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PUBLISHER
PaulH. Poberezny
MARCH 1984 Vol. 12, No. 3
PUBLICATION STAFF
EDITOR
Gene R. Chase
MANAGING EDITOR
MaryJones
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
NormanPetersen
FEATURE WRITER
GeorgeA.Hardie,Jr.
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
Vice President
R. J.Lickteig
1620BayOaks Drive
AlbertLea,MN 56007
507/373-2351
Secretary
Treasurer
RonaldFritz E.E."Buck" Hilbert
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O.Box 145
KentCity,MI 49330 Union, IL 60180
616/678-5012 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
ClaudeL. Gray, Jr. DaleA. Gustafson
9635Sylvia Avenue 7724 Shady Hill Drive
Northridge,CA 91324 Ihdianapolis,IN 46274
213/349-1338 317/293-4430
RobertG:Herman ArthurR. Morgan
W164 N9530WaterStreet 3744 North 51stBlvd.
Menomonee Falls,WI 53051 Milwaukee,WI53216
414/251-9253 414/442-3631
MortonW. Lester AI Kelch
P.O.Box 3747 66 W.622 N. Madison Ave.
Martinsville,VA 24112 Cedarburg,WI 53012
703/632-4839 414/377-5886
GeneMorris JohnR. Turgyan
24 ChandelleDrive Box 229,R.F.D.2
Hampshire,IL60140 Wrightstown,NJ 08562
3121683-3199 6091758-2910
S.J.Wittman GeorgeS.York
Box 2672 181 Sloboda Ave.
Oshkosh,WI54901 Mansfield,OH 44906
414/235-1265 419/529-4378
ADVISORS
JohnS. Copeland StanGomoll
9Joanne Drive 104290th Lane,NE
Westborough, MA01581 Minneapolis,MN 55434
617/366-7245 612/784-1172
EspieM. Joyce,Jr. DanielNeuman
Box468 1521 BerneCircle W.
Madison,NC27025 Minneapolis,MN 55421
919/427-0216 6121571-0893
Ray Olcott RoyRedman
1500KingsWay Rt. 3, Box 208
Nokomis, FL33555 Faribault, MN 55021
813/485-8139 507J334-5922
Contents
3 Straightand Level
byGeneChase
4 A/CNews
byGeneChase
5 MysteryPlane
byGeorge Hardie,Jr.
5 EAAAirAcademy
6 World'sFirstAirline
byGeorgeHardie
10 MysteryShip
byEdPhillips
15 AGlimpseatthePast
15 LetterstotheEditor
16 NorthDakotaJenny
byRoyRedman
20 CalendarofEvents
See Page6
See Page 10
See Page16
FRONTCOVER ...The replica Benoist Fly;ngBoatwhich re-created
the original flight of the world'sfirst airliner. See story page6. (Photo
by Bill Buston)
BACKCOVER ...The 1984version oftheBenoistFlyingBoattaxies
in afteraflight on TampaBay.(Photo by Bill Buston)
ThewordsEM,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EMINTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EMANTIQUE & CLASSIC DIVISION
INC., INTERNATIONALAEROBATICCLUB INC., WARBIRDSOFAMERICAINC.,areregisteredtrademarks,THE
EMSKY SHOPPE and logos ofthe EMAVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EMULTRALIGHTCONVENTION
are trademarks ofthe above associations and their use by any person otherthan theabol(e associations isstrictly
prohibited.
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
shouldbe sent to:Gene R.Chase, Editor,The VINTAGE AIRPLANE,Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091 -6943) is published and owned exclusively by EMAntique/Classic Division,
Inc.ofthe Experimental AircraftAssociation,Inc. and is published monthlyatWillman Airfield,Oshkosh, WI 54903-
2591. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for
EMAntique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EMmembers for 12 month period of which $12.00 is
forthepublication ofTheVINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open toall who are interested in aviation.
ADVERTISING- Antiquel ClassicDivision doesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductofferedthroughouradvertis-
ing.We inviteconstructivecriticismandwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertisi ng
so that corrective measurescan be taken.
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEMAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.,WillmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI54903-2591 .
S.H,"Wes"Schmid GarWilliams
2359 Lefeber Road NineSouth 135Aero Drive
Wauwatosa,WI 53213 Naperville, IL60540
4141771 -1545 3121355-9416
STRAIGHTAND LEVEL
~
The last five years have seen great progress in the
Antique/Classic Division under the leadership of Brad
ThomasandhisBoardofDirectors.Aswegotopresswith
this issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE we learned of
his request to step down from this position. Bradserved
admirably as President and his resignation is accepted
with regret.
Duetopersonalactivitiesandthepressofhisbusiness
asahosierymanufacturerinhishometownofPilotMoun-
tain, North Carolina, Brad chose to retire at this time
rather than during the hectic weeks preceding the Osh-
kosh convention.
For several years before his appointment to the top
office,BradwasactivelysupportiveoftheDivision,serv-
ingas ChiefClassic Judge atOshkosh, advisor, member
oftheBoardofDirectors, andDivisionSecretary.Follow-
ing other good leaders, he built upon their efforts and
furthered thegrowthandstabilityoftheorganization.
Bradwastirelessinhissupportofkeyprogramsspon-
sored by the Division, including flight safety, aviation
education,therestoration,maintenanceandpreservation
ofantiqueandclassicaircraft,andthepromotionofsport
aviationfly-ins from thelocal level upthroughOshkosh.
Bradsaw thewisdom of,andhe continuedto support
a standardjudgingsystemformulated by a committee of
extremely knowledgeable restorers of vintage aircraft.
The resulting rules and guidelines were published in a
manual and the system hasbeen inuse atOshkosh and
other fly-ins for several years. This manual, entitled,
"Rules,ObjectivesandStandardsfor AircraftJudging"is
availableatEAAHeadquartersandhasexperiencedwide-
spreadusethroughoutthecountry.
Anotherof Brad'sconvictionswasthatqualifiedrestor-
ersof antiqueandclassicaircraftshouldbeabletoperform
maintenance work includingannual inspectionson their
aircraft. He was actively pursuingthisgoal when he re-
signedandEAAwill continuetoseektheAmendmentto
FAR43 whichwould allow this.
No one was more proud ofthe Antique/Classic Divi-
sion's contribution to EAA's annual convention at Osh-
By Gene Chase
kosh than Brad Thomas. His leadership and organiza-
tionalabilitieswerealwaysevidentandalthoughhewon't
be servinginthe samecapacity, theresultsofhisefforts
willcontinuetobevisible,thankstothecadreof outstand-
ingvolunteers.
Onbehalf ofallDivisionmembers,wesay"Thankyou,
Brad, for a job well done." He will continue to be active
and supportiveofEAA,theAntique/ClassicDivision and
all sport aviation activities, offering counsel and assist-
ance as needed. And we hope he will have more time to
spendintherestorationofhis1937BeechD17RStagger-
wing.
***** ***** *****
ByactionoftheAntique/ClassicBoardofDirectorsat
their meeting on January 27, 1984, advisorsJohnCope-
land and Stan Gomoll were named Directors. Both men
have been attending board meetings atEAA Headquar-
ters for many years, lendingtheirexpertise in the man-
agement ofthe Division aswell as Division activitiesat
Oshkosh.
DirectorRoy RedmancontinuestopromoteTypeClub
involvement at EAA activities with a personal writing
campaign, while DirectorEspie "Butch"Joyce is manag-
ing the provision of free space for these groups in the
Antique/ Classic Hospitality Tent near the Red Barn at
Oshkosh. The response has been graitfying and we look
for increasedactivitiesinthisareaatOshkosh'84.
***** ***** *****
TheAntique/ClassicDivision'ssupportoftheEAAAir
Academy is already bearing fruit in the form ofhighly
qualified, interested and enthusiastic young applicants.
The Division's commitment to support this program is a
commitmentto itsfuture.
With member's continued support we can develop a
whole newgenerationofairport kids. Thissupportcanbe
financial, therecruitmentofapplicantsand/orparticipat-
ingasinstructorsintheAirAcademyprogram.
