VA-Vol-9-No-9-Sept-1981

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

Oshkosh 81 is now history and if all prior indications are accurate it will have been the largest and best attended aviation event in our history Looking back to the 1980 International EAA Convention we had enshyvisioned little gain for 1981 but there is no doubt that we went forward again For many of us a fiscal year has been completed and we are analyzing the success and problems of our Division during that time

Membership in our Division has increased throughout this time period and this increase is the result of many contributing factors We must be offering a desirable ovenill program for this increase to be evident The fellowship of our members throughout the world conshystantly grows during the Chapter meetings and fly-in events we attend Look at our Divisions exposure at fly-ins and other EAA events Our new AntiqueClassic hats and jackets are becoming more popular and visible a fact which denotes our members desire to be identified with the Division

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is a publication that our membership eagerly awaits each month Devoted entirely to antique and classic aircraft historical data fly-ins restoration projects unique photographs and tips for projects of restorers our publication gives the reader a top quality magazine that will undoubtedly become a collectors item in years to follow Editor Gene Chase and our associate editors bring to you each month valuable and interesting antique and classic related articles

Our EAA Aviation Museum in Franklin Wisconsin is filled with representative antique and classic aircraft from a replica of the first Wright Flyer early and current amateur built aircraft warbirds aerobatic machines rotary wing vehicles to ultralights Other exhibits include antique and modern propulsion engines some cut-away for visual inspection of their internal structures The walls contain display cases filled with instruments bombsights medals and trophies representative of our aviation historical background Photographs by the hundreds depict and trace the history of aviation Disshyplay examples of our homebuilt aerobatic warbird and antiqueclassic aircraft that have been donated built or restored by EAA members grace the museum floor

Display aircraft and related items are constantly changed for the visitor who returns to the museum Under the able direction of AntiqueClassic Advisor Ed Bums and Ben Owen of the EAA Headquarters staff our Division has been allocated wall space to display our Division logo and photographs of our members projects and restorations Your next trip to the Milshywaukee area should include a trip through the Museum to enjoy the efforts of our Division

Several years ago our Division began to establish a uniform judging system for antique and classic aircraft The details of this unique system have resulted in a standard method for judging aircraft in a uniform manner Established and proven during the last several EAA International Conventions at Oshkosh the basic

2 SEPTEMBER 1981

By Brad Thomas President

AntiqueClassic Division

judging system is now recognized and applied to all categories of judging including custom built and warshybird Our reputation has been established and through t he efforts of Claude Gray and Al Kelch two of the original committee members formulating the judging rules and standards we are fortunate in having them appointed chairman and co-chairman of the newly formed EAA National Judging Committee

Through The VINTAGE AIRPLANE and our Division chapters we have constantly strived to assist restorers and guide them during the many hours involved in their projects For the past several years about fifty percent of the show aircraft at the EAA International Conventions have been antique and classic aircraft There is no finer collection of aircraft to be seen anywhere in the world as those displayed during these Conventions The quality and authenticity displayed in these restorations conshytinually improve over the years and we feel that our AntiqueClassic Division often has played a large part in guiding these projects There may be fewer antique aircraft completed over these current years but the quality of workmanship and expertise in the restorations is outstanding

Classics Here we have seen the greatest improvement over the past few years There were times when we had great numbers of classic aircraft to judge but few were in the high point categories There is no doubt that those completing accurate restorations of classics have spent many hours of researching and planning We are constantly finding that it does not take much more time and effort to make an accurate restoration project than just doing a half-way job

Within the past few weeks each voting member of our Division was mailed a letter requesting the recruiting of a new member We are striving for an active membershysh ip of five thousand and you can make this possible Each of us knows and understands what our EAA Antique Classic Division stands for and represents If you have not already done so recruit a new member from your area and forward his membership application to headquarters As a member of our Division you know what our aims and goals are and what we represent Please take this opportunity to share the benefits of membership in the AntiqueClassic Division with a new member

PUBLICATION OF THE ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC

PO BOX 229 HALES CORNERS WI 53130 COPYRIGHT 1981 EAA ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SEPTEMBER 1981 VOLUME 9 NUMBER 9

OFFICERS President Vice-President

W Brad Thomas Jr Jack C Winthrop 301 Dodson Mill Road Route 1 Box 111

Pilot Mountain NC 27041 Allen TX 75002 919368-2875 Home 214727-5649 919368-2291 Office

Secretary Treasurer M C Kelly Viets E E Buck Hilbert 7745 W 183rd St PO Box 145 Stilwell KS 66085 Union IL 60180

913681-2303 Home 81 5923-4591 913782-6720 Office

DIRECTORS Ronald Fritz Morton W Lester

15401 Sparta Avenue PO Box 3747 Kent City MI 49330 Martinsville VA 24112

616678-5012 703632-4839

Claude L Gray Jr Arthur R Morgan 9635 Sylvia Avenue 3744 North 51st Blvd

Northridge CA 91324 Milwaukee WI 53216 213349-1338 414442-3631

Dale A Gustafson John R Turgyan 7724 Shady Hill Drive 1530 Kuser Road Indianapolis IN 46274 Trenton NJ 08619

317293-4430 609585-2747

AI Kelch S J Wittman 66 W 622 N Madison Avenue Box 2672

Cedarburg WI 53012 Oshkosh WI 54901 414377-5886 414235-1265

Robert E Kesel George S York 455 Oakridge Drive 181 Sloboda Ave

Rochester NY14617 Mansfield OH 44906 716342-3170 419529-4378

ADVISORS Ed Burns Stan Gomoll Gene Morris

1550 Mt Prospect Road 1042 90th Lane NE 27 Chandelle Drive Des Plaines IL 60018 Minneapolis MN 55434 Hampshire IL 60140

3121298-7811 6121784-1172 3121683-3199 John S Copeland Espie M Joyce Jr S H Wes Schmid

9 Joanne Drive Box 468 2359 Lefeber Road Westborough MA 01581 Madison NC 27025 Wauwatosa WI 53213

617366-7245 919427-0216 414771-1 545

PUBLICATION STAFF

PUBLISHER Paul H Poberezny President

Experimental Aircraft Association

EDITOR ASSOC EDITOR Gene R Chase George A Hardie Jr

FRONT COVER 1939 Beechcraft BACK COVER Center stage of the F17D Staggerwing NC50256 SI N 259 Air Racing Section of the EAA Air owned by Perry and Jewel Miller (EAA Museum Franklin WI Left to right are 82253 AlC 698) Rt 4 15589 Harvest the 1929 Travel Air Mystery Ship 1931 Mile Rd Brighton CO 80601 photoshy Gee Bee Model Z 1931 Laird Super graphed by Dick Stouffer at Tullahoma Solution and the 1936 Elmendorf A-1 TN See story on page 6 Jackrabbit All are full size replicas

except the Elmendorf A-1 which is the original aircraft (Photo by Lee Fray)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Straight and Level by Brad Thomas 2 AlC News compiled by Gene Chase 4 1981 Staggerwing Travel Air Convention

middot by J ohn Parish 6 Commonwealth Skyranger - My Mistress

middot by Alfred E (J ohnny) J ohnson 10 Calendar of Events 12 Type Clubs and Other Aviation Organizations 13 Plans for the Pietenpol Sky Scout - Part 1

middot by B H Pietenpol 16 Letters 25 Mystery Plane 25

Page 6 Page 10 Page 16

Editorial Policy Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor Material should be sent to Gene R Chase Editor The VINTAGE AIRshyPLANE PO Box 229 Hales Corners WI 53130

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 effort

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc and is published monthly at Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 Second Class Postage paid at Haies Corners Post Office Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 and additional mailing offices Memshybership rates for EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc are $1400 for current EAA members per 12 month period of which $1000 is for the publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation

ADVERTISING - AntiqueClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

OSHKOSH 81 shyA TREMENDOUS SUCCESS

Over 10000 aircraft and a half million people visited Wittman Field during the 29th Annual EAA Convention August 1-8 But success is not measured by quantity alone With record numbers of aircraft movements safety was the keynote of the eight-day event

Although weather in parts of the US kept some fliers from completing their trips to Oshkosh the local weather was generally good

