VA-Vol-8-No-1-Jan-1980

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Brad Thomas

January of each year marks a period of personal drive to enh ance and pursue your New Year's resolu­tions. Following a p eriod of holida y fes tiviti es and seasonal enjoyment , th e routin e of your work duti es rel axes and your thoughts wander through th e past year to analyze your goals and achi evements that w ere set twelve months ago. During 1979, many unkn own factors app eared on th e horizon th at would aff ect your avi ation hobby and possibl y alter your thoughts and int end ed course .

Th e " Great Airspa ce Robbery " of th e FAA appea red in fr o nt of us as an unknown blotch to sport aviati o n and contain ed many fa cets and proposals that w ere definit ely not in lin e with th e int ent as presented . Reali z in g th at th ese proposal s w ere not in th e b es t interes t of sport and general aviati o n , we rose to pro­test. W e bro ught forth our valid anal ys is and sugges ted reason abl e methods to approach th e actual probl em s with appropriate lead ership , thou ght , and fact s. With­out th e help of each and every m ember of EAA and our Divi sio n , who wrote letters of co mm ent to th e FAA and your Con gress m en , w e firml y beli eve th e entire prop osa l would have passed through th e governm ent chann els in hast e. Th e resounding echo of our EAA m embership togeth er with the resp o nses from A O PA and o th er aviation o ri entated avi ati o n gro ups bro ught th e att enti o n of our individual and co ll ective exp erti se befor e th e publi c, o f f icials of Congress and th e FAA.

Infl ati o n continu ed to be brou ght befo re our eyes, and as Janu ary expir ed and th e fo ll o wing m o nth s vani shed , a seemin gly endl ess ris e of p ri ces app ea red in o ur cos ts of oil-related produ cts. W e had all read and hea rd throu gh th e media th at gasoline cos ts t o us w oul d reach o ne d o ll ar per ga ll o n befo re th e end of 1979. In January and Feb ruary of 1979, I doubt if many of us actu ally beli eved th ese es timates of fu el cos ts would reach th e pri ces predicted. But it did happ en and even exceed ed th e ori ginal es timates. Airlin e transport ati on cos ts have risen d ras ti ca ll y and many feeder ro utes w ere ter minated , thu s multipl e probl ems

for travelers in th ese areas. Corporate flyi ng increased and many owners of sing le and light twins found th eir tim e sa ved and trave l cos ts redu ced by th e use of th eir own aircraft for bu sin ess and p erso nal transp o rtati o n to areas not se rv ed by th e airlin e indu stry.

But what of th e Antiqu e, Classic or sport avi ati o n owner and pilot? O shkos h '79 was to tall y su ccessful and w e brought our ai rcra ft fr o m everywh ere, drove our ca mp ers and arri ved in autos. Admitt edly, sp o rt avi ati o n and general av iati o n pil o ts are probably no t flying as many pl easure hours as in p reviou s yea rs, but w e do show a to tal interest by co mbining our recr ea ti o nal activiti es with a pl ann ed schedul e to continu e our hobby with th e z ea l and zes t w e have always exhibited.

So here w e ar e in Janu ary, 1980, having surv ived two majo r se t-backs and lo okin g fo rward to a w o n­drou s yea r with th e ambition and su ccess w e po rtr ay and pursue with th e abilit y to overcome that pas t and look fo rward to an event ful and successful yea r . O ur Antiqu e/Class ic Di v isio n di splayed a reasonabl e growth during "1979. M embership in creased, new chap ters w ere fo rm ed , O shkos h '79 was fantas ti c, and w e are looking fo rward to bringing you an ex panded and fruit ­ful Divi sio n durin g 1980. Your o ffi ce rs, dir ecto rs and advi so rs w ant you th e m embershi p to keep us info rm ed of your sugges ti o ns to ex pand and develop o ur Di vi­sion for th e purp ose it was chart ered to pursue. We hav e many new inn ova ti o ns to i mp rove our image and th ese w i ll be brough t to your att enti o n as th ey unfold .

O f spec ia l int er est t o o u r m em be r ship is ou r ann o un ce m ent th at John Turgya n has been p laced o n th e Boa rd of Directo rs of th e D iv isio n and will ass um e hi s new p os iti o n immedi ately . There is p roba­bl y no o ne individu al w ho, over th e yea rs, has attended and parti cip ated in m o re fly-in s th an John. Hi s ex­posur e, kn owl edge, int eres t and devotio n to EAA, our Antiqu e/Class ic Div isio n and spo rt avia ti o n will defi ­nit ely enhance th e image we d es ire to dem o nstrate.

Of no teworthy interes t is th e p os ition of Edito r of Th e VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Effective at once , Gene R. Chase ha s ass um ed thi s p ositi o n and b egun hi s duti es to enhan ce our outstanding publi cation . In ord er to b etter relat e Gene to you , w e would Ii ke to pres ent some of th e interesting background and quali­ti es he possesses .

Born in Casp er , W yoming in 1924 , Gene began hi s infant car ee r as a no rmal child and m oved with hi s par­ents to Sco ttsbluff. Nebraska in 1931. He too k his fir st airpl ane rid e at th e age of twelve, in a Stinson SR-6. He had been watchin g and admiring airplanes sin ce his early days in Casp er and th e fa scination of air­craft bega n to entrench his desire and motivation to beco me a part of avi ation . After gradu ating from high school he ent ered co ll ege in Scottsbluff , compl eted one year , and with WW II in progress entered th e Navy fli ght training program in 1943 and flew TBF 's. Returnin g to Scottsbluff h e compl eted his coll ege caree r maj o ri ng in m echani cal engi neeri ng . H e re­main ed active in th e Naval Reserve prog ram and fl ew va ri ous typ es of fi ghters; some of whi ch w ere Co rsa irs, Bea rca ts, Panth er jets, Cougars and Ph antom F2H-1 's.

Durin g hi s coll ege ca reer h e obtain ed his fli ght instru cto r rating and currently holds a comm ercial tick et , single and multi-engine land , glid er , and in stru ­ment and instrument in structors ratings. Durin g hi s transiti o n to civili an w o rk he was first empl oyed as an en gin ee r with a natural gas utility and then pr o ­g ressed to probably hi s most enjoya bl e exp eri ence at that lime, as a pil ot and engin eer with Standard Oil of Indiana.

In 1973, Gene was invited to be a part of EAA Head­quart ers and he fun cti o ned in th e va ri ous pos iti o ns of ass istant ed ito r , bu sin ess manager , and directo r of ou r EAA Air Museum Foundation wh ere he continu ed to serv e until hi s recent promotion as Senior Edito r of SPORT AVIATION and Editor of Th e VINTAGE AIR­PLA N E and Warbirds p ubli cati o ns. Th e background and ex p eri en ce Ge ne p ossesses w ill undo ubtedl y brin g to us an exciting, concise and w ell organized publi ca tion that will co ntinu e to expa nd and crea te th e int eres t w e des ire to develop i n Th e VINTAGE AIR­PLANE .

H e has f lown 251 d if fer ent typ es of aircraft that in clu de over 80 antiqu es , 60 hom ebuilts and 28 military typ es. H e is th e pro ud own er of a 1928 Church Mi d­win g (currentl y o n di spl ay in our EAA Mu seum), a 1935 Tay lor E-2 Cub th at is li censed and flying, and a 1931 Cur tiss Wri ght , Jr ., that is under res to ration .

W e are p roud to have Gene Chase o n our tea m !

Editorial Staff

Publisher Paul H. Poberezny

Editor Gene R. Chase

(Boeing Company Photo)

A United Airlines Boeing Model BOA in flight over a mid­west city.

Associate Editors : H. Glenn Buffington, Edward D. Williams, Byron (Fred) Fredericksen, Lionel Salisbury

Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs . Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIR­PLANE during the current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR­PLANE and a free one-year membership in the Division for their efforts. POLICY-Opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors . Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Directors

Claude L. Gray . Ir. M orton W. Lester 9635 Sylvia Avenu e P. O. Box 3747 PRESIDENT Northridge. CA 91324 M artin svill e, VA 24 112

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THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IS owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division . Inc .. and is published monthly at Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53t30. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office , Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 , and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc .. are $14 .00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation .

