VA-Vol-32-No-10-Oct-2004

VOL 32 No 10 2004

CONTENTS 2

4

10

16

22

24

27

31

VAA News

Reminiscing with Big Nick Reprinted from Vintage Airplane June 1974 by Nick Rezich

French Delicacy The Morane Saulnier 230 of Tom Leaver by Budd Davisson

AirVenture 04 The Vintage Instructor Sport Pilot is here by Doug Stewart

Mystery Plane by HG Frautschy

Pass It To Buck EAA has a Swallow by Buck Hilbert

Classified Ads

COVERS FRONT COVER It could be argued that Tomas Leavers Morane Saulnier 230 is one of the rarest airplanes in the United States since there is only one between our shores The same type airplane as used to depict the New Monoplane in the 1960s WWmiddotI flick The Blue Max the 230 is flown by Tom in the same manner in which it was built originally-no brakes and no steerable tailwheel EAA photo by Jim Koepnick Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore

BACK COVER Racing the Storm an oil painting by artist Jerry Anderson depicts an American Airways Curtiss Condor on short final to a fictitious airport in rural New York circa 1932-34 The captain is attempting to land just ahead of an approaching line of summer thunderstorms as a farmer in his Model T also rushing to beat the weather slows momentarily to watch the aircraft pass overhead You can reach Jerry at jandersonartsupernet com He resides in Middletown Pennsylvania

STAFF Publisher

Editor-in-Chief

Executive DirectorEditor

VAA Administrator

News Editor

Photography

Production Manager

Advertising Sales

Classified Ad Manager

Copy Editor

Graphic Design

Tom Poberezny

Scott Spangler

HG Frautschy

Theresa Books

Ric Reynolds

Jim Koepnick

Bonnie Bartel

Julie Russo

Loy Hickman

913-268-6646

Isabelle Wiske

Colleen Walsh

Kathleen Witman

Olivia Phillip

GEOFF ROBINSON PRESIDENT VINTAGE ASSOCIATION

Exercising your right to speak out

Having just returned from EAA AlrVenture Oshkosh 2004 I must say my head is still in a bit of a spin There was just so much to see and do it was nearly overwhelming

It continues to amaze me that so many rare and beautiful vintage aircraft make the trek to our event to show off their wonderful machines from the past Did you see that gorgeous Jenny and all those Howards And the Type Club Parking area was well represented with large numbers of Cessna 195s Stinsons and Helio Couriers

The buzzword at EAA AirVenture 2004 was weather Everyone was wondering how long we would be able to enjoy the sunny days and mild temperatures and we ended up having one of the best weather years ever at least in recent memory I hope everyone liked the layout of the Vintage Aircraft Parking area As most of you are aware for many years the vintage parking area played host to the homebuilt arrivals who wanted to camp with their aircraft 2004 was the first year EM was able to provide the homebuilt campers with their own deSignated camping area

This proved to be a huge success with more than 120 homebuilders camping in this new area and it also provided the vintage area the flexibility to more appropriately display our type of aircraft without the constant worry of saturating our area and wondering where we would park the next arrival Kudos to EAA for providing a muchshyneeded service that clearly benefits both the homebuilders and the VAA Kudos also to the Parking and Flight Line Safety Committee for their efforts in planning and implementing an

exemplary display of our attendees aircraft This committee has been led by its chairman George Dauber (VAA vice president) for many years and he has been blessed with a talented and enthusiastic group of co-chairs who perform yeomans duty on the flightline each year Thanks to all for your efforts

I would of course be remiss in failing to mention all the other EM AirVenture volunteers This was a truly remarkable year for our volunteer numbers as I was informed that we were blessed with nearly 500 volunteers in the vintage area alone Again many thanks to all the judges the Manpower Committee participants plaques parking volunteer center public relations merchandising trams past grand champions interview circle Tall Pines Cafe security and of course our VAA staff You are all valuable to the operation of the vintage area during EAA AirVenture and we sincerely appreciate your efforts

In last months column I mentioned the importance of continuing to wage a unified front to battle additional flight restrictions in an already overly complex airspace system SpeCifically I mentioned the Washington DC region which has had to endure the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) there Having had firsthand experience operating my Cessna 170 inside that ADIZ last March I can confirm that it has really taken the steam out of GA operations in that region I personally cannot imagine losing the opportunity to jump in my aircraft at will and go around the patch a few times without having to comply with so many layers of regulation

Now as a matter of course there is a

proposed rule being drafted to modify this ADIZ to make it a permanent heavily restricted area EMs position opposing this proposed modification is the right one and should be supported by all the alphabet organizations as well as our membership

Earl Lawrence EAA vice president of industry and regulatory affairs said it best There is absolutely no need to make this ADIZ permanent It would not add a shred of extra security for this country and would only further discriminate against general aviation