ForfurtherdetailsseetheitemintheNC Newssection
ofthisissueofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4 ~
: GIllEDtVIAGJrOfue O M E ~ GIO GIOWN :
~ ~
~ The Aviator by ErnestGann, who also authored The High and The Mighty, is an inspiringstory setin the ~
~ 1920seraoftheU.S.AirMail pilot. ~
~ Theplanfor bringingthisMGM movie to thepublicisbeingfinalized asproductionworkiscompletedin ~
.let anticipationofthefilm's releaseinmid-summer. EAA andtheEAAAviationFoundation have beeninvited ~
~ to helpfocus thepublic's attentiononthisfine film while promotingourownorganizationandmembership. W
~ Activities at Oshkosh '84 as well as a nationwide shopping center promotion will bring our message to ~
~ hundredsofthousandsacrossthenation. ~
.let We anticipatechaptersupport in providingassistance andaircraftfor shoppingcenterexhibitsin many ~
~ ofthelargeshoppingmallsacrossthenationinmid-AugustandSeptember. W
~ Specific location ofthesemall shows isyetto be determined. Additional informationwill appearin next ~
~ month'sTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. ~
~ ~
@ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
~ w
U Compiled by Gene Chase
EAGLE PROPELLERS
(Formerly Fahlin)
Jerry Johnson and company are continuing Ole
Fahlin's tradition of fine old world craftmanship in the
manufacture of 87 type-certificated propellers, plus 60
custom models, contemporary, antiques, classics, ancients
and even the rare ones. Jerry offers a free engineering/de-
sign service for customers. They welcome visitors at their
new facility at scenic Saratoga, Wyoming (40 miles south-
east of Rawlins). For more information contact Eagle
Propellers, Box 71, Saratoga, WY 82331, 307-326-8020.
BOGUS AUTO FUEL STCs
It has been brought to our attention that counterfeit
STCs covering the use of auto fuel in certain aircraft are
available in some areas. Purchasers are warned that the
only valid and legal STCs for this purpose are available
from EAA or Mr. Charles Petersen of Minden, Nebraska.
EAA intends to fully prosecute sellers of counterfeit STCs.
The FAA is also concerned about the illegal altering of
government documents.
ANOTHER STINSON L-1
AVAILABLE
EAA member Stan Doyle, 1278 Barron Road, Howell ,
MI 48843, tel. 313/358-2700 (office) has information on a
Stinson L-l which crashed in 1941 in Alaska. The plane
is complete, but would be an extensive re-build. Thanks
to the deep freeze, it is virtually rust-free. As the story
goes, the plane was being ferried to Russia and although
most of the fabric is gone, evidence of the red stars is still
visible. The selling price is in the five to six thousand
dollar (Canadian) range.
LUSCOMBETSF SPIN INFO
NEEDED
The Luscombe Association Newsletter dated Dec.lJan.
1984 reports the NTSB field office in Aurora, Colorado
(Denver suburb) would like to hear from anyone with
experience in spinning the T8F model with both seats
occupied. Investigators are attempting to gather more
information on the spin behavior of the Luscombe T8F
model after an accident in which two persons died when
their T8F struck the ground in an apparent flat spin near
Choteau, Montana.
The newsletter chairperson for the Luscombe Associa-
tion is John B. Bergeson, 615 West May, Mt. Pleasant, MI
48858. Tel. 517/773-3436.
CESSNA170 CLUB
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
An article in the January 1984 issue of "Fly Paper",
t he monthly newsletter of the International Cessna 170
Association, reports that their membership drive is quite
successful with four to five new members signing up daily.
At that time the total membership stood at 972. The drive
was conducted with a blanket mailing of the Convention
issue of "The 170 News", a quarterly publication of the
170 association, to all owners of Cessna 170s registered
with the FAA. Executive Secetary of the Association and
"Fly Paper" editor is Velvet Fackeldey, Route 2, Box 274,
Hartville, MO 65667. Telephone 417-741-6557.
EAA 'S4-
THE FREEDOM OF FLIGHT
The themes of both the 1984 EAA International Con-
vention and the EAA Ultralight Convention is "The Free-
dom of Flight". Advertising and public relations people
have long recognized the effectiveness of buzz words and
themes in selling products and services. Unfortunately,
these Madison A venue cliches are often more sizzle than
steak. They would have you believe that you would be
more successful, increase your income, be better loved and
admired if only you purchase their products.
When we began to think of a theme for this year's two
great gatherings, one that epitomizes the true spirit and
philosophies of EAA, one word came into sharp, distinct
focus . . . FREEDOM. Freedom to fly. Freedom to express
ourselves. Freedom to create and to share knowledge ...
even to dissent. Freedom to elevate ourselves and move
across this great country without fear of borders or restric-
tions, and freedom to honor heros of the past that made
possible the wonderful reality of flight.
Flight for centuries has been the manifestation of free-
dom. Once man and his plane rose above the ground to
soar where only eagles dared, man was free to rediscover
nature. Contrary to the ground-bound philosopher's com-
plaint that the technology of flight isolates man, the
airplane allowed an intimacy with nature which has never
before been touched so deeply.
Over 30 years ago our founder, Paul Poberezny, recog-
nizing the vital , almost synonymous relationship of "free-
dom" and "flight", created the Experimental Aircraft As-
sociation to win and preserve freedom for sport aviation
and the homebuilding movement. Much has been ac-
complished by EAA's organized, cooperative effort. We are
able to create, construct and fly in an atmosphere of free-
dom unparalleled in most other parts of the world. But
much remains to be done. We must always be vigilant, for
the privilege of freedom carries with it responsibility and
accountability. Responsibility to guard, cherish, defend -
but not abuse - the freedoms that have been gained.
Accountability in our stewardship of these freedoms to
protect them for future generations.
In a society where many people and organizations de-
vote a great deal of time and effort to telling us what we
can't do, EAA has always led the way to what we can do!
This "can do" spirit of EAA, this freedom of expression
and the ultimate freedom - the freedom of flight is
epitomized by the EAA. Join us as members of the inter-
national aviation community gather at the EAA conven-
tions in Oshkosh this summer to celebrate the "Freedom
of Flight".
Richard J. Matt
Director of Marketing and Communications
4 MARCH 1984
MYSTERY PLANE
By George Hardie, Jr.
From the earliest days of aviation,
airplane designers have tried the full
spectrum of ideas as they sought the
ideal flying machine. Wing configura-
tions especially have intrigued many.
There have been circular wings, half-
circles, diamond shapes, high and low
aspect ratios, deltas, etc. The airplane
featured as this month's Mystery
Plane in the photo from Roy Cagle,
Juneau, Alaska was perhaps the first
with a swept-forward reverse delta
shape as a tailless flying wing. The
designer was ahead of his time, for in
World War II the German Junkers J u
287 jet bomber had forward swept
wings, as did the proposed Blohm and Additional information on the Sep- XB-AFV. It later rotted to pieces at
Voss P-209. And today's Grumman tember Mystery Plane was sent in by Torreon, Mexico. At one time there
X-29 fighter also features the forward Ted Businger, Willow Springs, MO, was a proposed round-the-world flight
swept concept. Answers to this who writes: planned by Roger Q. Williams, Ted
month's Mystery Plane will be pub- "The airplane is an Emsco B-3, reg- Lundgrenn and William Marsalis.
lished in the June 1984 issue of VIN- istration number NR-153 and was the This never got past the planning
TAGE. twelfth plane manufactured by that stage. Cecil Allen was killed at the
The Mystery Plane in the December company. It was purchased by lumber start of the 1935 Bendix race and Don
1983 issue was the first Rowinski tycoon John Buffelen on July 11, Moyle just seems to have faded into
racer built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1930. As shown in that photo, it was obscurity."
in 1932. The designer was Nick Row- used by Harold Bromley and Harold
inski, an inspector with the Bureau of Gatty in an attempted Trans-Pacific
Air Commerce. It was built at the flight, but bad weather forced them to
Milwaukee Parts Co. and was pow- return to Japan.
