VA-Vol-30-No-12-Dec-2002

DECEMBER 2002VOL 30 No 12

Sport Pilot newsletter enclosed with this issue 2 VAA NEWSHG Frautschy

4 INSTALLING HANDHELD RADIOS IN VINTAGE AIRCRAFT Evan McCombs

7 REMINISCING WITH DUTCH ENGINE FAILURE SELECTED EXCERPTS FROM THE AIRMENS SKY Is NOT THE BLUE Holland Dutch Redfield

8 BLOCK LETIERING EXACT PROPORTIONS FROM THE 1930s HG Frautschy

10 THE MAKING OF A SHOW PLANE Steven W Oxman

12 MYSTERY PLANE

14 WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

16 CLIPPER SHIP THE PRESTEN FAMILY DO-EVERYTHING AERIAL CONVEYANCEBudd Davisson

21 PASS IT TO BUCKBuck Hilbert

25 CALENDAR

26 CLASSIFIED ADS

28 NEW MEMBERS

30 VAA MERCHANDISE

Publisher TOM POBEREZNY EditormiddotinmiddotChief scon SPANGLER Executive Editor MIKE DIFRISCO News Editor RIC REYNOLDS Photography Staff JIM KOEPNICK

LEEANN ABRAMS TRISH LUNDQUIST

Advertising Coordinator JULIE RUSSO AdvertisingEditorial Assistant ISABELLE WISKE Copy Editing COLLEEN WALSH

KATHLEEN WITMAN

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Executive Director Editor HENRY G FRAUTSCHY VAA Admin istrative Assistant THERESA BOOKS Contributing Editors JOHN UNDERWOOD

BUDD DAVISSON Graphic Designer OLIVIA L PHILLIP

FRONT COVER Skimming the surface of Lake Winnebago Eric Preston flies his one-of-a-kind amphibious Piper Clipper for EAA photographer Lee Ann Abrams EAA photo shot with a Canon EOSln equipped with an 80-200 mm lens on 100 ASA slide film EM Cessna 210 flown by Bruce Moore

BACK COVER Checking the Mail is the title of this Sam Lyons painting winner of an Excellence Ribbon in the 2002 Sport Aviashytion Art Competition Prints are available For more information on Sams work or to order prints visit his website wwwyonshysstudiocom

from the Vintage Aircraft Association Board of Directors and EAAlVAA Staff Paul Poberezny

Espie Butch Joyce George Daubner

Steve Nesse Charles Harris David Bennett John Berendt Bob Brauer

Tom Poberezny Scott Spangler

Michael DiFrisco HG Frautschy Theresa Books

Julie Russo Jim Koepnick

Trisha Lundquist

Steve Bender Gene Chase Dave Clark

John Copeland Phil Coulson Roger Gomoll

Dale Gustafson Jeannie Hill

LeeAnn Abrams Susan Zolkowski-Kirk

Olivia Phillip Colleen Walsh Isabelle Wiske

EE Buck Hilbert Steve Krog Bob Lumley Gene Morris

Dean Richardson Geoff Robison Wes Schmid

Alan Shackleton

________________________________________________________

EWS EAA FLIGHT PLANNER INCORPORATES STADIUM TFRs

To help pilots avoid stadium overflights EAA I~~~~~-~ ~1~~~~~111- ~-~ _Right Planner maps show the location of the temposhy -----shy

z==-~rary flight restrictions (TFR) for stadiums with capacities of 30000 or more Using FAA-provided ~ coordinates the maps answer a main objection pi- -~-~~f=-~~ lots had to the blanket TFRs restricting flights within 3 miles and 3000 feet of the stadiums no official -=-~~ ~-~~ -documentation existed showing the precise loca- iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillii~iiiiiiiillllliila tions of these facilities

Now anyone can go to the EAA website click on the View TFR Maps link and get accurate stadium locations represented by green dots The locations are incorshyporated into EAA Flight Planner-generated maps The complete list of stadiums is also available on the EAA website at wwweaaorg

On a personal note a recent cross-country flight I made would have passed within the TFR over the stadium for Northern Illinois University Using Aeroplanner a quick preflight check of the airspace determined the TFR area wouldnt be hot unshytil after I passed by but the EAA Flight Planner sure made it easy to precisely determine the boundries of the TFR Members near the Washington DC and Crawford Texas areas are encouraged to review the prohibited and TFR airspace notices prior to each flight

EAA LAUNCHES NEW AIRVENTURE MUSEUM WEBSITE

EAA Museums redesigned website at wwwairventuremuseumorg puts EAAs educational and interactive content just clicks away from aviation enshythusiasts around the world Visitors can easily and quickly access comshyprehensive information about the museum including its exhibits attractions events activities collecshytions services and latest news