The antique and classic aircraft judges had a parshyticularly difficult job this year with so many outstanding examples in each category When all the scores were tallied the Grand Champion Antique award went to a 1928 Cessna A W owned by Gar Williams of Naperville IL A 1948 Piper P A-17 Vagabond owned by James L Jenkins Huntington CT received the Grand Champion Classic trophy

A more detailed account of the 81 Convention will appear in the October issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

(Photo by Gene Chase) The 1981 Oshkosh Grand Champion Antique Award went to this 1928 Cessna AW owned and restored by Gar Williams (EAA 1416 AC 1416) Naperville IL

(Photo by Gene Chase) James L Jenkins (EAA 95377 AlC 2520) of Huntington CT restored this 1948 Piper PA-17 Vagabond which received the Grand Champion Classic Award at Oshkosh 81

EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION CENTER DEDICATED

The new EAA Aviation Foundation Center to be built at Wittman Field Oshkosh WI was officially dedicated at 1030 AM on August 5 during the Convention Following remarks by Tom Poberezny President of the Foundation and Paul Poberezny Chairman of the Board Paul dug the first spadeful of earth symbolically starting construction of the facility which will become the worlds most complete aviation center

The Center will include a museum conference center administrative offices and an aircraft construction restoration shop The Kermit Weeks Flight Research Center which is also a part of the complex is complete and was dedicated on June 17 1981

This Aviation Center will be described in more detail in future issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

COLOR PHOTOS NEEDED More color photos (preferably 8 x 10) of members

antique and classic aircraft are needed to grace a wall in the EAA Aviation Museum in Franklin WI A large area of wall space has been made available to the Antique Classic Division for this purpose and AntiqueClassic advisor Ed Burns of Des Plains IL has volunteered to frame the photos and hang them

Ed has done a fine job of arranging the photos which have been sent and also photos he has taken of members planes from the Midwest area Photos may be sent to Gene Chase Editor The Vintage Airplane Magazine PO Box 229 Hales Corners WI 53130

The photos will also be considered for publication in the Members Projects section of the magazine in addition to being displayed in the Museum Please include a description of the plane and the approximate date of the photo

FLYING BOAT WORKER DISPLAYS DEDICATION

In 1946 Stan Soderberg began what was to be a one-month stint doing trim and fabric repair of Howard Hughes giant wooden flying boat the Spruce Goose

Now 35 years later Soderberg is still at it - overshyseeing repairs and maintenance aboard the Hughes Flying Boat and providing a thread of continuity throughshyout the seaplanes long and controversial history

Im kind of like a major league baseball player said Soderberg I dont change jobs I just play with different teams

The current team is Wrather Corporation which in cooperation with the Aero Club of Southern California rescued the worlds largest aircraft from dismemberment and plans to put it on display beside the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach As Wrathers foremost flying boat expert 56-year-old Soderberg is delighted that the Spruce Goose is finally coming out from under wraps

I think its a sensational idea he said Cutting it up would have been total disaster Theres nothing else like it in the world

4 SEPTEMBER 1981

The same distinction applies to Soderberg The former The restoration of a flyable Curtiss Jenny was completed navy parachute rigger and professional acrobat is the only recently for the Owls Head Transportation Museum in original crew member still working aboard the flying Maine boat The President of Aero Meridian Mr Woodson K

It never occurred to me when I started that I would Woods reports the following aircraft in the Aero spend the rest of my career on this aircraft he said Meridian Collection

I used to get a lot of ridicule People wondered what 1918 Fokker D VIII - Flying condition I could possibly be doing working on a plane that was 1918 Curtiss IN-4D Jenny - Under restoration just sitting in a hangar year after year 1928 American Eagle - Under restoration

But r always knew something great would happen 1928 Travel Air D-4000 - Under restoration with the flying boat 1929 Swallow TP - Under restoration

Soderberg was part of the launch crew for the flying 1929 Fleet 7 - Flying condition boats first and only flight on November 2 1947 when 1930 Bird - Flying condition Howard Hughes lifted the aircraft 70 feet off the water 1930 Waco RNF - Flying condition for a distance of one mile over Long Beach Harbor 1931 Waco QCF-2 - Under restoration

It surprised a lot of people when Hughes flew the 1932 Great Lakes 2T- 1A - Flying condition plane that day But I figured he would go for it The 1933 Waco UBF-2 - Flying condition preparation was elaborate And just prior to the flight 1936 Ryan STA - Flying condition Hughes was down at the hangar a couple of times a 1936 Bucker Jungmeister - Under restoration week to run the engines The only thing he had to prove 1938 Stinson SR-9F - Under restoration was that it could fly 1939 Waco AGC-8 - Under restoration

After the history making flight the flying boat 1941 Ryan ST3KR - Flying condition returned to Terminal Island where it remained shrouded 1943 Piper L-4J - Flying condition in a climate-controlled hangar for over 30 years During 1943 Stearman PT-17 - Flying condition that time repair and upgrading continued on the aircraft 1943 Supermarine Spitfire MK IX - Flying condition

We installed new test equipment dual auxillary 1945 Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI - Flying condishyhydraulic system and the Pratt Whitney 4360 engines tion And every other week we ran electrical and hydraulic tests There was nothing done on the plane that wasnt okayed by Mr Hughes said Soderberg

For years we kept thinking Hughes would take the plane out again He would call and set up specific flying dates We would have a 90-day lead time and then it would get cancelled at the last minute

When Hughes died in 1976 Soderberg got word from the Hughes Tool Company to search for the Hughes Will but to no avail

We turned that plane inside out but we never found anything he said

For Soderberg the years of waiting and wondering at the fate of the Hughes Flying Boat are finally paying off Wrather plans to move the aircraft to its new nest beside the Queen Mary in November where it will be the star attraction for Southern Californias newest destinashytion resort complex - PortAdventure

According to Soderberg who is busy preparing the Spruce Goose for its final move you just cant have too much of a good thing

After all these years Im still amazed at this airshycraft

NOTABLE VINTAGE AIRCRAFT COLLECTION AT

SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA Aero Meridian Productions located at Scottsdale

Industrial Airpark 14806 North 74th Street Scottsdale AZ is a small group of craftsmen who restore antique aircraft for museums and collectors

In addition to several antique airplane repair conshytracts the company is currently restoring a 1931 Waco QCF-2 for a local Phoenix businessman a Ryan STA for a New Jersey airline pilot and a Waco UBF-2 for the newly formed Carefree Flying Museum located at Carefree Airport about 24 miles north of Scottsdale

Some of the flying aircraft on display at the Carefree Airport

Glen Styles rigging the Curtiss Jenny for the Owls Head Transportation Museum

(Continued on Page 24)

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

1981 STAGGIBWING

TB-AVIL AlB

CONVINTION By J ohn Parish

(EAA 43943 A le 213) po Box 550

Tullahoma TN 37388

(Photos by Dick Stouffer)

The 1981 Convention was the most successful not necessarily in the number of Staggerwings and Travel Airs in attendance but our membership attendance was up significantly and many important developments took place

Mrs Beech and her contingency from Beech Aircraft Corporation were here for the Dedication of the O A Beech Gallery amp Chapel and it was indeed a moving affair

In addition the Thaden family was here in large numbers and presented the 1936 Bendix Trophy for loan to the Foundation

Also of great significance was the gift of a Staggershywing by Steve and Diane Parker of Odessa Texas

These three items highlighted the activities and the ceremonies associated with them left a lasting impresshysion on all in attendance

The weather did not cooperate since there were several weather systems blocking access to the Staggerwing home in Tullahoma Tennessee This resulted in cancellation of some Staggerwing arrival plans and members such as Chairman Holloway and many others arrived by modern aircraft

Local musicians provided Tennessee Country Music

6 SEPTEMBER 1981

We had a record early turnout with some nine Staggershywings at the Convention site the day before the event started Holding the distinction of the First Arrival in 1981 were Bob and Jean Kreutzer from San Diego in their beautifully restored E17B They arrived on Monday June 8 chauffeuring CQ Stephenson from Albuquerque They were followed on Wednesday by the Santa Paula bunch which included Clayton Graves in his newly refinished D17S with Bob Van Ausdell as his First Officer Accompanying Clayton was Bryce Hunt in his Howard and Don Dickenson in his Spartan The Santa Paula team members have been tremendous supporters and it is a particular pleasure to have this group come so far on a regular basis