ered with an air-cooled Tank V-8, an In 1931 the plane was re-named
OX-5 conversion offered by that com- "Pacific" and the pilot was ex-Army
pany. The airplane was test flown on Lt. Tom Ash. A severe ground loop
February 6, 1932; the test pilot was caused Ash to retire from the venture
Carl Martin. Evidently the perfor- in early 1931. In late 1931 the ship
mance was not satisfactory, for the was refurbished and renamed "Clas-
airplane appeared at the Omaha races sina Madge" in honor of the owner's
in May 1932 bearing the race number daughter. Its new crew was Cecil
36 and powered with a Continental Allen and Don Moyle. They took off
radial engine, as shown in a photo from Subushiro Beach in Japan on
from Truman "Pappy" Weaver, September 8 and made a leisurely
Curator of the Wedell-Williams five-stop crossing of the Pacific in 28
Memorial Museum. No further infor- days. Clyde Pangborn and Hugh
mation has been located. Answers Herndon had just completed their
were received from Russ Brown, non-stop flight in their Bellanca
Lyndhurst, OH and Truman Weaver, "Miss Veedol". Moyle bought the ship,
Patterson, LA. took it to Mexico and registered it as
EAA AI RACADEMY '84
The EAA Air Academy, first announced at OSHKOSH
'83 will be the aviation experience of a lifetime for youths
15- 17 years of age. Scheduled for July 15-August 4, the
premier presentation of the Academy will include instruc-
tional and workshop experiences possible only at the EAA
Aviation Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Preliminary in-
formation about the Academy was published in the Oc-
tober issue of SPORT AVIATION and details of the pro-
gram were in the January, 1984 issue.
Contact Chuck Larsen at EAA Headquarters for infor-
mation and registration materials for participants, to vol-
unteer your time and talents, to offer materials and
supplies or to discuss sponsoring a participant. You should
make aviation youth from your area aware of this program
and consider sponsoring a scholarship for deserving youth
selected to participate .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

DfIRLINJIJ
By George Hardie, Jr.
In 1935 when commercial airlines in this country were
"coming of age", C. Bedell Monro, President of Pennsyl-
vania Airlines, decided to try to find out where the first
airline was established and who was the first paying air-
line passenger. A story was published and the response
was overwhelming. All claims were referred to Eugene
Vidal, Director of the Bureau of Air Commerce in Wash-
ington, D.C. Vidal decided that the winning claim should
be that of the first airline to operate on a regular schedule
between two specific points for any length of time. On the
basis of the definition Vidal selected the "St. Petersburg-
Tampa Air Boat Line" which began operating between the
two cities on January 1, 1914 and over the next three
months made twice daily round trips carrying fare paying
passengers. The St. Petersburg Times on January 2, 1914
had prophesied:
"Airlines in the very near future will be used generally
for transit purposes and the line from this city across the
bay is only the pioneer of them all."
Historians have today declared the St. Petersburg-
Tampa Air Boat Line as the world's first scheduled com-
mercial airline.
It all began when P. E. Fansler, a Buffalo, NY sales-
man who raced speedboats in Florida, read about a flight
down the Mississippi River in a flying boat made by Tony
Jannus. Fansler contacted Tom Benoist of St. Louis, the
builder of the flying boat, and persuaded him to furnish a
pilot and boat for a proposed ferry service across Tampa
Bay between St. Petersburg and Tampa. A contract was
signed on December 27, 1913 and Tony Jannus, the pilot,
and a Benoist flying boat arrived in St. Petersburg on
December 31. Quickly assembled and test flown, the air-
craft was made ready for the official start of the airline
service scheduled for take-off at 10:00 a.m. on the next
day, January 1, 1914.
At 9:30 a.m. before a crowd of 3,000 who had gathered
to watch the action, bidding was started for the privilege
of being the first passenger. A. C. Phiel, ex-mayor of St.
Petersburg was t he successful bidder at $400 and thus
became the first fare-paying airline passenger. (The
money raised on t he bidding was used for a civic project to
purchase two harbor lights which are still in use today.)
Jannus departed on schedule and to the amazement of
many skeptics, returned on time from Tampa. The after-
noon flights were also completed without incident, then
some special sightseeing flights at $10 and $20 each were
made.
Near the close of operations of the airline three months
later, pilot Tony Jannus wrote in Aero and Hydro
magazine:
"We have been in St. Petersburg flying since December
31, and are planning to leave the last week in April for
the North. In this entire time there were only about 18
days when our chief pilot deemed it inexpedient to fly and
of these days the reason usually was that the raw, cold
winds discouraged passengers and not that flying was
impossible because of the storms .. .
"In the entire season of three months the Airboat Line
was laid up only four days because of mechanical troubles.
As the operation called for 84 miles a day and as there
were numerous other flights each day for the few machines
employed, the total mileage for the two machines ran up
to 11,000 miles and both machines now stand overhauled
and in good shape for the season's exhibition and passen-
ger carrying work. All told some 1,205 passengers were
carried, some two at a time, and the amount of powerful
advertising resulting from the diversity of places these
passengers hailed from is no doubt great."
Official recognition of this airline as being the first
scheduled commercial operation in the world has been a
source of civic pride for the cities of St. Petersburg and
Tampa. Beginning in 1938 various events have commemo-
rated the date of the first flight . In 1964 a semi-replica of
the Benoist Airboat made an aborted flight. On January
1, 1981, Ed Hoffman flew his homebuilt "Mullet Skiff'
over the route, sponsored by the Florida Aviation Histor-
ical Society. That year a group was formed to construct an
exact replica of the Benoist Airboat No. 43, the craft used
in inaugerating the service in 1914.
Space does not permit a listing of all the individuals
who made this ambitious project possible, but there were
many. A Centum Award was established to raise funds.
All who donated $100 or more were awarded a special
medallion. Over $12,000 was raised in this manner. Ac-
6 MARCH 1984
(Photo by Gene Chase) (Photo by Gene Chase)
The small lever on the left is the throttle control while the large Note the translucent fabric on the forward hull. The rudder bar
lever in the center is the rudder control. The control stick, was installed temporarily for the commemorative flight as
partially visible on the right in the full-forward position, actuated pilot Ed Hoffman said, "I don't know how to fly by controlling
the elevator and ailerons. the rudder with my hand! "
(Photo by Gene Chase)
The 261 cu. in. 6 cylinder Chevrolet en-
This photo taken inside the tent where the Benoist was on display at Sun ' n Fun 'S3
gine mounted in a mockup where the
engine was run for several hours includ-
shows the temporary fin installed to improve directional stability of the replica. As
ing many starts and stops. Due to the
pilot Ed Hoffman said, "It made a good surface for displaying the craft's name and
FAA registration number". Note water rudder at bottom of rudder.
high compression it was necessary to
install a Ford Model T type of "retard".
tual expenses in construction of the replica came to about
$14,000, excluding labor which was donated free. Con-
struction of the aircraft was under the direction of Russell
St. Arnold, with numerous assistants. Dr. Karl Bergey,
University of Oklahoma, did the stress analysis. Research-
ers and contributors gave much important support.
The replica is an exact duplicate (except the engine) of
the Benoist Airboat No. 43, the aircraft that made the
historic first flight. The original had a wingspan of 44 feet,
6 inches and was 25 feet long. It weighed 1250 lbs. empty
and was powered by a Roberts six-cylinder, two-cycle en-
gine of75 hp, mounted in the hull and driving the propel-
ler with a chain. The replica has a Chevrolet six-cylinder
auto engine converted for this project. The weight is ap-
proximately 1450 lbs. empty. Although the original was
built to carry two persons (pilot and passenger) sometimes
two small passengers were carried.
The accompanying photos show details of the replica
in various stages of construction. Like the original, trouble
with the hull leaking and chains breaking plagued the
testing period. First flight was made on October 9, 1983
at Lake Tarpon with Ed Hoffman, the test pilot, at the
controls. Further tests corrected the problems and the
Airboat was flown to St. Petersburg in preparation for the
commemorative flight scheduled for January 1, 1984 to
mark the 70th anniversary of the historic first flight of
the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line.