For those interested in the museum but unable visit regularly the website offers photo exhibits descriptions of the collection and a virtual tour We see the website as being an important way for us to interact with millions of

aviation enthusiasts around the world and the tens of thousands of EAA memshybers who do not live within easy traveling distance of Oshkosh said Museum Director Adam Smith

Clearly labeled links promote easy navigation and updated information about the Museums facilities -such as how to get there by car or plane (including maps and related Iinks)-exshyhibits and tours help visitors plan their museum visit

As in many other EAA endeavors volunteers helped make the redesign possible Volunteers helped write the Our Collection section and theyll continue this in the future said Smith Information about this

and other Museum volunteer opporshytunities are listed on the website

Website planners purposely deshysigned the site to allow for future expansion particularly the Museums Collection and the Virtual Museum arshyeas allowing the website to evolve over the next few months and years

NATIONAL BUCKER JUNGMEISTER CLUB

Mrs Frank Price has advised us that the National Bucker Jungmeisshyter Club is for sale and no newsletter will be published until the club has been acqUired by a new owner If youre interested in purchasing the club and its assets please contact Mrs Frank Price 300 Estelle Rico Drive Moody IX 76557

TSA CREATES TOLL-FREE

SECURITY HOT LINE

To further enhance general aviation airport security in the post-911 environshy

ment the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will activate a tollshy

free tip line sometime this month 866-GA-SECURE (866-427-3287)

The tip line creates a fast and easy way for people in and around airportsshy

such as pilots EM Chapter members and those involved in operating servicshying or renting small aircraft-to report

suspicious people and activities These may include aircraft with unshy

usual or unauthorized modifications persons lOitering near parked aircraft or in air operations areas pilots who appear to be under the control of

ts completed Now on display at the Air Museum Planes of Fame is this breathtaking replica of Roscoe Turners Laird-Turner LTR-14 racer On Janushyary 4 2003 it will serve as the centerpiece of the museums first monthly UJ

J

special event Air Racers-Hot Rods of the Sky will be the events theme For ~

more information call 909-597-3722 or log on to wwwplanesoffamecom ~ ~ ~5

DECEMBER 2002

other persons persons wishing to obshytain aircraft without presenting proper credentials or who have apparently valid credentials but do not have a corresponding level of aviation knowlshyedge or anything that doesnt look right (ie events or circumstances that do not fit the pattern of lawful normal airport activity)

Visit wwweaaorgto learn when 866shyGA-SECURE is up and running Working together we can help safeguard our nashytions security while preserving the

precious freedoms we hold dear

2

PILOTS MUST CARRY PHOTO 10

On October 24 the FAA issued a fishynal rule changing Federa l Aviation Regulation 613 and requiring pilots to carry photo identification along with their FAA pilot certificate when flying FAR 613(a) now reads Each person must carry a photo identificashytion acceptable to the Administrator when exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate and (I) Each person must present such photo identificashytion when requested to do so by the Administrator an authorized represhysentative of the NTSB or the TSA or a law enforcement officer

A valid US drivers license will be the most common photo ID and other acceptable forms include a valid federal or state ID card a US armed forces ID or credentials that authorshyize access to airport secure areas

Congress firs t mandated modifishyca tion of the airman certification system in the FAA Drug Enforceshyment Assis tance Act of 1988 and later added to the requirement in the more recent Aviation and Transshyportation Security Act of 2001 Both actions sought to ass ure positive and verifiable identification of each person applying for or holding a pishylot certificate

This new rule is a partial adopshytion of a petition filed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association on February 212002 to revise FAR 61(a) and (I) to require a pilot to carry and present for appropriate inspection a form of acceptable photo identification In the final rule the FAA said this provides a positive short-term measure to enshyhance security throughout the general aviation community and is the most expeditious short-term and cost-effective measure that will provide additional security through enhanced identification of pilots

FAA and TSA stress however that these measures do not fully address the concerns reflected in the DEA and TSA acts They will continue to search for a resolution that will meet their Congressional requirements

JOHN MILLER INDUCTED INTO VAA HALL OF FAME

John M Miller Poughkeepsie New York saw Glenn Curtiss and his Albany Flyer during Curtiss historic Albany to New York flight in 1910 and he soloed on his 18th birthday December 15 1923 Johnny Miller has lived the era of human flight and conshytinues to enjoy aviation into its second century Johns life was detailed in last months issue and on November 8 2002 he was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Associations Hall of Fame His delightful talk about witnessing Charles Lindberghs takeoff for Paris in the Spirit ofst Louis captivated the audience during the induction cereshymonies Congratulations John and happy 97th birthday

EAA CREATES SPORT

PILOT HOT LINE

To answer questions about the sport pilotlight-sport airshycraft proposal more effectively EAA has established a tollshyfree hot line-877-FLY-1232 (877 -359-1232)-and will maintain it after the FAA isshysues a final rule which is expected sometime in 2003 The EAA SPLSA hot line is available between 815 am and 5 pm Central time