I dont care if you live in Spokane or Little Rock we all need to have our voices heard inside the Beltway on all issues that serve to further confuse airspace users We should all voice our opposition to this anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking to our congressional representatives Gone unchecked the question will become who gets the next ADIZ You can bet elected officials like Mayor Daley of Chicago will be watching this one closely with an if they can have one why cant we attitude

Please exercise your right to be heard and let your representatives know how you feel about these issues Failing to exercise your rights is the same as not having any

My favorite time of the year for flying my personal aircraft is now on the horizon The cooler temperatures and fall colors certainly make for an enjoyable leisurely stroll among the clouds Be careful and enjoy

it ~~member jOie VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Ceetomiddotr) 5J ~0)1 d ~AA

(1200 YrOr ot Pwreci r Cf--1

EAA Annual Report for 2003 Online

Celebrating 50 Years of EAA in the Centennial Year of Powered Flight the annual report of the Experimental Aircraft Association for 2003 is available at wwweaaorg The 16-page report highlights EAA activities accomplishments and its financial standing for its golden anniversary year

Tributes In the tributes to three of

our friends who we lost earlier this summer I failed to add a paragraph honoring the family members affected by their loss

Darren Banfie ld is survived by his mother Susan his sister Diane and his brothers David and Don

Ken Love is survived by his daughter Jeri Mlakar his two grandchildren Olivia and Audrey his former wife Geri Love and his two sisters Joan Allemand and Carole Rittmiller

EwellBudd Dake is survived by his wife of 38 years Connie

Our condolences to all family members and friends affected by the loss of these men The cause of both accidents remains under investigation

OCTOBER 2004

TFRs Can Be Avoided Using EAAs Flight Planner

This years election the first national election held since 911 has been marked by a flurry of presidential temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) both for the chief executive and his challenger These TFRs have been known to appear on short notice and are often ro lling TFRs as the candidates travel on the surface As is noted at the end of the TFRs lilT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATORS CHECK NOTAMS FREQUENTLY FOR POSSIBLE REQUIRED CHANGES TO THIS TFR PRIOR TO OPERATIONS WITHIN THIS REGION

Many of us fly aircraft that have no or limited communications so checking the status of the airspace we intend to fly through is imperative Using the EAA Flight Planner benefit of your EAA membership can help you avoid an ominous cal l from a federa l agency You can access the EAA Flight Planner powered by AeroPlan nercom from the EAA or VAA websites wwweaaorgorwww vintageaircraftorg Click the Plan A Flight button on the left-hand side of the page and then after you log in click NOTAMs on the menu bar near the top of the page

Friends of the Red Barn Our thanks to our fellow members

who contributed to the VANs 2004 Friends of the Red Barn campaign and to those who have aiready sent in their contributions for the 2005 campaign Look for exciting news regarding additions to the benefits of being a member who contributes to the Friends of the Red Barn We expect to have the details finalized by the ho liday season Thanks again for helping the VAA area of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh be the best it can be during the annual convention

Sport Pilot FAQs Updated Regularly

Visitors to the EAA sport pilot website will find continuously updated content including new frequently asked questions (FAQs) Organized in 12 subject areas new entries are based on calls to the Sport Pilot Hotline and e-mails received by EAA Aviation Information Services If you have an SPLSA question check the SPLSA FAQs at wwwsportpilotorg-your answer is probably waiting there for you

EAA Air Academy Announces 2005 Dates

Registration is now available for the full slate of sessions at the EAA Air Academy in summer 2005

Two sessions for ages 12-13 EAA Young Eagles Camp will take place on June 29-July 3 and July 6-10 EAA Basic Air Academy for ages 14shy15 has three sessions scheduled June 13-19 June 21-27 and July 11-17 EAA Advanced Air Academy sessions for ages 16-18 are scheduled for July 19-26 and July 30-August 8 For complete information visit wwwairacademyorg

Restoring Smithsonian Ercoupe The Smithsonian Institutions

Silver Hill (Paul E Garber) facility has the original Ercoupe aircraft in its collection and is in the process of restoring it

Its wish list of missing (needed) artifacts includes - Airspeed Aeromarine Instrument

Company Model 54 (range 40shy160 mph)

-Magnetic Compass Aeromarine Instrument Company Type (2 digits)

-SlipSkid Indicator Air Associates Inc (curved bubble gauge 10-0-10deg range mounted immediately below the panel-mounted compass)

- Altimeter Kollsman Instrument Company Model 677 (vertical

2

barometric pressure adjustment only 25 30 35) knob at 1800

) -Ignition Switch AC Type -Tachometer (reading from face top -It also needs a Lear radio Model

to bottom RPM Hundreds Mark AMR-1 or AMRL-1 (200-500 cps) I BU AERO USN Serial 209-34 receiver and loop antenna manufacturers name was very If you know of anyone that has any short ended in CO 3600 range of these radios or instruments please starting vertically 5 10 IS 20 contact William R Bayne via e-mail at then smaller 1800 arc on right ercogurutxercoupemuseum 01g