At precisely 10:00 a.m. Ed Hoffman lifted off the rep-
lica Benoist Airboat at St. Petersburg and flew the 21
miles to Tampa to re-enact the inauguration of the airline
exactly 70 years after the original event. Several hundred
people were on hand to view the take-off and landing.
Hoffman flew at a low altitude and averaged about 55
miles per hour. Unlike Jannus, he did not carry a passen-
ger. The flight marked the successful culmination of three
years hard work by a group of dedicated members of the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Florida Aviation Historical Society. Plans are underway
to construct a suitable display hangar to house the aircraft
and related memorabilia. Meanwhile, a book "The World's
First Airline" has been published and is available for
$4.00 post paid from Elizabeth Sheehan, 9700 Koeger
Blvd. , Suite 207, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 .
Hank Palmer cranks the engine for first run in the newly complete hull.
Ed Hoffman (EAA 2572) working on the hull interior.
The hull looked like this on 6/1/82. Note the special dolly built for this project.
8 MARCH 1984
View of prop shaft thrust l)earing, upper
prop sprocket, heavy duty 80H A.S.A.
drive chain and chain guard tubes.
First assembly of the 44' 6" wings to the
hull.
Hank Palmer and Ed Hoffman pose with
the mock-up assembly in which the
engine and chain drive to propeller were
test run for approximately 30 hours be-
fore installing in hull.
St. Petersbure-Tampa
AIRBOAT LINE
Fast Passenger and Express Service
Special Flight Trips SCHEDULE:
Can be arranged through any of
Arrive Tampa W:30A.M .
Lv. SI. Petersburg 10:OOA. M.
our agents or by communicating
directly with the SI. Petersburg
Leave Tampa II :OOA.M.
Hangar. Trips covering any dis
Ar. SI. Petcrsburg 11:30A. M.
tance over allwater routes and
Lv . SI. Petersburg 2:00P.M. from the waters' surface to ser
Arrive Tampa 2:30P.M. eral thousand feet high AT PAS-
SENGERS'REQUEST.
Leave Tampa 3:00P.M .
A minimum charge of SI5 per
Ar . SI. Petersburg 3:30 P.M .
Special Flighl.
Rates: $5.00PerTrip. RoundTrip$10. BookingforPassage in Advance.
NOTE Passengers are allowed a wei ght of 200 pounds GROSS including hand baggage, excess
charged at $5.00 per 100 pounds. minimum charge 25 cents. EXPRESS RATES, for packages.
suit cases. mail mailer . etc .. $5.00 per hundred pounds. minimum charge 25 cents. Express
carried from hangar to hangar onl y. delivery and receipt by shipper.
Tickets on Sale at Hangars or
CITYNEWSSTAND
F. C. WEST, Prop.
ST. PETERSBURG,FLORIDA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
(Part 1 of 2 Parts)
Travel Air's Model "R" possessed beauty, speed and
aeronautical design thatpaved the way for anewera in
Americanaviation.Thelegendofthe"MysteryShip"lives
today ... alegendstartedbyone man's desire to builda
winningracer.
By EdPhillips
(EAA 124038, Ale7505)
1125So.160E.
Wichita,KS67230
Herb Rawdon sat patiently as Walter Beech paced the
floor, pipe in hand. The president of Travel Air wasn't too
happy about the past racing season's success.
Walter Beech was always out to win. But Travel Air
hadn't won much in 1928. There were victories, but there
were defeats, too ... defeats handed down by the military
and competitors' airplanes. Defeats that Beech didn't like.
Both men knew that the hottest thing at Travel Air
was a J-5 Model 4000 with Speed Wings. Good, but not
good enough. The subject turned to company affairs and
the 1928 racing season faded away.
Perhaps Walter Beech let it fade away, but Herb Raw-
don didn't . Within his engineering, innovative mind an
idea was forming . . . a concept for victory on the race
circuit in 1929. Rawdon remembered Beech's lament.
There was a solution, an avenue to success, that Travel
Air could pursue. Rawdon believed an airplane could be
designed, built and flown that would defeat the crop of
souped up, slicked up biplanes being raced by the military
establishment. And he believed his "concept racer" could
be a winner without 600 hp and the usual aerodynamic
refinements employed by the competition.
One thing Herb Rawdon knew for certain: the genesis
of such a ship was now, not two months before the 1929
racing season started.
He could expect little or no company assistance. The
Travel Air production line was humming with activity,
cranking out Model 6000 monoplanes and the ubiquitous
biplanes at the rate of nearly 25 ships per week!
One year separated defeat and victory for Travel Air,
and Rawdon knew every bit of that 12 months would be
needed to make his concept a reality. But he also knew he
couldn't do it alone. Help was found in Walter Burnham,
another engineer at Travel Air who Rawdon trusted and
enjoyed working with.
10 MARCH 1984
Burnham listened to Herb's idea to build a racer. It
was certainly a challenge both men wanted to tackle, but
they agreed to keep the project quiet and work on it at
home. From that evening forward for the coming year,
both the Burnham and Rawdon families saw much less of
their husbands and fathers.
A pattern of design was emerging from Rawdon's J?1ind.
He had always admired the sleek, powerful float-eqUIpped
Schneider racers, particularly Reginald Mitchell's Super-
marine designs. The Schneider ships set the pace for
others to follow in speed and sheer power.
But it was aeronautical design that Rawdon believed
could turn' the tide in Travel Air's favor . A carefully
planned and executed airframe, utilizing minimum fron-
tal area and possessing low drag and light weight could,
when mated to an engine of sufficient horsepower, provide
excellent performance.
Monoplane configuration was essential, as was fixed
landing gear and room for only the pilot. Wire bracing
would provide necessary rigidity and further reduce over-
all weight, yet the drag penalty would be miniJ?al. ~
in-line engine was most desirable, but those avaIlable m
1928 didn't produce the 300-400 hp Rawdon believed
necessary for his design. The large, heavy liquid-cooled
engines of the era were powerful; too powerful for Raw-
don's requirements, and were designed for military use.
The in-line engine would give low drag and it would
be easier to mate with the airframe than a radial engine.
Radials were available in the desired power range, but
their weight and penalty of drag dampened Rawdon's
enthusiasm for them.
Knowing the characteristics of the Wright J5 static
radial Rawdon and Burnham made initial design calcula-
tions based on that engine, just in case a suitable in-line
powerplant wasn't available when flight testing began.
This proved to be a wise choice by both engineers that
would guarantee success of the proje.ct later. .
Stress analysis was computed usmg a gross weIght of
1750 pounds, although Rawdon and Burnham targeted f?r
1700 pounds. The extra weight allowed a safety margm
in the design, with a flight load factor of9.0. A 33
1
13 safety
factor included gave the "R" an ultimate load factor of
12.0, equal to the military pursuit ships of the day.
The R-100,I as Rawdon called the design, was able to
meet all current Department of Commerce regulations in
effect at the time. This, too, was a design goal and intent
from the start of the endeavor.
(Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corp.)
Herb Rawdon - chief engineer at Travel Air in 1929, conceived
the idea of a fast, low-wing monoplane racer patterned after the
Schneider machines of the late 1920s. His R-100 design would
prove that brute horsepower was not the only answer to high
performance airplanes. Rawdon also designed the Model 10
cabin monoplane and assisted with many aeronautical projects
while with Travel Air.
During the winter and early spring of 1929, the "R"
continued through detail design and stress analysis. This
was a very time consuming and laborious effort for both
men.
Much midnight oil was burned completing this essen-
tial task. But the designers knew their ship was sound,
from spinner to rudder, and they expected great things
from the "R".
But there was a problem. Calculations indicated that
to achieve a top speed in the 200 mph-plus range, 400 hp
was required. A glimmer of hope arose when, in May of
1929 Walter Beech called Rawdon into his office. An in-
line engine capable of275-300 hp was soon to be marketed,
and Beech wanted to know Herb Rawdon's thoughts on
utilizing the engine on a Travel Air racer.
