandBornAgainRestorations
founderR.W. "Buzz' Kaplanflyonethethemostspectaculorftyingreplicasyet
built. a SikorskyS-38 Amphibion. BuiltinOwatonna.MN. theS-38 projectwas
commissionedbySC JohnsonWaxpresidentSamJohnson.whoIs currentlyfly-
ingthe71ft., 8in. biplanewhileretracinghisfather's 1935expeditioninsearch
ofCarnaubapalmtreesin Brazil. AccompanyingSamarehistwosons, Curt
andFisk. They'llbejoinedbyo therfamilymembersinBrazil duringthefour-
weeklongjourney. EAAphotosbyJimKoepnick,shotwitha CanonEOS1 n
equippedwithan8O-200mmlens. EAACessna 210planeflownbyEAA's Direc-
torofFlightOperations,JoeSchumacher.
Copyright 1998bytheEAAAntique/ClassicDivisionInc.All rightsreservec.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EMAntique/Classic Division, Inc. of the Experimental
AircraftAssociation ane is publishee monthly at EMAviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd.,P.O.Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin54903-3086.
PeriodicalsPostagepaidatOshkosh,Wisconsin54901 and atadditionalmailingoffices.ThemembershiprateforEMAntique/ClassicDivision,
Inc.is$27.00forcurrentEMmembersfor 12monthperiod ofwhich$18.00isforthepublicationofVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membershipisopen
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POSTMASTER: Send address changesto EMAntique/Classic Division,Inc.,P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN AND APO
ADDRESSES- PleaseallowatleasttwomonthsfordeliveryofVINTAGEAIRPLANEtoforeignandAPOaddressesviasurfacemail.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division doesnotguarantee oreneorse any productofferee through the advertising. We invneconstructive
criticismand welcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainec throughouradvertisingsothatcorrectivemeasurescanbetaken.
EDITORIALPOUCY:Readersareencourageetosubmnstoriesand photographs. Policyopinionsexpressad in articlesaresolelythoseofthe
authors. Responsibilityforaccuracyinreportingrestsentirelywiththe contributor.Norenumerationismade.
Material shouldbesentto: Editor,VINTAGEAIRPLANE,P.O. Box3086, Oshkosh,WI54903-3086. Phone920/426-4800.
The words EM,ULTRAUGHT,FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM,SPORT AVIATION, FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING and the logosofEM,EM
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STRAIGHT& LEVEL
by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE
I
n the continuing saga of the house
restoration I've been telling you about
for the past few months, we did get to
move in the house the first Friday of Octo-
ber, but it is like flying a restored aircraft
without a spinner, wheel pants, and no ra-
dios. As you can see, I have more work to
do, but the good news is that it is not too
far to my bed when I finish up a project!
I was able to get to the NC Chapter 3
Fly- In at Darlington, SC on Saturday. I
missed the Friday night activities, which
I understand were most enjoyable. The
Darlington County Airport group put on
a great "pig pickin," and old movies were
shown at the airport, which allowed
everyone to stay at the airport until they
were ready to go to bed. I took off in the
Luscombe early on Saturday morning for
the fly-in and there was a thin broken
cloud layer around 3,000' msl , so I
climbed up to 4,500' , where the ride was
silky smooth. At 2,400 rpm I was indicat-
ing 105 mph. After I got trimmed up, I
just crossed my arms and sat back, only
having to touch a rudder pedal from time
to time. That's great flying! While at the
fIy-in [ saw a number of people with
what I felt was a renewed interest on their
part in flying. Many of them I hadn' t seen
in quite a while.
EAA was well represented at this gath-
ering. I walked up to the registration desk
and was pleasantly surprised to see Bob
Reece. Bob, who is an EAA Director, is
from Texas, and serves as the Chief judge
of the Custom Built aircraft at Oshkosh.
Bob infonned me that he had come to the
fly-in in a 1929 Waco, which turned out to
be Farrell James' new restoration of his
RNF. Jack Cox from EAA had come down
for the day to check everything out. EAA
Director Susan Dusenbury also was there.
Susan is a past president of NC Chapter 3.
This fly-in is not advertised to the gen-
eral public and there is no air show - it
is a "sit under the wing and give buddy
rides" type of gathering. The judging
takes place on Saturday afternoon from 2
to 4 pm.
There is an awards dinner on Saturday
night and an on-field breakfast Saturday
and Sunday morning. I fired up the Lus-
combe about 4:30 p.m. to start the trip
home. While approaching the end of the
runway I saw this 7EC with the tail lifted
and the tail wheel removed. It was a long
time friend of mine, Earl Brown. Earl,
who hails from Greensboro, gave the
high sign that he had everything under
control. I left for a great flight home to
my home base, Shiloh airport. 1 later
learned from Earl that the tail wheel tire
had gone flat , tearing up the tube. He
went down to the local EAA Chapter
hangar where he found some of the rolled
foam that is used to put in joints that are
going to be caulked.
He stuffed this inside of the tail wheel
tire, which worked well enough to allow
him to fly home . This is one of the rea-
sons I prefer the solid tire tail wheels on
lighter aircraft.
By the way, here 's more information
about hand propping an aircraft. Sporty's
has a video available on the proper method
of hand propping. I just ordered it the
other day, and I'll pass along a quick re-
view of the program in my next column.
Here's a tip I picked up from the Tay-
lorcraft newsletter. One method that can
be used in hand propping is to tum on your
fuel valve and pull your prop through as
necessary to prime the engine with the
mags OFF. When you switch on the mags,
tum the fuel selector OFF. When the en-
gine starts at idle, you should have one to
two minutes to tum the fuel back ON be-
fore the engine quits. Should the engine
start at full throttle, it will expire from the
lack offuel rather quickly. Needless to
say, you have to be a faithful user of
your checklist to absolutely ensure you
turn the fuel back on! This technique
would have prevented the flyaway acci-
dent we all heard about in the news
involving a Champ that flew around cen-
tral Ohio for several hours with no one on
board before crashing, fortunately with no
injury to anyone on the ground.
Several weeks ago I happened to see an
aviator starting his Cub. This guy had
learned how to tie the tail wheel of the
Cub using a slip knot, extending the re-
lease end into the cockpit. Once he had the
Cub running and he was secured in the
rear seat, he would pull the rope, releasing
the tail wheel from being tied to a fence-
post, tie down or what have you. You
may recall NC Advisor Joe Dickey's ar-
ticle on a similar subject a few years
ago. If you'd like a copy of the article,
send a self addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE) to EAA VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE, PO BOX 3086, OSHKOSH,
WI 54903-3086. Mark on the outside of
your envelope "Hand Propping."
I thought that thi s was a neat way to
handle this problem. Send us a note if you
have any suggestion regarding anything
that might help us all be safer while oper-
ating our aircraft. The type clubs are a
great source of information and I would
like to thank Charlie Nelson of the Swift
club for his kind words about the NC Di-
vision in his last newsletter. Charlie, we
welcome any new members and thank you
and the "Swifters" for your support over
the years.
We were given some bad and good
news regarding one of our own this past
fall. Charlie Harris, your Antique/Classic
Division Treasurer, was hospitalized just
after Labor Day and diagnosed with Guil-
lian Barre syndrome, a nervous system
disorder that manifests itself with tempo-
rary paralysis.
Thankfully, Charlie was diagnosed
quickly by his doctor, whose brother had
the disease 18 years ago! Charlie quickly
progressed to a rehabilitation center in
Tulsa, and a full recovery is expected, but
it will take some time. He is now able to
work full days and sounds great, but it will
be a couple of months before he is com-
pletely back in the saddle. Should anyone
like to send Charlie a note, his address is
on the opposite page.
You can help your Division grow by
asking you friends to join up with us. Let's
all pull in the same direction for the good
of aviation. Remember we are better to-
gether. Join us and have it all! ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
A/CNEWS
compiled by H.G. Frautschy
STAN GOMOLL
1926-1998
StanGomoll, 71, passedawayOc-
tober27, 1998. Stan (EAA44419,
A/C 369) was a current EAA An-
tique/ Classic Director, as wellas the
Chairn1an ofthe A/CConstructionand
Maintenancecommittee for the annual
EAA Convention.
Stan'sdevotionto antiqueaviation
spans his lifetime. Heoncesaid he was
always interested in airplanes. As a
youngster, he builtmodelsand in the
summerof1940,attheageof14, he re-
ceivedhis first airplaneride in aJ-3
Cub,whichheacquired in returnfor
workingall dayaroundtheairport.
He workedas alineboyattheRob-
binsville,MNairportfor25 an hour,
whichwas paid
as 10 cashand
15 flying time
in a Cub! He
soloed on his
16th birthday
on November
30, 1942. In
February, 1945
he enteredthe
service and
served as a
Stan Gomoll
groundcrewman
on B-29sat NorthFieldonthe islandof
Guamin the southPacific.
When he returned home, usingthe
GIbill,StanattendedtheSpartanschool
ofAeronautics in '48and '49,wherehe
earnedhisAirframeand Enginelicense.
He also finished theworkto earnhis
PrivatePilotlicense.
Movingbackhome to Minneapolis,
MN he workedatthe local smallairport
for afew years. NorthwestAirlineswas
hiring, and in 1951 Stanwentto work
for themas amechanic. He didn'tstay
on thefloorthough- he wantedtofly
as acrewmember,andhe progressedto
becomea flight engineerontheDC-6
and DC-7, thenontojetsas anFEon
the 707 and 727.When he retiredas a
flight engineerandcopilotfrom theair-
line, he had been flying as a crew
memberonthe 747.
Allduring his years Stanhas been
2 NOVEMBER 1998
activeenjoyingantiqueaircraft. His
firstairplanewasa 193940hp Taylor-
craft. Hecompletedtherestorationofa
Model B Funkwhichnowresides in
the EAAAviation Foundation'scol-
lectionat PioneerAirport.He also
restoreda 1928 Heath SuperParasol,
for which he was awarded the 1994
AntiqueCustomBuiltchampiontro-
phy. Stanownedandflew a J-3 Cub
andhis prize find,a 1936 Waco EQC-
6, whichhe boughtin 1968.Stanset a
recordunlikelyto be brokenby flying
the Waco to everyEAAConvention
since 1968,until hegroundedtheair-
planejustacoupleofyears ago for a
recoverjob.Onlyrecoveredoncesince
1936,the Waco was Stan'sprideand
joy,one whichhe was ableto share
with his family as they headedeast
eachyeartotheannual pilgrimageto
Oshkosh.
Stanhasbeenactiverestoringanum-
berofaircraft, includinga Gullwing
Stinson,andwasthe longtime president
ofAntique/ClassicChapter4.Amem-
berofthe Antique/ Classic Boardof
Directorssince 1984,hehasservedas
an advisorsince 1976. OneofStan's
greatjoyswas theappointmentofhis
son, Roger,an activeantiquerhimself,
to anadvisorspostwith the A/CBoard
in 1996.
Stanwasalways readyto wield a
hammerorscrewdriverduringthenever
endingtasksofmaintainingandup-
gradingthe Antique/Classicfacilities,
and muchofwhatweenjoytodaydur-
ingthe Conventioncanbe attributed to
Stanandhismanyhelpers.