Sport Pilots Take Flight On September I 2004 the sport pilotllight-sport aircraft (SPLSA)

rule went into effect and current certificated pilots with an FAA medical certificate or valid drivers license began exercising sport pilot privileges in eligible homebuilt and production aircraft

Among them was Roger Peterson of Sweeney Texas On September I for the first time in 17 years he flew as pilot in command of his Piper J-3 Cub About two years ago when it looked like sport pilot was coming in I bought a 1940 J-3 and have been flying with an instructor since then he said Last April it looked like [the final rule] was imminent so I started building a PA-l1 replica I completed it this April so now I am legal in both of them I really appreciate the effort [EAA] put in to bring this thing off

Peterson 66 grew up on an Iowa farm started flying in 1954 earned his private ticket in 1960 bought a J-3 and traded for a Cessna 172 and then an Aeronca Champ which he flew until 1987 He had bypass surgery that year and never applied for his special issuance medical although his doctor also a pilot said he wouldnt have a problem getting one

Just last year he built Peterson Field (08XS) on his property Of course if sport pilot hadnt come through Id have a couple of airplanes for sale and a grass strip put back to pasture he said Man Im just glad you guys went through all the effort

Certificated pilots like Roger Peterson who are not current must undergo a flight review with an instructor before they can enjoy flight as a sport pilot If the FAA has denied suspended or revoked a pilots most recent application for a medical certificate that pilot my not use a drivers license as a medical certificate until the denial is cleared from his or her record

The Rest of the Story Get the rest of the EAA Airshy

Venture Oshkosh 2004 story at www airventureorg For daily convention news click on the AirVenture Today newspaper links headlining the AirVenture homepage

Who won the EAA Sweepstakes Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Find out by clicking on the Sweepstakes and Raffle Winners link See why Marv Melansons Wag Aero Cubby received the Outstanding Homebuilt Seaplane Award Or check out Marc Stamstas 1960 E8L Falco this years Most Unique Award (Contemporary Category) Photos of all the award-winning aircraft are now available by clicking on the 2004 Aircraft Awards link

While youre visiting the home page see hundreds of photos detailing all aspects of the convention from the Warbirds area to the Vette Seaplane Base To see what you missed at EAA AirVenture this summer visit wwwairventure01g

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane June 1974

The Howard Story - Part One

Its a Wasp Monocoupe No its a aha Wow Look at it go What is

it Its Benny Howards new

Mulligan These are just some of the

comments you would have heard had you been in the grandstands on opening day of the 1935 National Air Races at Cleveland Ohio

Benny O Howard had just won the Bendix Race beating Roscoe Turner by 24 seconds roaring to victory in his newest creation Mr Mulligan The new Howard racer was not the typical Howard design of the past-the sleek low wing typeshybut instead a high wing strut-braced monoplane After taking the laurels (and cash) for the trans-continental Bendix Race Benny entered Mr Mulligan in the Thompson Trophy race against the powerful little lowshywing pylon racers

For the Thompson he selected his 01 racing buddy Harold Neumann

OCTOBER 2004

by Nick Rezich

of Kansas City to handle the chores Harold was no newcomer to the Howard designs as he had been flying the Ike Mike and Pete Harold qualified the Mulligan at a speed of 247 mph which made him a threat to the other qualifiers and a potential winner

Before the Thompson got underway Harold warmed up by winning the Greve Trophy in Benny Howards Mike making it two out of three for Benny Winning the Thompson would give him a clean sweep of the major events at the Nationals

The favorite in the big one the Thompson was the colorful Roscoe Turner but everybody was pulling for the Mulligan and Benny Steve Wittman was in the line up with his powerful D-12 powered Bonzo and Harold knew that Witt was going to be a hard man to beat in addition to Turner Then there were the jitterbugs of Roger Don Rae Joe Jacobson Lee Miles and Marion McKeen-each of which posed a threat

Well 01 Harold nailed down

second place with that big brute and played a waiting game who is going to blow his engine firs t Turner in the lead or Witt righ t behind him nibbling on his flippers He throttled back just enough to keep Roscoe in sight and then it happened Bang Roscoe blows his engine and leaves the race

The crowd goes wild and when they come around again the dean of air show announcers past and present Jack Storey booms over the PAshy

Neumann the leader Can he keep it

The crowd is on its feet as Witt nibbles at Harolds tail Harold knows Witt is there even though he cant see him from inside that cabin He inches on just a bit more power to hold the lead but unknown to Harold Witt is having problems with the D-12 and is running with reduced power Well BELIEVEshyYOU-ME Harold was going around those pylons so close I swear you couldnt put a 050 feeler gauge