Another early arrival was Tom and Lucy Cocks from Hong Kong who picked up their F17 in Seattle to make the long trek Other early arrivals were Perry Jewel and Dick Miller from Boulder Colorado and of course Glen McNabb from Jasper Tennessee Also Chris and Swanson Poer came over from Greensboro North Carolina to license his F17D which is on loan to the Museum

The first day of the Convention was rather dismal thanks to the weather and there was only one arrival However Thursday the activitiy picked up with the arrival of the Gehrings the Parkers and the Chicago crew of Perry and Hansen

Inclement weather does not dampen the spirits of Staggerwingers and all activities went on as normal The Foundation property was beautiful and the O A Beech Gallery amp Chapel lent itself to the many activities and meetings that took place the early part of the Convention Nearly all activities were held on the Foundation grounds The usual Officers Trustees and Club and Museum Membership Meetings were held on Thursday and Friday In addition both the Safety Seminar and Repair Rebuilding Maintenance and Servicshying Seminars were excellent thanks to Dick Perry and John Womacks leadership

The Convention was really kicked off with the 415 PM arrival of the Beech contingency on Friday Mrs Beech and her group arrived in three King Airs to the delight of all Mrs Beech has the distinction of being recognized as The First Lady of Aviation and the love

The beautiful new Olive Ann Beech Gallery and Chapel

and affection of Staggerwingers for this great lady was expressed openly and warmly Throughout the next two days it was also our pleasure to have many members of her family including both daughters Tom and Suzanne Warner from Pala California and Mary Lynn Oliver and her four children from Wichita also Dena and Bill Huntley and Brian Snart from Wichita It was especially great having the longtime friends of all Staggerwingers Leddy and Norma Greever Others from Beech included Letha and Homer Brunk and our congratulations to Letha for being the recipient of the 1980 Merit Award This was a most deserving honor to a lady who has contrishybuted significantly to the Foundation program

The usual social activities were well attended inshycluding the cocktail parties cookouts fly-out to Parish Patch Bluegrass entertainment and the 1981 Paper Airplane and Flying Saucer Contests under the able direction of Field Judge Lindey Lindemer

The real highlight of this years Convention was the Dedication of the O A Beech Gallery amp Chapel on Saturshyday followed by a picnic lunch honoring Mrs Beech This was followed by the presentation of the Bendix Trophy and the Staggerwing presentation This was truly a memorable day for the Foundation The Dedication ceremony of the O A Beech Gallery amp Chapel began at 1100 AM with a program in the Chapel culminated

Mrs Beech awarded the prizes to these smiling participants in the paper plane contest

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

Mrs Beech center visits with Steve and Diane Parker about the Beech D17S Dub Yarbrough center on behalf of the

W C Dub Yarbrough President of the shown here which the Parkers donated Foundation receives the title to the Staggerwing Museum Foundation has to the Staggerwing Museum Foundation Beech Staggerwing donated by Steve just unveiled the plaque with Mrs Olive Inc and Diane Parker of Odessa TX Ann Beech looking on

by the unveiling of the plaque superbly timed with a four Staggerwing formation fly-by again under inclement weather - low ceilings and visibility The formation team consisted of Dick Perry Jim Gorman John Womack and Dick Hansen and was an example of true precision flying The concluding bomb-burst was a sight to behold It is difficult to describe the beauty excitement and exhilaration of this maneuver

Dick Stouffer of Hawthorn Woods Illinois handled the religious aspects of the Dedication ceremonies superbly and quite appropriately Dick is a Trustee of the EAA Aviation Foundation Inc a 727 Captain and recently received his Master of Divinity from McshyCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago He gave the invocation on Saturday during the Dedication cereshymonies and conducted the Church Services on Sunday

The O A Beech Gallery amp Chapel Dedication cereshymony was followed by a picnic lunch in the Museum and at 100 PM Bill Thaden and Pat Thaden Frost presented the 1936 Bendix Trophy won by their mother Louise Thaden In this presentation they paid their respect to Mrs Beech who was a dear and close friend of Louise

Two Beechs peel off after a pass over the Staggerwing Museum

Diane and Steve Parker Odessa Texas presented their Staggerwing D17S as a gift to the Museum in memshyory of Steves father Alvin H Parker a world-renowned soaring pilot who was the first to fly a lOOO-kilometer glider (1964)

The Saturday Night Banquet program was very superbly conducted by Museum and Club Presidents Dub Yarbrough and Jim Forman Plaques were preshysented to aircraft owners in attendance and the setting for this years banquet was in the Museum The weather really cooperated and it was indeed a festive and enjoyable affair

Sunday saw the usual departures and this year it was a pleasure to have an unusually large contingency stay over until Monday The Tullahoma group especially

(L - R) Two guests from the Beechcraft plant in Wichita KS confer with HH Red Holloway Jr Chairman of the Foundashytion Board of Trustees and John L Parish Executive Vice President of the Foundation Reds home is in Baton Rouge LA and John lives in Tullahoma

8 SEPTEMBER 1981

enjoy the wind-down and among those staying over were the Millers the Cocks Wiggins McNabbs Spriggs Stouffers Lindemers Seagos and John Turgyan

This years Convention was truly International with Tony and M R Torr here from Johannesburg South Africa Tom and Lucy Cocks from Hong Kong Moe Servos and his contingency from Ontario Canada and Debby LeMay Hauser from Alberta Canada

The United States were well represented from Alaska to Florida Maine to California and the in-between states of Alabama Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Misshysouri Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylshyvania Tennessee Texas Virginia and Wisconsin 33 states in all

It is hoped the ensuing pictures will more adequately tell the story of this years Convention

The 1982 Convention will be held at the Beech factory in Wichita but we will again return home to Tullahoma in 1983 Also in 1983 there will be a Winter Meeting and Staggerwing Fly-in at Santa Paula in March Staggershywing Club members should start making their plans for these future activities

As a final comment I personally want to thank each and every Staggerwinger for making this years event truly successful and enjoyable

The beautiful 1940 Beech D17S N20753 SIN 395 donated to the Museum by Steve and Diane Parker

Bill Thaden and Pat Thaden Frost presented to the Museum the Bendix Trophy won in 1936 by their famous mother Louise Thaden Louise flew a Staggerwing from New York to Los Angeles to capture first place in the Bendix cross country race that year

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

COMMONWEALTH SKYRANGER shy

By Alfred E (Johnny) Johnson Colonel USAF Retired S 2915 Howard Street

Spokane WA 99203

(Photos Courtesy of the Author)

Jack Johnson (EAA 133528) is my brother and I admit that he is a little off But everyone who is truthful has a relative who is somewhat untypical

I suppose he couldnt help it Hes been nuts about airplanes as far back as I can remember When he was 10 and I was 12 years old we lived in the small town of Oroville Washington just south of the Canadian border If we heard an aircraft overhead as we inshyfrequently did because of the remoteness of our location we would jump on our bicycles and ride like hell the two miles or so to the airport The idea was to be first on the scene to greet the pilot Rarely did a flyer fail to remain overnight so we would hit him with the proposition that we would spend the night guarding his plane in return for a hop the next day I cant remember ever being reshyfused particularly after we guaranteed not to permit cows to scratch themselves on the bird - whether cows were present or not (The bovine species were considered a universal hazard whether on the runway or during a nocturnal visit to a parked aircraft where a gentle rub could break a wing rib or wipe out a rudder) Many a hop was thus enjoyed without spending a dime which we didnt have anyway

At the ripe old age of seventeen Jack soloed and soon thereafter came into possession of a 1928 model OX-5 Swallow With this bird he acquired an important lesson - learning that water wont substitute for gasoline A careless mechanic failed to chamois the condensation from fuel stored in a drum while repairs were in progress on the aircraft Scratch one aircraft and delay one flying career