Tti~ VI""TAf3~ AIl?VLA""~ OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC.

of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130

CopyrightO 1980 EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc., All Rights Reserved.

JANUARY 1980 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 1 (On Th e Cover. Th e number 2 Pip er Tri Pa cer owned by Leslie D. Marsh of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Photo by Jack Cox .!

(On Th e Back Cover. Following engine overhaul preparatory to Jimmy Doolittle's Tri- Capitol record setting flight , in October, 793 7, the SUPER SOLUTION sits parked at th e Prall & Whitn ey Aircraft Plant in Eas t Hartford, Connecticut. Ph oto courtes y of M ally Laird.!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Straight And Level by Brad Thomas .. , ', ......... ,.,... . .. . ..... . . . . .... 2 A Tri-Pacer With A Pedigree by Gene R. Chase ........ • ... . ...... . ... . ·, · 4 Laird Super Solution Project by Gene R. Chase .......... . ....... . ... ,. .. 7 Airline Travel Fifty-Plus Years Ago by Edward D. Williams .... . ,... . .. .. . .. 9 A Montana Fly-In by Ed D. "Skeeter" Carlson ..... .. ... , . ..... . .... . .. . .. 14 A Little Bit Of Little Ed Heath by Robert Burge . ... . ... . ....... , .... .. ... . 16 Airplane Type Clubs .... . ..... . ..... .. ............. . ..... - ............. 18 Calendar Of Events . ... .. ...... . ... .. . . . .. ... .. ...... . . . ..... . ... .. . , .. 19 A Curtiss Album by George Hardie, Jr ........... . ... . ...... . .. .. . .. . . . . . 20 Borden 's Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's by Lionel Salisbury ..... • .. .. 24

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP o NON-EAA MEMBER - $22_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/

Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year mem­bership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separate membership cards . SPORT AVIATION magazine not included.

o EAA MEMBER - $14_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD. (Applicant must be current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.)

Page 4 Page 14 Page 16 3

TrI- a'~r witb By Gene R. Chase a ·~~di9r~~

In February, 1976, Leslie D. Marsh, EAA 137616, of 811 Shelbyview Drive, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160 purchased an "old run-out" Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer bearing registration number N7777K. From a distance it looked fine but up close certain problems were obvious. The wing tip bows were damaged and there was evidence of previous hail damage which among other things, had ,dented some of the wing ribs .

The plane was covered with Grade A cotton and Irish linen, all of which punched in the green. It was no raving beauty but was airworthy, and Leslie enjoyed flying the Tri-Pacer for about 100 hours over the next 2 years.

Shortly after acquiri ng the aircraft, while going through the plane's paperwork Leslie discovered that he owned more than iust another PA-22. ,After doing some research · he found that his craft bearing serial number 22-2 was the second Tri-Pacer built by Piper, its date of manufacture being 11-15-50.

The prototype Tri-Pacer was N7700K, serial number 22-1. It was subsequently destroyed during static testing at the factory. The third Tri-Pacer was the first production machine and was retained by W. T. Piper as his personal plane.

Leslie is fortunate in having the early log books for N7777K. A sampling of the entries looks like this:

11-16-50 First test flight by J. Meyers

(Various) Several flights checking engine cooling

11-21-50 Tests with Aeromatic prop

11-22-50 Tests with Sensenich controllable prop

2-20-51 Installed standard wings (Leslie talked about this with J. Meyers, Piper test pilot, now retired, and learned that slotted wings were used for some of the tests prior to this date)

(Various) Series of fuel flow tests using a Stromberg carburetor

3-3-51 Checked rate of sink with round leading edge flaps

(Various) More Stromberg carburetor tests and cabin heat tests

6-7-51 New type controls installed (No details avail­able)

2-8-51 through 9-51 Eight engine changes relating to cooling tests and various horsepower ratings

10-30-51 Installed auto pilot devices (This is the final entry relating to experimental work in N7777K)

In June, 1953, all experimental equipment was removed and the aircraft was put in standard category . It was sold by Piper in late '53 or early '54.

The factory-installed engine in N7777K was a Lycoming 0-290-0, sin 528-21, however, in 1951 during the period of many engine changes, this particular engine was also installed in two other Piper aircraft, a PA-20, N1590A and a PA-18 , Nl199A.

After flying the Tri-Pacer for two years, Leslie dis­cussed a complete restoration of the plane with Ri chard Blazier, owner-operator of Ragwing Aircraft at · Tulla­

homa , Tennessee. A work schedule was set up and th e restoration was soon underway.

Richard and Leslie were pleasantly surprised to find that the only evidence of corrosion in the entire airframe was around the door channels. These were removed and replaced. The frame was cleaned and epoxied and wood stringers replaced where necessary .

Damaged wing ribs and tip bows were repaired and the butt ribs replaced. The fuel tanks were removed and cleaned .

The aircraft was covered with Grade A cotton en­velopes from Cooper Aviation Supply Company. After an application of fungicide, the finish consisted of 4 coats of clear nitrate dope, 12 coats of silver butyrate and 12 coats of color butyrate. The colors are the original Piper Polar Gray trimmed in Tennessee Red .

The restoration further consisted of new hardware, control cables, windshield, side windows, headliner, carpet, upholstered seats , tires, bottom engine cowl­ing and scoop. Other panels and fairings were re­paired to new condition .

After 7 months of hard work and total devotion, N7777K was assembled in September, 1978 and test flown on October 2, 1978. Everything checked out beautifully and after , 5 hours of local flying, Leslie displayed his confidence in the Tri-Pacer by making a round trip flight to the Grand Bahamas.

The plane is currently based at Parish Aerodrome, Tullahoma , Tennessee, site of the Walter H. Beech Staggerwing Museum and the EAA National Fall Fly-In .

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LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION

PROJECT By Gene R. Chase

(Ph oto b y Don M orris)

Th ese are the iolks who gave up a weekend to load th e Laird into a closed va n ior it s trip to Wisconsin. Standing I. to r.: Bill Choma, Rod Spanier, Donna Morri s, Jim Sweeney, Gordon Knapp , Dr. John Shinn, Leonard McGint y, Cici Chapman. Kn eeling I. to r.: Fr ed C)uinn, Bill y Henderson, Paul Hopkins , Chris Choma, George Read, Jess ie Woods. Bill Choma is Director oi Maint enance at th e Mu seum and he and son Chris drove th e van transporting the plane to th e Mu seum.

In 1931, Jimmy Doolittle set the U. S. transconti­nental speed record, crossi ng th e cou ntry in 11 hou rs 16 minutes 10 seconds, averaging 217 mph, including 3 refueling stops. The flight was made in a beautiful little biplane designed by E, M. "Matty" Laird and built by the Laird Company, in Chicago, in only six weeks.

The remaining parts of this one and only Laird Super Solution are owned by the Smithsonian Insti­tution's National Air and Space Museum and are cur­rently on loan to the EAA Air Museum Foundation. In 1975, Chapter 1 of EAA's Antique/Classic Division offered to restore this historical aircraft for the N.A.S.M. under the auspices of the EAA Air Museum . After completion, the plane would be displayed in the EAA Museum.

This group, more commonly known as the Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association, began the restoration project in earnest. This was a tre­mendous undertaking considering the fact that these are the same people who also put on the Annual Sun 'N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.

The project leader was Ed Escallon, EAA 58814, who demonstrated his extraordinary dedication by

leaving his job as an engineer with the U.S . Navy at Cape Canaveral so he could devote full time to th e Laird project. The work was being done in a hangar at the Winter Haven, Florida Airport.

Through Ed's friendship with Matty and Elsie Laird of Boca Raton, Florida, Matty's expertise and support was available. Jimmy Doolittle of Los Angeles also lent his support to the project.

As work progressed, the idea of seeing the Super Solution fly one day became overwhelming to those who were directly involved. The N .A.5.M. policy does not permit any of their aircraft to be flown, so arrange­ments were made to retain the original Laird parts so they could be duplicated. Work was started immedi­ately on a faithful copy of the original aircraft, with ownership being retained by the EAA Air Museum Fou ndation, Inc.