Ourcondolencesto his wifeIrene
andtheirtheirchildren, Dale, Roger
andSusan, andgrandchildrenAddie,
HollyandDaleLee.
MINNESOTA SPORT
AVIATION CONFERENCE
Ifyou'reaMidwesterner,markyour
1999calendarwiththedatesfor the
MinnesotaSportAviationConference,
heldattheMinneapolisConvention
CenterFebruary 13-14. Amongall of
the otherfacets ofaviation from ultra-
lights to models, SteveNesse, A/ C
Division Secretaryis arrangingametal
workingdemonstrationclinicwith
someofthe mostaccomplishednames
inthe industry. Checkouttheirwebsite
at www.flightexpo.comorcall Wayne
PetersenattheMinnesotaDept. of
Aeronauticsat 1-800/ 657-3922 for
moreinformation.
Ifyourstateaeronauticsdepartment
hostsasimilarevent,be sureandtell
themto drop us anotetellingus about
theirevent.Tobe sureandgiveatleast
acoupleofmonthsnotice,pleaseask
themto sendthe noticeatleastfour
monthsin advance. Theycane-mail
their notice to us here at
vintage@eaa.org,orsend it via regular
mail to Vintage Airplane, P.O.Box
3086,Oshkosh, WI54903-3086.
NATIONAL TRAVEL AIR
REUNION?
JerryImpellezzerioftheTravelAir
RestorersAssociationwroteus the fol-
lowing note, andaskedusto passit
alongto the membership:
Iamtryingto determinethe level of
interestfrom Travel Airownersanden-
thusiastsfororganizinga National
TravelAirReunionatTravelAirField
in Wichita, KS in theyear2000,the
75thanniversaryofthefoundingofthe
Travel AirCo. Raytheon(Beech)Air-
craftis interestedandwillingto hostthe
eventif"theywillcome."Iwould like
to knowthefollowing in orderto kick
offthisevent.
1.Whowouldbewillingto fly their
Travel Airto Wichitaforthiseventin
the summerorfall of2000.
2. Forthosewhodon'thaveflying
TravelAirwouldyouseriouslyinter-
estedin attending.
3. Whowouldbewillingto serveon
theorganizingcommitteeorhelp in
somewaywiththe reunion.
This reunionwouldlikelybe the
onlyeventofits typespecificallyfor
Travel Airsto beorganizedforanytime
in theforeseeable future. Thatcould
makethis eventespeciallyimportant. I
would liketo see at least 15 Travel Airs
planningonattendingto make this
worthwhile. All commentsarewel-
come. Iwill be addingtoourmailing
listallwhocontactme andreportthe
results backto youatVintageAirplane.
KeeptheTravelAirFlying,
Jerry
Youcanwriteto:
Travel AirRestorersAssociation
4925WilmaWay
SanJose,CA95124
408/356-3407
VINTAGE
AeroMail
UNIONOILTRAVELAIR
DearMr.Frautschy,
Iamwritingwithrespectto thearti-
cle about "The Worthington
Collection"in theSeptember 1998 is-
sueofVintageAirplane.Theaircraft
mentionedbelongedtoUnionOilCom-
pany,andthatMr. Carl Lieneschwas
theirchiefpilot.Itwasalsomentioned
thathe hadhada badaccidentwith
theirTravelAirB9-4000,andthatone
ormoreof hispassengerswerekilled.
Ibelievethatthis maybe inerror,as
I havean articlefrom the Union Oil
BulletindatedDecember, 1932,that
describedhiscrashwhichindeeddid
kill two ofthegeologistsforUnionOil
Company.Ithappenedin Wharton,TX
andmayhavebeencausedbycarbon
monoxidepoisoning.ThereasonIam
writingis thatIam currentlyrestoring
thesameaircraftthatMr. Lienesch
crashed.Itis notaTravel AirB9-4000,
but a Curtiss-Wright A-14-D, SIN
2008,whichUnionOilCompanypur-
chasedinDecember, 1931.Thisaircraft
haspassedthroughmany hands since
1932,andmyfatherpurchaseditfrom
John Cournoyer in 1988. John had
boughtitfrom JackCoul son ofMid-
dlesboro, KY, butdecidedto sell it for
somereason. Fromthe recordsthatI
have,itappearsthatthisaircrafthas not
flownsincethemidto late 1940s.The
aircraftis in reasonablygoodshape,but
someofthe woodworkhadto bere-
placed,andthe landinggearandbrake
systemneededmajorrepairs.
Enclosedarecopiesoftheoriginal bill
ofsaleto UnionOilCompany(below,
left), the airworthinessand registration
certificates,photocopiesofpicturesofthe
two Curtiss-Wrightaircraft UnionOil
Companypurchased in 1931,atelegraph
sentto the DepartmentofCommercere-
lated to the crash, and an article
describingthecrash.
Therewereonl yfive oftheA-14-Ds
built,andonly two still remain in exis-
tence.Besidesthe oneIam workingon,
there is anotheronethatbelongsto Mr.
AllenWatkins ofGreensboro,NC. Ihave
flown in thatair-
wouldappreciateanypertinentinfor-
mation about this Curtiss-Wright
aircraftfrom anyonewho mighthave
knownaboutit,includingMr. JohnUn-
derwood.
Sincerely,
JimHurdle
AlC26104
10212LittleValleyRd.
FortWorthTX76108
WAYNEKING'SAIRPLANE
DearMr.Glass,
Respondingto you letterintheMay,
1998VintageAirplane,the airplanein
questionwasaStearman4serieswhich
in 1937was inthepossessionofthe
latelO.Dockery,whohadcottondust-
ingoperationsin Clarksdale,MSand
PineBluff,AR.TheStearmanwas at
thelatterand had notthenbeencon-
vertedtoaduster.
Thiswasanenlargedversionofthe
C-3-Bmodelandhadeithera more
powerfulJ-6-9orWaspJr. engine,I
don'trememberwhich,in placeofthe
usual WrightJ-5,givingita nominal
useful loadofaround 1,500Ibs vs .
about 1,000Ibs fortheubiquitousJ-5 ' s.
Itwouldhave madea useful dusterbut
businesswasbadthatyear.
Thethreeopen-cockpitversionmust
havebeenthe4-DMmodelwhichhad
twoseparateairmail holds infront of
thepilot'scockpit. ButtheWayneKing
airplanehadonlythetwo-placefront
cockpitandtherearpilot'scockpit.
IwasworkingforlO.thatsummer
andonenightunderstoodhimto invite
metocheckitout,whichIdid earlythe
following morning. Hewasannoyed
becausehe saidImisunderstoodhim.It
flewjustaboutlikea regularC-3-B.
Hopethis is useful.
Verytrulyyours,
DickSampson
AlC 15146
Ft.Lauderdale, FL
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
BILL OFSALE
Fin.ANI) IX or IHlSOl til 9':t;. 9: ... ..
in pi.id
J
we htrcbr adl (raru;(f unto .VttiQQ.Qil.
,, ' t .. .. . . ...., 'n;: . .......
i Yp<. . ..MIII li.ri.I;'<uonl .< . 1::"lIin.Number.lnn...
1.1I a; ;nc rypc.. .........Dale
Ikp.HtlHt'nlofConuu':hc . .......including the followina ".,co... 1equip-
,ucn" .. ..................................
...... ........ ................... ........ ..... ........ ... ..........
t;,luAntecdfreeandclrarnflitnl . ofwhatever kindurnature. }"hia...l1t-Q
.: .. 0(. ... .. .19 H ,...
c.:l)l;
"'Hnelll ____
'Vl.ce rlUlur.Jr; l
- (]
:'U "g,.we. f,.- cvtitiCIlC. ...
craftwhen itwas
basedatHurdle
Fieldin Mebane,
NC.My brother
repairedthe air-
craftand made it
fl yableagain for
Mr. Watkins.
The aircraft is
currentlyon dis-
play at the
Virginia Science
Museum at the
Richmond Inter-
national Airport,
Richmond,VA.
I hope this
has been of
some interest
to youandthe
Vintage Air-
planereaders.I
TimeMachine
-. . " .......
....
.'
<It t . -i';_.. .... ..... _" 't.
,.. . In this head on view. 1)U Cl!il see-tile unusua.l i edral
" of the l:ilplane. and the 50 hp Gnome I
., ..
: - ....
installation . . The twin floats w1!re.built by. the Burge'
, ,'"
' company MA. ! " . . .,
.. .! .....
by H.G. Frautschy, with acknowledgements to Judy Peterson and Dennis Eggert
H
ave you ever been part of a time
capsule opening, when the gran-
ite slab is slid back from the top
of some old cornerstone, and relics
from the past see the light of day for
the first time in a century or more?
Dennis Eggert has, for he was present
when a set of crates stored since 1914
were opened for the first time. Inside
the crates were the products of the
Stephens Engineering Company
(Steco). The major portion of the arti-
facts inside the wooden boxes
comprised the Steco aerohydroplane,
a unique design built in 1911 in
Chicago, [L.
[n the 1880s and '90s, James S.
4 NOVEMBER 1998
Stephens was the mechanical superin-
tendent for the Milwaukee Railroad in
St. Paul, MN, as well as serving as an
engineering consultant for the Hamm's
Brewing Company. In 1892, he was
chosen to serve as the chief electrician
for the Colombian Exposition in
Chicago. In later years while living in
Chicago, Stevens designed and built
the aircraft you see here, equipping it
with an innovative control system. In
fact, the control system was awarded a
U.S. Patent. Instead of having ai lerons
and separate elevator and rudders, the
Steco used a different approach.
The only vertical control surfaces on
the airplane were a pair of rudders
which were hinged to swing only out-
board, and were used for controlling
slips and skids, similar in fashion to the
modern-day Rutan Vari-Eze. But the
horizontal tail was the most interesting
feature of the controls of the Steco - it
was gimbaled so that the single control
column in the cockpit could effect both
pitch, roll and yaw control with the one
surface, both tilting it on the lateral axis
as well as "nom1al" tilting for changes
in pitch. There is no vertical surface in
the rear of the aircraft, only the vertical
surfaces mentioned above. The tai l sur-
face was mounted at the rear of an open
wire braced truss framework.
The fuselage for the Steco is a fabric
covered "tub," with a 50 hp Gnome ro-
tary engine mounted in front. The
cockpit was mounted on top of the
lower wing, which has a span of 36 ft.
and has a slight amount of dihedral.
The upper wing, which spans 42 ft. , has
a flat center section, and then features a
pronounced anhedral to the middle
strut bay. From that point , the upper
wing out to the tip is flat. Both the
wing planform and it's unusual dihe-
dral are known as the "Zanonia seed"
configuration. The Zanonia macro-
carpa seed comes from a vine that is
native to Java, and has been known to
naturalists for many years. Able to sus-
tain gl ides of amazing duration with
inherent stability, it was the basis for
many pioneer era aircraft designs, in-
cluding the early work ofIgo Etrich,
the designer of the famous Etrich
Taube . Stephens evidently did his
homework, surmising that if the seed
planform was being used with success,
he too might find it advantageous.