4

Mr Mulligan on the day of its first flight Few fairings had been applied at this point The exhaust system visible in this shot is different from what appears on later photographs of the racer PHOTOS COURTESY DON PRATI

between Mulligan and the pylon Harold goes on to win the coveted Thompson Trophy Race and it is a clean sweep of the Nationals for Benny Howard

Benny went to the Nationals for one reason-to win as much money as he could The money was to be used to open a factory to produce Americas fastest 300 hp four-place cabin monoplane Benny was already into the design with Gordon Israel the co-designer and co-pilot of the Mulligan for the

PHOTOS COURTESY DON PRATIBendix win Benny left Cleveland with a hat full of money but before he left he called Chicago and said member Eddie Fisher or EAAIAC building it He may have picked up go full bore on the new airplane member Harold Neumann pilot a few scraps of the wings or other

Before we go on about the of the Mulligan He also states that parts but not THE Mulligan or Howards I would like to clear our Harold was co-pilot on the victorious else there must have been TWO engine here The December 1973 Bendix flight-not so It was coshy Mulligans because Sludge Doyle issue of the AOPA Pilot carried an designer Gordon Israel He states that and Mike Molberg brought back article about Benny Howards DGAs the factory opened in 1937-not so what was left to bring back I was at It was written by my good friend It was 1936 (The Howard Aircraft the factory when they unloaded it and popular EAAer Peter Bowers Corporation was formed in 1937) in front of the engineering offices of Fly Baby fame In my opinion He also says the Howard airplane This was valuable information to Pete Bowers is the foremost aviation was not meant to be a seaplane-no the engineers and Benny historian and the most accurate no noll The production airplane was When that blade let go (and it was writer in the aviation media certified as a seaplane (see photo) the complete blade) the engine stayed however his researchers or the The first seaplane went to Canada on the airplane and the airplane did printers zinged him this time I dont as CF-BET-all white trimmed in not break up in the air The vibration know what happened but the facts red The highlight of the Chicago was so bad that it knocked Benny got a bit screwed up on a couple of Air Show held in the International cold for a while and it was his wife pOints I hope Im not nit picking Amphitheater was a Howard on floats Mike who kept the airplane right but I find my version different than sitting in a pond of water I should side up until Benny could recover his anyway I vas dere Charlie know I waxed it every night enough to fly it

Pete states that the Mulligan was And finally and foremost a fellow What happened to the Mulligan It built in a store in Chicago-not so It on the west coast claims he salvaged was cut up at the factory and most of was built in Kansas City Ask the man the remains of the Mulligan from the parts tubing etc were made into who helped build it EAA Warbird the New Mexico crash site and is re- souvenirs I was talking to Mr Earl

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

~ HfI and Mr Mulligan on the day of the first flight of the racer NoteWnJn

the lack of fairings and paint

Ewing our first plant superintendent the other day and he informed me that his wife still has the flower pot holder made from the Mulligan Mrs Molberg has hers also To go a bit further I tried to buy the remains at the time but couldnt-but during the negotiations I wound up with the wings from Gordon Israels Redhead racer I hope this clears the air once and for all about the Mulligan If a Mulligan emerges from the west coast it will be a replica OK nuff said

Now where was I Oh yes the first Howard

Benny Howard was flying for United Airlines at Muni (they called the Chicago Municipal Airport Muni in those days) and living at the Troy Lane Apartments-known as the Troy Lane Hotel It was located at 63 rd and Troy on the south side of Chicago about 3-Vz miles from the airport Remember this location because when we get into the Pylon Club story a little later we will be talking about the same location

In order to work on the new airplane and not drive all over town and to be away from snoopers Benny rented a store around the corner from the hotel and that is where the first Howard DGA cabin was built

I was still working for Blue Bird when the finished airplane was trucked out to Muni for final assembly and flight test My first impression of the

OCTOBER 2004

airplane when I first saw it assembled was WOW It looked like it was doing 200 mph just sitting there It was painted with a metallic blue and bronze and it sported a Wright J-6shy7E2 in the nose

I watched them make all the final adjustments etc and made sure I was on hand for the first flight I asked Benny What are you calling this one The Flanigan1II was the answer

And thats what I have been calling it ever since

When it came time to test fly the Flanigan Benny was in his usual good form Those of you who knew Benny will remember his favorite maneuver was a chandelle on takeshyoff After completing his taxi tests he came roaring down the old southwest runway at Muni and as he approached the old Standard Oil Company hangar down went the left wing and up went the nose and I mean UP into a beautiful chandelle