FIELD ApPROVAL PROBLEMS

During the past year the FAA announced a new policy it planned to implement regarding field apshyprovals (often referred to as Form 337s) The new FAA policy has been highly misinterpreted by many FAA offices and in some cases used inappropriately to delay or not apshyprove field approvals

The new guidelines do not proshyhibit field approvals and if it had been implemented properly the new policy was intended to reduce the delays in getting STCs approved Unfortunately once disseminated to the regional FAA offices and imshyplemented the policy was not always used correctly

EAA and AOPA gave our guarded support to the new policy when it was first developed while expressshying our concerns that the policy could result in just the opposite of its intent Unfortunately thats preshycisely what happened

Once reports from the field inshycluding input from EAA members started coming in to the FAA the FAA Flight Standards Service and Aircraft Certification Service took steps to prevent further confusion Flight Standards has put a hold on the policy in Alaska and a number of teleconferences with Flight Standards Regional Offices throughout the United States have taken place to make it clearer to the field offices that they should still be approving 337s Also the policy is being revised to provide better guidance to inspectors and engineers regarding what can and cannot obtain a field approval

The revised policy will also clarify when local inspectors should be working with FAA engishyneers and when the inspector does not need the engineers inshyput to approve the Form 337 Finally the revised policy will inshydicate an alternative method of approval for major alterations usshying DER (designated engineering representative) approved data in lieu of a field approval

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Installing Handheld RadiDs in Vintage Aircraft

EVAN M CCOMBS

This is a 1943 Taylorcraft L-2 It is equipped with a Delcom comm radio with an external stainless steel whip antenna mounted in front of the windshield It is also connected to a Sigtronics portable intercom

The Delcom radio has a belt clip that is attached to the back side of the radio Thats pretty handy and adding a small strip of aluminum attached to the side rail below the window allows the clip to double as a radio holder

The Delcom headset adapter was connected to the Sigtronics portable intercom which is mounted using hook and loop fasteners stuck to an aluminum bracket mounted in the left wing root A push-toshytalk switch is attached to the control stick This system allows for easy conversation between pilot and passenger and good radio communication

Editors Note After our request for articles on this subject a coushyple ofyou stepped forward to share what youve learned and put into practice concerning radio installashytions in light aircraft This article should be considered a great start and those of you with different installation techniques are encourshyaged to send in your comments and articles on the subject In parshyticular Id like users of the recently introduced dipole antennas inshytended for mounting inside airframes to weigh in with their experiences-HGF

If your flying is like mine that is flyin g in to and out of small nontowered airports you probably feel like I do that you would like to see and be seen as well as hear and be heard Most of the smaller antique and classhysic airplanes were not equipped with electrical systems and most were built without shielded ignition harnesses and spark plugs Some of the classic airplanes were converted to shielded ignition harness and spark plugs years ago when folks in the 1950s and 1960s tried to use the old portable or coffee grinder radios There are quite a few older ignition sysshytems out there so the challenge of operating them in conjuncshytion with a radio continues to be a viable subject

Some years ago when the first group of handheld comshymunication radios arrived on the scene it was only natural for some classic airplane own-

DECEMBER 2002 4

ers to install them or simply carry them in the cockshypit Some worked well in this environment and some didnt Through trial and error the following seemed to work for me

Ive been asked about using broadband antennas Those are the thicker fiberglass whip antennas you see on many modern airplanes My answer is that most operations of the handheld radios will be at airports without a tower or talking to FSS plus a litshytle plane-to-plane communications Even if we add the usual tower frequencies the frequencies used for these operations (generally around 11800 to 12300 MHz) do not require a broadband antenna A stanshydard stainless steel whip 24 inches long is adequate Antenna locations are always problematic and their placement can be tricky Nobody wants to drill two or three holes in different locations on an airplane It seems that somewhere on top of the wing or fuseshylage works in most cases If a bottom mount is the only available spot try it Such a location can work well especially in air-to-ground communications but items such as landing gear legs can Significantly alter the antennas radiation pattern Each location is a compromise and even metal-covered airplanes can be as much a challenge as a fabric-covered one

A ground plane must also be considered a vital part of the installation FAA publication AC 4313-2A Chapter 3 gives guidelines for antenna instalshy

lations and ideas for ground planes 11-- WHIP

II ANTENNA (See the drawing (left) for one exshy~ II)

- II ample from the Advisory Circular) I~

c ----~------ Many different things will work

- - --~ ---_

II if you need to fabshy I ~ v ricate a groundv U shy plane One-halfshy

METAL FOIL UNDER inch wide copperFABRIC OR WOOD SKIN burglar alarm tape

NOTE THE LENGTH OF EACH (also sold by supshyFOIL RADIAL SHOULD BE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE pliers to the stained