Interest in the' project spread like wildfire and soon offers of assistance were received from EAA members throughout the country . This volunteer help was in the form of making parts and fittings, making complete components (for example, the wing panels and tail group), drafting the plans as the plane

took shape , donating materials, etc. Last but not least , were the cash contributions including funds raised through the sale of specific items for this purpose (see notice at the end of this article).

When the aircraft reached its present state of com­pletion as shown in the accompanying photo, a meet­ing was held between representatives of the Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association and the EAA Air Museum Foundation to discuss the Mu­seum 's offer to make its shop at EAA Headquarters available to complete the project.

The unanimous decision resulted in the move last summer of the Laird Super Solution replica and the original Laird parts , to the Museum in Franklin, Wis­consin. While on temporary display in the Museum, the Laird was one of the most popular exhibits.

The aircraft has since been moved into the shop and the construction schedule is geared to having it in flying condition on the flight line at Oshkosh '80! Watch for update reports on the Laird Super Solu­tion project in future issues of this publication.

7

NOTICE - The following items are available from EAA Headquarters. Funds derived from the sale of these items will aid in financing the completion of the Laird Super Solution project. The sales price includes a tax deductible donation to the EAA Air Museum Founda­tion, Inc.

lithograph (17" x 22") - A beautiful rendering of the Super Solution in authentic colors from an oil paint­ing by Richard E. Thompson. The original painting was authent icated by Mr. Laird and his initials ap­pear below the signature of the artist. This litho­graph is also available , framed and personally auto­graphed by E. M. "Matty" Laird and General James Doolittle.

Historical Photo Album - 12 - 8 x 10 glossy prints from Mr. Lai rd 's personal collection, i ncludi ng pi c­tures of the Super Solution, the Laird Solution, the Laird-Turner Racer , Jimmy Doolittle and Matty Laird .

Commemorative Stamp Memento - Stamp collectors should be particularly interested in this uncan­celled 13c stamp commemorating 50 years of com­mercial aviation, 1926 - ·1976. This 8" x 10" memento is suitable for framing and each one is numbered and personally autographed by E. M. " Matty" Laird. Depicted on the stamp are two early aircraft used to carry the first commercial Air Mail in the U.S . In the background is a Ford Pullman and in the foreground a Swallow, designed and built originally by Matty Laird as Wichita 's first airplane.

Laird Jacket Patch - These patches are .13;"" x 3 3;"" and are faithful reproduction s of the Laird Company logo. •

For prices and ordering instru ct ions please see the ad on page 26 of this issue.

(Photo b y Lee Fra y)

Th e Museum crew unloading lh e Laird Oil ils arrival ell

lh e Museum . .

By Edward D. Williams Associate Editor

773 Eastman Drive Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

All Photos Courtesy Of United Airlines Ex cept As Noted

Airline travel still had a long way to go in 1929. For the previous year, a total of only 52,924 airplane pas­sengers had been reported by the Aeronautical Cham­ber of Commerce. This averaged out to just slightly more than 1,000 passengers a week for all the airlines in the entire United States. (Last year there were about 5,000 airline passengers for everyone in 1929.)

Historically speaking, when it comes to airline travel, 1929 was a vi ntage year.

Fifty years ago, the airline queens of the skies were the Fokker, Boeing, and Ford trimotors, and airline passengers were passing out of the "flying suit and goggles" age into a new era in which they no longer had to sit on mail pouches in open cockpits. But it was still a time when most people in the world had not flown and commercial air travel had to be sold to the public.

Today, travel agents book clients on 600-mi le-an­hour jumbo jets to exotic and far away places, and these bookings are heavy on both scheduled and char­ter flights. But 50 years ago, air travel was new to travel agents, and they had to work to get all but the hardy and adventu resome into an ai rli ner.

In 1929, travel agents were given this guidance by an expert:

" Spec ial clothing for airplane travel is unnecessary wh en the traveler uses the regular, es tablish ed passenger air lines . Th e airplanes of these lines are of th e enclosed cabin type with th e interiors similar to thos e of a railroad parlor car.

"However, should th e traveler intend to take sp ecial chartered airplan e trips, in whi ch open cockpit planes may be us ed, the traveler should equip himself with a pair of goggles and a helme!."

The advice continues with a style note to the ef­fect that, " A sp ecial flying suit is usually not necessary, especially in the summer months, and its purchase should be lerr to the discretion of the traveler."

This up-to-date information was contained in the article "Air Travel - A New Source of Profit", by Fred Burns, in the inaugural issue of TRAVEL TRADE Maga­zine of July, 1929. As a service to its readers in Volume 1, Number 1, the magazine also carried a composite listing of timetables and fares of the existing airlines in the United States which carried passengers. This special section consisted of only five pages.

Burns admitted to his readers that, "Air transporta­tion is still in its infancy" since many passengers still had to ride in open cockpits. But the drama of avia­tion, as covered in the press since Charles Lindbergh's historic New York-Paris flight two years before, could mean financial success to travel specialists. "Th e travel bureaus and tourist agencies who equip th emselves now to handle air travelers will not only profit, but will be th e recipient of beneficial indirect publicity," Burns wrote prophetically half a century ago .

Lindbergh's feat had caused public interest to sky­rocket, and travel would never be the same. Burns commented:

" With th e Ameri ca n publi c becoming more and more airminded daily, the increase in pass enger airlines and fr equent r;1ail y sight of th ese planes pass ing overh ead, th e new comfor ts and safety factor of today's airlin ers, the enthusia sm of th e public for th e adventure, roman ce and speed of th e airplane flight. th e travel burea us and tourist agencies are afforded a new and additional source of in come."

And in order that they might be knowledgeable about the subject, Burns suggested that " It is generally

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found advisable to have the person in charge of your air travel department take an airplane ride during (his) spare tim e to acquaint himself with th e advantages, thrill and time-saving element of air trave/. "

This was at a time when most of today's airlines weren 't even born.

For example, in the five-page timetable section, there were these familiar names: Northwest Airways, Western Air Express, Capitol Airways, Pan American Airways, Colonial Air Transport, Clifford Ball, Stout Air Services, Maddux Air Lines, Boeing Air Transport and Pacific Air Transport.

But there also were a Southwestern Air Fast Ex­press, Universal Air Lines, Interstate Air Lines, Na­tional Park Airways, Mutual Aircraft Corporation, and even a Yellow Cab Airways.

And they were flying everything from a new Ford 5-AT-C to the old Eaglerock biplane - flown by Wichita Falls Air Transport .

In addition, according to the timetable section in the magazine, other equipment in service were the Boeing 80 and 40B (f lown by Boeing Air Transport), the Boeing 40C (flown by Pacific Air Transport), the Fokker F-10 trimotor (flown by Pan American, Uni­versal and Western), the Fokker Super Universal (flown by Universal, National Park, Southern Air Transport and Standard Air Lines), and the Hamilton Metalplane (flown by Northwest).

However, an airline passenger could still find him­self in an open cockpit Stearman C-3B of Western Air Express if he didn't mind the breeze . And, ac­cording to the TRAVEL TRADE timetable, other air­lines boasted of such equipment as Capitol 's and Embry-Riddle Company's Ryan Brougham, Northwest's Stinson Detroiter, Southern's J-5 and J-6 Travel Airs and Curtiss Robin and Pan Am's "Keystone Trimotor, six-passenger Loening and Fokker F-VII" .

The timetable showed the travel opportunities exist­ing at that time. Route systems ranged from only be­tween Waterloo and Des Moines (Midwest) and Kan­sas City-Des MoineS-Minneapolis (Yellow Cab Airways) to the extensive route systems of Pan Am and Boeing.

However, transconti nental air travel had al ready been available to an airline passenger for almost two

9

When Stout Air Services flew between Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago in 7929, it operated the venerable Ford Tri­motor, which not only was built by the Slout Melal Air­plane Co., a division of the Ford Motor Co. , but th e air­plane traced its lineage to th e orig inal Stout Trimotor. Stout Air Services in early 1929 was operating th e Ford 5-AT-8 (shown above in the markings of Nationa l Air Transport! and later in the year added th e 5-AT-C. The 5-A T-8 was the ultimate in trayeler comior/ and received its approved typel certificate ih jun e, 79 29. It was hur­riedly put into service' by othe, airlin es, such as Maddux, T.A. T., Pan Am, Colonial and &.A. T.