The first flight looked like he had 1000 hours in the machine Benny made a few speed passes coupled with some pylon turns and then an out of sight climb This was followed by a slow flight circle of the airport and a 3-point landing like it was loaded with nitro

There was much jubilance back slapping etc after that flight and it was agreed by all that Benny had another winner in the Flanigan

~ 0 0 Z

8 gtshy(f) UJ Ishy0 ) o u (f)

~ ~

Now the work of getting the machine certificated and finding a place to build it was underway Certification was handled by Gordon Israel For the factory Benny chose the old Matty Laird factory located in the Clearing industrial district The address was 5301 W 6yhSt-just two blocks south of Muni Matty had used this building to construct his last airplane the Sesquiplane The factory was opened in 1936 with the same handful of men who built the Flanigan

All the money Benny won at the 1935 Nationals was put into the certification of Flanigan and the factory He was still short of working capital and needed more money to get the operation off the ground The place to get the much-needed money was the coming 1936 National Air Races The now-famous Mulligan was brought to Chicago for rework in preparation for the Bendix Race Master mechanic and chief honcho was Roy Sludge Doyle He upped the horsepower of the Mulligan to over 800 and said Hell he can win the Bendix with the flaps down

My first working experience with the Mulligan came when it was moved to the old Texaco hangar at Muni I was not a Howard employee yet however I knew Roger Scheon (I may not have that name spelled properly but it is pronounced Shane) the brother of Maxine

6

Howard Bennys wife So I was allowed to help Sludge Doyle My first job was that of pouring oil along the hangar floor so we could slide the tailskid which was built into the tail to maneuver the ship in and out of the hangar We didnt use good oilshythe oil came from Roger Scheons gas station which was immediately across the street from the hangar Oh yes I had to clean up the hangar floor afterwards

Being on hand during the test flights was breath taking Every flight was an air show On one flight Benny took off from the northsouth runway which was the shortest at Muni-around 4500 feet long holding it down going south toward the Texaco hangar When he got to the ramp he pulled it up into the famous Benny Howard chandelle and I swear it was a 60-degree climb That climb continued that way to about 12 or 14 thousand feet I had never seen an airplane climb like that from take-off He ran many altitude tests

because that was his secret-altitude The low-level tests were something

else these you had to see and hear to believe The harmonics between the prop and exhaust sounded like the present day jets-it was more like a purr than roar I will never forget that sound or sight A day didnt pass that I did not bug Sludge Gordon or Benny for a ride during the testing But with the tanks in the back there was no way Time was short and every flight was of importance Benny said he would fly everybody in it after the races I lived for that daywhich ~ never came ~

The final shakedown flight was from Chicago to New York We gassed and oiled Mulligan to race weight Mike and Benny strapped themselves into the seats the engine barked to life and they were off As they taxied out for take-off I was wondering how it would get off and if he would pull his chandelle on take-off

Well the take-off was no different than the others as far as getting off

This is Maxine Mike Howard leaving the Chicago hospital enroute to Palm Springs California for recuperation and rest (following the Mr Mulligan accident) That is Gordon Israel with her The other lady I think is the hostess from Palm Springs Note that Mike is flying a TWA DC-2 husband Benny flew for United I took this photo at Muni

This is the Flanigan after it went through the factory

This is the original Howard DGA-8 the Flanigan The picture was taken the evening of the first test flight

certification The photo was taken by me at Muni The ship was later sold to Mexico along with two others Notice the only changes from original to licensed airplane are a new fin and rudder exhaust outlet on the left side instead ofthe right rounded rear window and nav light on the fin instead ofthe rudder

This is the first Howard seaplane Photos taken at the factory fly-away hangar in Chicago Note the high gear This was a double door (left and right) model Also it was equipped with three fuel tanks

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

and climb were concerned however Benny did leave off the chandelle It was less than 3 hours when Benny called and said he had made it in just under 2 Vz hours with no problems (Thats about 630 nautical miles with a ground speed averaging 252 knots-Editor)

Again everyone was jubilant all but one that is Sludge looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders Sludge was clutching a notice in his hand that read Tests indicate propeller should be restricted to 500 or 550 hp I dont recall which This really disturbed Sludge He knew he had over 800 horses jumping up and down under that Mulligan cowl There was no other propeller availableshynor was there any money if one were available Yet he knew he couldnt turn Benny and Mike loose with that prop Many frantic phone calls were made and still no prop Race time was around the corner and a decision had to be made As I remember it someone at Smith said it was OK I dont know

who made the final decision to fly the race with the Smith propeller but I do know who accepted the responsibility when that prop failed over New Mexico while Benny and Mike were leading the Bendix by a huge margin

When the Mulligan was destroyed in the ensuing crash Roy Sludge Doyle crashed right along