ANTENNA LENGTH glass window trade) aluminum screen

or even aluminum foil wrapped around cardboard will work to varying degrees

Some folks have been able to obtain acceptable results using just the rubber antenna mounted on the radio but theyre the exception not the rule An outside antenna will generally always outpershyform the rubber ducky antenna on the radio

The next item we pilots often like to install in our airplanes is one of the new handheld GPS receivers These compact receivers give tremendous amounts of information and help us to navigate to anywhere

RadioIntercom Matching

HG FRAUTSCHY

If you use a King KX 99 radio and a Sigtronics intercom you might notice some difficulty with the intercoms squelch circuitry With the radio turned on you may be unable to squelch out the cockpit noise This can also happen with other headsetlintercom combinations A slight mismatch beshytween the different manufacturers components is to blame

If we assume the output from the radios audio signal is too high for the intercom the problem is easily solved A that has to be done is to solder a sma liS-watt ISO-ohm resistor into the patch cord for the radios audio output

The adapter cable pair supplied by King with the radio didnt hold up to being plugged in and unplugged repeatedly-the wire strands in the thin cable finally fractured Since I was forced to make up a set of new cables I used a pre-made flexishyble audio cable from Radio Shack I liked the flexible cable from which the pre-manufactured Radio Shack cable was made but I didnt use the connectors on either end The cable is similar in flexibility to test lead wires but of course it has multiple wires enclosed in the neoprene rubber jacket

I prefer the 150 Resistor quality of the high-

end Switchcraft connectors which are often used for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) applications in airshy

planes I went to my local electronics supply house to obtain the Switchcraft parts Many of their parts are mil-spec qualishyfied For the audio input cable I used an all-metal Switchcraft heavy-duty 1I4-inch inline phono jack If careshyfully done there is just enough room inside the backshe of the connector for the tiny resistor to be soldered to the censhyter electrode In the photo you can also see the heat shrink tubing I installed over the resistor (its been cut away so you can see the resistor)

Because the resistor will noticeably decrease the strength of the output signal you may want to experiment with differshyent values for the resistor if the total volume gain from the intercom is insufficient in your headset Try to get the resistshyance value of the resistor as low as possible The ISO-ohm number was given to me a number of years ago by a technishycal representative of Sigtronics As long as you can properly squelch cockpit noise both on the ground and in the air the exact value of the resistor isnt important I used a cheap 1I4-inch audio plug while experimenting with different resisshytor values so I didnt run the risk of damaging the more expensive Switchcraft unit I used for the final version

VI NTAGE AI RPLANE 5

If youre unable to get satisfactory results from your GPS and communications radio and you feel you must use an antenna mounted on the outer surface of the airframe be sure to follow acceptable methods and practices

As always vintage certificated airplanes must comshyply with their type certificate so if you want to install some sort of radio system be sure to consult your friendly AampP maintenance technician

Now lets have some fun If you just installed a rashydio system in your classic or antique airplane you need to test all of the functions of your new radio One thing to keep in mind about navigation signals is their polarization Navigation signals are hOrizontally polarized and communication signals are radiated vertically Thats why a communications antenna will not receive a nav signal as well with a shorter effecshytive range It will take at least five to 10 flight hours of testing and maybe a cross-country of 200 miles or

Heres an ICOM A-21 navcomm mounted on the instrument panel of an EAA Biplane This radio is connected to a stainshyless steel whip antenna mounted on top of the upper wing The battery pack is removed from the radio to save space and weight-the radio is hooked up to the battery in the airshycraft In this simple electrical system there is only a battery and starter there s no generator or alternator Again the ICOM radio has a belt clip on the back side An aluminum strip was fabricated and installed on the instrument panel and the belt clip was used to hold the radio The power cord is connected to a cigarette lighter-type adapter in the bagshygage compartment behind the pilot the cigarette lighter male plug contains its own fuse to protect the electrical system from short circuits With the radio on the instrument panel the pilot can easily see the screen for the VOR navigation function The range for the VOR receiver is 20 to 25 miles but when flying cross-country in this type of airplane the pilot only uses the nav radio as backup (Remember a stainless steel whip antenna which is tuned to about 11800 MHz and intended for communications is significantly detuned when a navigation frequency which is also polarized in a different dishyrection is selected)

DECEMBER 2002

more to properly determine if the new installation is working well At least that is what I tell myself-can you believe Ive been accused of using any reason to fly

Keep em safe and keep em flying

Another installation This 1940 Luscombe 8B was equipped with a King KX99 comm radio and a stainless steel whip anshytenna located on the top of the fuselage behind the fuel tank This radio is also connected to a Sigtronics portable intercom Since the Luscombe had a really nice original-style instrument panel I didnt want to drill holes in it to mount the radio bracket A fabricated open-sided aluminum box was attached to the side rail below the windshield ahead of the pilots door using one of the screws that also attached the upholstery The antenna cable was run from the antenna behind the fuel tank under the upholstery in the left wing root and down the doorpost to the radio The intercom and push-to-talk cables were run down the doorpost behind the upholstery and under the carpet to the pilots control stick for the push-to-talk and to the portable intercom The intershycom is mounted on the floor between the control sticks using that handy hook-and-Ioop fastener material we all love This aircraft has an unshielded ignition and spark plugs and the squelch control on the radio gets rid of ignition noise as far as receiving is concerned This radio and intercom sysshytem works great