Then came a stint with the Army Air Corps and the Air Force lasting 22 years with one break during which he got his commercial and instructor ratings He was in hog heaven instructing and flying every day until the company went belly-up and left him holding the bag for substantial wages Delay number two However this experience defined one flying ambition by exposing him to the Commonwealth Skyranger in which he inshystructed Flying is flying he has been heard to say But the desire to own his own Skyranger persisted through the years

A year and a half ago long on time and short on funds Jack began an active search for a Skyranger he could rebuild Local inquiries were to no avail but an ad in the Northwest Flyer did the trick bringing two replies The first he ruled out as being too expensive considering time and condition but the second from Stanford White in Escondido California seemed intershyesting Mr White had a 1947 model 185 serial number 1810 in his back yard with wings and tail feathers reshymoved Price Fifteen hundred dollars This got Jacks attention and soon he was southbound with pickup and trailer The plane had been accurately described by the owner who said the upholstery was shot and the tires checked badly but everything else basically sound Hauling it back to Spokane was less a task than anticishypated but attracted considerable attention from other motorists and on a couple of occasions low flying airshycraft circled for a second look

Space available for reconstruction consisted of a one car garage necessitating the storage of wings in the

As the sign says - New interior

10 SEPTEMBER 1981

neighbors garage while work on the fuselage wasmiddot in progress The first order of business was a complete examination so that required parts could be ordered to be on hand when needed The McCauley prop had a fair amount of corrosion probably induced by salt air It was sent for repair and returned looking like new

A compression check proved three of the four cylinders nearly perfect but a leaky exhaust valve was found in the fourth The valve seat was reground and valve replaced because of erosion between the tulip and the portion which rides in the valve guide A new compression check showed all four within tolerance and well balanced

Inspection of the generator and starter showed all bearjngs to be in good shape but the armatures were turned and new brushes installed

The single most expensive task was magneto replaceshyment They were in poor shape with outstanding ADs so were exchanged for rebuilts at nearly $200 per copy To a neophyte this is where the cost of aircraft parts becomes a reality

The condition of all wiring was a matter of concern and a decision was made to replace all cockpit and engine compartment conductors Control wires received the same attention but only one aileron cable and the elevator trim cable needed replacement During this phase an aileron bell crank was found frozen and was freed

While all this was going on and more to follow a lady known for her expertise in upholstery redid the entire cabin Horsehair cushions were exchanged for foam and a new seat sling was installed The new upholstery is fire resistant and dark red in color Headliner and panels are Airtex Duraliner and camel color New seat belts completed the cabin portion

Though the paint was faded the Ceconite fabric was in good shape despite thirteen years exposure to the elements Tires and tubes were unsafe and therefore

As found in the previous owners backyard in Escondido

On the way back to Spokane from Escondido

New owner and rebuilder Jack Johnson just after take-off VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

replaced Some rust was evident on fuselage members which were sanded out treated and primed Half the windshield and both side windows were replaced with new as were landing light covers The instrument panel was removed stripped and refinished in a coordinated color All flight instruments were replaced and even the control sticks were rechromed

When the two twelve-gallon fuel tanks were removed for inspection a good look at both main spars was possible They were found to be perfect not so with the tanks Corrosion had caused some pin hole leaks so the tanks were cleaned welded and sealant applied internally

As the six-month task of rebuilding wore on and flying weather improved Jack become increasingly antsy No one who really enjoys flying likes to be grounded due to aircraft condition He really worked to finish the final phase making it beautiful Polytone finish in dark red and ivory was the choice

The final final and unanticipated chore Jacks wife Margaret insisted such a noble bird should have an apt name Shortly My Mistress was scripted on either side of the cowling acknowledging he had spent more time with the Skyranger than with Margaret

Advice technical assistance and inspection were provided by Skeet Carlson nationally known EAA Designee and FAA A amp P When Skeet put his final OK on the now beautiful plane Jack asked Whos first you or me Skeet didnt answer he just climbed in and took off The grin on his face as he taxied in was stronger approval than his signature on the inspection

I have flown My Mistress and can confirm what a sweet forgiving craft it is No great power just a dam good simple dependable personal two-place airplane

And Jack I can confirm also that he is a little less nutty now than before and hasnt had a tranquilizer since the inspection and successful test flight

This is the interior as I found it

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine Continental C-85-12F Fuel 24 gal in two 12-gal tanks which feed together Basic weight 910 lbs Gross weight 14501bs Wing span 33 8 Wing area 164 sq ft Cruising speed 95 mph Rate of climb 550 ft per min Stall speed 45 mph Never exceed speed 155 mph

a

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 3 - LAS VEGAS NEVADA - American

Bonanza Society convention and industry exhibit MGM Grand Hotel Contact ABS Read ing Muni cipal Airport PO Box 3749 Reading PA

SEPTEMBER 3-6 - OnUMWA IOWA - 8th Annual Antique Airmen Fly-In Reunion at Ottumwa Industrial Airport All antiques classics warbirds homebuilts etc welcome For further information contact Gene AldriCh 515 684-4774 or Andy Norton 515 563-2187

SEPTEMBER 5-6 - TULARE CALIFORNIA - 6th Annual EAA Fly-In and Air Show Contact Vin ce Muett 633 W Iris St Visal ia CA 93277 209 688-0669

SEPTEMBER 9-13 - GALESBURG ILLINOIS - Tenth Annual Stearshyman Fly-In at the Galesburg Muni cipal Airport Contact Ted McCulshylough 43 Indiana Ave Galesburg IL 61401 309 342-2298

SEPTEMBER 11-13 - MARION OHIO - 16th Annual Marion Merf i EAA Fly-In Marion Municipal Airport Contact Louis Lendeman 3840 Cloverdale Road Medway OH 45341 513 849-9455

SEPTEMBER 12-13 - GREEN BAY WISCONSIN - Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapter 651 Plainview Airport Overnight camping Free meal to pilots arriving in homebuilts or antiques Contact Dave Frisbee 414 336-3257

SEPTEMBER 12-13 - LOVELAND-FT COLLINS COLORADO - 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In at Loveland-Ft Collins Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapters 43 72 301 648 660 720 lAC Chapters 5 12 16 and the Antique Airplane Assn of Colorado Contact Bill March 303 986-4398

SEPTEMBER 13 - BOLIVAR TENNESSEE - Airshow and Tennessee Forest Festival sponsored by Hardeman County Chamber of Comshymerce Trophies awarded for homebuilts antiques warbirds and ultralights Airshow features Duane and Marion Cole and Ben Morphew Contact Billy Whitehurst PO Box 376 Bolivar TN 38008 1-800-238-6871

SEPTEMBER 15-20 - RENO NEVADA - National Championship air races Contact Floyd Edsall air race and air show director PO Box 1429 Reno NV 89505

SEPTEMBER 17-19 - CHARLOnE NORTH CAROLINA - Silver Wings convention Contact Haskell Deaton Box 1822 Charlotte NC 28218 or National Headquarters Box 1221 Harrisburg PA 17108

SEPTEMBER 18-19 - LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY - Bowman Fi eld Old-Timers Reunion Anyone active at Bowman Field prior to 1940 please contact Ed Peck Reuni o n Coordinator 214 Lynnwood Drive Jeffersonville IN 47130 812 944-1028

SEPTEMBER 18-20 - KERRVILLE TEXAS - 17th Annual Southwest Regional Fly-In Friday night hangar party Saturday night banquet Sponsored by Texas EAA Chapters

SEPTEMBER 19-20 - BROOKHAVEN LONG ISLAND NEW YORK shyAntique Airplane Club 19th Annual Fly-In Contact Terry Ferris 15 Bru ce Lane Farmingdale NY 11735

SEPTEMBER 19-20 - BALTIMORE MARYLAND - EAA East Coast Regional fly-in Forums flea markets commerCial displays experimental aircraft displays awards Saturday night party Contact Gene Brown 9028 Hickory Hi li Avenu e Lanham MD 301 577-3070

SEPTEMBER 25-27 - TAHLEQUAH OKLAHOMA - 24th Annual Tulsa Fly-In Antique and experimental aircraft from ali over the midwest Contact J C Treager Rt 1 Box 406 Sand Springs OK 74063 918 245-6910

OCTOBER 9-11 - ANDERSON INDIANA - Annual Convention and FlyshyIn sponsored by the International Cessna 120 140 Association Inc For further information please contact Frank Hancock 3941 West Cross Street Anderson IN 46011 317 643-1593