This is the economy model with the 225 Jake and Curtiss-Reed prop no wheel pants and the cheap paint job Photo taken by an unknown (to me) photographer when the ship was on the west coast for the March 1937 Pan Pacific Air Show at Los Angeles I have a photo ofBenny and Mike sitting with the airplane at the show

NICK REZICH

with them When Sludge was notified of the crash he knew what had happened and kept screaming I should have never let them go Mike and Benny recovered from that crash but Sludge -like the Mulligan-was destroyed for life From that tragiC day in September 1936 until the day he died Sludge carried the cross of guilt and responsibility of that crash He died with a very heavy and broken heart He stayed on with the factory taking his early pay in stock instead of cash (because there wasnt any of the latter) until it closed during World War II A day didnt pass that he didnt

OCTOBER 2004

The same ship after being returned to the factory for new deluxe paint job and new gas tanks The photo was taken by

me at the Chicago factory we were swinging the compass at the time

COU RTESY NICK REZICH

Howard DGA-8 powered by a 320 hp Wright Colors Stinson Green - Spartan Green This photo was from company literature

remind someone that it was his fault for letting Benny fly the airplane In recent years whenever I flew an air show in the South Bend area 01 Sludge would show up and we would reminisce about the Howard days Our last visit was during the Polish Air Force air show at Warsaw Indiana Before the day was over he again reminded me that he should

never have let Benny go and that the factory would still be open if it were not for that accident

The accident really did upset the apple cart for Benny The factory was open with a few orders for the new DGA but it needed the money Benny had

hoped to win at the 1936 Nationals With Benny and Mike in the hospital the factory more or less went into receivership before it formally opened I think you know what I am trying to say Benny was broke Now add the hospital bills to the already broke Howard Aircraft and you have a grim

situation You would think that would be enough problems for Benny-but there were others that were much worse Mikes legs were not healing properly and this worried Benny more than the factory Benny recovered first and Mike came along later after several operations She was and still is the most beautiful considerate

woman in the world When she and Benny healed and came by the factory she was dressed in the sharpest pair of slacks I have seen She stopped and talked with everyone in the shop

and she always had the big smile one never forgets

Let me tell you a story about Mike and Ben They were going through the factory and stopped to talk with me while I was putting the final sanding on a yellow Howard I dont know if I was showing off or just super thrilled with our chat but while they

were still standing there I proceeded to sand through the fabric along a stringer on this almost completed Howard embarrassed BOY you know it Mike and Ben smiled and walked on leaving me with a repair job that would have to be invisible upon delivery of the airplane

Mike knew everyone in the plant by first and last name and would most often call you by your first name or nickname (By the way about the time you are reading this I will be returning from Hammondsport NY where I will have attended the

8

enshrinement of Ben O Howard into the Pioneers of Aviation OXshy5 Hall of Fame)

Benny hired only super craftsmen You had to be the best in the industry or you didnt work for Howard After working for Blue Bird American Airlines Stinson Aircraft and others I can truthfully say that when a Howard was delivered it was the best built airplane in the world

Some of the original super men were The late Mike Babco welder supreme He came from Matty Lairds Mike also made jigs The woodworking department was headed up by the late Eric Pearson He and his Swedes could lay plywood like it was molded plastiC The original assembly was handled by three men from Stinson-Earl Ewing the late Mike Molberg and Lefty Huff Lefty didnt last long as he did most of his work with his mouth instead of his hands As it turned out Earl Ewing now retired and living in Pennsylvania was named shop superintendent Mike Molberg was put in charge of all assembly The sheet metal department was headed

CAA DGA-8 Note the lower gear and right hand door This airplane was loaded with radio gear for CAA work The pilot got lost over Kansas City and cracked it up when it had only a few hours on it Ship was rebuilt by Howard

This is a deluxe 9 with controllable prop 2 doors and deluxe paint The Stinson in the background was a tradeshyin for a Howard The photo was taken by me at the Chicago Fly-away factory area during test flight phase

up by the dean of tin benders Eskic HallqUist who also came from Matty Lairds He was a gutter man in Chicago and would come out to Mattys to

These two photos were used in the Howard Aircraft Corporation promotional publication DGA-11 NC 18208 450 Horse Power Wasp Jr Colors Insignia Blue and Yukon Gold

make cowling on contract The finishing department was run by an old airmail mechanic Red Gross from Chicago Inspection was the job Skippy Butler nailed down The interiors were by Frank

Kubac aluminum welding by the super welder Robert Babb of St Louis (and now a bartender in Chicago) This guy put heliarc to shame The plant master mechanic and in charge of the

fittings and machine shop was Roy Sludge Doyle The engineering department consisted of Gordon Israel as chief and Ted Linnert Later came Dr Walter Brownell Dr Niebersauer Gordon Israel again and finally Bill Peerfield Flight test was handled by Ben O Howard Walt Brownell Fred Novinger Gordon Israel Walter