10 .

Th e Ford 5-AT-C, which followed closely behind Ihe 5-A T-B in 7929, 'increased passenger capacity to 77 pas­sengers. The first plane off the assembly line in Dear­born, Michigan, went to Maddux Air Lines in California in mid-1929, and by the end of the year a total of 35 5-AT-Cs had been delivered to various airlines. Note the mail bags being loaded into th e wing storage compart­ment.

years , since September 1, 1927, but on two different airlin es. That was when Boeing Air Tran sport and Na­tional Air Transport joined up at Chicago, makin g New York to Oakland travel by air poss ibl e for th e first time . (See Th e VIN TA GE AIRPLA NE, December, 1977.)

The roots of today's airline industry go back to that time . For example, Maddux joined with Standard and with Transco ntin ental Air Transport to form Trans­continental and Western Inc. , the original TWA.

Stout was merged into National Air Transport, which later joined Boeing Air Transport , Pacifi c Air Transport and Varney Air Lines to form United Air­lines .

Western Air Express, with National Park, evolved into Western Air Lines.

Clifford Ball evolved into Capital Airlines, which eventuall y merged into United.

Northwest Airways became Northwest Orient. Embry-Riddle, Universal , Colonial and South ern

and others formed American Airlines . Fifty years ago saw the beginning of th e co mpl ex

airline family trees, but they all shared one beli ef ­that the carrying of passengers was "here to stay".

Travel authority Burns beli eved in it, too. Hi s ar­ticle in the July 1929, TRAVEL TRADE said:

"One decided reason fo r travelers turning to airplane transportation, especia ll y seasoned travelers, is th e op­p ortunity of seeing planes fr om a new p erspective, of being above th e scenery instead of on a level with it. " That has been one of the major lures to flight from the first time a man-carrying aircraft was launch ed, and now- in 1929 - it was being used to snare pot en­tial air passengers instead of early balloonists and aircraft pilots.

" An airplane view ca nnot be dup licated by any m ethod of travel oth er than via airplanes," Bu rns wrote in u nder­scoring the obvious .

Today's pampered passengers in th e supersonic Concorde might appreciate their accommodations more if they took noti ce of Burns ' statement that the 1929 air traveler would be able to see more in hi s alloted vacation time "s in ce use of airp lanes w ill en­able th e traveler to cover approxim ately 7,000 miles in 70 hours".

Passenger convenience and comfort in 1929 was not as complex a matter. Boei ng Ai r Transport's Wasp­powered Boeing 80 trimotor was the last word in luxurious air travel when it was first introduced in late 1928. The large cabin carried 12 passengers and was provided with hot and cold running water, for ced air ventilation, leather upholstered seats and indi­vidual reading lamps.

Ca bin shot of Ford Trimotor showing airspeed indica tor and altim eter; also th e aluminum sea ts which rep laced wicker chairs. Note th e captain 's hea vy lea th er ja cket and th e pull down shade over th e w indow in th e door to th e flight deck.

(Trans Worfd Airfin es Photo)

Passenger chairs in th e earl y models of th e Ford Trimotor were of wicker constru ction. Later they were furnished in aluminum covered wi th lea th er. Large windows, ar­ranged to provide passengers with a good view of th e landscape, were of non-shallerable g lass w ith individu al shades. Electri c cabin li ghts were prov ided over each sea t. Th e cab in interior was covered sheet aluminum w ith a ba lsa wood core, providing a surface for interior decora­tions and some soundproofing.

This is the prototype Boeing 80 photographed on July 14 , 1928. Power is three P. & W. Wa sp engines.

11

(Boeing Company Photo)

In-flight shot of a triple-tail /3oeing 80A. No te th E.' aft ex­tens ions on th e fenders to protect th e lower wings from wheel splalt ering.

Th e Boeing 80 trimotor was introdu ced in late 7928 and b y th e next year had es tablished itseli as a leading air­lin er despite the fact th at it was a biplane. Th e single­rudder 80 was superseded later in 1929 by a single-rudder 80A and th en a triple- tail 80A.

In late 1929, the newer, Hornet-powered 80A , car­rying 18 passengers, was available . Boeing Air Trans­port, the following year, hired eight registered nurses to tend to the passengers ' needs. They were the first stewardesses ill the airline industry.

The Fokker ··F-10 also had its touch of class. It fea­tured mahogany paneling, a complete lavatory and individual reading lights. But more than just pas­senger comfort was of importan ce to the fledgling airlines. In 1929, for example , Northwest Airways equipped its planes with radio r eceivers and indi­vidual headphones.

The Ford 5-AT-B was the ultimate in air travel in early ·1929.. It was first delivered to Transcontinental Air Transport in October, 1928, and Maddux, Pan American, Southwest Air Fast Express and Stout each got their first 5-AT-B's in December, 1928. Colonial Air Transport didn't get its first 5-AT-B until March , 1929. Almost immediately, in May, 1929, the larger and improved 5-AT-C was delivered to Maddux. The next month, 5-AT-Cs went to Northwest, Stout and Pan American-Grace. By the end of 1929, the Ford Trimotor had become the backbone of the schedule air transportation industry.

Passengers who dared to fly commercially were rewarded with a memorable experience. In 1929, one passenger , a Philadelphia engineer named Walton Forstall, wrote:

" Flying as we did . .. gave a wonderful opportunity to 'see th e world go by'. And what an interes ting world it was. . It had not yet grown used to our tremendous three-motored Ford. Th e roar of our propellers brought humans to look up and wave, dogs to bark in defiance, made horses and ca ttle scamper wildl y, and drove chickens to th e neares t cover, seeking refu ge from some giga ntic hawk ."

12

Cons tru ction details show clearly in this photo of an early Boeing Model 80 .

The Boeing 80A was introduced in September, 1929 and was a huge plane for the day. It was des ign ed for large capacity trans continental passenger servi ce and mail­express operation. It was flown by Boeing Air Transport, which introdu ced stewardesses to th e industry th e fol­lowing year.

Being an airline passenger in 1929 could have its drawbacks, however. Such as the incident reported in a 1929 issue of Western Air Express' DASHBOARD RECORD . It involved a flight in a Fokker F-10 which encountered bad weath er and was forced down atop a mountain in Utah in subzero weather. The pilot hitchhiked to a farmhouse and telephoned Salt Lak e City for help . A rescue tru ck was sent, but it couldn't get within a quarter mile of the plane. The result was that the pilot had to enlist the aid of his passengers in lugging 1,000 pounds of mail and their baggage to the truck. Then they had to push the truck uphill and ride downhill as they headed for the nearest town.

But , all in all, in the history of the airlines, 1929 was a year to remember.

Wi th sea ting for 18 passengers and a crew of two, the Boeing 80A was an air traveler's dream in 1929. The main cabin was lined with rows of three sea ts and was finished with mahogany panelling (of plywood), with a thick core of balsa wood for insulation. Soundproofing of th e cabin walls permitted passengers to converse in near normal ton es. Heating and ventilation brought considerable com­fort to passengers, who were protected by shatterproof glass windows. There also was a cloak room, overhead racks and a lavatory with hot and cold running water.

13

By Eel D. "S keeter " Carlson Rout e I, Box 202

Spokane, WA 99204 Yl Jrlontana (j:Zy"In Photos b y Doris Carlson

~

Bea con Star Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana. The barn, a famous dan ce spot in the thirties, was rebuilt by Frank Ba ss in 1977 . A new house w ith an indoor pool replaces an elderly iarm house on the Montana Ran ch.

Beacon Star Antiqu e Airfield is located in the cen­ter of the hu ge Montana Judith Basin where famous Charles. Ru sse ll captured Western art on canvas . The airstrip is on a half section ranch own ed by Frank Bass, a prominent Montana auctioneer who promotes aviation every chance he gets. His second annual fly­in last August 4th and 5th was conveni ently held at the end of the EAA Oshkosh Fly-In enabling many pilots to stop enroute home to the Northwest. My wife and I in our D. H. Puss Moth joined th e hundred aircraft in attendance.