6

REMINISCING WITH DUTCH

Engine failu

Selected excerpts from Holland Dutch Redfields The Airmens Sky Is Not The Blue

Fred McGlynns Fairchild 24 used in the instrument course was a fine airplane and a real joy to fly The flight control hinges push tube ends etc were equipped with ball bearings instead of mechanic-oiled brass bushings as on most other airshycraft of the day When the controls were pressured no matter how lightly the return feel to the pilots fingertips was that of the sky itself The Ranger engine was exceptionshyally smooth and quiet with a lovely sounding exhaust

One late morning during a training flight instrument procedure turn on the south leg of the Syracuse radio range station the Ranger suddenly beshycame quieter still and the propellers disc before us became an unmoving stick of bug-spattered wood

A few minutes previously we had completed a seat change for the secshyond student to fly A black cloth hood on three sides surrounded the occupant of the left pilots seat so he couldnt see forward or out For the seat change it had temporarily been rolled up and tucked in the black cloth s support cord After two hours of fatiguing instrument flying my tired student had just clambered over the back of the seat exchangshying places with the other student who had been observing and had been on watch for other aircraft

We were at 3000 feet over the

HOLLAND DUTCH REDFIELD

lovely pastured hills south of Syrashycuse All knew there was plenty of fuel aboard and I had no idea what might have caused the engine to come to a silent standstill There were several large and lovely fields below with plenty of time to select which seemed the best This was my responsibility and I really wished I were seated on the airplanes left side where the rudder pedals were equipped with brake pedals

The sounds of unpowered gliding flight were pleasant and new to me but the price paid was a steeper than usual glide due to the drag of the stationary propeller It was a late morning soft spring day Winds were light A concern was that the field might be soft from the prev ious days rain perhaps causing the Fairchilds wheels to sink in and flip its tail skyward as we stared at soft earth a few feet ahead

From a silent turning glide we crossed the fields boundary fence with a few feet to spare The two main wheels and the tail wheel simultaneshyously touched and we rumbled nOisily across the rough green passhyture the propeller stock-still

The Fairchild came to a stop It was very quiet as all three of us exshyhaled as one We clambered out of the planes cabin and forward to check the engine There were no telltale oil or fuel streaks around the

cowling Why had the engine stopped I clambered up on the wing support struts to check fuel in the right wing tank It was full We hadshyn t been using fuel from that tank Then the left tank It was half full as expected

The engine had certainly quit cold and with no warning We reshymoved the engine cowling The fuel lines were intact with no seepage The next thought was the position of the left fuel selector valve the tank we had been using located on the headboard above the left cabin window adjacent to th e left pilots seat The rolled up cloth hood covshyered the selector When unrolled the selector valve was found to be in its mid-position halfway between OFF and ON Earlier when the hood was being rolled up prior to the seat change the selector had been uninshytentionally moved toward OFF

The selector was returned to its proper position the starter actuated and the lovely Ranger burst into its normal rhythmic idle There was plenty of room for takeoff and after a walk over our intended takeoff path and a long run-up we took off and headed north for home base

At this writing and after 61 years of flying this is the one and only forced landing I have ever experienced Some of my colleagues have done better I will settle for this one

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

HG FRAUTSCHY

Free hand design work is still being done most notably by those who still hand letter signs and store windows Andrew Kings Ryan M-l shown here was lettered by a local sign painter It serves to remind us that there are often talented people who would love to help us with our restorashytions- ali we have to do is ask

Afairly regu lar question we get here at VAA headquarshyters concerns the layout of markings on older airplanes

When putting registration markings on the wings and rudder the exact proportions of the letters can someshytimes be difficult to determine from photogr aphs Pitman Publishing Co rp published one of the most co mmon reference books for meshychanics during the pre-World War II era Daniel] Brimm and H Edward Boggess wrote Aircraft Maintenance for the Airplane Mechanic Both were pilots and mechanics who instructed at the New York City School of Aviashytion Trades and their manual is still so ught o ut by those who want to lea rn about methods and practices in use in the Golden Age of aviation

DECEMBER 2002

To refresh your memory the curshyren t regul ations co n ce rning markings for older aircraft are conshytained in the FARs in Subpart C shyNationality and Registration Marks under 4522 Exh ibition Antique and Oth er Aircraft Special Rules For a complete article on II AnshytiqueC lassic Mark ings see the artic le published in the November 1996 issue of Vintage Airplane or go to the web at www vintageaircraftorg and cli ck on t h e pu ll-down menu under Publicat ions Click on IIInforshymational Articles and n avigate to the markings article