Stephens apparently finished his air-
plane in 1911. For land use, he built
and fitted a tricycle landing gear, com-
plete with a caliper brake on each side,
controllable nosewheel steering, and
pneumatic shock absorbers for the
landing gear. The twin float landing
gear for water operations was a pair of
Burgess aluminum floats, made in Mar-
blehead, MA. They were mounted in
1914, and Stephens soloed the airplane
that same year. It was then packed
away in shipping crates. Also packed
away were parts and pieces of four
Steco cycle cars, a patented automo-
tive design headed up by Stephens'
son, Ralph. The crates gave the im-
pression they were to be shipped
somewhere else, but it was never to be.
Stored in the elder Stephens' hangar in
Chicago, they remained there until the
mid-1920s, when James Stephens
passed away. Ralph Stephens arranged
to have the crates delivered to his May-
wood, IL home, beyond the western
edge of Chicago.
Ralph and his cousin, Doris Webb,
shared the house in Maywood until his
death in 1959, and ownership of the
crated airplane and other material s
went to Doris. She lived until 1989,
when upon her passing she willed the
crated aircraft and cars to Joseph Shan-
non of Minneapolis, MN. Shannon was
a nephew of Stephens, and at age 82,
had been instructed to donate the air-
plane to a museum. But who? Various
established museums were contacted,
but were unable or unwilling to accept
the donation, since they could not iden-
tify the airplane or the designer. Then
Dennis Eggert, president and founder
of the Minnesota Air & Space Mu-
seum, wa s contacted regarding the
artifact. The MASM was established in
1981 , but does not have a permanent
home for its collection. Still, the Steco
was a remarkable find. But what was
really in the crates? Was it just an old,
beat up, decrepit relic with fabric in
tatters, or had it been crated with care?
Only time would tell .
Before he passed away in 1990, Mr.
Shannon signed over the transfer pa-
pers to the MASM, and a five man
recovery crew armed with a video cam-
The Stephens Engineering Company (STECO) aerohydroplane rests on the shore of Lake Michigan in 1914, shortly before it was placed in crates
and stored for over 75 years.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
era and four trucks headed down to snowmobiles to antique autos. The on the fuselage. The bright red pen-
Maywood from the twin cities. Stephens Steco aerohydroplane is one nants with the blue and white
The crates were not immediately of the rare aircraft on display. "STECO" emblem were also in excel-
opened completely, for fear any exces- As you first enter the building, you lent condition, mounted on each of the
sive exposure might cause further are greeted by this aviation relic, and vertical stabilizers.
damage, but what little they could see are amazed at the exceptional condition It 's a spectacular piece of machin-
gave them high hopes indeed. The parts the airplane is in. From the Burgess ery, and even with no information on
and drawings they uncrated were in floats to the varnished linen tail, the the actual flight characteristics on the
outstanding condition, having been Steco is in perfect condition, and is Steco, as a piece of aeronautica from
carefully preserved and packed in now fully assembled and on display in the Pioneer era, it is fascinating to look
1914. While they were dirty from the a climate controlled environment. Even at and study. Our thanks to Dennis Eg-
dust accumulated over 77 years, in the Gnome rotary engine, which was gert, who saw to it that the Steco was
most cases when the protective wrap- carefully packed wrapped in oil cloth, preserved, and had the patience not to
ping was removed, the parts showed is in excellent condition, looking as unpack the aircraft until it had a home,
little or no deterioration. The Chau- though it needs only gasoline, castor and to Buzz Kaplan and the Heritage
viere propeller needed only a coat of oil and a good strong spark to get it Halls museum, which has chosen the
wax to make it look new. running again. Steco as its opening centerpiece in the
In Owatonna, MN R.W. Buzz Ka- As each of the crates were unpacked, museum building.
plan has been working to preserve the wonders inside highlighted a once- For information on the Heritage Halls
Minnesota's transportation heritage by in-a-lifetime event. A set of spare wing museum, located at 2300 Heritage Place,
creating the Heritage Halls Museum, ribs, carefully wrapped in fabric, show Owatonna, MN 55060, you can call
just a few hundred yards north of the varnish that looks brand new, with them at 507/451-2060 or 888/317 -0057.
Owatonna airport. With a steam loco- hardly any signs of aging. Even the Group tours and discounts are available,
motive once driven by the legendary fabric for the fuselage, which is at- and free transportation can be provided
engineer Casey Jones parked outside, tached to the structure with mechanical from the Owatonna airport. Just a few
inside is a collection of rare aircraft. fasteners, was in perfectly flexible con- hundred feet away is the huge Cabala's
Also represented are various modes of dition, and was able to be unrolled store, a sporting goods store that must be
transportations, from first generation from its paper wrapping and reinstalled seen to be believed. ....
The Pioneer era Steco is now on display in the entrance foyer of the Heritage Halls museum in Owatonna, MN.
5--------------------------------____...
~
CI:
u..
0 .......____~ ~ 3
:i
6 NOVEMBER 1998
by H.G. Frautschy
NEW FREE-WING PLANE CAN'T STALL
STALLING andtail spinsare
saidto bepreventedin anew
typeofairplanedemonstrated
theotherdayataLosAngeles,
Calif.,airport.Thewingsare
~ I i J I I I I pivotedto the fuselage at a
pointone-thirdoftheirwidth
~
from the leadingedge,and the
~
pilotmayreleasethemin flight
<!.
sothattheywill tilttocounter-

actadangerousspin. Withthe
~
j
coordinationbetweenwings
and tail surfaces, the craft
rightsitselfautomaticallyand
thispreventsaspin.
i

Wingsonthisplanearepivotedtothefusetageone-thirdoftheir
widthbackfrom teadingedge. Tiltingthewingpreventsatailspin.
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
OurAugust Mystery Plane wasn' ttoo
well known either, andonlytwo ofyou felt
confidentenough to send in answers to the
question. RalphNortell ,Spokane,W Aand
Lennart10hnssonofEldsberga, Sweden
sent us notes.Bothare regularcontributors
to the MysteryPlane,andwe thankthem for
theirparticipation!
Here'swhatRalph wrote:
"The August Mystery Plane is the Cor-
nelius LW-I (XI3706). The LW-I was built
in 1933,and was powered by a Martin 333
This high wing, boxy fuselage comes
to us from member Don Topel of
Chicago, IL. We really don't know what it
is - Don was given the picture by some
friends who knew he was a pilot, but no
other information came with the photo.
We hope someone might recall it from
their distant past when they were but a
youngster, nosing around the local aero-
drome.
To be included in the February issue
of Vintage Airplane, your answer needs
to in to the Vintage Airplane office no
later than December 28,1998.
120 hp engine.
"AsideFom the unusual cockpit place-
ment, the LW-I apparently had another very
distinctive feature - pivoting wing panels
in lieu ofailerons for turn and bank maneu-
vers. Ref: Experimental Light Aircraft and
Midget Racers, Underwood and Caler. "
Lennartwrote:
"Enclosed is a clipping from Popular
Science, April 1934 with a short description
ofthe August Mystery Plane, one ofGeorge
Cornelius' experiments in freewing design,
built in 1933 and registered X13706. The
Popular Science item concentrates on the
spin characteristics of the airplane, but
mentioned nothing about lateral control.
Its forerunner, the "Fre- Wing " parasol
built in 1931 had no ailerons. Instead, the
incidence ofthe two wing halves could be
varied individually to give an aileron ef
feet. 1 would guess XI3 706 had the same
feature. The 1934 register says:
'X-13706 Cornelius Aircraft Corp., Los
Angeles, CA ; Cornelius Frewing; 2POLM;
#LW- I; 1933; Martin 120 hp. '
In 1936 it is registered as a three-
seater, but it could be a printing error.
Or did they open a third cockpit between
the other two? There certainly was room
for it."
Sincerely,
Lennart10hnsson
Theterm"Fre-Wing" was an attemptto
coin aword for use when describingthe
Cornelius design. We don'thave acopyof
that issueofPopularScienceMonthly, so I
have to apologizefor the qualityofthis re-
production, buthere is anotherview(lower
left)oftheLW-l'spivotingwing.
WHATOURMEMBERSARERESTORING
--------------------------byH.G.Frautschy
At the 1998 Aeronca Convention. AERONCA 7EC CHAMP
From member Doug Conciatu (EAA 426975, AI C
20288) Royal Oak, MI, wrote the following about his
"new" Aeronca:
"This is my newly restored 1950 Aeronca 7EC Champ,
SIN 7EC-8. It first flew April 7, 1998 after a long two and
a half year restoration. The restoration was completed by
rag and paint man "extraordinare," Kim Kovach. Bernie
Brandt did most of the sheet metal work. It is covered us-
ing the Poly-Fiber system, with original colors and paint
scheme. One interesting point about 59E is that it has spent
its entire 48 year career based in Southeast Michigan, with
every owner being affiliated with the former McKinley
Airport. I purchased it from my good friend Fred Kagel in
1991. My sincere thanks to all my friends, too numerous to
mention, who helped me with every phase of the project."
tures of his 1941 Piper J-3 Cub, SIN 7686, completely re-
stored by Joseph EraJe of Bayshore, Ll. Complete with a
wood prop, it also has a 9 gallon wing tank. Charlie flies the
Cub from Montauk airport, way out there on the eastern end
of Long Island. You can also see the giant scale RIC model of
the Cub that has also been built.
GREENE J-3 CUB
Charlie Greene (EAA 278945, AIC 16883) of Montauk,
Long Island, NY is a retired airfreight pilot who flew for Fed-
eral Express, Seaboard World Airlines and Flying Tigers.
These days he flies something a bit smaller! He sent us pic-
8 NOVEMBER 1998
Dorothy and Louis Lufker, proud owners of the Bird CK.
BIRD CK
A little more than halfway out on Long Island is
East Moriches, NY, now the home of this pale blue
and white 1931 Bird CK, SIN CK4035. Restored by
Ralph Prince of Penn Valley, CA, and previously
owned by Ralph Chase, new owner Louis Lutker
and his son Greg flew a commercial flight to Cali-
fornia to ferry the Bird to its new home. The trip out
took but five hours, but the flight home needed 52
hours, 25 minutes to complete, requiring the Lutk-
ers to head south towards Mexico and then head
across the country using the southern "low-level"
route used by many pilots whose airplanes don't
perform all that well above 7-10,000 ft. Now based
at the family field, Lutker Airport, the pretty biplane
is now not all that far from where it was first built in
the Glendale section of Brooklyn, NY.
Previous owner of the Bird, Ralph Chase and Greg Lufker, copilot for
his dad on the return flight home to Long Island, NY.
Ralph Prince, restorer of the Bird.
Do you have a photo ofyour favorite airplane you'd like to share with us? We'd love to publish it, all we ask it that it be
properly exposed, in focus and at least one ofthe shots you send should show the entire airplane. Send your photos to
Vintage Airplane, Members Projects, P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh Wl54903
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
UncontrolledAirportFly-ins
CHAOSOR
ORDERLYCONFUSION!
by Steve Krog, CFI
Antique/Classic Safety Committee
M
ost of us learned to fly at
uncontrolled (non-towered)
airports. But over time,
many, many pilots have forgotten the
correct procedures for flying safely
at these uncontrolled airports. Flying
at these airports is usually quite safe
and uneventful provided pilots main-
tain diligence to scan for airport
traffic and practice common traffic
pattern procedures.