OCTOBER 16-18 - CAMDEN SOUTH CAROLINA - Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts Ultralights and Warbirds invited Awards and banquet Saturday night For further information contact Geneva McKiernan 5301 Finsbury Place Charlotte NC 28211

OCTOBER 17-18 - MARANA ARIZONA - 10th Annual Copper State EAA Fly-In

OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 1 - RAMONA AIRPORT CALIFORNIA shyEAA Ramona Fly-In Sponsored by EAA Chapter 14 and San Diego Chapter of the Ant ique Aircraft Assoc Rain date November 7-8 Contact Ben W Hunsaker 714 276-5121

NOVEMBER 21-22 - MIAMI FLORIDA - Antique Classic and Cusshytom Built Exhibit and Fly-In at sixth annual Harvest sponsored by Historical Association of Southern Florida Located at Tamiami Fairgrounds Coral Way at 112th Avenue in Miami Contact Elizashybeth Bookout 305 557-5530 or Genie Card 305 253-3776

12 SEPTEMBER 1981

TYPE CLUBS AND OTHER middotAVIATION ORGANIZATIONS

Aeronca Sedan Club Richard Welsh 2311 East Lake Sammamish Place SE Issaquah W A 98027 Newsletter 3 per year Dues $250 per year

Air Force Historical Foundation Col James L Cannell USAF (Ret ) - Exec Dir Building 361 Bolling Air Force Base DC 20032 Newsletter Aerospace Historian Dues $2500 per year

American Aviation Historical Society Tom Britton President PO Box 99 Garden Grove CA 92642 Contact Society for further information

Antique Airplane Association Inc Robert L Taylor President Rt 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 Newsletter AAA News AAA Digest APM Bulletin Dues Family Membership - $3000 per year

Associate - $1500 per year

Aviation Maintenance Foundation Richard S Kost Executive Director PO Box 739 Basin WY 82410 Dues $3000 per year

$2000 per year - Student Membership

Airplane Safety Foundation (Society) American Bonanza Society Reading Municipal Airport PO Box 3749 Reading P A 19605 Newsletters Monthly (except month following annual

convention) Dues US and Canada - $1500 per year

Foreign - $1000 per year

Bucker Club John Bergeson Secretary Treasurer 615 West May Street Mt Pleasant MI 48858 Newsletter Every other month Dues US - $750 per year

Foreign - $1000 per year

Cessna Airmaster Club Gar Williams Nine South 125 Aero Drive Naperville IL 60540 Newsletter None Dues None

International Cessna 120 140 Association Glenn Usher Box 92 Richardson TX 75080 Newsletter Monthly Dues US - $1000 per year

Foreign - $1500 per year

West Coast Cessna 120140 Club Dan Thompson President PO Box 891 Menlo Park CA 94025 Newsletter 6 per year Dues $1000 per year

Cessna 150 152 Club Skip Carden Executive Director P O Box 15388 Durham --rC 27704 Newsletter Monthly Dues $1500 per year

International Cessna 170 Association Inc Velvet Fackeldey Executive Secretary Route 2 Box 274 Hartville MO 65667 Newsletter Flypaper (11 per year)

The 170 News (Quarterly) Dues $1500 per year

International 180185 Club Inc (Cessna) 180-185 Owners Only Charles Bombardier President 4539 N 49th Avenue Phoenix AZ 85031 Newsletter 9 or 10 per year Dues $1000 per year

Eastern Cessna 190 195 Association Cliff Crabs 25575 Butternut Ridge Road North Olmsted OH 44070 Newsletter One per year Dues $500 per year

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Culver Club Larry Low Chairman 60 Skywood Way Woodside CA 94062 Newsletter None Dues None

Dart Club Lloyd Washburn 3958 Washburn Drive Pt Clinton OH 43452 Newsletter Now and then Dues None

D H Moth Club Gerry Schwam 1021 Serpentine Lane Wyncote PA 19095 Newsletter Quarterly Dues US and Canada - $700 per year

Foreign - $850 per year

Ercoupe Owners Club Skip Carden Executive Director Box 15058 Durham NC 27704 Newsletter Monthly with Special Editions Dues $1500 per year

Fairchild Club PO Box 127 Blakesburg IA 52536 Newsletter Fairchild Fan (Quarterly) Dues $500 per year

Howard Club Jack Hogan PO Box 291 Santa Paula CA 93060 Contact Club for further information

Little Round Engine Flyers Ken Williams Chairman 331 East Franklin Street Portage WI 53901 Contact Williams for further information

Continental Luscombe Association Loren Bump President 5736 Esmar Road Ceres CA 95307 Newsletter 6 per year Dues $1000 per year

Luscombe Association John B Bergeson 615 W May Street Mt Pleasant MI 48858 Newsletter 6 per year Dues $750 per year

Monocoupe Club Mr and Mrs Bud Dake 8318 Fairbanks Berkeley MO 63134 Newsletter Quarterly Dues $300 (For Quarterly) 14 SEPTEMBER 1981

National Flying Club A R Cardono Chairman of the Board Municipal Airport Box 1175 Banning CA 92220

International Pietenpol Association Robert L Taylor Editor PO Box 127 Blakesburg IA 52536 Newsletter Quarterly Dues $750 per year

Porterfield Airplane Club Chuck Lebrecht 3121 E Lake Shore Drive Wonder Lake IL 60097 Newsletter Included in dues Dues $500 per year (owners)

Rearwin Club Gary Van Farowe 1460 Ottawa Beach Road Holland MI 49423 Newsletter Occasionally Dues None

Air Replicas International Robert L Taylor P O Box 127 Blakesburg IA 52536 Newsletter ARI Journal (Quarterly) Dues $1500 per year

Replica Fighters Association Frank Weatherly 2789 Mohawk Lane Rochester MI 49063 Contact Association for further information

National Ryan Club Bill Hodges 811 Lydia Stephenville TX 76401 Dues Ryan owners - None

Non-Ryan owners - $500 per year

Vintage Sailplane Association Pat Storck Secretary 3103 Tudor Road Waldorf MD 20601 Newsletters Bungee Cord Dues Individual - $800

Family - $1000

Seaplane Pilots Association Jan Scott President Rt 1 Box 239 Lovettsville LA 22088 Newsletter Quarterly Dues Individual - $800 per year

Family - $1000 per year Clubs and or businesses - $1500 per year

Silver Wings Fraternity Aviation Pathfinders Russ Brinkley President Box 1228 Harrisburg PA 17108 Newsletter Slipstream Dues $500 Emblem - $500

Staggerwing Club Jim Gorman President 1885 Millsboro Road Mansfield OH 44906 Newsletter Quarterly Dues $1000 per year

Stampe Club Carl Carlsen President 1173 Los Robles Drive Santa Paula CA 93060 Newsletter Occasionally Dues $1000

Stearmans Restorers Association Tom Lowe 823 Kingston Lane Crystal Lake IL 60014 Newsletter 4-6 per year Dues $1000 per year

National Stinson Club (All models except 108s) Jonsey Paul Chairman 14418 Skinner Road Cypress TX 77429 Newsletter Quarterly Dues $600

National Stinson Club 108 Section (For 108 Series only) Mike amp Janice Emerson Editors 708 West 16th Street Big Spring TX 79720 Newsletter Quarterly Dues $600

Southwest Stinson Club Tom Roach President 2804 Holloway Lane Carmichael CA 95608 Newsletter Every other month Dues $600 per year

International Swift Association Charlie Nelson McMinn Co Airport PO Box 644 Athens TX 37303 Newsletter Monthly Dues Individual - $1500

Family - $2250

International Taylorcraft Owners Club Bruce M Bixler II President 12809 Greenbower Road Alliance OH 44601 Newsletter 6 per year Dues $500 per year

The Uncommon Cub For Cub Aircraft 1941 and earlier

Engine - 60 hp or less (except for 65 - 85 hp Canadian Prospector Cub)

20 Brimwood Boulevard Unit 78 Agincourt Ontario M1V 1B7 Canada Newsletter Occasional Dues None

National Waco Club Ray H Brandly 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton OH 45015 Newsletter Every other month Dues $1500 per year