The gathering at the private airport was another success ful event for Frank Bass and hi s family in­cluding son Colin with whom he is associated in th e au ction eer bu siness. Th ey are all qui ck to add that

there was a lot of help from many, many friends. The Montana Chapter of th e Antique Airplane Association help ed prepar e th e airfield for th e fly-in and spo n­sored the no-host dinner of barbecued stea ks which amazingly could be cut with plastic fork s providing th e excellency of Montana beef . The M oore, Montana Women's Club made sure th ere was plenty of food and beverages for brea kfast and lunch fo r the two days.

In the bi g barn , a famous dance spot of th e thir ­t ies and forti es and recently saved from destruction by th e Ba ss family, th e Lewistown Barbershop Q uar­tet entertain ed with several songs. N ex t , the walls once again vibrated with good mu sic by the " Her tz Combo" Orchestra jo in ed by " Spinach " Ennis on th e~

Scale model built by Hap Hall is a ll exact cop y of brother Bud 's Piper PA- 12.

slide trombone who flew in from North Ridges, Ca li­fornia with hi s new bride , Dallys. During the evening Bob Taylor, National President of th e A ntiqu e Air­plane Associat ion was introduced. He surpri sed every­one by announcing th e forthcoming marri age of Jerri Brooks of Sylma, California and Frank Bass as the first wedding to be h eld at the upcoming A.A.A . National Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa.

The old-fashioned barn dan ce las ted into th e wee ho urs of th e morning. givin g many but a short sleep 'neath th e wings before th e ea rl y ri sers w ere enjoying th e excell ent weather by flying around th e big sky of M o ntana . Others too k advantage of the swimming pool and enjoyed th e country-club atmosp h ere of th e ranch.

14

va of the three known Lincoln PT's. NC2'J73 I is owned Dr. Hal Wighton of Roslyn, Wa shington and the olh er

()wned by Jim Hayden ()f Boise, Idaho.

Air show p erformer AI Newby taxies his dreat Lakes Trainer past Frank Bass' Kari Keen Coupe which projects a unique "ant-eater" profi Ie.

.. ~

Ha yden's award winning Linc() ln PT and th e Puss th in front of the hangar additi()n whi ch Frank Ba ss 'ed 10 th e barn.

Bud Hall of Bozeman , Montana announ ced that PA-12 had pupp ed during the night but the " baby"

ned out to be an exact scale model , meti culously d e by his brother, Hap Hall of Lewi stown, Montana. Among th e outstanding antiques attending besid e , Bass' Kari Keen Coupe was a Staggerwing Beech h Lan e Leonard of Covina, California, a Cessna master with Darlene and Art Swenson o f Spokane, shington, and a Wa co Cabin with George H eft­~er of Kansas City. Also attracting attention were ) Lin co ln PT's , Jim Hayden 's recent restoration for ich th e A.A.A. Missouri Chapter awarded th e " Best ique" trophy and th e military painted one which I just been purchased at Oshkosh by Dr . Hal Wigh­

of Roslyn , Washington. Th e only other kn own

Lincoln is owned by th e EAA Air Museum and was on display at Osh kosh '79.

To redu ce expenses everyon e volunteers to help during the fly-in and air show. Although Frank main­tain s that trophies aren't necessary and that his fly­in is just a big get-together for fri endly pilots , he ac­cepted the " Roving" Hot Air Trophy and Bob Taylor presented some flyers with A .A .A . Fearless Pilot Wings . One such fearless pilot was AI Newby of Belgrade, Montana who gave an excellent performance in his Great Lakes Trainer. AI , along with Fred Ludtke , Ron Litton , and the very active Bozeman Skydiving Team put on a good little air show. "Dusty" Rhodes, ac­compani ed by hi s wife Bette, f lew in from Colorado to do th e announcing .

Lefi to righl- Jerri Brooks and Frank Bass, Belle and " Ously ' Rhodes, and Bob Taylor in front of the Ka ri Keen Coupe.

I t is hard to beat Montana hospitality and many of us also had the pleasure of a chat with Rose and Frank Wiley who were visiting from Shreveport, Louisi­ana. Mr. Wiley, a noted pilot and form er Montana Aeronautics Commissioner for whom Miles City Air­port was renamed , is the author of an excell ent book on ea rly Montana aviation called " Montana and the Sky".

Frank and Jerri were married at the big August wed­ding and speaking for myself and many Northwest aviation enthusiasts we wish them much happiness and many more successfu l fly-ins at their Beacon Star Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana.

15

"A LITTLE BIT OF LITTLE ED H EATH"

By Robert Burge 761 2 Erie Street

Sylvania , OH 435 60

Dear Antique 'Ai rplane Lovers: . I had my 1929 Heath Paraso l at Oshkosh in 1973,

at which time it was f lown on five different days, with an original HEATH HENDERSON B-4 engine. Si nce then, I have installed a Con tinental A-40-4 in same. It now flies like a real airplane, without the worries that accompanied every flight, reliability-wise. The ac­companying picture was taken in the summer of 1977, which shows just how cute a Heath can be (if any Heath fans are still reading thus far.)

With th is preface it can be understood that I am a real Heath nut. While reading the list of new mem­bers joining the OX-5 Club, I read that Norman E. Skinner, RD #1, West Lake Road, Ashville, New York '141'10, had just joined, and gave as one of his flying instructors the name of Ed Heath. This prompted me to inquire as to "just what" Norman might know about Ed Heath that might never have been said before or stories, etc., and his own flying history especially as it might relate to Ed Heath.

I was del ighted to get the following eight page let­ter from Norm, and with his permission, I am sure that you will enjoy his story as much as I have.

Regards Bob Burge

Ashville, NY 14710 August 11,1978

Robert: Your inquiry concerning Eddie Heath and request

for any pictures or what have you, takes me back to the period of March thru July, 1927.

I did have quite an album of pictures of the school on Broadway, and the field at River and Touie Cross Road at Rantoul, Illinois.

After leaving Heath I obtained a mail job at May­wood, Illinois, at Checkerboard Field. I made several flights with Lindbergh and Lt. Edwards on the Chicago! St. Louis air mail run, to familiarize myself with the route. When Lindy went to California for his Ryan, I was given his position until the service was can­celled . I bought an OX-5 Standard from Heath for $650.00, flew east to my, at that time, home town of Brocton , New York, and barnstormed around western New York, Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. In 1932, I joined the Army Air Corps at Kelly Field , Texas, staying in 'til 1945.

While in Texas I used to visit a ranch on Medina Lake and one weekend the ranch-house burned down and I lost my photo album, clothes and several hundred dollars.

To go back 50 years to Heath School of Aviation is a time I'll always remember. I'm now in my 70th year.

The tuition was $350.00, and we worked in the shop for two hours, for one minute of flying time.

Eddie Heath was a little shrimp, not much over five feet tall, and a whiz of a pilot. AI Myers was chief instructor , and there was a Texan, about Eddie's size, who also instructed. A big Swede instructed us on the

making of propellers, and a German taught motor mechanics and general construction.

At this time Heath was involved in making the Heath Parasol or Henderson-powered plane. I was at the school about three months when the plane finally was taken off the boards and general construction was started.

I, along with other students, helped build the fuse­lage. We used Thomas Morse Scout lower wings for the Parasol. When the plane was ready for testing, it was lowered through a hole in the shop floor, to street level, as the school was on the second floor of a two­story building. It was loaded into a Packard bus or semi-station wagon and taken to the field at Des .plaines, Illinois, where the wings were attached .

Eddie had been injured in an automobile accident, so he hired Lt. Edwards of Lambert Mail Service to test hop the plane. After several attempts, it became airborne for several hundred feet, then pancaked, busting the under carriage. They found out that the T. M. Scout wing was not suitable, so Heath designed a high-lift wing, and with some modifications the plane was ready again. This time Eddie tested it and he flew it about four miles when the motor quit and he set it down near a swamp. All the students at the field were taken to where the plane came down and we carried it bodily all the way back to the field.

I don't recall why the motor failed but the fabric was completely ruined on the wing and fuselage.

The plane was repaired again and Lt. Edwards tested it. The company was given the O.K. to produce and sell it.