Several weeks ago I attended a
three-day "members only" fly-in. Over
340 airplanes participated, most of
which were antique or classic aircraft.
This fly-in is held at an uncontrolled
airport with three runways, two of
which are "Xed" or closed for the dura-
tion of the event. This fly-in is one of
the last hold outs from the early days
where a tremendous amount of flying,
ride hopping and airplane swapping
occurs during the event. It's not un-
common to have 15 or more airplanes
in the traffic pattern and another dozen
or more in the parallel fly-by pattern.
The fun begins when a non-member
pilot decides he or she wants to "just
stop in and look at neat airplanes for an
hour." Or, a first time attendee flies in.
Or worse yet, some flies in without re-
viewing the simple procedures sheet he
was sent. You can bet that before the
pilot gets on the ground, he or she will
have totally screwed up both the traffic
and fly-by patterns, while simultane-
ously becoming very frustrated with
the situation.
One arriving pilot decided to at-
tempt a straight in approach with over
10 NOVEMBER 1998
15 aircraft established in the traffic pat-
tern. He began radioing his position
from 10 miles out. At three miles, he
became quite huffy and issued several
expletives when the pattern traffic did-
n't make way for his honored arrivaL.
The pilot was then reminded by radio
that over 15 aircraft were in the pattern
and probably none of them had a radio
as they were antique aircraft. It was
also pointed out to that if he were prac-
ticing safety procedures, he' d execute a
go around establishing himself in se-
quence for landing, which he did.
Another arriving non-member pilot
became so flustered he attempted to
land on a closed runway rather than
properly enter the traffic pattern and
land on the correct runway. Only fran-
tic arm waving by people standing on
the closed runway prevented the indi-
vidual from landing.
Numerous other arriving aircraft
seemed to have a problem flying in
heavy traffic. Later in the day, while
visiting with some of these pilots, it
was clear they normally fly at tower
airports where controllers provide traf-
fic clearance and they had difficulty
negotiating the rigors of a busy non-
tower airport.
Much information has been pub-
lished on proper procedures at
uncontrolled airports . We all need to
assume the responsibility to review this
information and help prevent compro-
mising safety at the next fly-in we
might attend.
There are more than 18, 000 air-
ports in the United States and just
over 2 percent or about 400 of them
have FAA towers. So, the vast major-
ity of antique and classic aircraft fly
at uncontrolled airports.
When flying at an uncontrolled air-
port, the pilot is responsible for seeing
and being seen. Most midair collisions
occur in VFR conditions within 5 miles
of an airport and below 3,000 feet.
Most collisions occur on the downwind
leg or on final approach, usually with a
faster aircraft overtaking a slower one.
While most pilots eventually do
enter the traffic pattern for landing,
their pattern entries can get quite
creative. And this is not the place
for creativity!
RecommendedTraffic
PatternEntries
The preferred method for entering
the pattern is from the downwind side.
First descend to pattern altitude, then
approach the pattern on a course 45 to
the downwind leg and join the pattern
at midfield.
Some pilots, when trying to expe-
dite their approach and landing, make
their descent to pattern altitude while
making the 45 entry. If two aircraft are
entering the pattern using this method,
one a low wing and another a high
wing, the consequences can be fatal.
When entering the pattern from the
side opposite of the downwind leg, the
preferred method is to cross over the
runway maintaining an altitude at least
500 feet above pattern altitude. When
well clear of the pattern, make a de-
scendingright teardrop270tum(ap-
proximately) and when at pattern
altitude,enterat45to thedownwind
leg.Divingintothepatternwhileenter-
ing on downwindfrom overheadthe
airportcanhavefatal resultssimilarto
theepisodedescribedabove!
Anotheracceptedpatternentry is
to enterupwind at patternaltitude
and tum crosswindatapproximately
midfield.Continuetheturn to down-
windbutgivewaytoaircraftalready
establi shedon the downwind legof
the pattern.
Oncesafelyestabli shedon the left
downwind leg,maintainpatternalti-
tudeuntiIabeam ofthe approachend
ofthe runway (yourleftwingtip is
aligned with the runway numbers),
then extendyourdownwind leg far
enough to assureat leasta quarter-
mile final. Ifan aircraft is aheadof
you in the pattern,startyourturn to
understandthatexcuseifI had been
flying somethingsmall and fast likea
Long-Eze,butIwas flying a full size
biplaneand had been establishedinthe
patternfornearlyan hour!
Itis imperative thatyou always
keep yourheadand eyes in the full
swivel modewhenflying.Itis even
more critical ata busy uncontrolled
airport. You mustexpectthe unex-
pectedandalwaysassume the other
guydoesn'tseeyou. Ifyou're flying
withpassengers, ask them to help
watch for othertraffic and call it
out, especia lly when in the traffic
pattern. Don'tass ume the passen-
gers see traffic either- keep you
scan as vigi lantas you would ifyou
wereflying solo,buttheiradded in-
putcanbe beneficial.
There are a numberofpublications
from AIM to AdvisoryCirculars, in-
cludingAC 90-66A, which provide
tips and information onflying at un-
controlledairports.Beforeyournext
fly-in, take a momentand reviewthe
proceduresfor uncontrolledairports .
It'll makeyou asafer,moreconfident
pilotthe nexttime you sharethe pat-
ternwith 15 more aircraft . Ifyou ' d
likea copyofthe completeAC 90-
66A, contact EAA Information
Servicesat920-426-4821 ,and they'll
sendyouacopy.
NOTE: Inaneffortto bepolitically
correct, the FAA has changed the
name ofairfields with no control
tower. An"uncontrolledairport" is
now referred to as a"nontoweredair-
port."Itwas felt that ' uncontrolled'
meantthatpilotscouldpretty much
do whatevertheywanted while oper-
atingfrom thatairport. Bychanging
the name, the responsibilityofprac-
ticingproperproceduresmore clearly
falls upon the users. .....
basewhenyourareabeam (wingtip r-----------------------------------,
to wingtip) to otheraircraft. Slower
aircraft should fly a slightlytighter
trafficpattern.
One referencepublicationI've
used as an instructorstates, "Once
in the patternatthe downwind po-
sition, remainvigilant for other
traffic andexpecttheunexpected."
I'vehad severalexperiencesover
the years thatcertainlyprovethis
statementtrue.
Recently,I flew intoan airport
with intersectingrunways having
commonthresholds. I was estab-
lishedonashortfinal approachwhen
Inoticedmovementto myright. An-
otheraircraftwasjustbelow me,
alignedto land ontheintersecting
runway.Thesituationcertainlygot
myattentionandIinitiatedan imme-
diate go around.Theotheraircraft
had notflown apatternand Idon't
believetheyeversawme.
Anothertime, againonashortfi-
nal approach,I noticeda shadow
overtakingme.Iturnedhard to the
rightjustin time to seean aircraft
thathad made astraightinapproach
pass inches above me. We later
"chatted"aboutthe incidentandthe
pilotstatedhe neversaw me. Icould
AIRPORT OPERATIONS
SINGLE RUNWAY
APPUCATlONOFTIwFIC
PATIERNINDICATORS ",:;,
I

SASE CROSS-t-
;ASE
STRAIGHT-INAPPROACHl
-----:Il0.l(3).-+
.;.' .'-.? TRAFFICPATIERN
, ." .' lANDINGRUNWAY _ INDICATORS
....... ' (OR lANDINGSTRIP) n
INDICATORS .:l WINDCONE
KEY
G) Enterpatternin levelflight. abeamthe midpointof
the runway, atpatternaltitude.(1000'AGLis
recommendedpatternaltitudeunlessestablished
otherwise) .

Maintainpatternaltitudeuntilabeam approach
end ofthelandingrunway,ordownwindleg.
o
Completeturnto finalatleast1/4 mile from the
o
runway.
Continuestraightaheaduntilbeyonddeparture
end ofrunway.
Ifremainingin thetraffICpattern.commenceturn
tocrosswindlegbeyondthedepartureendofthe
runway, within 300 feetof aHttude.
Ifdepartingthe trafficpattern,continuestraight
out,orexitwith a45
9
leftturnbeyondthedepar
tureendofthe runway, afterreachingpallern
altitude.
Donotovershootfinalorcontinueon atrae!<
whichwill penetratethe final approaChofthe
parallelrunway.
Do notcontinueonatrack whiCh willpenetrate
the departurepathoftheparallelrunway.
Thisabridgedillustrationcopyofthe"nontoweredairport"trafficpatterncomesfromFAA
AdvisoryCircularAC90-66A."RecommendedStandardTrafficPatternsandPractices For
AeronauticalOperationsatAirportsWithoutOperatingControlTowers."
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
IND
.. ... SEGMENTEWM 6
,s", CIRCLE
RUNWAY LANDING
HAZARDOR DIRECTION
" INDICATOR
FromtheArchives
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
Thissetofphotographscomesfromthe
Ken Flaglorcollection.OurthankstoKen
fordonatingthemtotheEAAAviation
FoundationLibrarycollection.
This Focke-WulfFW.56St6sserwasseen at
theNationalAirRaces inCleveland inthe
daysbeforeWW-II. Beforethewar,
Germanysentaircraftandpilotsto
demonstratetheiraeronautical prowess
totheAmericanpeople.
ArtChester's "Jeep" racer. The remainsoftheJeepare
nowpartoftheEAAAviationFoundation'scollection,
andhave mostrecentlybeen workedonbyvolunteers
underthedirectionofEAAFounderandChairmanof
theBoard, Paul Pobereznyinan efforttorestorethe
Golden Age racer.
JimmyDoolittle's "Shellightning,"theoneandonlyLockheedOrionbuilt
withametalfuselage.Originallyan AltairDL-2A, afterbeingreturnedto
Lockheed byTWAitwas convertedtotheOrion9CSpecial configuration,
withthe500 hpWasp Eengineoriginallyinstalledintheairplane. Purchased
byShell Oilandflownby itsfamousaviationdepartmenthead, Jimmy
Doolittle,theOrionwasre-enginedwitha650hpWrightCyclone, andwas
wrecked in 1936. ParksAirCollegerebuilttheairplaneand itwassoldtoPaul
Mantzin 1938. Manyyears later,itwaspurchased bytheSwissTransport
Museumand rebuiltforstaticdisplayas Swissair'sfirstLockheed Orion,a9B
registered as CH-167. Itis ondisplayatthemuseum'sLucerne, Switzerland
location.
The Boeing Model40Bmailplane,firstcertifiedin 1928,
wasthebackboneofanumberoffledglingairlines,
includingUnitedand BoeingAirTransport. Poweredwith
the500 hpP&WHornet, itcouldeasilycarrybothmail,
cargoandtwopassengerswithitsprodigiouspayload
...... ______"'--:::..=..;:.:..;;---";....:..:......-=-...;:...:;..........:.:.....;....=..;;:;:...::..;;...---' capacityof1 ,436Ibs.
12 NOVEMBER 1998
by H.G. Frautschy
W
e ' ve been honored by R.W.