Daiber and Tony Mackowicz Tony was the spin expert He ran all the early spin tests Walter Brownell ran the spin tests on the first seaplane He is the chief pilot for Morton Salt flying a JetStar today Tony Mackowicz is living in retirement in Chicago Ted Linnert is with ALPA in Washington DC and Gordon Israel is in California working as a consultant

Sales were handled by Slim Freitag and Bennys brother Sam Howard The last I knew of Sam he was living in Coral Gables Florida and producing the world famous Aquatic Productions Slim is still living in DeKalb Illinois

I may be misspelling some names here please forgive me as I am going back 38 years and I couldnt spell then

For president we had Ben O Howard BD DeWeese and Dan Peterkin Jr The only vice president I can remember was C Slim Freitag

Next month we will go into the factory and build them how and who Ill tell you about some special customers like Wallace Beery and others Keep the letters and cards coming-it really blows my ego

Until next month remember the wing tip that points to the tail in a spin requires opposite rudder for recovery

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

Tom Leaver who was born in Sonoma California yet spent much of his life in England doesnt strike you as someone who would enter aviation at the extreme edge of the logic curve his first airplane the Morane has neither a tail wheel nor brakes and includes some of the most archaic systems outside of a turn of the century locomotive Plus even though he left California early and has spent most of his adult life overseas working in the oil industry the mystique of Sonoma and its old airplanes left its mark

I soloed when I was 16 years old and got my pilot certificate before I had my drivers license My dad was a career Air Force officer and mad keen on flying I was always out at the base with him and met a lot of great people through him including Jimmy Doolittle Unfortunately after I graduated from university I stopped flying for IS years as a result of my career

What brought him back into the fold The Morane did

I first saw the airplane at Booker Airfield in High Wycombe in 1989 It was sitting forlornly in the back of a hangar at Tony Bianchis Personal Plane Services and it was obvious it had not been flown for quite a while In fact it had been sitting for approximately 13 years

lilt was so ugly you had to love 1 2 OCTOBER 2004

it Even though I hadnt flown for a long time and had flown nothing even remotely resembling this it immediately caught my fancy Tony gave me the history of the type and this particular airplane-that it had been the late Patrick Lindsays first airplane in his very unique and rare collection A challenging day VFR airplane perfect

Tony and his company are world famous for the restoration work they have done on a wide range of extremely unusual airplanes especially those from World War I the 1920s 30s and World War II Often these airplanes wind up in the movies as Bianchi is a ready source for these aerial movie stars

Patrick Lindsay was a worldshyrenowned airplane collector who at various times had a wide number of historic aircraft including an original SESa an original Sopwith Camel and the only flying Mark I Spitfire

liThe Morane it turned out was imported for him by Tony around 1968 when it first came to England from France Prior to 1949 the airplane had an unknown history having been flown disassembled stored and reassembled until it was put back into the air around 1967 It had been maintained but not fully restored

Morane Saulnier 230s were

Tom Leaver

actually in production for quite a long time 1930 to 1948 to be exact Just over a thousand were built primarily for the French air force and Navy but a number were sold to foreign governments as well Belgium and Switzerland in particular However very few have survived In fact Tom reports that his and one in France are the only ones he knows about that are still flying Because the airplanes logs only go back to 1949 he believes from the information gleaned from Tony Bianchi and Jean Salis that the airplane was built in the 1930s but not assembled until 1949

Tom says liThe fuselage is largely wire-braced with wood longerons and stringers When Tony went back through it and restored it

MIKE STEINEKE PHOTOS

for me he found the wood was in excellent condition and needed only light sanding and another coat of varnish However its easy to see why so many of them didnt survive During the war the Germans wrecked quite a number of them because of the lack of brakes and a strong propensity to ground loop

One of the unique aspects of this Morane is that it is almost completely original For instance very little of the sheet metal has been replaced or repaired The right forward strut was replaced with an original one courtesy of Jean Salis and the aircraft has a few small patches from an incident in 1999

It was really bizarre I was in the airplane parked and shut down when someone started a Champ inside the hangar I was sharing It came roaring out and ran into the Morane The prop of the Champ

chewed up the strut which could have been a big deal if we hadnt been able to find a replacement The struts are extremely unique and have internal aluminum ribs reinforcing them flush riveted to the surface and tapering at both ends of the strut It still

took two years to re-cover the wing and get her back into the air

Up to and during World War II the airplanes primary mission was advanced training especially aerobatics Besides performing liaison duties it was also stationed with front-line fighter units (French then German) for aerobatic practice The Morane 230 was also the first aircraft used by the Patrouille de France from 1931 to 1935 then replaced by the more powerful Morane 225