The Heath Parasol sold in kit form, for $160.00, less motor and prop. The prop cost $38.00. I do not remember what the motor cost. Eddie Heath had pur­chased 50 Henderson motors .

I made the first three propellers ever made for the plane. The first two were broken in test flights and the third was still in use when I left the school.

E. H . had a temper to make up for his small size. He was built like a coiled spring , powerful for his size, moved fast and didn't care how big you were.

M any time, at the field, we saw men twice his size, back down .

After a student soloed, the school sold him one hour of solo flight time for $35.00. Then E. H . went up with him, and "checked him out". There were no licenses to be had then . You paid for your instruc­tions, then bought a new or used plane , if you had the cash . Sometimes two or more went together to buy a plane. You followed the fairs or carnivals or went to country towns and flew passengers. 16

If I remember correctly, E. H . had the first license ever issued in the state of Illinois. I don ' t believe E. H. weighed much over 110 pounds, wringing wet. Whenever he flew the OX-5 Standard or the OXX-6 Super Standard or any of the Jennys he owned, he always had a large cushion to sit on , so that he could see over the side.

E. H. also owned a German Fokker monoplane of WW I vintage. It was suspended from the ceiling of the shop/school.

None of the students liked the instructor from Texas as he was a braggard and blowhard, and when­ever possible, we asked for AI Myers. Lt . Edwards was an Army Reserve Pilot , and flew the mail from Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis. He also instructed for E. H. whenever needed. He was killed in a plane crash in the Allegheny Mountains , near Pittsburgh, around 1928 or 1929.

On the mail , we flew Curtiss D-12 's with plywood fuselages and fabric-covered wings. If we had a pas­senger, he sat on the mail bags, in the compartment in front of the pilot. At one time in school we had a Henderson motor mounted on a heavy post, with a dummy prop on it, for instruction purposes. Directly below the post , on ground level , there was a two chair barber shop. E. H. had started the engine to do some experiments , but when he revved it up, the prop broke, went through the floor and pierced the tile floor in the barber shop, directly beside the chair of a fellow getting a hair cut or a shave. The barber , the cus­tomer, the landlord and two policemen came upstairs to Eddie's office. The yelling could be heard a mile away and the end result was that Eddie was forbidden to run any motors in the building. He then had to rent space in a garage behind the school. He also had to pay for all the repairs to the building.

He really had a voice that could be heard a long ways off and could swear like the professional he was.

I met Mrs. Heath just once, at the school. She was a few inches taller than Eddie, and somewhat heavier. I don't know if they had any children.

Eddie didn't spend much time at the shop/school after the Heath Parasol went on the market.

I received my diploma from the school in August , and the school got me a job at Checkerboard Field in Maywood, Illinois. I soloed at Heath with 3 hours 28 minutes dual instruction with AI Myers. I bought extra time on several occasions and was hired by Lam­bert Aviation Company of St. Louis .

I flew several trips, mostly as a passenger, between Maywood, Springfield and/or to St. Louis. I became a full-fledged mail pilot in October of 1927. We were

(Ph oto Courtes y of Bob Bu rge)

Bob Burge's H ea th as it looks now aft er rep lacing th e H ea th-H enderso n B-4 engin e w ith th e more reliable Con­lin ental A-4 0-4.

(photo by Eri c Lundahl)

Bob Burge's H enderson-pow ered H eath Super Parasol at Oshkosh 7 3 .

paid $15.00 per flight or $30.00 round trip, with three trips per week.

In June of '28, Lambert lost the mail contract, so as I previously wrote, I bought a Curtiss Jenny and flew home.

I worked for Glenn Curtiss in Buffalo for a short time, then joined the Air Corps. I was sent to Kelly Field, at San Antonio, Texas, and when Randolph Field was started, I was one of the first G.l.s assigned there.

I was one of the very few enlisted pilots in the serv­ice, a 1st Sgt. in the 4th Bomb Wing, heavy, at Mitchell Field, Long Island. I later transferred to the 416 A.B. at B.W. 8, Greenland, then to Africa, Murmansk, Prest­wick, Scotland, Archaugel, Russia, back to Greenland then to England General Hospital at Atlantic City, New Jersey; then to Maxwell Field, Alabama; then

Lockbourn Air Base at Columbus, Ohio. In August, 1945 I was discharged as a Master Ser­

geant at Fort Dix , New Jersey, and returned home to Jamestown, New York where I eventually started my own ornamental iron shop.

I hope that my ramblings of the time I spent with Eddie Heath have been of interest to you.

Sincerely, Norman E. Skinner

Editor 's Note: In response to Mr. Skinner 's statement that he did not

know if Ed H ea th had any children, we had the dislin ct pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Zacharias of Sea ttle, Washington about two years ago wh en th ey visited th e EAA Air Museum. Mrs. Zacharias is th e former " Dickie" H ea th, Ed 's daughter.

17

AIRPLANE TYPE CLUBS

Aeronca Club Edward H. Schu bert, Chai rman 28 East State Street Janesville, WI 53545 2 newletters per year Dues: $3.00 per year

Aeronca Club 14100 Lake Candelwood Ct. Miami Lakes, FL 33014 12 newsletters per year Dues: $3 .00 per year

Aeronca Sedan Club Richard Welsh 2311 East Lake Sammamish Place Issaquah , WA 98027 3 newsletters per year Dues: $2 .50 per year

Airmaster Club Gar Williams, Chairman Nine South 125 Aero Drive Naperville, IL 60540 No Newsletter Dues:

The American Bonanza Society Reading Municipal Airport Box 3749 Reading, PA 19605 12 newsletters per year Dues: $15.00 per year

American Navion Society A. R. Cardono, Chairman of the Board Box 1175, Municipal Airport Banning, CA 92220 12 newsletters per year Dues: $20.00 per year

The Bird Airplane Club Jeannie Hill, Secretary Box 89 Harvard, IL 60033 Semi-Annual Newsletter Dues:

Cessna 1201140 Association Box 92 Ri chardson, TX 75086 11 newsletters per year Dues: $10.00

Culver Club Lawrence Low, Chairman 60 Skywood Way Woodside, CA 94062 No Newsletter Dues:

The Dart Club Lloyd Washburn 3958 Washburn Drive PI. Cli nton, OH 43452 No Newsletters Dues:

The deHaviland Moth Club John Bright, Chairman 221 East Ransom Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 4 newsletters per year Dues: $5.00 per year

Eastern Cessna 190/195 Association Cliff C. Crabs 25575 Butternut Ridge Road N. Olmstead, OH 44070 1 Newsletter Per Year Dues: $5.00

Ercoupe Owners Club Skip Carden, President Box 15058 Durham, NC 27704 12 newsletters per year Dues: $15.00 per year

The Fairchild Club Ken Love, President 1102 Main Street Crete, IL 60417 No Newsletter Dues: $3.00 per year

Fokker Verein Dr. Stanley S. Murel 812 East Park Row Arlington, TX 76010 Newsletter: The PILOT Dues: To be established

The Funk Aircraft Owners Association G . Dale Beach , Chairman 1621 Dreher Street Sacramento, CA 95814 12 newsletters per year Dues: $12.00

The Health Club Robert Bu rge, Chairman 7612 Eri e Street Sylvania, OH 43560 No Newsletters Dues:

Howard Club John Turgyan, Chairman 1530 Kuser Road . Trenton, NJ 08619 No Newsletter Dues:

International Cessna 170 Association, Inc..