Rawdon saw possibilities for the "R" with such an
engine, and he later showed Beech the basic layout of an
airplane he and Burnham had been designing for the past
9 months. Walter Beech's keen sense of a winner snapped
at the opportunity before him.
Beech became very enthusiastic about the design and
informed Rawdon to continue development. Time was al-
ready getting short. Only three months remained until
the National Air Races would be held at Cleveland.
The R-100 airframe was designed, but it needed a
powerplant, and quick! The Wright R-975 of 300 hp was
one obvious choice open to Rawdon and Burnham, and
Pratt & Whitney also had a good radial in that power
range.
There wasn't much choice concerning engine type. No
in-line unit was available, but the bulky radial provided
both an answer and a problem for Travel Air. It had the
power, but it also had frontal area and therefore higher
drag and weight.
The 1750 pound gross weight figure used by Rawdon
proved a fortuitous decision, and Walter Beech decided it
was time for a little inter-combine cooperation between
Travel Air and its parent organization, Wright Aeronau-
tical. Beech phoned Guy Vaughan, Vice President of
Wright, and inquired about availability of the R-975 for
use in a special racing ship.
Vaughan was reluctant to even discuss the matter, but
Beech did succeed in getting Vaughan to check it out with
higher management. Beech was soon informed the Travel
Air could have an engine, and one that developed 425 hp
to boot!
The radial was undergoing tests with a higher super-
charger ratio, and Rawdon was dispatched to Wright's fac-
tory to work with Wright engineers and learn all he could
about the new engine destined for his racer.
When Rawdon returned to Travel Air, Beech wanted a
full report on the engine. Herb explained that it was all
the power he needed, but the powerplant would have to
be housed under a NACA cowl, necessitating a change in
the forward fuselage dimensions to blend the wide radial's
bulk smoothly into the airframe.
Walter Beech gave the go-ahead for the airplane's
construction. His enthusiasm was higher than ever now.
In his eyes he saw a giant-killer, a vehicle of speed and
superior performance that would once again propel the
Travel Air name to the forefront of aviation.
By early June, 1929, 25 hand-picked workers from the
factory began construction of the "R" in a carefully
guarded section of Factory "C". All of the workers were
informed about the project and instructed to remain silent
to everyone, including their fellow factory workers.
They succeeded completely, as evidenced by the Au-
gust, 1929
2
issue of the "Currents", Travel Air's house
organ, quoted here in full : "Funny business is going on
around the engineering and experimental departments.
Mysterious packages and boxes are being delivered at odd
hours. Groups of engineers and workmen can be seen
huddled here and there holding "skull practice", im-
mediately dispersing upon the approach of an outsider.
We have put the question fairly and squarely up to Herb
Rawdon - asked him what was going on so we might pass
the "low down" on to you. And from him we got no answer
except that perhaps in the next issue of "Currents" he
would give us a peep. Have any idea what it is? Well, so
do we - but we're not telling".
Such was the beginning of secrecy surrounding the
R-100 project. Not only were the factory personnel anxious
to get a "peep" at Travel Air's secret, so was the Wichita
press. Both the Eagle and Beacon newspapers sent corres-
pondents out to the East Central factory to get the "low
down".
But they were frustrated from the start. Walter Beech
ordered all the windows frosted to prevent outside view-
ing, and even reporters and camermen standing on ladders
had no success viewing the experimental department's
interior.
Mr. Beech was playing the situation to the hilt, but he
was also protecting his engineers' hard work over the last
12 months. The press vented their frustrations in print by
dubbing the secret of Travel Air a "mystery ship", and
that was fine with Walter Beech. The name stuck forever.
Of the 25 men who built the original "R", Ted Cochran
3
was chosen as woodworking foreman because of his exten-
sive background in that area with Travel Air. He picked
Earl Hyatt, C. Buse, Pearl Breitweiser and Dave Heffiey
to assist him. Howard Baccus was in charge of the welding
crew, with Ed Libby, Ervin "Dutch" Krueger and Andy
Bland. Al Cunningham was assigned to lathe work and
Carl Burnham, Walter's brother, had Dennis and Bill
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
(Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corp.)
Front view of "R" exhibits clean frontal area, faired landing gear and wire bracing for wings. Note pitot tube on right wing ... a
position only the first airplane had. Other four ships had tube on left wing.
(Courtesy the Rawdon/Burnham Collection and Wichita State University)
History in the making. The two Model " R" racers under construction in the experimental department of Travel Air. R614K is in
foreground undergoing final assembly, while the fuselage for R613K is being welded in the background. Many technical details of
the "R" show up very well in this photograph, such as landing gear, fuselage/cockpit configuration and forms for the NACA cowl.
Note frosted windows and general cleanliness of the room.
12 MARCH 1984
(Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corp.)
Rear view displays beautiful fuselage form, clearly showing the carefully executed mating of Wright radial to the " R" fuselage. Oil
cooler is on left wing, under cabane struts. Ted Cochran spent many hours forming the thin plywood covering for the fuselage.
Difficulty of curves required is evident.
Pitts with him on sheet metal parts. Howard Baccus and
his crew laid out the fuselage tubing on the floor using
dimension lines from Rawdon and Burnham.
The tubing was t hen welded without diagonal bracing
tubes, and the tack-wel ded fuselage structure was set up
on saw horses for final welding. Remaining diagonal brace
tubes were added across t he top and bottom of the fuselage.
Longerons were sighted for alignment with a straight
edge.
Each fuselage bay was welded one tube at a time. A
tram device was utilized for squaring with clamps holding
the tubes in place. Baccus and "Dutch" Krueger continued
this procedure until the fuselage was completed.
The elevator, r udder and stabilizers were SAE 1010
steel as were the ribs for these units. After being pressed
into shape, the ribs were welded to the spars of t he stabiliz-
ers by Andy Bland. Once completed, the empennage units
formed a strong, integral assembly.
Landing gear was simple but unique. Four steel tubes
with coil springs were used for shock absorption, t he tubes
having two oil cylinders per gear. These tubes were welded
to support tubing giving the assembly its basic form and
strength. The entire unit was welded to "N" struts and
assembled to t he fuselage stub extension, an integral steel
tube portion of the fuselage unit.
(Courtesy Ted Cochran)
Another view of the Travel Air " Mystery Ship". Top speed of
R614K was in excess of 200 mph, and Clarence Clark remem-
bers the ship was an absolute joy to fly, with crisp, nimble
responses for the pilot' s every wish. Clark test flew every R-1 00
built except number 5.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
(CourtesyBeech AircraftCorp.)
ClarenceClarkruns upthesecond "R",R613K. Fittedwiththe
firstChevrolair 06, six-cylinderinline,air-cooledengineof250
hp, performancewasdisappointing.Top speed wasabout150
mph and the 06 gave constant trouble, such as oil pressure
fluctuations, erratic throttle response and severe overheating
ofthe oil. Afterthe Cleveland races, the shipwas transported
byrail toWichita, aWrightJ6-7 installedandtheairplanesold
to Florence "Pancho" Barnes in May, 1930. Paul Mantz later
ownedit,thenBarnesboughtitback.ItreststodayinCalifornia,
undergoingslowrestorationbytheBarnesfamily.Mrs.Barnes'
son, William, was killed in 1980 and the airplane is being re-
stored undertheguidanceofPhil Schultz.
Wheels and tires were suspended between the welded
tube formations of each gear and were free to move verti-
cally. No brakes were fitted to the Bendix 24 x 4 inch
wheels.
A tail skid using a small oleo shock strut was stream-
lined and faired neatly into the aft fuselage. Bracing wires
for the main gear were streamlined and the gear became
anchor points for the wing landinglflying wires. The fuse-
lage was covered with !j16 inch plywood and taped between
sections to yield a very smooth surface. This job was tack-
led by Ted Cochran.
The compound curves found in the R-100 fuselage pre-
sented a challenge to any woodworker. Cochran used a
large pan filled with hot water to soak the thin plywood,
making it flexible . Each piece was then strapped down on
the fuselage with shock cord and clamps. Itwas glued and
secured after final positioning was accomplished.