Wheelchair Pilots Association Howard L Treadwell President 1108-102 Avenue N Largo FL 33540 Newsletter None Dues $1000 per year

World War I Aeroplanes L E Opdycke 15 Crescent Road Poughkeepsie NY 12601 Newsletter 5 per year ($300) Dues Voluntary contributions

(Claude Gray Collection) Menasco display of the Super Buccaneer aircraft engine at th e Pacific Aircraft and Boat Show in Los Angeles April 2-10 1938

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

Editors Note The plans for the Pietenpol Sky Scout as presented here appeared in the EAA reprint of the 1933 FLYING MANUAL The article was written 48 years ago by the designer of the plane B H Bernie Pietenpol (EAA 2334) Spring Valley MN 55975 This is Part I of a three part series See page 27 of this magazine for available copies of the FLYING and FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS

PART 1

Plans for the Pietenpol SKY SCOUT Since plans for the Pietenpol Air Camper were published just a year ago several hundred sets of blueprints have been purshychased and those who followed the plans closely were withshyout exception successful in building a safe and economical airplane Owing to the insistent demand of lightplane fans for a similar ship powered with a Model T motor the origishynator of the Air Camper has designed the Pietenpol Sky Scout especially for readers of the 1933 Flying Manual

By B H Pietenpol Designer of the Pietenpol Air Camper

No sooner had my article on building the Air Camper appeared in Modern Mechanix and Invenshytions than the readers began flooding both myself and Andy with queries as to whether the ship could be powered with a Model T motor

Unfortunately I had to tell the fans that the Model T was hardly powerful enough for a twoshyplace job And then the fun began Letters started pouring in asking for plans for a one-place job that could use the main-spring of an old Henry Well here we are

But before going into the actual construction of the Sky Scout I wish to say a few things about the ship how it happened to be what it will do and what not to expect of it

Back to the Model T I have been experimenting and building lightshy

planes since 1920 and my first ship was a biplane powered with a Model T Ford motor The ship was very light but not very strong compared with the Sky Scout However I did with that first plane what a lot of you who build your first ship will try to do I mean teach yourself to fly

The plane was fully able to fly as I had it in the air about 20 times but as I didnt know how to land I busted something every time I had it up

The last time I tried it in a 25-mile wind and there was not enough left of the crate to fix it up after that

Learn to Fly First So my first bit of advice is by all means learn

to fly before you try to take your own ship into the

air While I started flying with not over four hours and twelve landings and soloed and test-flew a ship at the same time I surely advise you against that method But where could you find a school in 1920

I then went in for higher powered jobs but always believed that the Model T motor could be made to fly successfully

About in 1928 when the new Ford came out I decided that the Model A was the engine I wanted so I bought all the sample parts from the Ford dealer and assembled a motor although I had not seen the inside of the new Ford The ship flew and was a success from the start

Model A Gets All Credit There was only one thing I did not like about

this - the motor got all the credit and the ship got none So when the editors of M M told me that they could use a similar ship that would fly good on a Model T motor I built the Sky Scout to prove to myself that I could build a ship powered with that motor which would be practical and also to prove that the Model A engine was not the only automobile motor that would fly successfully

The Model A is a wonderful motor for the small plane and may be used in this ship and adshyvise its use if you have not a Model T all rebuilt for aircraft use There must be hundreds of them built up

The only change needed if the Model A motor is used is to move the wing about one inch ahead and put on a little larger radiator as the ship is

16 SEPTEMBER 1981

plenty strong for this engine and cowling and all will fit

Now a few words on what the Sky Scout is First the ship was designed to be as easy to

fly as it is possible to make it I have never flown a plane that handled better It is also almost imshypossible to hurt it landing

I have watched two fellows make their first solo on this ship and if ever a plane had a reason to crack up it did when it landed about 20 ft up and pancaked down

I have watched students fly into the ground with the tail skid two feet in the air and have also watched the tail skid strike the ground when the wheels were two feet in the air on a stall landing

The ship now has about 100 hours of this sort of time The only thing that has been hurt is one vee on the landing gear that was bent a little on a forced landing made down wind when one wheel

PIETE~POL ONE SEATER ~ORO MODEL T MOTOR

The Air Camper and Sky Scout compared The same sturdy construction is evident in every line of the Scout as was fomiddotund in its bigger and higher-powered brother

The Pietenpol Sky Scout taking off from the WoldmiddotChamberlain airshyport at Minneapolis Minn for a crossmiddotcountry hop

went into a sharp ditch (it did not nose over) I also saw this ship land on a plowed field

OK although it was necessary to pull it on to a solid field to take off as it could not move an inch on its own power -- the field was too soft

Now do not think I advise you to do these things as I certainly do not But it s comforting to know that your plane can stand this kind of abuse without cracking up

The Sky Scout has a climb of at least 200 fpm although it has been climbed at around 500 several times It has a top speed of about 62 mph a landing speed of under 35 mph a take-off run of 150 ft on a good field and about 250 ft landing run

We let the motor turn a 6 ft propeller wfth a 42 in pitch 1740 maximum revolutions per min- ute on the ground and cruise the motor at between 1500 and 1600 in the air The throttle is about oneshythird open at cruising speed so you see you have

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

STRE MLINE middot THE COWLING WITH ZZ C LUMINUM

SEE DETILS or LNDING +-+-t-ttt----t-lT GER SeLY

THE SIDE VIEW OF THE COMPLETE PLANE

~~------------------------ -----t---+-------ngt-----_J--~ NOTE SEE FUSEL CE DRWINGS FOR THE ~--36--~r_-----------140f------------_~4-COMPLETE DIMENSIONS

~---------OVERALL LENGT1 OF PLANE IS 18FT gtIN-------------l- IN INCHES 48

Outboard and front elevations of the Sky Scout_ Details of the instrument board axle collar and horizontal stabilizer

some reserve power The motor will turn as high as 1800 in the air

Blueprints Correct The editors showed me a set of blueprints that

they made from the shop drawings that I used in building the ship and let me say for the plans that they are exactly like this plane is built and the most beautifully drawn up and easy to understand that I have ever seen

There are a lot of improvements in these prints that will also be a great help to you if you are buildshying the Air Camper

Again I wish to say that these plans are exshyactly as the ship was built and if we build any more of this model they will be exactly like this one as after flying the whole season of 1931 we have not found one improvement we would wish to make and the plane is far better than we dared hope for

So please do not write to have the design changed as I advise that the ship be built as it is

There are so much of the instructions printed right on the plans that it does not seem necessary to write a treatise on how to build it but I will try to give a few pointers that will be of help to you

18 SEPTEMBER 1981

Designed for Easy Building The Sky Scout was designed to be as easy as

possible to build but unless you know you are capshyable of building a plane or have someone to help you that is capable please do not try to build any airplane

I believe this is the easiest ship to build there is However I wish to have only safely built and good flying planes in the air and if I knew that any unsafe ships were built from these plans I would prefer that you had never seen them

I believe that this is the safest plane for the beshyginner that has ever been built It is for the fellow who is going to build his own ship that these plans were made All of us who are interested in aviation have to make a start some time and I think that building your own lightplane is the best way to get started

The Fuselage We will now take up the construction of the

fuselage This is very plainly drawn up and I do not think you will have any trouble with it It is made from 78 in by 78 in spruce for longerons and struts while the sides and front are covered with

332 in mahogany plywood The floor is made of in 5-ply haskelite All gusset plates of in material Remember all plywood must be regular aircraft grade and waterproof

Use a good glue We use Rodgers semi-watershyproof and give it two good coats of varnish You may use regular casein glue but be sure you know how to handle it It wont keep long (12 hours)

Make Jig for Fuselage You will need a large bench on which to draw

out and build your jig We use the same jig for both sides

Each strut is held in place by blocks which are left nailed down until both sides are finished Also leave the longerons a little long and wrap some wire from the top to bottom longerons twistshying it tight with a nail until you have the plywood nailed and glued on each side When the glue is dry you may saw off the longerons in front

First layout one side in the jig putting in all struts and braces When you make one strut make another just like it to be used on the other side so the two will be exactly alike Be sure to use a miter box for this work