P.O. Box 460 Montezuma AlP Camp Verde, AZ 85222 14 newsletters per year Dues: $15.00

International Cessna 195 Club Dwight M. Ewing, President Box 737 Merced, CA 95340 Quarterly Newsletter Dues: $12.00 per year

International Citabria Club, Ltd. Box 29 White Lake, NY 12786 10 newsletters per year Dues: $13.00 per year

International Swift Association Charles Nelson Box 644 Athens, TN 37303 12 newsletters per year Dues: $15.00 per year

The Luscombe Association Robert Shelton 339 West Pierce Street Macomb, IL 61455 3 newsl etters per year Dues: $5.00 per year

The Meyers Club Ev Payette 1604 South Custer Road Monroe, M I 48161 No Newsletter Dues:

Monocoupe Club Mr. & Mrs. Bud Dake 8318 Fairbanks Berkeley, MO 63134 4 newsletters per year Dues: $3.00 per year

The Mooney Mite Owners Association

Box 3999 Chari ottesvi lie, VA 22903 No Newsletters Dues:

The Moth Club John Bright 221 East Ransom Street Kalamazoo, MI 49007 No Newsletter Dues:

National Ryan Club Bill J. Hodges, General Chairman 811 Lydia Stephenville, TX 76401 4 newsletters per year Dues: Ryan Owners, Postage

Donations Non-Ryan Owners, $5.00 per year

National Stinson Club J. J. Paul, Chairman 14418 Skinner Road Cypress, TX 77429 Newsletter Dues:

National Waco Club Ray H. Brandly 2650 West Alex Bellbrook Road Dayton, OH 45459 6 newsletters per year Dues: $5.00 per year

Porterfi eld Clu b Charles E. Lebrecht , President 3121 East Lake Shore Drive Wonder Lake, IL 60097 12 newsletters per year Dues: Owners, $3.00 per year

$2.00 t rophy fund (volu ntary)

non-owner, $12.00 per year

18

Dear Paul :

Rearwi n Clu b Rt. 1 Poynette , WI 53955 No Newsletter Dues:

Rose " Parrakeet" Clu b Jack W. Rose P. O . Box 32 Ingleside , IL 60014 No Newsletter Dues:

The Staggerwing Club James c. Gorman, President Box 1217 Mansfield, OH 44902 4 newsletters per year, plus 4 from

Staggerwi ng Museu m Du es: $10.00 p er year

Stearman's Restorers Associ ation T. Lowe , President 823 Kingston Lan e Crysta l Lake, IL 60014 6 newsletters p er year Du es : $10.00 p er year

Taylorcraft Owners Club M erton A . M ead e, Jr. , President 2009 Victoria Drive Aquia Harbour Stafford, VA 20021 6 newsletters p er year Du es: $5.00 per yea r

" The Uncommon Cub" Garth Elliot Second Li ne W es t Meadowval e Ontario LOJ 1KO, CANADA 34 News lett ers Per Year Du es: Postage Donation s

Vagabond New s Cecil Ogl es, Editor/Publish er 448 C Avenue Coronado, CA 92118 12 newsletters per yea r Dues: Donati ons

West Coast Cess na 120/140 Club, Inc. Doug Williams, President Box 891 M enlo Park , CA 94025 7 news lett ers per year Dues: $6.50 per year

Wh eelchair Pilots Howard Treadwell 11018 - 102nd Avenu e Largo, FL 33540 No N ewsletter Du es:

World War I Aeroplan es Leonard E. Opdycke 15 Crescent Road Poughkeepsie , NY 12601 5 newsletters per year Dues: Voluntary

Contin ental Lu scomb e Association Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Road Ceres, CA 95307 New sletter Du es:

International Pietenpol Association Rob ert L. Ta ylo r P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 4 newsletter s per year Du es: $5.00 p er year

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - Sun ' N Fun 1980. Note new dates. For information , pl ease contact: Betty Jones , 4195 Forres t Drive, Mulberry, FL 33860.

JULY 12 - TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN - Meyers OTW Reunion - Back to Factory . OTW and former OTW owners - hangar flying , dutch tr ea t. For informa­tion , please contact: Di ck Martin , Rt. 3, Aerodro m e Road , Green Bay , W I 54301 , or Harold Lossner , 41 5 Eighth Street Place, Des Moines, IA 50313.

AUGUST 2-9 - OSHKOSH, WIS CO NSIN - 28 th Annual EAA Fly-In Convention. Start making your plan s now.

AUGUST 9-16 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - Th e Inte rnati ona l Aerobatic Championships. Start making your plans now!

AUGUST 17-30 - OSHKOSH, WIS CONSIN - World A eroba ti cs '80. Fo r th e first tim e ever , th e U.S. will h os t the World 's Aerobati c Championship s. Don ' t mi ss this hi sto ri c event. Fo r informatio n , pl ease co nta ct : WORLD AEROBATICS '80, EAA Box 229, Hal es Corners, W I 53130.

AUGUST 22-24 - COFFEYVILLE , KANSAS - Funk Fly-In . Best Antiqu e and Best Homebuilt trophi es as w ell as Funk trophi es. Fly-bys - spot landing ­bomb drop contests. M eet and talk with H oward and Joe Funk , aviation pioneers. For informati o n , pl ease contact: Ray Pahls , 454 South Summitlawn , Wichita, KS 67209, o r G. Dal e Beach, 1621 Dreher Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 .

OCTOBER 1-5 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - 2nd Annual EAA National Fall Fly-In. Don ' t mi ss thi s one. For info rmation , please con tac t: EAA Fall Fly-In , c/o EAA , Box 229, Hales Co rn ers, W I 53130.

How the year has " flown ". Your visit to those guys " down under" last April just seems a month or two ago.

Hope to see you and Audrey soon . Max Clear as you would know is organizing and hosting our " Homebuilt " Annual Convention Fly-In mid January. '80.

For the past two years I have spen t full time pouring in 60 to 70 hours per week for total rebuild of three Tiger Moths I had as "basket cases ". I have made all new wood , replaced 30 % metal compone nts, cadium plated all metal , etc., etc. Unfortunately, I forgot that Valda was subsidizing the project!! (as with the two Moth Minors) . We now have a five month old boy " Guy", (easier than making aeroplanes) .

I have suddenly realized that I have 10 months more work on the Tigers for " flyaway". I've already spent $39,000 on the project ­disaster! As complete kit sets they are for sale.

My bank tells me I have to find the money quickly. Sadly , I will have to part with my Moth Minor to stay afloat.

Paul , I would like to find someone who can afford to love her as I have done. She is a very rare, beautiful and useful aeroplane , with only 550 total hours since new from the factory in 1938. I have replaced all woodwork in her other than the sailplane spar (as with AKM Moth Minor) .

She is th e third prototyp e of eight made in UK before the production series . Maybe you would know of a person worthy of such an aerop lan e?

Kindest ragards and Merry Christmas. Myles , Valda & Guy Robertson 1A - 10 Brett Avenue Takapuna , Au ckland New Zealand

Myles Robertson 's Moth Minor.

19

A Album

By Ceorge Hardie, Jr. fAA Historian

All photos are courtesy of th e author except as no ted

The success of the Curtiss flying boat came at an opportune time . While the U. S. Navy ordered five of the Model F boats and the Army took three, and a few were sold to wealthy sportsmen, the threat of war in Europe brought a flood of orders. When war finally broke out in August , 1914, the British government bought the Wanamaker flying boat "America" and ordered a duplicate. Designated the H-4 , an additional 55 were eventually produced .

A larger version, the H-8 , was called the " Large America" by the British. Re­engiried with the 275 hp Rolls Royce engine, the type became the H-12. This was th e first American airplane to see actual combat in World War I when it intercepted a German Zeppelin and shot it down on May 14 ,1917. The first sinking of a German submarine took place from an H-12 three days later.

The H-12 had a wing span of 92 feet 8 inches and was powered with Rolls Royce engines of 275 hp. In 1916 the U. S. Navy ordered the first of a batch of 20 H-12's. Powered at first with the Curtiss VXX engine of 200 hp, these aircraft eventually substituted the 400 hp Liberty engine to get better performance.

Glenn Curtiss (/eft) poses with a class of fl ying boat students at Hammondsport , New York.

The Model HS-/ flying boat of 1917 was a single engined des ign intended for training and coastal patrol.

Th e Model HS- 2L had a larger wingspan and was powered with th e 400 hp Libert y engin e to improve performance.

20

A Model H-12 flying boat nears completion at the Curtiss factory, March 1917. Close-up of the H-12 hull reveals the size of this model compared to the "America".

The Model H-16 has an early type windshield and the engines are not yet installed. A Model F-5-L awaits covering in this view taken October 31, 1918 at the Curtiss factory,

21

(A Curtiss Album . .. Continued) The British meanwhile were experiencing operational damage to their H-1 2's

in North Sea operations , so a new model, the H-16, was built with a new hull design. Fitted with Rolls Royce "Eagle" engines of 340 hp , the British eventually bought 75 of the type.