"Buzz" Kaplan and his staff at
Born Again Restorations to
have been given the opportunity to pho-
tograph the Sikorsky S-38 replica
constructed for Johnson Wax. The S-38
project was conceived by Sam Johnson,
great-grandson of the founder S.c. John-
son, and Buzz Kaplan, who formed a
company uniquely suited to building
such a replica. The company, Born Again
Restorations, has the talents of Dick An-
derson, Gary Underland, Dana Ulen ,
Chris Holtz, Brent Langer, Marv Davis,
with equally talented assistance from Jan
Boers, Gerry Barry, Dennis Lubbers,
Dennis Johnson, Duane Wallin, J.D. Nel-
son and Jim Sandberg.
The original S-38, christened "Car-
nauba," was flown by H.F. Johnson,
grandson of the founder, who, while
serving as Johnson Wax ' s president,
wished to gather information regarding
the production of this particular wax,
which is gathered from the palm leaves
of the Camauba palm tree. Beaten off the
cut leaves and then further refined, the
wax, which even today is an important
ingredient in many products, is only
grown in certain arid areas of Brazil.
As you read this, Sam Johnson and his
sons, Curt and Fisk, along with a film
crew and other crew members will be in
the middle of retracing H.F. Johnson's
trip. The flight serves as a focal point to
remind the present generation that the
legacy of the Johnson family's commit-
ment to real values is deeply rooted in
the spirit of adventure which has been a
part of the company since its founding
over 100 years ago. It will also serve as a
tangible reminder of the commitment
Johnson is making conservation efforts
in Brazil ' s Caatinga region of Brazil.
During the flight to Brazil, Johnson Wax
will make a major financial contribution
through the Nature Conservatory to help
protect this area, the same region visited
by H.F. Johnson's expedition in 1935.
First flown in August of 1998, the
replica constructed by B.A.R. is a re-
markable piece of aviation and corporate
history come to life. We wish the expedi-
tion well on their journey, and
congratulate B.A.R.' s Buzz Kaplan and
Johnson Wax' s Sam Johnson on their vi-
sion and commitment to seeing this
spectacular project through to comple-
tion. On the following pages is a
scrapbook of images ofthe S-38 - we' re
sure you'll find them fascinating. For the
story of the "Spirit of Carnauba" S-38,
please see the November, 1998 issue of
EAA's Sport Aviation magazine. .....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Just coming off the step, test pilot Tom Wallis and co-pilot Buzz Kaplan keep the nose up as the big Sikorsky decelerates on the
landing splashdown.
(Above) One of the interesting technical
features put in to the design of the S-38
by Igor Sikorsky are the gently curved
rudder surfaces, which help the pilot dur-
ing engine-out operations.
Jim Koepnick
Jim Koepnick
(Left) The cockpit of the Johnson Wax S-38 replica is laid out
with modern instrumentation, to enable the flight crew to
operate the airplane in today's ATC environment. Since the air-
plane will embark on long cross-country operations, a full set of
communications, including an HF transmitter/reciever, is
installed.
Jim Koepnick
14 NOVEMBER 1998
(Top right) The 5-38 f i lls the hangar at Born Again Restorations in
Owatonna, MN.
(At right) The interior of the 5-38's cabin is just as it appeared when
Herbert F. Johnson and his expedition crew flew to Brazil in 1935.
The beautiful woodworking comes from the talented hands of Dana
Jim Koepnick
Ulen, seen working on the the fuselage hull structure of the second
5-38 replica being built by B.A.R.
Jim Koepnick
(Above) The Born Again Restoration team
was able to obtain some original parts to
check against their drawings. On the floor
are the pair of tail booms discovered by
Buzz Kaplan after a tip from fellow EAAer
Dave Galvin. Dave had been in a warehouse
in Glendale, CA with his friend, Jack Ward,
and they had seen what looked like a pair
of booms for an 5-38. Sure enough, they
were, and thanks to the tip, Buzz was able
to obtain the booms, a wing center section
and ailerons from the owner of the build-
ing. The parts had once belonged to famed
Hollywood aviator Paul Mantz. The outer
wing panels were obtained from Dick
Jackson of New Hampshire, who had been
collecting parts for Sikorsky airplanes while
researching an 5-39 project .
R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan
Sam Johnson, alias "Wisconsin Johnson," enjoys a
moment with his sons Curt (left) and Fisk (right)
during the dedication of the 5-38 replica on
October 19, 1998 at Johnson Wax's Racine, WI
hangar. In his remarks to the assembled crowd of
company employees and well wishers, Johnson
recalled the spirit of adventure that led his father
to lead a ground-breaking expedition to Brazil in
1935: "No matter what the future brings, we will
maintain our focus on people and our spirit of
adventure - as a family and as a company. That's
what this trip is all about."
16 NOVEMBER 1998
VINTAGE EXCITEMENT AT
OSHKOSH-1998
i ~
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
Oh, the Porterfield Collegiate. Such a pretty Antique
monoplane, and this one, owned by Betsy Hoffman of
Andover, MN is an LP-65.
(Below) This really is one of those airplanes you really
don't see very often, a Beech-Bay " Super V." Starting
with a 1953 Beech Bonanza, the type-certificated modifi-
cation includes a pair of 180 hp Lycoming 0-360 engines.
Owned and flown by Rick and Rocio Panozzo of Cove
Bay, MN, they're looking forward to giving it some much
needed care.
Interested in a new version of
the Luscombe? Renaissance
Aircraft LLC is about to start
deliveries of their new Luscombe
Renaissance, equipped with a
150 hp Lycom ing 0 -320. With a
cruise speed of 140 mph and a
initial rate of climb of 1,500 -
2,000 fpm, the airplane is priced
at $67,900. Contact Renaissance
Aircraft, Monkton, MD at
410-357-5815.
Ken Uchtenberg
Jim Koepnick
The DeHaviliand (Canada) DH-2 Beaver is becoming a subject for pristine
restorations, and this nice example is owned and flown by Pat Wiesner of
Highlands Ranch, CO. It's the Contemporary Class III Single Engine award
winner.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
David Taylor of Mexico, MO is having a great
time with his newly restored Piper PA-22!20
Pacer. With a 150 hp Lycoming, it gives him a
130 mph cruise speed.
Andrew Smith, Hillsboro, TX took home the Best 170/180
trophy for his 1955 Cessna 170B.
The "T-Bone" is just one of the nicknames given to the very
capable Twin Bonanza, one of the few airplanes with three
abreast seating for the pilot and passengers in the front
row. This example was flown down from Alaska by
pilot/owner Craig Emory.
This Globe Swift, nicknamed "Re-Entry," is from Niceville, FL and is flown by
Tom Hughston, who had it parked down south in row 148.
Jim Koepnick
18 NOVEMBER 1998
" Gee, when I grow up I want to be j ust like my Pop! " A pretty
DH Tiger Moth pedal plane built from the plans and materials
supplied by Marv Hoppenworth' s Aviations Products, P.o . Box
8303, Cedar Rapids, IA 52408. Send them an SASE for more
information. The big Moth belongs to Leon Whelchel of Vint on,
IA.
As soon as Ben opens the throttle, the Riviera is off the water and climbing.
The factory original interior is quite
comfortable and is complimented by the
fulllFR panel which includes a stack of
radios. Note GPS in the control wheel.
This rugged main landing gear retracts
into the hull and is fully covered when
retracted. The Goodyear wheels and
tires are 6.50 X 8.
Ken Lichtenberg
The man himself, Ben Runyan, retired
airline captain (Delta) and connoisseur
of fine aircraft.
Dekevin Thorton
Wing root scoops for engine cooling air do a good
job for the 470 cubic inch engine. Note oil cooler
under right wing.
The welded aluminum wingtip float makes an effec-
tive wingtip aerodynamically. The wingtip light is
mounted on a separate leg that remains in place
when the float is lowered for water use.
(Left) The sleek design of the Riviera is accented by the
full cantilever wing, the large windshield and side win-
dows and the well laid out paint scheme.
20 NOVEMBER 1 998
Bolted to the ContinentaII0-470-P engine is this
fully reversable Hartzell three-bladed propeller
that really improves the capability of the amphib-
ian. Note the really fine fairing of the engine cowl
into the propeller.
low time airplane with only 800 plus
hours on the airframe and about 300
plus hours on the engine and prop since
major. He located the airplane in Rock-
ford, IL, where Warbird expert, Mark
Clark, had the airplane for sale. With
nobody around with prior flight time
in the airplane, it was pretty much
"teach yourself' how to fly the bird.
Ben was noticeably impressed with
the flight handling of the Riviera and
after a bit of negotiating, struck a deal
and flew the pretty bird home to Van-
couver, WA.
When summertime came along, he
decided to fly the Riviera to Oshkosh
for the big EAA Fly-In, now referred to
as AirVenture. This is where the crowds
looked at the pretty beige machine with
its brown and orange trim, wondering
just what they were looking at.
Born in northeast Texas in January,
1942, Ben Runyan had his first expo-
sure to airplanes in the late 1940's when
his parents moved to the old Air Base at
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, for schooling.
The base was a depot for war- weary B-
17 aircraft that were being cut up for
scrap and melted down. For entertain-
ment, Ben and his sister would crawl
through the aging hulks ofB-I7's for
excitement, often coming across
old blood and hair from former air
battles. It was quite a lesson in re-
ality. Eventually, he would go in
the Air Force for a hitch where he
learned to fly at the Chanute AFB
Aero Club, making his solo flight
in a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser in
1960. Following his service stint,
Ben emolled in Spartan School of
Aeronautics and earned all of the
ratings including his A & P ticket.
In January, 1966, he hired on with
Delta Airlines and spent the next
31 years flying airliners and build-
ing up over 20,000 hours in his
logbook. When Delta offered an
early retirement package at age 55,
he and 500 other captains jumped at
the chance. Ben has been enjoying re-
tirement ever since.
In addition to the Riviera amphib-
ian, Ben is presently working on a
number of "project" airplanes, such
as a Cessna L-126C, which is the
equivalent of a Cessna 195 in mili-
tary garb; a VKS-7 cabin Waco, a
couple of Cessna C-34 Airmaster
projects, and an Aeronca 15AC
Sedan project. Flyable airplanes in-
clude the Riviera, a straight tail
Cessna 310 and a Piper PA-ll on 1500
Aqua floats to keep his sea-legs current.
Luckily, Ben has the support of his
lovely wife, Sally Marie, who is also a
Private pilot and helps with the flying
and navigation when they go off into the
wild blue yonder. The family includes a
daughter, Leah, who nearly earned her
Private license before going off to col-
lege, and a son, Ben, Jr., who presently
is not interested in airplanes and lives in
Texas. The basic idea behind the Riviera
amphibian was to have a fairly fast air-
plane, capable of land and water
operations, which could be flown fFR on
trips, if necessary. When Ben first tried
to fly the Riviera on the gauges, he found
himself over-controlling the airplane and
moving all over the glideslope. The
more he flew the pretty four-placer, the
more he realized that fingertip control
was all that was necessary to control the
airplane. It was far more sensitive to
control inputs than most airplanes he had
flown. Concentrating on this one item
and practicing IFR approaches, one after
another, he was soon able to place the
airplane on the glideslope and stay right
where he belonged. In fact, as Ben says,
"It has become a pleasure to fly the Riv-
iera on instruments since I discovered
how to do it - with the finger light
touch." One of the neater items on the
airplane is the fully reversible Hartzell
propeller. Ben says its fun to point the
nose to the gas pump and when ready to
leave, climb aboard with a crowd watch-
ing (and snickering), close the doors, fLfe
up the engine and back away from the
pump! Ben says he has left more than a
few jaws hanging open with that stunt.