Next glue and nail on all the VB in gusset plates wire the front longerons together so they will not spring apart and break the gusset plates

Now remove the side from jig put the longershyons struts and braces for the other side into the jig and put the gusset plates starting from tail and working up to where the 3 32 in sides start

Now take the side you have just finished from jig lay it in on a piece of 332 in plywood and mark out all longerons struts and braces by runshyning a pencil around them then cut the plywood the size of fuselage Make two of these - one for the right and one for the left side The side of the plywood bearing the pencil

marks goes on the outside and gives you good marks to keep your nails between

Glue and Nail Gusset Plates Now put a good layer of glue on longerons

struts and braces as far back as the plywood goes lay on your plywood and get busy nailing it down with Y-t in by 18 gauge cement coated nails All other gusset plates are also put on with this size nail

When you have this done wire front of longshyerons together and remove from jig Now remove all blocks from the bench so that it is smooth Turn the side of the fuselage over and put gusset on that side then do the same with first side you started

Now take the two sides and clamp them toshygether Saw off ends of the longerons exactly the same length Take a tri-square and mark off all strut stations the place for the instrument boards and a few extra marks that will come in handy to measure from

Now make the seat back and the front bulkshyhead (These must be perfect as the whole job de-

This excellent view shows the installation of the Ford Model T engmiddotine in the Sky Scout Note location of the radiator and individual exhaust stacks

pends on them ) and nail and glue them in place You may now put in the ~~ by 5-plywood floor nailing it in with 1 in 17 gauge nails Next comes the top of the fuselage

Now pull the tail end of longerons together make this joint fit good glue and nail it good ~nd put in all the rest of the strut~ and races uSI~g the center line method to get It straight That IS make a line in the center of each strut and make a tight string or wire pass over this line when drawn from center of front to center of tall post

The struts are next set on the gusset plates of the sides Then put on turtle back instrument board cowling and support and the woodwork is finished except for seat which you should have no trouble with

I can get the fuselage built up for you if this sounds like too much work and then you will have a perfect job around which to build the rest of the ship

The Wing The fittings are so clear on the plans that it

would be a waste of time to say anything about them They are all made of regular 1025 aircraft steel and are more than strong enough

The wing on the Sky Scout is much too strong and could be lightened a little It weighs about 90

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE PIETENPOL SKY SCOUT

High Speed 62 mph Cruising Speed 55 mph Landing Speed 35 mph Take-off Run 150 ft Landing Run 250 ft Initial Climb Minimum 200 fpm Span 27 ft 3 in Chord 5 ft Length 16 ft 3 in

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

TO BE RAISED E ENTER INC SH I P

--~~~~~~~~~------~-+--------------------183~

~ GA SHEET STEEL

30middot X IOf PIECE Of Ii PLywnnn-~ NAILED TO 80TTDM Of BEAMS AND STRUTS TO BRACE THE CENTER

METHOD OF ATTACHING THE GASOLINE TANK TO WING

THE SCALE IN INCHES

6 2 J4 38 ~DETAILS OF WING ASSEMBLY-=shy

STRUT Of SPRlJCE

Details of wing assembly are given on this working drawing The method of installing sheet steel tank in the center secshytion of wing is clearly shown here Another interesting innovation is the flap at the trailing edge of the center section

lbs complete It was only built this heavy because all the regular parts to build the Air Camper wing were used

I wish to call your attention to the brace right back of the rear beam This was changed from the plans of the Air Camper and I advise all of you who have no built up your wing ribs to build them this way

After your ribs are finished make your beams (if you have trouble doing this we will be able to make them for you) and splice them in the center Now mark off all places where the ribs will come having the two beams clamped together

A good way to do this is to mark off the places on half of the spars then reverse one beam and mark the other half from the first marks You will then know that it is right

Next glue in the piece of 332 in or II Il in plywood that is set beneath the gas tank and be sure you have this in the center and perfectly square as the whole wing is lined from this center Now put on all the ribs and glue and nail them with two 1 in by 17 gauge nails at each joint On the top it will be found necessary to put in small spruce blocks to fill up the gap These must be

20 SEPTEMBER 1981

glued on both sides Next put on all wing fittings and brace wires

(we use 332 in cable as it is easier to handle alshythough No 12 hard wire is OK) and line the wing up with the wires Do not make them too

Don Finke demonstrates the utility of the flap which is necessary for easy middotentrance and egress Photo also gives you an idea of the planes visibility

Details of the wing rib construction The airfoil shown here is original with the designer and is exactly the same as that of the Model A Air Camper Construction is a trifle heavy but the ship has been designed for safety rather than speed

tight until you get in your compression struts and wing tips

Now put on leading edge trailing edge aileron beams flop beams and wing tips in order named Line the wing up so that it is perfectly straight and put in all braces in wing (wood) and also put the Ij in by ~~ in braces on the ailerons and put all filler strips on the aileron hinges (which are only small strap hinges with a new pin put in which has a cotter pin hole in itsend)

Now place the control horns and you are ready to cut the ailerons and center flop from the wing By leaving all the ribs full length and cutting the ailerons and flop free when finished you are sure to get a better and straighter wing After you have all the parts finished and sanded you may give the whole thing a coat of varnish

This wing is as strong as I know how to make a wing without having a lot of needless weight We experimented a lot with wings on the good old Air Camper which still is the best ship today for the model A Ford motor We looked at planes with a lot more load per running foot of spar length and a lot more load per square foot of wing and made our spars and ribs to conform We found only one

flaw in years of flying the A jobs and that was the trailing edge of the wing was a little weak for stuntshying Don came sailing into the field with his job one day in a steep side slip - so steep I thought hed hook a wing and flip over Boy he was going and he yanked her out to see what would happen Due to the fact that the little cross members in the trailing edge were in the wrong direction a portion of the trailing edge folded up but it didnt seem to hurt things any and he flew the rest of the day before we started to fix it That shows the extreme confidence we have in the ruggedness of our ships and I hope my telling this will convince you of our candor in perfecting the little things We went through our analysis again and found it would make the rear edge of the rib a little stronger to run the piece the other direction taking the load in compression instead of in tension and we have done so in this Sky Scout design Im still sticking to our home brew wing section and I will until I can find something that will work better - so far I havent found it

For the benefit of those of you who have not read of how we constructed the Ford A job (which article appeared in the last issue of the FLYING

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

--------------1533 (12-9il0VERALL LENGTH------------to-i

-+-t---25 2e 26--+--shy

-

THE INSIDE VIEW

BELL CRA

f SUPPORTS

I X f TURTLE BACK RIBBING

TAIL 5KID FITTING

FILL BETWEEN GUSSET PLATE AND flTTlNGS WITH f xi STRIPS ON CORNERS

THE OUTSIDE VIEW OF FUSELAGE

Dimensioned drawings of the Sky Scout wooden fumiddot selage It has been the exmiddot perience of the designer that deHavilland type of wood construction is simmiddot pier to build and will stand up under the hardest usage This job is a marmiddot vel of strength

~ PLYWOOD TOP

f-oIf-----f- ----153f (lz-9f) OVERALL LENGTH -------------1 -_f-oIgt---28 26-_-+-_- _-+~-20middot

t

SEAT BRACES AND SUPPORTS I X ~ 5PRUCE

NOTE ALL STRUTS BRACESTHE TOP VIEW OF FUSELAGE(If x 2 ENGINE SUPPORT AND LONGERONS ARE

FITTING AROUND FRONT STRUTS SPRUCEfx r 26r----I~_----51-----_+_--

6 WHITE ASH WEDGE TO SUPPORT THE TAIL SKID

------f-oI~-----------lo2f----------~ f-------------153f ~2 -9~middot) OVERALL LENGTH-------------i

f PLYWOOD FLOOR THE BOTTOM VIEW OF FUSELAGE

THE SCALE --THE MEASUREMENTS AND--shyfZ~-------i1o 12 24 36

middot-THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FUSELAGE-shy

IN INCHES

MANUAL) Ill retell the history of this wing curve of ours

Ive been building airplanes for the last 12 year you see and the first one I started was a biplane which was powered with a Ford T She flew nicely but in those days we hadnt heard of modern high-lift wing sections and the underside of everything flying was as curved as a shoe horn and not a lot more efficient either I think the wing curve I used on that first ship was a USA No4 which was supposed to be the hotshy

test pepper out at the time Then I used other wing sections on other ships and found ~ut a lot of rule of thumb things about them which any ham mechanic knows