Because production facilities at Curtiss were strained to the limit , the British df'cided to manufacture the H-16 at Felixstowe , England. Named for the town where they were built, these became known as the Felixstowe F series flying boats. Noting the success of the British F-5 type, the U. S. Navy arranged to produce the type as the F-5-L, using Liberty engines. The Naval Aircraft Factory built 33 before the Armistice was signed, and the Curtiss Company comp leted 60.

When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, German sub­marines were taking a terrific toll of transatlantic shipping. The British were anxious to obtain as many flying boats as possible to combat this menace. The need for longer range and greater load-carrying ability prompted the suggestion that a flying boat be built to fly the Atlantic to avoid the submarin e danger on de­livery.

With the decision to go ahead with the project, Glenn Curtiss was called to Washington early in September, 1917 to discuss the design with U. S. Navy officials . After the preliminary specifications were agreed upon , a co ntract was drawn up in December, 1917 by the U. S. Navy for the Curtiss Company to construct four of these flying boats . Named th e NC type (for Navy-Curtiss) th e design was to be

\ ,<-'

(Officia' U. S. Navy Photo)

Th e NC-4 being prepared (or launching .

a joint product of Navy and Curtiss engi neers. The Curtiss Company had built a new plant at Garden City, Long Island for th e

new Curtiss Engineering Corporation , es tablish ed to condu ct the experimental work for the company. Th e hull and some other components for the NC-1 had been built at Buffalo and were then moved to the Garden City plant where a special building for th e project had been built to protect its secrecy .

IOiiicia' u.s. Navy Ph ow )

Th e NC-/ at Rockaway Beach. Note the three engine arrangement with the cockpit in th e center nacelle.

(Offi cia' u. S. Na v y Ph ow)

Closp-up oi th e NC-4 being preparpcI io r flight.

The NC type was the largest aircraft to be built in the U.S. up to that time. With a wing span of 126 feet and an overall length of 68 feet , the NC-1 was powerd with three of the new Liberty engines. Completed in October, 1918, a flight to the Washington Navy Yard for final inspection was made on November 7. On November 11, the Armistice was signed and the contract for the NC's was sus­pended .

....

.~

Another view of th e NC-4 under repair. (Official U S. Navy Photo)

(Official U. S. Navy PholO)

Th e NC-4 entering Lisbon harbor aft er the transatlanti c flight.

After some preliminary maneuvering the decision was finally made to complete the four NC boats with the express purpose of making a transatlantic flight. Three of the boats, NC-1, NC-3 and NC4, left Rockaway Beach on May 8,1919 on the first leg of the flight. The three left Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland on May 16 for the crossing. NC-1 and NC-3 were forced down, but NC4 landed at Lisbon, Portugal on May 27 to complete the first successful aerial crossing of the Atlantic O cean .

--- · ~~d~--~

(Officia l U. S. Na vy Pharo) Th e N C-4 on the beach for repair.

(Offi cial U. S. Navy Ph aro)

Th e N C-4 taxiing in aft er a flight. 23

r .sf ,

~ l·....- - -----­---,

.r

DESCRIPTION OF CHANCE VOUGHT CORSAIR

" Th e Chance Vought Corsa ir is made by th e Chance Vou ght Corporation of Hartford , Connecticut. I t is a high speed plane, used a grea t dea l fo r li ght mail routes. It can also be equipped with pontoon gea r fo r use by the U. S. Navy fo r laun ch ing by catapult f rom batt le­ships. It is also a favo rite pl ane with th e armi es and navi es of Argentina , Brazil , Cuba, Chin a, Peru and M exi co.

Sp eci fications: Span , upper wing, 36 fee t ; low er win g, 34 fee t , 6 inches. Length overal l , 24 fee t 6 inch es .

Height ov erall , 10 fee t 2 inches . Wing area (including ai lerons), 320 square fee t. Pratt & Whitn ey Wasp en­gi ne, 425 H o rsep ower . Win g loadin g, 11.4 pounds per squ are foot. W eight empty, 2,365 p ounds; useful load , 1,285 pounds; gross w eight , 3,650 pounds.

Perf orm ance: Hi gh sp eed , 150 mil es p er h o ur. Crui sing sp eed , 125 mi les p er h our. Landing sp eed , 55 miles p er hour. Rat e of climb, 1,500 feet p er minute. C limb in 10 minut ~s , 10,200 feet. Se rv i ce ce i l in g, 19,000 fee t. Radiu s 515 mil es. Gasolin e capacity, 110 ga llons.

Contro ls are dual. Plane is convertibl e to land pl ane o r sea plane by interchange of landing gear .

Fu se lage framework is built o f steel tubes, covered wi th fa bri c and aluminum . Ai lerons are o f wood , fabri c cov er ed . Tai l surfac es ar e of steel tubi ng, fabri c covered . Th e fram ework of th e wings is built of wood , cov ered with fabri c.

The landing gear is equipped w i th o leo spring, mad e by th e Chance Vought Company, and Bendi x brakes. Prop ell er is Hami l ton-Standard . Hand inerti a starter is p rov id ed . El ectri cal start er is opt ional . Instrument panel is sp ecial Chance Vou ght mak e. Instruments are Pionee r ."

25

__

green

LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION t'0~~, · \ c(", \

RESTORATION PROJECT 1~\1~ --~

• Laird Super Solution Lithograph (Shown Above) 17"x22" - Full Color. $6.00. (Tax deductible portion : $5.00) Lithograph autographed by E. M. (Matty) Laird and General James Doolittle ­$175.00 (Tax deductible portion: $125.00)

(Left) • Historical Photo Album

-- 12 8x10 Glossy Prints from E. M. (Mat­ty) Lai rd 's Personal Collection -- $10.00. (Tax dedu cti ble por­tion : $5.00)

(Right) • Individually Numbered

American Commercial Aviation Bicentennial Commemorative Is­sue Stamp (mounted), signed by E. M. (Mat­ty) Lai rd - $5.00. (Tax deductible portion : $3.50)

(Right) • Lai rd Jacket Patch - ­

Handsomely embroid­ered in gold , and red -- $2.00.

This project being funded by the sale of mer­chandise. The sales price includes a donation to the Air Museum Foundation, Inc.

Send check or money order to : EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATION, INC.

P.O. Box 469 Hales Corners , WI 53130 Payable In U.S. Funds Only

...

........4!tJUI........IUW1~G . 18.,8~ ....... lClu ... .,n':

American Commercial Aviation

BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

......... -....,_..... ,._.. ,.. -~ -",," -- .. '<#" ......... .,._.... ........ ...................... ....."'-""'".......-..~.I_. ~

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... r .......,,"_ .. _.".~__

uN! . 335 I .. -..- ... __... - .......... ,-.. ...- ....... , ... ~..-'" ... ,,,~,,>""'" _II.~)N .. ,.. . ..... _,.,"'____lll- ' _,"",~"""

,\1"1..'.....UI "",uf, ~"O''''_

Classic owners! ~on't q.4 ~

r ~I'r....\

l ~!: DRESS 'AIT UP ,?J

WITH A NEW

II~ INTERIOR! All Items READY-MADE for Ea~y

DO-IT-YOURSELF INSTALL-ATION

Seat Upholstery -- Wall Panels

Headliners -- Carpets -- etc.

Ceconite Envelopes and Dopes

Send $1.00 for Catalog and Fabrics Selection Guide

,4i/de,x P~,!JIW. 259-15 Lower Morrisville Rd.

Fallsington, Pa. 19054 r,•. .... J.'J~'.I (215 ) 295 - 4115 [ tJ

AVAILABLE BACK ISSUES OF The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

1973 - March through December 1974 - January through March , May through December 1975 - All Available 1976 - February through May , August through December 1977 - All Available 1978 - January through June, August , October, November 1979 - February through December

The above m entioned back issu es are available from H eadquarters for $1.00 each, postpaid.26

(Photo courtesy of Matty Laird)

Mr. E. M. " Mally" Laird at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. In th e background is th e converted 12 hp Frank­lin automobile engine which powered Mr. Laird 's iirst aircraft design in 191 2; a midwing monoplane later con- I

verted to th e Baby Biplane.