In addition, the airplane can be maneu-
vered on the water very handily, backing
away from a dock or moving about on
the water with complete authority.
The hydraulic flaps operate from 20
degrees, to 30, 35 and a maximum of
42 degrees, which creates all drag and
almost no lift. On a water takeoff, Ben
says he likes to leave the flaps up until
the airplane is on the step and accel-
erating. He then deploys the flaps
until the Riviera literally "jumps" out
of the water at about 65 mph. With a
twinkle in his eye, Ben admits the
jump is more subdued at gross
weight. One item that must not be
forgotten when operating from water
(Thank the Lord for checklists) are
the hydraulically operated wingtip
floats that form the shape of the
wingtip when flying, however, when
cycled downward, form a float on
each side to keep the airplane from
turning turtle in the water.
Ben says the hull of the airplane is
remarkably tight without almost no
leakage when left floating overnight.
About the only water might be a cup or
so in the nose compartment that con-
tains the nose wheel and its attendant
mechanism. Ben admits he has never
has to pump the hull dry because he
says it is so much easier to land on dry
land and open the drains. During Air-
Venture '98, we were able to photograph
the Riviera air-to-air and get some dandy
pictures of Ben's rare airplane. We espe-
cially want to thank Ben for this
opportunity and hope he enjoys the Riv-
iera for many years to come. As he left
Oshkosh at the close of the EAA Con-
vention, the weather had turned wet and
windy for the final day, however, Ben
calmly filed an IFR departure and
headed west on the gauges . He broke
into the clear near Fargo , NO, and
stopped at Bismarck for fuel. From there
he flew into Cheyenne, WY, for an
overnight stop and continued the next
day to Vancouver and home. As Ben
says, quoting an old airline slogan, "The
only way to fly!" ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
bornagain.
ATaylorcraftStory
T
he old Freeway airport has dis-
appeared from the city maps
now, and most of the people now
living in Tuscon would say they never
heard of the Freeway Airport. But at
one time in the 1930s and ' 40s, it was
filled with all of the sounds and activi-
ties of a busy airfield - the shouts of
flight instructors, the voices of young,
eager aviation students, the cries of
"Contact," the sound of 65 hp Conti-
nental engines revving up, and the
squeal of brakes on the runway.
In those days, the flight school was
a busy place. The Big War was on, and
students were anxious to learn the ba-
sics of flying in order to be eligible for
the Government program introducing
them to flying. so that they could enter
the military to receive further flight
training prior to becoming military pi-
lots. There was a fleet of eight shiny,
brand new Taylorcraft airplanes in ser-
22 NOVEMBER 1998
by Tom and Eileen Macario
vice, and these T-Crafts were well
used every day.
Later, after the war, veterans using
the GI Bill of Rights again used these
same T-Crafts for training. But by the
mid-1950s, there was a lack of interest
in flying. The flying school closed, the
runway fell into disrepair, the remain-
ing airplanes and some vehicles were
placed in the hangar, and the big doors
were shut for the last time. Soon, in-
dustrial businesses and small factories
began to surround the old Freeway.
The last entry in the Taylorcraft's log-
book in 1962 showed an airplane with
7,600 hours of flying time.
In 1990, we had retired to Tuscon,
and Tom (who had restored about 30
antique airplanes while living in Penn-
sylvania) was getting itchy to start
another project. We heard the son of
the now-deceased owner of the old
Freeway Airport had given several of
the old airplanes to the Pima Air Mu-
seum, but was interested in selling the
remaining two Taylorcrafts. Tom con-
tacted the man, and we arranged to
meet at Freeway.
We drove to Prince road, turned off
onto a dirt road, past a ramshackle lit-
tle house, and suddenly we were in the
1940s again. There was the old flight
office to the right, and to the left was
the hangar, unpainted, leaning a bit ,
but still a hangar. The owner met us
and unlocked the big door. Pushing
open the squeaking old doors, we
looked into the gloom. There, like
ghosts, covered with 40 years worth of
dust were a 1920 Cadillac touring car,
a 1930 Model A Ford station wagon, a
1920s Duesenberg sedan which had
been cut into a truck, a 1947 Bonanza
straight 35, a Taylorcraft fuselage, and
a complete 1940 Taylorcraft BC-65.
That was the one we were interested
in. Tom studied it carefully - flat
tires, of course, rubber all dried up,
fabric rotted, interior rotted, headliner
in shreds, prop to be reconditioned, but
the important thing was: all the pieces
were there. It even had the original
control wheels, and instrument panel
with the combination tachometer, oil
pressure and oil temperature gauges
adapted from the old Chrysler products
speedometer, vintage 1935-36. So,
money was discussed, a deal was
struck, and we had ourselves a 1940
Taylorcraft project.
We decided to strip the airplane in
the hangar, take it apart, and then truck
it back to our house on La Cholla Air-
park. (Actually, I didn't want to bring
30 years accumulation of dust and dirt
into our clean hangar.) So, the follow-
~ ~ ~ .
As the airplane arrived home, stripped of its rotten covering and ready for restoration.
Tom reassembles the Continental A-65 engine at the Tuscon home at
La Cholla Airpark.
Eileen Macario cleans up the newly recovered refinished wings.
Tom carefully fits the wing root fairings next to the newly installed headliner sewn by Eileen.
ing week with some friends we
stripped off the rotten fabric, unbolted
the wings, loaded it on a borrowed
trailer and brought it home. While it
was sitting in front of our hangar Tom
thought he'd check to see if the old en-
gine would start. There was clean oil
in it, he replaced the rotten fuel line,
put a little gas in it, pulled the prop and
amazingly, the engine started up just as
though the last time it started was yes-
terday, and not 33 years ago. Tom
warmed it up, checked the oil pressure
(which was perfect), did a mag check
(again, operating perfectly), brought it
back to idle and it sounded like a
sewing machine - smooth. But Tom
decided to completely overhaul it any-
way, no knowing the internal condition
of the engine.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
-
The instrument panel of the Taylorcraft includes the large combination tachometer/oil
pressure/oil temp gauge and the original large circular control wheels.
Thefuselage wascompletelydis-
mantled, stripped ofall parts and
piecesand inspected. ToTom'sde-
light, it was free ofanycorrosion or
rust. Wetook itto acommercial sand-
blastingcompanyin orderto havethe
tubingcleaned in preparationfor new
primer,whichwasan epoxyproduct.
Next ,webegan to reassemblethe
fuselage, installingnewcables, new
bolts and hardware. Eileen, usingthe
remaining fragments oftheheadliner,
madeapaperpatternandstitchedup a
new one, using the sameoriginal old
1940zippers. We then installed it
along with the newly made seat
slingand baggagecompartment.
We were then ready for the new
fabric to be puton the fuselage. We
used Ceconite 104 material , heat
shrunk it with the heatgun andbuilt
up the finish, usingthe Randolph
dope process, endingwith 16 coats
withawetsandingeverythird coat.
Thefinishcoloris MadridRed,with
a blackstripeand goldpinstripe in
theoriginalpaintdesign.
New floorboards weremade,and
new instrument
panel was fabricated
Tom Macairo and
andtheoriginal in- the 19408(-65
struments were
Taylorcraft he
and his wife
overhauledand in-
restored after it
stalled. The round
had laid dormant
control wheelswere
in a hangar at the
powdercoatedand now defunct
Freeway Airport
theshaftschromed.
in Tuscon, AZ.
Thewingswere
then inspected, andnewsheetmetal
leadingedges werefabricated and in-
stalled.Thespars were in excellent
shapeandjustneededanothercoatof
varnish, this time in polyurethane.No
repairs were needed on the ribs, but
the trailingedgeswere replaced with
new ones . New cablesand pulleys
and aileron hinge bracketswere in-
stalled. Thewings were then covered
with the same material, using the
same process. The tail group and
ailerons were inspectedand covered
the same as the wingsand fuselage.
Theenginewascompletelydisas-
sembledand all partscleaned and
inspectedvisually andmagnafluxed,
and reassembled withnew pistons,
piston pins , new valves, valve-
springs, fresh ground cylinders(.015
oversize) . A new camshaft, lifters ,
newrearcase and new oil pumpgears
wentinto the overhaul, as did a over-
hauled magnetos , which had new
points,coils, condensersand bearing
installed.Thecarburetorwas over-
hauled with new needle valve and
seatand mainjet. All new bearings,
gasketsand hardware was used in the
reassemblyofthe engine, whichwas
then installedonthefuselage.
Newtires, brakesand brakecables
and wheel bearingswere installedon
the aircraft. A new upperand lower
enginecowlingwas purchasedfrom
Taylorcraft. Tim straightened out
any dents in the nose bowl , which
was otherwise in good shape. The
cowling and new lift struts were
paintedand installed when we re-
assembledtheaircraft.
Theengine started rightup, which
wasaculminationofalotofworkand
effort. Thetest hop and subsequent
flights showedus thatnoadjustments
in the riggingwas needed. Theair-
planeflew perfectly,and looked great
in its original colors with original
wheel pantsand Heathtail wheel.
(Note: the Taylorcraft BC-65 has
been sold, and now resides in
Patton, P A.) .....
24 NOVEMBER 1998
HectorArrichetta...........
.....Monteagudo,Argentina
OwenWaywood ............
...Serpentine,WA,Australia
CharlesIppersiel. ...........
St. DenisLaBruyere,Belgium
RobertB. Turpin........ ....
NorthBattleford,SK,Canada
DavidE. CooperMaguire ....
... .....Surrey,GreatBritain
PietroViscardi ..Lissone,Italy
GordonCollen .............
......Mahebourg,Mauritius
A. ResanBayraktaroglu......
..........IzmirTR,Turkey
LinnM. Carper ...Mobile,AL
PamelaC. Wilson ..Selma,AL
LutherT. Adams............
............Scottsdale,AZ
DanielMowbray ..... .......
................Alpine,AZ
KarlAllmendinger..........
..............Milpitas,CA
ArthurR. Anderson ........ .
............Livermore,CA
PaulA. Brooking....Lodi,CA
Wayne S.Gibson . . . ... . ....
...............Ramona,CA
Richard Marlow ...Pinole,CA
DonMcClish ....Winters,CA
DonaldR.Schwartz........ .
..... ........Encinitas,CA
EdSlingland...............
. . ..... . . .RohnertPark,CA
TomWarner. .......Pala, CA
JohnGoglia ..Washington,DC
RuthVanMark.............
...........Washington, DC
LuisHernandez,Jr...........
...............Delona, FL
John S. Pettit...... .... .... .
....PalmBeachGardens,FL
PatrickQuinlan.............
...........CooperCity,FL
MarkB. Scott... ...........
............Vero Beach, FL
DanielEvans ......Perry,GA
WilliamA. Konicek ... ... . . .
................Clutier,IA
JimAdrian ............... .
............Maple Park, IL
PaulK. Blankenfeld........ .