Wings used the R.A.F. 34 airfoil section of constant
thickness from the butt rib outboard to the flying/landing
wire attach points. From there it gradually tapered to the
wingtip. Planform was of straight/elliptical configuration.
Ribs were built up truss construction spaced at 12 inch
intervals. Spars were made of two spruce beams glued
together but not routed out. Compression ribs were built
with spruce truss and boxed with plywood webs.
Reinforcing was required where the bracing wires at-
tached to the internal wing fittings. % inch maple blocks
having a taper and feather on all sides were made by
Cochran for this purpose, and consumed many hours to
form.
Wing chord was 60 inches maximum with a total wing
area of 120 square feet. Haskelite 1/ 16 inch plywood covered
the wings. Wingspan was 29 feet 2 inches with incidence
14 MARCH 1984
set at 2.25 degrees and dihedral at 4 degrees. As a finish-
ing touch Ted Cochran built the wingtip bows of lamina-
tions which were carefully hand sanded and feathered
toward the tip. Ailerons were of Frieze design, actuated
by a differential control system giving more travel to the
up movement. Push/pUll tubes ran from the cockpit to the
ailerons. Elevator and rudder were actuated by standard
control cables. A special, integral fairing was added that
faired with the fuselage and turned with the rudder.
Carl Burnham's4 crew made up two fuel tanks, one 42
gallon main tank and a five gallon reserve tank. The main
tank was positioned on the airplane's center of gravity at
the 24% mean aerodynamic chord point. This was done
because the fuel load was the only variable factor of
weight. The reserve tank was directly behind the main
unit, but its fuel had to be hand pumped into the main
tank. Both tanks were built of .040 inch aluminum, as was
the firewall.
Carl also used .040 inch aluminum for the landing
gear fairings. These were hand formed units and gave the
"R" a sleek, fast appearance. Each fairing was meticu-
lously formed with its many contours until it fit correctly.
The two halves were fitted together and welded along the
center seam. Access was provided for tire inflation.
By later July the first test assembly was conducted and
everything fit was designed. Only the job of fabricating
the large NACA cowl remained. Dimensions were taken
from the forward fuselage and forms made up. A Pettengill
power hammer was used to work out the two halves.
(To be continued)
1. The papersofHerbRawdon and WalterBurnham.WichitaState University.The R-loo
designation also appears as RA I00 on occasion in these papers. Later references
refer to all five airplanes with the "R-2oo1, 2002, 2003,2004 and 2005 designations,
used by Curtiss-Wright. The R-loo and RA- loodeSignations appear to be personal
onesof Rawdon and Burnham.
2. August ,1929issue of the Travel Air "Currents". Littlewasknownaboutthe OR"project.
and securitywas tight.
3. Interviewwith Ted Cochran, 1981.
4. Interviewwith Carl Burnham, 1981.
(CourtesyBeech AircraftCorporation)
Travel Airfactorycampus,summer,1929.Flyingfieldhad2500
foot runway, oriented North/South. Runway area shows adja-
cent tocircular airfield marker. R614K and 613K were built in
Factory"C",thelongbuildinginrightforeground,withawnings
and windows on itsend. Engineeringdepartmentwas housed
upstairs, providingquickaccesstoexperimentalworkshop.
Editor's Note: The following observation concerning the
future of jet-powered aircraft is most interesting, espe-
cially considering its source . .. the July 1923 issue of
AERIAL AGE, page 317.
AIRPLANE SKY-ROCKET NOT SO GOOD
At the highest flying speeds yet attained, jet propulsion
requires about five times as much fuel as ordinary screw
propulsion. The relative fuel consumption and weight of
machinery for the jet, however, decrease as the flying
speed increases, but at 250 miles an hour the jet would
still take about four times as much fuel per thrust horse-
power-hour as the air screw, and the power plant would
be heavier and much more complicated.
If Lee Burridge were alive today he would be much
interested in these conclusions developed by the Bureau
of Standards. The turning of an airplane into an animated
rocket was a pet idea with Burridge.
Now, at the request of McCook Field, which is in-
terested in jet propulsion and helicopters and other ideas
aimed at the home designing of machines which can out-
distance the world and generally at the putting of America
"first in the air," the Bureau considered the plan of issuing
from a nozzle a continuous stream of combustion products,
making of the airplane, in fact, a pseudo winged rocket.
The air needed for the jet was to be taken in by a power-
driven compressor and delivered at increased pressure to
a receiver acting as a combustion chamber. The liquid fuel
was to be sprayed into the combustion chamber and
burned there continuously at constant pressure, so as to
increase the temperature and volume of the gaseous mix-
ture. The resulting combustion products, consisting
mainly of nitrogen, steam and carbon dioxide were then
to expand freely through a suitable nozzle from the re-
ceiver pressure to the outside atmospheric pressure at
which the air was taken in by the compressor.
"For the present we shall consider only a simple nozzle
such as used in steam turbines, and we shall not discuss
in detail the possibility of improving the propulsive effi-
ciency of the jet by any of the 'aspirator' or 'ejector' devices
which have been proposed for increasing the momentum
and thrust. If such devices are found to be effective, the
prospect for jet propulsion will be correspondingly im-
proved, but we wish first to inquire what might be done
without them and from what point improvements must
start."
The power needed to compress the air for the jet was
found to be greater than that required for the same thrust
power from an air screw of 70 per cent efficiency, until the
flying speed is about 250 mph.
However, it is considered the engine might be run
faster than is now customary and thus reduce the weight
per b.h.p. over that of the air-screw engine. But the air
cylinders would add weight again and it is estimated that,
at best, the combined engine-compressor unit would be at
least 50 per cent heavier than an ordinary aeronautic
engine of the same power. This observation does not in-
clude the weight of combustion chamber, nozzle and fuel
injection system, which, it is estimated, would more than
offset the weight of the screw propeller.
The "large, awkward and fragile" propeller would be
eliminated, "and only the nozzle and not the engine would
have to be located with regard to the axis of thrust. Thus
the design would be more flexible. The machine might . ..
be given brilliant maneuvering powers by utilizing the
powerful steering effect of swinging the nozzle."
Yet, there still seems to be another drawback. "A
machine which had to start - ifit could get off the ground
at all - by emitting a jet of flame at 2500 degrees F. and
at a speed of one mile a second would hardly be a welcome
visitor at flying fields."
Last, but not least, Mr. Edgar Buckingham, of the
Bureau of Standards, author of the report which is being
published by the N.A.C.A., says there does not appear to
be, at present, any prospect whatever that jet propulsion
of the sort here considered will ever be of practical value,
even for military purposes.
,.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Gene,
While visiting the new EAA Aviation Center at Osh-
kosh '83, I saw the framework of an old aircraft in a corner
of the workshop area. After asking several volunteers as
to what type it was, all I could learn is that it's a Mercury
BT-120.
A little research on my part came up with more infor-
mation which I found in a 1942 volume of "Aerosphere",
which is similar to "Jane's All the World's Aircraft".
Enclosed is a copy I made of some data on the Mercury
BT-120 which might be of interest to you. Could we have
an article on this aircraft in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE?
It looks very interesting.
Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Joe Tarafas
(EAA 49351, AlC 5245)
1577 Eastwood Drive
Bethlehem, P A 18018
Joe is correct. The plane is a 1941 Mercury BT-120
"Aerobat" with a Ken Royce 7F, 120 hp engine. In addition
to Joe's request, we received another request for an article
on this rare aircraft from Richard L. Gates, Sheboygan
Falls, Wisconsin. Richard also sent three photos, one of
which is shown here. We will prepare an article on the
"Aerobat" for a forthcoming issue of VINTAGE . .. G. R.
C .