Heres what Brimm and Boggess pub li shed concerning the actual layou t of the block lettering weve all come to know and use

LETIERING AND All airplanes

ther the C A A regi numbers or license numbers In addition to the numbers carried almost all airplanes have some design painting such as an inshysignia or an emblem of some type In recovering or refinishing airshyplanes this work is usually done by the mechanic

PLACES AND DIMENSIONS OFMARliS

Identification marks shall be located as follows

(A) On Airplanes and GlidersshyOn the lower surface of the lower left wing and the upper surface of the upper right wing the top of the letters or figures to be

8

toward the leading edge the height to be at least four-fifths of the mean chord Provided howshyever that in the event four-fifths of the mean chord is more than 30 inches the height of the letters and figures need not be more but shall not be less than 30 inches If the lower left plane is less than one-half the span of the upper left plane the letters or figures thus described shall be on the under surface of the upper left plane as far to the left as is possible In the case of a monoplane the mark shall be displayed on the lower surface of the left wing and the upper surface of the right wing in the manner thus described On gliders the letters andor figshyures shall be displayed in the same manner and place prescribed for airplanes except the minimum size shall be 15 inches in height and 10 inches in width using a 2-12 inch stroke The marks shall also appear on both sides of the vertical tail surface or surfaces of size as large as the surface will permit leaving a margin of at least 2 inches

(D) The width of the letters and figures of all marks shall be at least two-thirds of the height and the width of the stroke shall be at least one-sixth of the height The letters and figures shall be painted in plain black type on a white background or in any color on any background but there must be a strong contrast between the two The letters and numbers must be uniform in shape and size -from Air Commerce Regshyulations

LETIERING LAYOUT Probably the easiest way to lay

out block letters on a wing is to use a chalk line to mark the loshycation for the top and bottom of the numbers A yardstick may be used for the vertical lines In most cases the vertical lines can be laid out parallel to the ribs The letters are usually blocked

in with pencil For outlining the smaller

block numbers and letters such as those required on the tail group much time will be saved if a lettering guide of the correct size and proportion is made A lettering guide of this nature is shown in Fig I Using this guide as a template the outshylines of any number and most letters can be quickly traced directly on the surface

Letrerin~ude - FI6I

MASKING After the numbers or letters

have been outlined by pencil they should be blocked in with masking tape as shown in Fig II If the letters are to be painted by brush a single line of masking tape as shown will be sufficient If the letters are to be spray painted any porshytion of the wing likely to be affected by the spray should also be masked This may be done by covering the surfaces with paper held in place with masking tape

After the masking tape has been applied the edges of the tape next to the number must be thorshyoughly smoothed down with some smooth hard object to prevent the wet paint spreading under the masking tape leaving an unshyeven outline

STENCILS Where a number of designs of

the same type are to be applied to a surface and where appearshy

ance is not of prime importance it is desirable to use a stencil as this is a much faster method of lettering or design painting Places where stencils may be used to advantage include the No Step signs Lift Here signs on wings Capacity of Baggage Compartment signs etc

The stencil consists of a plate usually of stiff cardshyboard or thin metal from which the design has been cut The deshysign is transferred to the surface by holding or fastening the stencil to the surface with masking tape and spraying over the entire stencil If the stenshycil is sprayed the paint should be used full-bodied otherwise it will run underneath the stenshycil thereby spoiling the design outline Stencils may also be applied by using a short heavyshybristled stippling brush If this is done the material should be used full-bodied and should be applied with vertical strokes Do not attempt to transfer the design by brushing over the surshyface of the stencil as runs will surely result

FREE HAND DESIGN The free hand painting of deshy

signs on airplanes requires considerable experience in that line however if the design must be painted by the mechanic the following suggestions may be of assistance Draw a pencil outshyline of the desired design on a large sheet of paper This alshylows for erasures and corrections until the design is suitable After the design is complete place the paper in a sewing mashychine and stitch without thread along each line of the design This causes a series of small holes along the design outline Fasten the perforated design in the correct position with maskshying tape The design outline may now be transferred to the surshyface by rubbing chalk over the perforations ~

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

The Making of a

Igrew up in Natick Massachusetts only one hour of thumbing

rides to Marlshyboro Airport-a l700-foot paved strip with tall trees at both ends in Marlboro Massachusetts At 10 I used to go to the airport to watch the planes fly try to bum rides and dream of flying someday Don Dorr had a small shack-like office on the field to sell planes He used to bring in planes many of which were beautiful Beechcrafts The year was 1959

I started taking flying lessons at 14 at Marlboro with another Don the airport owner We flew in his Cessna 172 I continued my flying lessons at different places in differshyent planes including Blue Hills Civil Defense Airport in a Navion and Norwood Airport in a Cheroshykee My flying achievements included private and then commershycial certificates a multi-engine rating and later an instrument ratshying I also purchased a Raven hot air balloon and got my private and later commercial ratings for Free Balloon Limited to those with airshyborne heaters