...............Geneseo, IL
PeterJ.Cox......Chicago, IL
SamKelso .....Caledonia, IL
CurtisMcMullanII . . ... . . ..
.........UniversityPark,IL
RichardE.Miller ..Batavia,IL
RobertH. Oberholtzer .......
...............Streator,IL
MichaelL. Smith. ..Macon, IL
JohnE. Houser.............
............FortWayne,IN
CharlesJ. Wiers ..Demotte,IN
KennethPerkins ...Olathe,KS
ArthurH. KudnerIII ........
...........Grasonville, MD
RichardHam ....Monroe,NC
RichardT. Goss ............
.............Hampton,NH
Andrew1. Kilpatrick .. ..... .
............HydePark,NY
JohnN. McCaul............
...............Monroe,NY
DavidT. Sprouse ...........
............DeerPark,NY
RobertSzego.....Athens,NY
R. W Cronquist ............
............Ashtabula,OH
StanMohler ..Centerville,OH
TerryWomack .............
............Pendleton,OR
RichardA. Eyler. ...........
...........McKeesport,PA
GregoryE. McKnight. .......
...........GreenLane,PA
WalterCanfield ............
.............Columbia,SC
JohnFrick....Blythewood,SC
MarkJ. Stein. .....Santee,SC
JoeWyatt......Nashville,TN
R. G. Floyd ....Kingsland,TX
JohnM.Greenlee ..Bowie,TX
Hal Becker....Annandale,VA
TonyBroderick....Catlett,VA
WilliamS. Butler...........
..........FallsChurch,VA
ScottCrossfield ..Herndon,VA
BernardA.Geier ..Fairfax,VA
DwightW.Galbraith........ .
...........OakHarbor,WA
BoydE.Patzkowski .........
. .... .. ...WallaWalla,WA
StephenD. Rush..Everett,WA
JackWorman . ...Sequim,WA
WilliamE. Bargholtz........
...............Palmyra,WI
JuddKoenitzer...Rubicon,WI
NorbertLanger.Lakewood,WI
DavidV Uihlein............
..........Germantown,WI
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
PaSSitto
Buel{
by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
EM #21 Ale #5
P.O. Box 424, Union, IL 60180
More summer Fly-Ins.
Continuing last month's theme, the other fly-in conven-
tion was the National Aeronca Association event at
Aeronca's home town of Middletown, OH. We launched
out of here with three Champs and the Sedan. I rode with
our editor H.G. and his daughter Jenny in the Sedan - I
sold it to Verne Jobst and Vern wanted the airplane to at-
tend the fly-in, so we recruited H.G. to do it. I must say,
we had some real arm twisting to get OUR arms back in
shape after he volunteered!
Sons Elroy and Robert flew the family Champs with
Roland Hall leading the way in his 7 ACA. In Indiana they
stopped at Rensselaer for some 80 octane and Muncie for
auto fuel. We did it non-stop in the Sedan. All four of us
had beautiful tailwinds and made really great time. Yours
truly was absolutely amazed to read ground speeds of 160
mph(!) on the 110 mph Sedan. It was a great trip.
The Friday night steak dinner put on by the Middletown
A viation Club was a real success. They must have served
more than 300 people. Lots of Aeronca stories and a real
great time.
Saturday, the weather forecast looked so ugly to the
west, south and northwest, that it faked out a whole bunch
of us. It looked like if we didn't get out that morning, we'd
be there for several days sweating out some severe
weather. Since the boys had to be at work on Monday, and
since H.G. had a Father's Day happening to attend, all
three Champs and the Sedan departed just before 10 a.m.
for home. They made it just fine, and the weather never
was a factor. Everything dissipated even though the
weather never was a factor. Everything dissipated even
though the weather people were still making dire predic-
tions. (It did get a bit hazy, and Jenny and I made it back
to Oshkosh only a halfan hour ahead ofa line ofthunder-
showers that came through just before nightfall. It was a
few days before the weather in Indiana and Ohio went
sour. - HGF)
I stayed over because I had volunteered to judge air-
planes. Dale Gustafson , Dave Clark, Paul Workman and
myself were the judges. 135 Aeroncas came. 36 wanted to
be judged, however, that threatening ugly weather forecast
took its toll, and we could only find 22 airplanes to judge.
continued on page 28
Rowland Ha" leads the way home with his Be"anca Champ
7ACA, which has a Continental A-65 installed.
... his brother Elroy in Buck' s Champ, N84991 .
26 NOVEMBER 1998
Nancie Cummings and her friend Richard Field flew up to Middletown
from Key Biscayne, FL in this 1959 Champion 7FC, judges the Best
Restored Champion Built airplane at the 1998 Aeronca Convention.
Eric Barnhill and Greg Davis took home the Best in Class - Post
War Aeronca Chief trophy with their 11AC Chief.
This very pretty Chief is the production prototype, lovingly
restored by Aeronca retirees Harry Pratt, David Morgan and
Bob Hollenbaugh. Completed June 29, 1945, the CAA flights
tests for issuance of the Manufacturing Certificate were done
with this airplane. Besides the one-off color scheme of cream
with brown t rim, there are a number of differences between
this Chief and later production models. We will have an article
on this Chief later in 1999.
H.G.'s nine-year-old daughter Jenny picked this colorful (green
with gold trim) Pre-War Super Chief as her favorite of the
Convention. Owner Larry Fox flies this airplane, with over 750
hours on the airplane since its restoration in 1991 . It even features
a Beech-Roby controllable propeller!
Richard Charette' s 7AC Champ was picked as the Grand Champion Classi c.
In anticipation of a museum to honor the Aeronca series of aircraft, the
first airplane donated to the National Aeronca Association is this 1939
Aeronca 65CA Chief. We have Dick Birnbach of Falls Church, VA to thank
for this start of the collection of Aeronca airplanes to be displayed one
day in the Aeronca Museum.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
Its always nice to see a good looking L-16, and we had George "Bud" Myers of Moontown, AL to thank for his nice
example of an L-16B.
Of the 22, only six were award winners . Aeronca
had sponsored a whole flock of awards, as well as sev-
eral other sponsors, and we just didn't have that many
winners.
Our standards for judging just won't let us give an
award just because an airplane is present. The airplane
must score at least a 50 before the judges will consider
it. Don't misunderstand. We had a real good bunch of
happy airplane people there. Of the 135 airplane, only
36 people felt their airplanes were of show plane qual-
ity, and the weather took a bunch of them out. Our job
was very difficult because those that were there were
all the same types, mainly Champs and Chiefs. It was
like trying to do an ROTC Saturday inspection. There
were some real beauties there, and the final decision
had to be based on the final point score. There were
half a dozen so close, it became a search for negatives
to get winners.
I know Jim Thompson, the president of the National
Aeronca Association was upset with the judges be-
cause we didn't give out all the awards, but in all
fairness to the ones that did deserve the award, we
couldn't diminish the importance of those awards by
just giving them away. That would make the awards
meaningless.
(This type of situation occurs at allfly-ins, even
EAA AirVenture. For an award to be presented, there
is a requirement that the airplane's score meet the
threshold mentioned above for an award to be consid-
ered. - HGF)
A word about the volunteers at this fly-in . Wally
Baldwin and the rest of the Middletown flyers do a
magnificent job. Without them, there just wouldn't be
the biennial Aeronca Convention. This group works
their hearts out. I personally want to extend a hand-
shake and heartfelt thanks for their efforts, their
friendship, and their loyalty to Aeronca and Middle-
town. Take a look at the pictures H.G. took of the
Aeroncas and Champions we had - it was great. I'll
be back there for the next one in two years! f( 3ck.
The Champion 7FC is always interesting to see. Gene Shoemaker of
Syracuse, IN has this fine example, SIN 185 built in 1958.
The pre-war Tandem Trainer has been popular for restoration as of
late, and these two pretty airplanes belong to James Hammond (the
65TL in the foreground) and Lowell Conant (the 65-TA on the right).
28 NOVEMBER 1998
Fly high with a
quality Classic interior
Spirnl-Bound
Classrootn.
Ournewmanual isn't It'll
justareference- it's a show
coveringcourse in a you
book.It's thecl earest, just
mostthorough,and howeasy it isto
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UNITEDST,4TES
StatementofOwnership,Management,andCi rculation
fR_by 39usc 36B5}

VINTAGE URPLANE
.. _-
HON'l'HLY 12 $27.00
""""'-
H.G.
--
Frautschv
EM, PO BOX 3086, OSHlCOSH WI 54903-3086
920/426-4825
EM PO BOX 3086 QSHJtOSH WI 54903-3086
t..... .....tJMdQ

Thomas P. Poberezoy
EM po 001 3086 OSHKOSH WT 54903_3086

Henry G. Frautschy
EAA, PO BOX 3086. OSHXOSH WI 54903-3086

Goldll C. Cox
EM, PO BOX 3096. OSHKOSH HI 54903-3086


Full....... CoO...pldl
ExperiJnenta1 Aircraft Association PO BOX 3086, OSHkOSH WI 54903-3086

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VUn-ACE AIRPu.H
10418 9842
70 71
8973 9071
9043 9142
176
NOOE
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InstructionstoPubl ishers
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2. __10 WId Illhenem.04lhepe<1lOl1Ofeorporllllionfor
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moteoIlhetolalamounII 04 bondi.lJlOftgiIge$.orolher58Cl.diBI 01 hlptbIishi'Ig/XllpClf8llOn.Initem 11.1none.checklheboX. use
bIlIIr* sheets)I n'IOflllspaceIII: reqWed.
3. Be __ 15.""t*cuIlIIlioI'Imustbeshowninilemll5dWldI.
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CItctAaIion n'IIAIbepo.bfi5hed: II mustbepriNedi131'1i1sueinOctobefOf. illhepublcalionilnoc publshedWftlgOdober.1he1nt
_prhedat\erOctober..
6. 118m 17 rTIUSt besigned.
Complete interior assemblies for do-it yourself installation.
Customqualityateconomicalprices.
Cushionupholsterysets
Wallpanelsets
Headliners
Carpetsets
Baggagecompartmentsets
Firewallcovers
Seatslings
Recoverenvelopesanddopes
Freecatalogofcompleteproductline.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
stylesofmaterials:$3.00.
I I
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259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept.VA

Fallsington,PA19054 (215)295-4115 ale

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FAX: 909-684-0518
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
VINTAGETRADER
Somethingtobuy,
sellortrade?
An inexpensiveadin the VintageTradermaybejust
theanswerto obtainingthatelusivepart.. 50per
word.$8.00minimumcharge. Sendyouradandpay-
mentto: ViII/ageTrader, EMAviation Celller,P.O.
Box 3086,Oshkosh,WI54903-3086.orfaxyourad
andyourcreditcardnumberto 920/426-4828.Ads
mustbereceivedbythe20th ofthemonthforinser-
tion in the issuethesecondmonthfollowing (e.g.,
October20thfortheDecemberissue.)
MISCELLANEOUS
BABBITTBEARING SERVICE - rod bearings.main
beari ngs.camshaft bearings, master rods. valves.