MERCURY 8T-1 20 "Aerobat"
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
They had arrived, somewhat indirectiy, from Linton,
North Dakota, where three weeks earlier they had paid
dealer Frank Irvine $300 for the hybrid-winged Jenny
and begun barnstorming. Perhaps Nnvember isn't the
best time to start such a venture, especially in North
Korth
Dakota
.Jenny
ByRoyRedman
(EAA 83604, Ale 6600)
R.3, Box208
Faribault, MN55021
(Photos courtesy of Olof Anderson)
ThisisthesecondinstallmentofauthorRoy
Redman:s true storyabout his friend Olof"Ole" Ander-
son'searly flying experiences. Ole'spartnerintheJenny
washisclosefriendfrom theirdaysinSweden,Axel"Ruff"
Swanson. OleisaretiredNorthwestAirlinescaptainliv-
inginMinneapolis,Minnesota. RoyiscurrentlyaBoeing
727 captain flying for Northwest Airlines out ofMin-
neapolis.
"The tire is $3.50" the man said, and there was no
argument from the two young Swedes. They spent the rest
of the afternoon mounting it and performing other routine
maintenance on the Jenny. With this work completed
they quit for the day and left the field to enjoy the big
city of Minneapolis and visit with friends. The date was
November 23 - the year, 1925.
Dakota, but for two young men in their early twenties the
calendar and the cold was of no concern. They uwned an
airplane, and the world awaited their arrival on linen
wings.
The world that day started 16 miles north at Hazelton.
Axel, affectionately known as Ruff - short for Rudolf, his
middle name - took off and landed, and Ole got 20 min-
utes of stick time en route. But there weren't many pay-
ing passengers in Hazelton, so they pressed on. By sun-
down Ole had logged stops at Moffitt, Driscoll and Robin-
son.
A succession of central North Dakota towns were
graced by Ole and Ruff for the next three weeks - Pin-
gree, Bowdon, Cathay, a total of twenty all told. Most were
so small that even today they don't appear on a road map.
Business wasn't brisk, but at $3 per ride there was enough
for some reasonable wallet lining. Occasionally they had
to spend $1 or maybe $1.50 for an overnight room, but
usually some admiring passenger would offer supper and
lodging for the night. So even though the passenger count
was sparse, and some stops resulted in only one or two
hops, expenses were light and the profit began to grow.
Their venture was a success - so far .
The fields were all strange, and usually small, so Ruff
did most of the takeoffs and landings with Ole flying in
Ole and Ruff with broken propeller from the Sturtevant-powered
Ole Anderson, Canuck and friend at Florence, SO. Moiniken.
16 MARCH 1984
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Ole flew for about 15 minutes. When he returned, he
landed short enough to roll up to where Ruff stood. "How
was that?" he asked.
"Take it around again before it gets dark!" Ruff
shouted, and Ole advanced the throttle, this time with no
help, and completed another takeoff and landing.
They tied the Jenny down, in a different place, and
treated themselves that evening to dinner and a movie.
Ole entered the day's flights in his log, and after the
notation for pilot, he wrote "Myself'. This was enough for
an indelible memory, to be sure, but Ole would remember
November 24, 1925 for another reason - that was the day
he bought the same tire twice.
The Moiniken, and the Chicago Expert
They started the takeoff roll, and after about 10 yards
the prop shaft broke loose and the prop swirled ahead of
the airplane, coming to rest several hundred feet in front
of the now stationary Moiniken. Ruff and Ole's trip to
Chicago was aborted almost before it began. The previous
fall , just after Ole's solo, the two young aviators had
pointed their Jenny westward toward South Dakota and
a reunion with Ole Fahlin. The headwinds were strong,
Vic Lundberg cranks Sti nson " Oetroiter" at Chicago' s Maywood
Field. The plane was being flown by Speed Holman who was
enroute to St. Paul , MN with Northwest Airways first Oetroiter.
and after an hour and fifteen minutes they were only as
far as Hutchinson, about 60 miles west. The weather
began to sour so they doubled back to the northeast and
landed at Cokato, where they had an acquaintance who
put them up for the night. The following day the weather
was worse. Snow began to fall, then accumulate. Winter
had arrived and the barnstorming season was over. They
arranged storage for the Jenny in a lumber yard, removed
the wings, and put it away.
In the following years, the fledgling flyers would earn
enough during the summer to spend a leisurely winter,
but this was not the case in 1925. Tires and the Min-
neapolis trip had nearly depleted their small profit, so
they retired to other employment.
Ole returned to Chicago and worked at making ladder
parts again. It wasn't long, however, until his pocketbook
and the weather were in agreement once again. He met
Ruff in Cokato late in February of 1926. They assembled
their Jenny, took off from frozen Cokato Lake, and headed
west. The following day, after several stops and a few
passengers, they arrived in Ferney, South Dakota.
Ole Fahlin had found a home, so to speak, in Ferney.
He had a good friend there, Chet Wage, who farmed and
was also the local banker. Chet was interested in aviation
Ruff and Ole's Jenny with flat tire at Grace City, NO i n 1925.
Ruff soloed Ole in this plane after the tire was replaced.
Ole Fahlin and Canuck at Ferney, SO in 1926.
The two men on the ends in coveralls are unidentified, but the
others are, L-R: Ole Anderson, Chet Wage, Ole Fahlin, John
Carlson and Axel " Ruff" Swanson. Aircraft is another Moiniken
creation.
Ole Fahlin in the Canuck with the Moiniken in the background.
18 MARCH 1984
Ole and Ruff with the Moiniken at Ferney, SO in 1926. Note the extra radiator which was necessary to cool the
Sturtevant engine.
Ole Fahlin's shop in Aberdeen, SO in 1928.
and was an aspiring aviator, which helped in matters of
finance. Ole Fahlin bought and sold airplanes, did some
repair work, and also barnstormed. Considering all this,
and the host of lovely young ladies in the area, all was
right with Ole Fahlin.
Ole and Ruff spent several days with Ole Fahlin in
Ferney, then headed northward in their Jenny. The
weather was fine and the passengers were plentiful. They
had about six weeks of good flying, but their Jenny was
getting tired. The punishment of the rough fields was now
breaking fuselage wires almost daily. They finally re-
turned to Linton and their friendly airplane dealer Frank
Irvine, and decided to trade the old girl. Fortunately the
homebuilt airplane from which their Jenny's wings had
been taken was still there.
They removed the wings and reinstalled them on the
homebuilt, which they called the Moiniken for its builder,
Chris Moiniken, who lived in Webster, South Dakota. It
was a large biplane in the style of a Jenny, but somewhat
more racy, and amazingly sophisticated in structure. It
was powered by a Sturtevant, a geared 140 hp V-8 not
famous for its reliability. It had a tendency to overheat,
and the gearing system was troublesome. The installation
of two radiators had taken care of the cooling - the gear-
box problem remained.
In the Moiniken, Ole and Ruff barnstormed their way
back to South Dakota. After moderate success along the
way they arrived in Ferney, and decided that the Moini-
ken was worth more to them in money than as a barnstorm
vehicle. The decision was made to sell, and Chicago was
to be the market.
It's said that God looks after aviators, and it must be
so. This time the heavenly intervention had arranged the
broken prop shaft on the Moiniken, and Ole Anderson was
still in Ferney and not in Chicago. Ole Fahlin was selling
a Canuck to Vern Davidson, a young farmer from nearby
Claremont. Fahlin made the sale, and then convinced
Vern that he didn't yet have enough experience to fly the
Canuck. This was no problem, Fahlin said, because there
was an expert aviator from Chicago on hand.
Vern hired the Chicago pilot and they set out
barnstorming with the Canuck. The pilot hopped the pas-
sengers and Vern sold the tickets. As they flew from town
to town, Vern got instruction. All in all they had a success-
ful season. But Vern was never aware that his thirty
hours in the air when they started was almost double that
of his employee and mentor, the expert from Chicago -
Ole Anderson.
Author's Postscript: Years later Ole Anderson was to taxi
some massive machinery over the same ground that bore
his Jenny on November 24, 1925 - Stratocruisers, DC-
7Cs, Electras. But first there were Swallows, Travel Airs,
Robins and Stinsons in North Dakota, and we'll start
there next month. Chris Moiniken went on to become an
engineer for Hamilton Metal Airplane Company in Mil-
waukee. So even if his name is unfamiliar, perhaps some
of his work is not.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please send
information to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 2591, Osh-
kosh, WI 54903. Information must be received at least two months in
advance of the issue in which it will appear.