That is that within limitations the center of pressure of almost all wings varies from about a third of the chord from the leading edge to about 40 percent at the very high angles of incidence I know there are wing sections with negative angles of incidence but they are mostly freaks - I am talking about normal wings The center of pressure

22 SEPTEMBER 1981

SEAT BOTTOM

[XRA~RCHsUPPO

fN

of the seat constructionNOTE SEE THE IINSTRUMENT BD

FUSELAGE PLANS L

DETAILED DIMENSIONS lI OF BULKHEADS AND MIDSUPPORT FO

SUPPORTS TURTLEBACK Hgt

was about the same with all wings and traveled back about the same amount for increased anges of incidence

But while all the graphs of wing curves which I secured from the NAC A at Washington looked about alike and had about the same characteristics on paper there was a lot of difference in the way they handled Slight differences in lift and drag characteristics on these graphs which wouldnt seem to mean a thing would mean a whole lot when put onto a ship

You know monoplanes of the high-wing type

tit SUPPORT TURTLEBACK spi

BULKHEAD AT SECOND

STATION AfT OF SEAT BKK

DETAIL OF FRAMING THE SEAT

Right- Dimensioned drawmiddot ings for miscellaneous fumiddot selage fittings

Left - Detailed drawings

COWLING

and bulkhead

i TO BE ALLOWED FOR JOINT1I

4middot 7 CONE IS OF 22 GA

IN

12middot

NOSE DISC ATTACH CONE AFTER

COWLING IS COMPLETE

r LAP

are the strongest and safest from the aerodynamical point of view Yet they handle differently than any type of airplane like a biplane There is a sort of pendulum effect that makes it rock back and forth and a wing section that doesn t have a minimum travel of the center of pressure will be bucky on the controls That is all taken out Of the Sky Scout through the use of our wing but I often wondered why nobody had taken a crack at the subject I know the M-6 wing section has no travel pressure but it isn t so hot in the air alongside our section And so that is that bullbullbull

Up she goes Don Finke taking off at the Wold-Chamberl ain airport for a cross country hop

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Ale NEWS (Continued from Page 5)

MUSEUM NEEDS The following items are needed to carryon the program

of the EAA Aviation Foundation If you can help please contact EAA Headquarters telephone 414425-4860 Donations to the Museum are tax deductible

bull Planer (wood) bull Wing fittings for Curtiss JN4D bull Miscellaneous aviation mechanic hand tools bull Tools for V-1650 Merlin engines bull Complete engine or parts Merlin V-1650 bull Semi-tractor double or single axle bull Modem NA V ICOM radios for B-25 and Lockheed 12

aircraft bull Hydraulic Mule bull Hydraulic Maintenance Stands bull 220 to 28 volt rectifier - 100 amp bull Lawn mower blade balancer bull Overhaul Manual and Parts List for Me 109

(Spanish built) bull 3 prop hubs (30 spline) Part 5406-AL and 6

Hamilton Standard Ground Adjustable prop blades Part 3792X 89 for P amp W R-985 Ford Trimotor engines

bull N3N wheels and brakes bull P amp W R-1830-75 R-1830-94 and R-2000 engines bull Tank Model 63 or 73 engine or parts bull Towing tractor for medium to large aircraft bull Small ice-cube maker bull Air Hammer bull Portable sandblaster with hood bull Funk (Ford Model B) aircraft engine - two needed

(Photo by Marian Cavadlas) Wayne C Pappy Brubaker (EAA 12260) 172 S Gov Boulevard Capital Park Dover DE 19901 donated an elevator for the EAA Air Museums DC-3 He and his wife Helen delivered it to the Museum on their way to Oshkosh 81 They always arrive at the Convention site early and stay late to work as volunteers

(Claude Gray Collection) Skeleton detail of the framework of a Stinson Gullwing Please note the main spar built like a bridge truss This is a very complex wing 24 SEPTEMBER 1981

LETTERS Dear Jack Cox

Remember the Lawrence 5 cylinder radial engine It was used in an APU and as I recall developed 37 hp at 4000 rpm Cute as the devil it was and about 13 or 14 years ago the late Ralph Thenhaus built a Heath Parasol from EAA plans and stuck the little Lawrence in it Up to that time people only talked about building an airplane around that engine but it took 01 Ralph to do it

I had previously test flown Ralphs T-18 (number three I think) and he thrilled the britches off me by asking me to fly the Heath for the first time Well my gosh Sure Ralph Id really be glad to

The big event transpired on El Mirage dry lake out by Edwards Air Force Base California in the middle of summer Alas the heat proved too much Although the engine ran the smoothest of anything Ive ever heard she would only turn about 3600 I got that much by opening the throttle and as the Heath accelerated to manually lean the engine by a model airplane tweak valve that Ralph had rigged up It did fly but only about 12 or 15 feet above the lake bed (We had eight miles of runway and it took about two to get airborne) I was afraid to make a turn so all flights consisted of straight and level

Well to make a long story short Ralph took the Lawrence out put a Continental A-65 in and made a positively wonderful fun machine out of it Not too much later he became terminally ill and passed on but not before he soloed the Heath I wanted very much to have the little radial for a keepsake mantle piece but never thought it appropriate to ask Do you think any of your readers would know of the whereabouts of this particular Lawrence Does anyone know if anyone else has ever flown one before

If you should decide to publish this perhaps Norm Ginn or Oby Tolman would know something They were both there and helped Ralph quite a lot putting the Heath together

Yours truly Bill Warwick (EAA 3775) 5726 Clearsite Torrance CA 90505

Dear Gene Under editorial policy in The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

is the statement Responsibility for accuracy in reportshying rests entirely with the contributor It is apparent that I am responsible for a breach of accuracy in the story Claude Flagg PilotEngineer in the May 1980 issue It says In the mid-1950s Bruce Raymond was flying this ship meaning the Flagg-Raymond F-13 Bug Actually Bruce had bought the ship much earlier apparently in poor repair

Bruce states I bought the Bug from a gentleman in Fort Dodge Iowa in the summer of 1935 and had it shipped to Chicago by truck I had to wait on the AB16 being transferred before I could fly the Flagg

The first hop in it was a short one of approximately five minutes as it was getting dark The next day (Dec 12 1935) I hopped it again and began to find things out It had a 65 hp Velie that had been taken out of a wreck The crankshaft had been welded and was approximately 040 out of alignment Later we got it to within 020 After approximately four hours time it was cracking the nose section Luckily I had a friend that was a good welder on aluminum At that date it was undershypowered and tail heavy a hell of a poor combination In 1940 I found out where the CG was supposed to be and moved the Velie forward Pis Then I had a good flying airplane

I test hopped it Dec 30 1940 and really had some fun complete oscillation stalls - no problem Spins but you had to kick it in them Now it was an honest airshyplane I flew it a few more times and then stored it anlt went to England flying for ATA

After the war I installed a 145 hp Warner and later a 185 hp Warner (Rated nearer 200 hp 2475 rpm) It is one good airplane now and will do anything you want it to do (End of Bruce Raymonds Comments)

In the interest of accuracy and aviation history it is better to correct the error now I do regret the goof and hope it has not created an undue problem for anyone Mr Raymond still had this plane

Sincerely Ted Businger (EAA 93833) Rt 2 Box 280 Willow Springs MO 65793

MYSTERY PLANE

This months Mystery Plane photo is from George Hardies collection Only a few of the craft were built so it is somewhat rare It represented a new approach to the OX-5 powered aircraft which carried three people One competed in the 1928 middotTransshycontinental Air Derby finished in 15th place The answer will appear in next months issue of Th e VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Last months Mystery Plane was a 1927 Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing 2 powered with an OX-5 engine Only about five were built and this basic configuration was used for the protoshytype of the Mail wing series (See J uptners US Civil Aircraft Volumemiddot I page 59 for more details

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27