Except for the balloon all my flyshying was in rented aircraft As a typical renter I would pick a flight school to rent planes based on my belief that the operation maintained their planes in a good safe condishytion A typical flight included a preflight of the airplane a flight and a return of the airplane to the

10 DECEMBER 2002

STEVEN W OXMAN

flight school Only today after ownshying and working on my own plane do I realize how poorly my preflights were Only now do I realize how litshytle I was really checking the aircraft systems controls and engines

My First Aircraft Purchase A little over six years ago I purshy

chased my first plane a 1959 Beechcraft Bonanza It had about 2800 hours on it It was original in every respect From 10 feet away it looked decent To the neophyte airshyplane buyer this plane looked nice The price was right in the range that most planes of this type and age were going for There were no signs of this being a bad purchase at least for this novice buyer After an inshyspection of the plane and a prebuy a punch list was developed The seller a regular aircraft dealer in Okshylahoma agreed to fix all the items on my punch list

With the punch list items comshypleted and an annual completed I flew the Bonanza home overseen by a friend who is a pilot and who

regularly flies Beechcraft aircraft During this

flight a number of other mainteshy

nance items became apparshyent (eg we lost the right brake on the third landing) By the time the

Oklahoma to Maryland flight

was over we had documented approxshy

imately 30 items that would need attention

When I arrived in Maryland I turned the Bonanza over to an AampP He worked off my new punch list This AampP worked a lot on larger airshyplanes and corporate jets I quickly learned that this AampP was expenshysive and only did that which you identified Therefore I sought out another AampP

The second AampP had some expeshyrience with Beechcraft aircraft typically worked on aircraft the size of my Bonanza and charged more reasonable rates This AampP immedishyately identified some items that the other AampP and I had not identified a number of which were associated with Airworthiness Directives (AD) I decided to utilize the AOPA AD servshyice whereby you provide AOPA with the N number year make model and serial number of your plane and they provide you with a set of all applicable ADs About 2 inches of paper came to me via the post office My AampP and I went through the AD materials comparing them with the airplane and the logbooks We detershymined that there were 62 ADs with which the plane was not in complishyance I asked my AampP to fix the

plane up and get it in compliance I also asked my AampP to do some cosshymetic work on the plane (eg repair a torn seat and replace the carpetshying) He told me that he had a backlog of work and asked me if I would assist with this effort workshying under his direct supervision He especially wanted me to consider doing anything that I legally could do on my own like the upholstery work He quickly taught me where to look to determine which tasks I as the ownerpilot could legally pershyform on my plane

Thus far I had never touched the plane Although I had done a lot of work on automobiles through the years I was nervous about touching my plane

EAA AOPA and My AampP Effected ACourse Change

Through the years I had read EAA and AOPA magazines I had read of EAA members restoring their planes I had read of them competing their completed planes I had read of AOPA having reshystoration projects giving away completed ones to lucky AOPA members I was always impressed with the results Now with my AampP suggesting that I work with him on my plane and me wanting to get the plane to look and operate nicer and more safely I started to consider my AampPs offer

At first I thought I would just get the plane to look decent and be safe But as I started to work on the plane my idea and course changed

As an example I purchased new carpets from Airtex When the new carpets arrived I removed the old torn ones But before I installed the new carpets I noticed that the old wood floorboards were in terrible condition So I pulled up the old floorboards so that I could show them to my AampP But before I could bring the floorboards to my AampP I noted that the spaces under the floorboards were a mess I found old rotten insulation a pair of old sunglasses a screwdriver old bolts

and nuts old screws old Tinnerman nut plates and old wiring that was not connected to anything So the carpet job became a clean up the subfloor spaces replace the floorshyboards and replace the carpet When I did this project I inspected all parts cleaned up all parts reshyplaced all old fasteners and documented the work with notes and photographs

Before long I was doing the same kind of clean up fix up repair and replacement activity to the engine compartment the wings the rear fuselage and the empennage

By that point I was going to EAA fly-ins and reading magazines like EAAs Vintage Airplane I watched people compete their planes I saw some very impressive planes I really admired the restoration jobs These events stimulated me to more than fix up my plane These events enshycouraged me to change my course and do a complete restoration