The airplane has a fully inverted fuel and oil system and this specific machine was used by English aerobatic champion Manx Kelly to win the 1969 Esso Tiger Challenge in England It does have its peculiarities however For one thing when inverted you are actually pulling the stick back to neutral rather than pushing it forward as with most other aircraft It flies fine inverted and most competitors in the airplane routinely spun it inverted

liThe control pressures are relatively light in pitch but the ailerons are quite heavy They are so heavy in fact that there is a stick extension in the rear cockpit that can be extended to give the pilot more mechanical advantage Also the aileron linkage hangs out the bottom of the wing and can be changed to reduce or increase the amount of movement available for serious aerobatics

The engine is a nine-cylinder Salmson 9Ab of 230 hp and its inverted fuel capabilities come courtesy of a double diaphragm

Zenith type carburetor The engine is one reason Tom bases the airplane in Winter Haven Florida

Besides the obvious weather advantages-spending so much time in England makes you aware of sunshine-I have the airplane in Winter Haven because thats where Andy Salter lives Andy overhauled the engine when he worked for Tony Bianchi He then moved over here and now works for Kermit Weeks Since he knows the engine and airframe better than anyone else and loves the airplane as much as I do we agreed to leave the airplane there for him to look after

Tom had little or no tailwheel time when he bought the airplane but since he had flown very little in more than 15 years to a certain extent he was starting over anyway

I started training in a CAP 10 and then on to an SVA Stampe When Tony thought I was ready I started flying the Morane with Jonathon Whaley an incredibly experienced display and ex-RNAF pilot Jonathon brought a certain amount of military diSCipline into my flying which I thought was really good and benefited greatly from A lot of the training focused on landing and the flight characteristics near the stall She will drop a wing and only rudder will lift it which then puts you off your heading-in toshywind landing configuration setting you up for a ground loop The other part of the training focused on ground handling especially avoiding ground loops in an aircraft without wheel brakes and only the tail skid for braking Add in the short fuselage moment and over 200 pounds on the tailskid and you have an airplane that loves to swap ends

liThe landing gear struts are hydraulic pneumatic and very wide-great for rough fields and stability in the event of a ground loop The aircraft has the standard dual magneto setup but also has a starter mag that showers sparks into all of the cylinders during startup The aircraft starts with high-pressure air from an internal

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bottle located beneath the pilot seat It can be pressurized by attaching a handle to a fitting on the right side of the fuselage and manually recharging the bottle Dont go there it would take forever to get to the 30 hectopascals (atmospheres) that the bottle needs to turn the engine Instead I use a high-pressure industrial air bottle through a Schrader valve to charge the internal bottle The airplane was never designed to recharge itselfI

According to Tom starting the Morane is something of a oneshyarmed wallpaper hanging drill

Once you have charged the internal bottle to 30 hectopascals shut off the outside air bottle and the internal bottle valve

Then to your left on the floor of the cockpit open the suction for the primer draw the primer cylinder vertically up turn the suction to charge push the primer cylinder fully down repeat this procedure six times and then put the lock cylinder in the full up position or risk getting your wrist badly bruised when high pressure air goes through

With wheels chocked and prop clear mags on mixture rich and 14 OCTOBER 2004

throttle 1 inch open open the air valve on your right (engine is turning with appropriate hissing sounds) and crank the starter mag also on your right until the engine fires or you run out of air

If the engine fires quickly shut off the air valve to conserve air adjust the throttle to 800 rpm turn the primer suction to charge push the primer cylinder down into the closed position and lock the suctioncharge valve into the neutral position

If the engine didnt start repeat the entire air charge and primer sequence per the above again

Tom swears that once you get the rhythm down and master the dance it actually works quite well

lOnce started you let it warm up to SOdegC which takes 10 to 20 minutes depending on ambient temperature The carb heat is on all the time With no brakes you can do a mag check only with the wheels chocked In fact for the most part you cant taxi out to the runway unless the entire airfield is grass In Winter Haven I put the skid onto a specially built tow bar and tow the airplane into position on the grass side of the hard runway using a golf cart For

maneuvering at away airfields like Sun n Fun and in my hangar I use a dolly to wheel her around

liThe trim is set via a large lever on your right that looks like a flap handle You select the takeoff position out of three detents When you move that handle youre moving the entire horizontal stabilizerI

The lack of brakes and the tailskid (this is a real taildragger) throw a long shadow over everything done on the ground You cant so much as crack the throttle a little without thinking of the consequences of gaining too much momentum so taxiing takeoff and landing are done in a careful and considered manner

liThe airplane can only be flown from grass with no exceptions It has I8-inch tires so it handles rough grass extremely well but if you get it moving on pavement the tailskid has no drag and theres no way to stop it other than shutting down immediately Thats why I have to bring my tailskid dolly if I fly to other grass airfields with hard taxiways Its always an adventure