Call us Toll Free 1/800/233-6934.e-mail ramrem-
fg@aol.com Web site http://members.aol.com/ram-
remfglHome VINTAGE ENGI NE MACHINE WORKS.
N. 604 FREYAST. ,SPOKANE,WA99202.
FREE CATALOG:Aviation booksand videos. How
to.building and restoration tips. historic.flying and
entertainmenttitles.Callforafreecatalog.EAA, 1-
800-843-3612.
CASTINGS: Stock and custom manufactured.
exhaustmanifolds. heads. waterpumps. pul leys.air
intakes. brackets. cylindersleeves. blocks. Wax
invest ment . plaster and dry sand mol ding.
Complete t ooling and machining. MOTOR
FOUNDRY&TOOLING. INC. 1217 Kessler Dr.. EI
Paso. TX 79907 USA. Ph. No. 915/595-1 277. Fax
915/595-3167.ATTN: ValorD.Blazer.
TOOL PLANS - Build 'em yourself and save!Our
English Wheel forms and restores cowls and other
compound curves like a pro. The Tu bing
Cutter/ Notcher makesready-to-wel d cuts in sec-
ondswith no filing! Build our Sandblast Cabinet for
peanuts and cl ean and restore parts in your own
shop! $7.50 each.all three $20.BrianAmato.3871
Whispering Oaks Dr .. Traverse City. MI49686oruse
VISAorMASTERCARDbycalling(616) 946-1071.
1938 MINX EXPERIMENTAL Seri al#1. First flown
in 1938at Ryan Field. San Diego. Single place low
wingtaildragger. tubefuselage. Onewingtorebuild.
otherwise all rebuilt including 65hp ConI. and prop
(nocovering). $9250. (209)223-2047.
Fly-InCalendar
Thefollowinglistofcomingeventsisfurnishedto our
readers asamatterof information onlyanddoes not
constituteapproval, sponsorship, involvement.control
ordirectionofanyevent (j7y-in, seminars,flymarket.
etc.) listed. Pleasesendthe informationto EAA, Att:
Golda Cox,Po. Box3086, Oshkosh.WI54903-3086.
Informationshouldbereceivedfourmonthspriorto the
eventdate.
JANUARY1,1999- NAPPANEE, IN- EAA Chapter
938, F1y-lnIDrive-lnLunch.NappaneeAirport,
(219) 773-2866
APRIL11-17, 1999- LAKELAND,FL - 25thAnnual
Sun 'nFun EAAFly-In andConvention. Info:
9411644-2431. Website: www.sun-njun.org
JULY28-AUGUST3, 1999- OSHKOSH,WI- 471h
AlllllwlEAAAirVelllureOshkoslr ' 99. Willmall
Regioll alAirport.COlitactJohll Burtoll,EAA,
P.O.Bo.'( 3086,WI54903-3086orseethewebsite
al:www.airvelllure.org
30 NOVEMBER1998
ServicesDirecto!y
EnjoythemanybenefitsofBAAandthe
BAAAntique/ClassicDivision
c

EAAAviationCenter,POBox3086,OshkoshWI54903-3086
Phone(920)426-4800 Fax(920)426-4873
WebSi te:http://.eaa.organdhttp://www.airventure.org E-Mail:Vintage@eaa.org
EAAandDivisionMembershipServices
FlightAdvisorsinformation. ... .920-426-6522
800-843-3612 FAX920-426-6761 FlightInstructorinformati on . ..920-426-6801
(8: 00AM-7:00PM Monday- FridayCST)
FlyingStartProgr am ._.920-426-6847
New/ renewmemberships: EAA,Divisions
LibraryServi ces/ Research .. . ...920-426-4848
(Anti que/Cl assic,lAC,Warbirdsl.National Medi calQuestions...... . .. . ...920-426-4821
Associ ationof Fli ghtInstructors(NAFl) TechnicalCounselors .... .. . . . .920-426-4821
Addresschanges
YoungEagl es ..................920-426-4831
Merchandi sesal es
Benefits
Gi ftmemberships
AircraftFinanci ng(GreenTree) ...800-851-1367
AVEMCO . .... . .... . . . . ..... . .800-638-8440
ProgramsandActivities
AUA... ..... ..... . .... . . .... . .800-727-3823
EAAAirVentureFax-On-DemandDir ectory
TermLifeandAccidental . .... . .800-241-6103
..............................732-885-6711
DeathInsurance (HarveyWatt&Company)
AutoFuelSTCs .. . ... .... .. . ...920-426-4843
Editorial
Build/rest oreinformation ......920-426-4821
Submi ttingarticle/photo;adverti singinformation
Chapters: l ocating/organizing..920-426-4876
920-426-4825..FAX920-426-4828
Educati on... .... ...... ........920-426-6815
EAAAirAcademy EAAAviationFoundation
EAA Schol arships Arti factDonations.. ... . . . . . ...920-426-4877
EAAYoungEagl esCamps FinancialSupport..... . .. ....800-236-1025
MEMBERSHIPINFORMATION
EAA
Divisionisavailablefor$50peryear(SPORT
Membershipin theExperimentalAircraftAssoci-
AVIATIONmagazinenotincluded).(Add$10for
ation. Inc. is $40foroneyear, including 12
ForeignPostage.)
issuesofSPORTAVIATION.Familymembership
isavailableforan additional $10annually. Ju-
WARBIRDS
ni or Member ship (under 19 years of age)
CurrentEAAmembersmayjointheEAAWarbirds
i savailabl eat$23annuall y.All majorcredit
ofAmericaDivisionandreceive WARBIRDS
cardsacceptedformembership.(Add$16for
magazineforanadditional $35peryear.
Foreign Postage.)
EAAMembership,WARBIRDS magazineand
oneyearmembership intheWarbirds Division
isavailablefor$45peryear(SPORTAVIATION
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
magazinenotincluded).(Add$7forForeign
CurrentEAAmembersmayjoint heAntique/
Postage.)
Classi c Divisionand receive VINTAGEAIR-
PLANEmagazineforan additional$27peryear.
EAA EXPERIMENTER
EAA Membership.VINTAGEAIRPLANEmag-
Current EAA members may receive EAA
azineandoneyear membershi p in theEAA
EXPERIMENTER magazineforan addit ional
Antique/ Classic Division isavailablefor$37per
$20peryear.
year(SPORTAVIATIONmagazinenotincluded).
EAA Membership and EAAEXPERIMENTER
(Add$7forForeign Postage.)
magazineisavai lablefor$30peryear(SPORT
AVIATIONmagazine notinciuded).(Add$8for
lAC ForeignPostage.)
Current EAAmembersmayjointheInternational
AerobaticClub,Inc. Divisionand receiveSPORT FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
AEROBATICSmagazineforan additional $40 Pleasesubmit yourremittancewithacheckor
peryear. draftdrawnonaUnited Statesbankpayablein
EAAMembership.SPORTAEROBATICSmaga- UnitedStat es dollars.Add required Foreign
zine and one year membershi p in the l AC Postageamountforeach membershi p.
MembershipduestoEAAanditsdivisionsarenottaxdeductibleascharitablecontributions.
EMAntique/ClassicApproved
Insurance Program
Wewrite all types ofgeneral
aviation insurance foraircraH,
hangars, airports, corporate
jets, helicopters and
aerial applicators
The best is affordable.
Give AUA acall - it's FREE!
Fly with the pros...
fly with AUA Inc.
A. Eggplant-Colored Windbreaker
Gold Stitching on Antique Classic Logo. Elastic cuffs and waist. 100% Nylon construction.
L - 2X V41037 $26.99
B. Navy Presentation Portfolio
Features gold, blue and white Antique Classic embroidery. Nylon
construction. Has two handles plus adjustable shoulder strap. Zippered closure.
V00098 $14.99
C. ladies Black Turtleneck Pullover
Vintage Airplane (inset) embroidered on coliar. 50/50 cotton/poly blend.
SM -XL V41147 $9.99
D. Vintage Airplane Sweatshirt
THICK sweatshirts feature four-color, bi-plane applique
E. long-sleeved Polo Shirt with Ribbed Collar
made from a photograph by
EM's own Jim Koepnick.
90/1 0 cotton/poly blend.
SM -XL
and Cuffs
Soft and luxurious feeling 70/30 cot-
ton/poly blend. Navy Antique Classic
embroidery. Four-button placket.
LG
V10836 $40.99
Classic Caps
All feature gold, blue and white Antique Classic Embroidery and
adjustable back.
F. Field Grade Officer Cap with Oak-leaf Clusters
Polyester and nylon construction. 8ack is nylon webbing.
V11244 $8.99
G. Burgundy Six-panel Cap with Navy Brim
V11242 $8.99
32 NOVEMBER 1998
V10895
H. Navy Denim Cap with Carmel Suede Brim
V11329 $8.99
I. Red 6-Panel Cap
V11240 $8.99
J. Sky-Blue Cap with Carmel Suede Brim
V11330 $8.99
K. Navy Corduroy Cap with Braiding
V11322 $8.99
1. Maroon Corduroy Cap with Braiding
V11323 $8.99
T.
T. Denim Shirt with Velveteen
Collar
1 00% cotton construction with black and
silver antique classic embroidery on
frant.
LG V20116
$11.99
All Antique Classic Socks feature Antique Classic design woven into the sock and are
constructed of 75/25 hi-bulk acrylic/stretch nylon blend.
M. White Long Crew Socks
V 11284 $3.99
N. Royal Blue Short Crew Socks
VI1283 $3.99
o. White "Turn-Down" Socks
with Blue Heel and Toe
VI1285 $2.99
P. large (4 3/8
n
wide' Antique Classic Patches
V32560 $1.99
Q. Small (2 3/4
n
wide' Antique Classic Patches
V32360 $.99
R. Antique Classic Name Tags
Measure 3Xl"; can be engraved for personalization.
Vl0813 $.99
S. Marble-Base Deskset
Heavy base has Antique Classi( logo etched into it. Foam rubber on bollom pro-
tects desktops. Comes complete with pen.
V60025 $10.00
V. Heavy Cotton
Royal Blue
Sweatshirt
U. Heavy Cotton White Sweatshirt
EM Antique Classic blue and gald embriodery on
front. 90/10 cotton/poly blend. Features single-
color pictoral of the Crites Brothers, the faunders
of Crites Airfield which later became Waukesha,
Wisconsin Airpart. SM - 2X
W. Ell Antique Classic Applique T-Shirts
Made by Fruit of the Loom. 50/50 (otton/poly blend.
Available in three colors.
EM Antique Classic Aplique
adorns the front. 90/10
cotton/poly blend.
SM -2X
Vl0880 $12.99
Vl0906 $12.99
x.
Ash SM - XL Vl0875
Navy SM - XL Vl0870
Royal SM -2X Vl0865
x. Cobblestone Crew
Sweatshirt
Made by Sope Creek. Features ribbed
cuffs, waist and collar ond same (olor
Antique Classic embroidery. Available in
red, white and blue.
SM -XL
V 112 1 5 $31.99
$6.99
$6.99
$6.99
Y. Long-sleeved Twill
Shirts
Feature button-down collar,
two-button adjustable cuffs
and front pocket. 1 00% cot-
ton construction.
Khaki M - XL
V11301 $20.99
Denim L - XL
V11297 $13.99