Restoration Project Goals I work in the computer systems

field I am often the program manshyager for long important projects This background impacts all my projects and this plane restoration project would be no different Thereshyfore the first thing I decided to do was to determine my project goals My restoration goals included lHave a legal airplane 21nstall as many new safety feashy

tures as I could afford 3Install a modern avionics packshy

age 4Return the plane to its original

paint design 5Document all work and transfer

what I learn to others and 6Compete to win in events like

Sun n Fun and Oshkosh I wanted to first insure that the

plane complied with all ADs and Service Bulletins (SBs) I also wanted to insure that all regular mainteshynance items were up-to-date The AD and maintenance work would insure that the plane was legal and safe The SBs provided an extra marshy

gin of safety My plane was built in 1959 Since

that time a lot of safety-related adshyvances have occurred One example thicker one-piece windshields These windshields provide greater protection against bird strikes greater forward visibility and deshycreased cabin noise Also some safety-related items that were availshyable in 1959 were not installed on my plane which I opted to install now The installation of wing-tip tanks was one of those installations

My plane came with VOR-based NavComms an ADF some switches and a discreet amplifier in lieu of an audio panel an old inshytercom that was difficult to squelch a transponder and an old marker beacon receiver To comshyplement these devices the plane had old rusty antennas There was no GPS autopilot stormscope or TCAD The engine instrumentashytion was old and of questionable calibration Therefore the avionshyics the antennas and the engine instrumentation were all upgraded

My plane had been repainted in 1974 using the more modern 1970s paint scheme It looked nice but it was not representative of the year my plane was built Therefore I reshysearched the paint scheme available colors and color combinations that were available to new Bonanza buyshyers in 1959 I was lucky that an archivist at RaytheonBeechcraft in Wichita Kansas had a lot of mateshyrial on the Bonanza line and was willing to share relevant 1959 K model materials with me She was able to produce high-quality blackshyand-white photos for design information and color brochures for color choices Using a computer deshysign program the original design was laid out for top bottom and side views for the painters Using Du Pont Classic Imron the original paint and paint colors were used

I documented my work from the beginning including textual deshyscriptions and photographs

continued on page 22

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1 1

I

BY HG FRAUTSCHY

SEPTEMBERS MYSTERY PLANE CHIPPEWA SCOUT

Ryder Olse n of Burnham Illishyn o is sent Se ptember s Mys t ery Plane to us

Heres the note Ryder sent along with the photo

Enclosed is the photo of the Olsen monoplane ca lled th e Chippewa Scout This plane was des igned and built by my fath er in 1 926 in Chippewa Fa lls Wi sconsin Po wer was a three-cylinder Szekely radial engine According to my oldest brother

and my dad there were three of these completed by 1928 This plane apshypea rs in Sp o rt Av iation A ugust 196 1 in th e articl e li Th e Olsen Story I Th e specifications were inshycluded in the article

ft is my hope to fi nd one of these planes or at leas t a part of one Id like to hear from anyone who may have known my fa ther or who may have any knowledge of this airplane Perhaps there is one of these in a barn

THIS MONTH S MYSTERY PLANE COMES FROM THE

EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION ARCHIVES ALTHOUGH

WEVE SEEN IT PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE

1 2 DECEMBER 2002

somewhere Jm also looking for a three-cylinder Szekely

George Bud Hays of Lowell Inshydiana sen t us an e-mail with the correct answer noting that he beshyli eved abo u t 20 kits for the Chippewa Scout were delivered beshyfore the company closed up shop in 1929 Another correct answer wa s also received from Frank Pavliga of Rootstown Ohio ~

SEND YOUR ANSWER TO EAA VINTAGE

AIRPLANE PO Box 3086 OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086 YOUR ANSWER NEEDS TO

BE IN NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15 2003 FOR INCLUSION IN THE MARCH 2003 ISshy

SUE OF VINTAGE AIRPLANE

You CAN ALSO SEND YOUR RESPONSE

VIA E-MAIL SEND YOUR ANSWER TO

vintageeaaorg

B E SURE TO INCLUDE BOTH YOUR

NAME AND ADDRESS (ESPECIALLY YOUR

CITY AND STATE) IN THE BODY OF YOUR

NOTE AND PUT (MONTH) MYSTE RY

PLANE IN THE SUBJECT LINE

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING BY HG FRAUTSCHY

T RI-PACER

Completed in 2000 this 1960 Piper Trishy Kingsley owns the sharp Piper which includes Pacer was restored by Evans McCombs of a refinished interior new paint and an enshyEvans Aircraft in Peyton Colorado Doug gine-driven vacuum pump

COMMONWE ALTH SKYRANGER

Mark Schaden of Burton Ohio long were filled via the Internet and over the phone dreamed of a side-by-side tailwheel airplane Mark tells us his restoration took more than with sticks instead of control wheels He found 1100 hours of work crammed into one year just such an airplane sitting unused in a garage and that with the exception of the radio its The Commonwealth Skyranger is a rare find an original airplane right down to the wing and with no manuals restoring it as a neoshy slats and 6-inch tachometer A local Amish phyte was quite a challenge Thanks to a seamstress sewed the cream leather interior long-distance friendship with Bob Riffle of outlined in black It cruises at lOS mph and Tacoma Washington many information holes stalls at 40

1 4 DECEMBER 2002