MARCH 11-17 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. Join us for the
10th Anniversary of EAA's Spring Celebration of Flight. Contact Fly-In
Office at 813/644-2431 or 813/665-6374, 813/644-9319,813/665-7955.
APRIL 14-15 - WASHINGTON; DC - 3rdAnnuai Tour of National Air &
Space Museum and Paul E. Garber facility. Sponsored by EAA Chapter
4, Inc. Dinner with speaker of note. Limited to 200. Contact Bernie
Meserole, 15216 Manor Lake Drive, Rockville, MD 20853, 301 /460-8207.
APRIL 26-29 - SEDONA, ARIZONA -International Cessna 195 Club West-
ern Regional Fly-In. Contact Dr. W. W. Rogers, 5716 N. 19th Ave.,
Phoenix, AZ 85015,6021249-1616 days, 248-0782 evenings.
MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA - EAA Antique/Classic
Chapter 3 Fly-In. Antiques, Classics, Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome.
Old films on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday. Contact: Espie
Joyce, P. O. Box 88, Madison, NC 27025. Day: 919/427-0216; evening:
919/427-0374.
MAY 18-20 - HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race.
Proficiency air race with no handicap. Student pilots welcome. Factory-built
antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven
hours welcome. $500 cash prize. Contact Hayward Air Race Committee,
20301 Skywest Drive, Hayward, CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 415/
581-2345, ext. 5285.
MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON, KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by
Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at
Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison. Pot-luck dinner Friday, Awards banquet
Saturday. Accommodations available at Benedictine College, motels and
camping. 80 and 100 octane fuel available. For information contact Lynn
Wendl , Fly-In Chairman, 8902 Pflumm, Lenexa, KS 66215, 913/888-7544
or John Krekovich, President, 7801 Lowell, Overland Park, KS 66214,
913/648-1279.
JUNE 1, 2, & 3 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West
Coast Antique Fly-In. Merced Municipal Airport. Fabulous air show Satur-
day and Sunday. Free transportation to Castle Air Museum. Contact: Dee
Humann, Registration Chairman, Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In, P.
O. Box 2312, Merced, CA 95344 or phone 209/358-3487.
JUNE 3 - DEKALB, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-In/Drive-In
Breakfast. 7 a.m. to noon. DeKalb Municipal Airport. Contact: Gerry Thorn-
hill, P. O. Box 125, Hampshire, IL 60140, 3121683-2781.
JUNE 3 - CADIZ, OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-In/Drive-In breakfast at Harrison
County Airport starting at 8 a.m. Airshow in p.m. co-sponsored by E. F.
Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority. For information
call 614/942-8313.
JUNE 8-10 - DENTON, TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associ-
ation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport. For information contact Ralph &
Bonnie Stahl, Box 115-X, Roanoke, TX 76262, 817/430-8589.
JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Con-
vention. Contact EAA Headquarters for information, Wittman Airfield, Osh-
kosh, WI 54903-2591 , 414/426-4800.
JUNE 28 JULY 1 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco
Reunion. Contact National Waco Club, 700 Hill Ave. , Hamilton, OH 45015.
JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE, OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-In/Reunion at
Barber airport, 3 miles north of Alliance. Factory tours, forums, and many
other activities. Contact: Bruce Bixler, at 216/823-9748.
JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners
Association Fly-In. For information contact: Ray Pahls, President, 454 S.
Summitlawn, Wichita, KS 67209.
JULY 28 AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In
Convention. Start making your plans now to attend the World's Greatest
Aviation Event. Contact EAA, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903. 2591,
414/426-4800.
AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Interna-
tional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention. Contact EAA Head-
quarters for information. Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591, 4141
426-4800. ;
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ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of un-
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POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in
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1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol, 40 hp Continental or 27
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20 MARCH 1984
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logo patch on chest.
Sizes- XS through XL ........... $28.95 ppd
Cap - pale gold mesh with contrasting blue
bill , trimmed with gold braid.Antique/ Classic
logo patch on crown ofcap.
Sizes - M and L
(adjustable rearband) ........... $ 6.25 ppd
Antique/Classic Patches
Large- 4Vi' across....... ....... $ 1.75 ppd
Small - 3v." across ............. . $ 1.75 ppd
Antique/Classic Decals -
4" across(shown left) ........... $ .75 ppd
Available Back IssuesofThe VINTAGE AIRPLANE
1973- March through December
1974- February through November
1975- Januarythrough December
1976- February through June, August through December
1977- Januarythrough December
1978- Januarythrough March,May,August,Octoberthrough December
1979- February through December
Send check to:
1980- January,March through July, Septemberthrough December
EAA Antiaue/ C/asslc Division, Inc.
1981 - Januarythrough December
Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591
1982- Januarythrough March,May through December
Allow 4-6Weeks for Delivery
1983- January,March through December
Wisconsin Residents Include 5% Sales Tax
1984- January,February
Per Issue ........... ........................... $1.25 ppd
Lindbergh Commemorative Issue (July 1977) ................. $1.50 ppd
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
_____________________________________ ___
WINNING
TEA.
Clint McHenry, President
United States Aerobat ic Foundation
AEROBATICS 500 CLUB For $500 members receive
jacket, a color photo of the team,
team patch, decals and Friend of the Team Certifi-
In October , 1983, the International Aerobatic Club
selected the nine outstanding pilots who now make up the
1984 United States Aerobatic Team. We will be traveling to
the XII World Aerobatic Championships in Beckescaba, '--_______............_ .......-'-,;;;,J
Hungary this August with the strongest team we've ever assembled. The
talents are trulyextraordinary.
But we need your help. It will cost$150,000 to participate. Without
yourcontributions the team can not go. Your donation to this honorable
sport is tax deductibleand your spirit will fly with us in Hungary. Gene,
Harold, Henry, Kermit , Alan, Debby, Brigitte, Julieand Lindaall join me
insaying thanks for your support.
MallTo: U.S. AeroballcFoundation, Box 2591, Oshkosh, Wl54903
'<
Enroll me Inthe AEROBATICS_CLUB; JacketorShirtsize_.
o checkenclosed; 0 charge myVisaorMasterCard Acc.
E ~ _____]
~ FOUNDATION __________...
FLYINGANDGLIDERMANUALS
1929- 1930- 1931 - 1932- 1933
Price:$2.50ea. ppd.
SENDCHECKORMONEYORDER TO:
EAA AVIATIONFOUNDATION, INC.
WITTMANAIRFIELD-
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065
Allow46Weeks forDelivery
WisconsinResidents Include5%Sales Tax
THE JOURNAL OF
THE EARLYAEROPLANE
SAMPLE ISSUE $4
15CRESCENT RD. POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. 12601
THE
the 1984 team
cate.
AEROBATICS 100CLUB For$100 members will get a
team shirt , color photograph of the team, a team
patch, decalsand Friend oftheTeam Certificate.
AEROBATICS 25 CLUB For$25 members receive the
team patch, decals and the Friend of the Team
Certificate.
1984Team Sponsor: Hilton Hotels Corp. ; Associate
Sponsors: Elpper Aircraft, Inc. , ButlerAviation.
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FreeCatalogofcompl eteproductline.FabricSelectionGuide
showing actualsamplecolors and styl esofmaterials: $3.00.
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Fallsington,PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

Acc.1I
Name:
Address:______________--,--,_________________
______________________________________Zi p_______________________
Exp__Sign.__________
22 MARCH 1984
Y R
q ~ R e v i e
"Magnificent" - Gordon Baxter
"One of the Nation's Most Impressive Aircraft Museums"
- A viation Magazine
"Surely One of the Finest Indoor Aviation Displays in the World"
- Flight International
"Sport Aviation Has a Home!" - Budd Davisson
" ... A True EAA Mind Blower. There Is Not a Museum on Earth That
Can Teach EAA Anything!" - Air Progress
"It Is a Noble Effort, and Well Worth Your Visit" - Flying
"This Is The Walden Pond of Aviation" - Cliff Robertson
The International Aviation Community Salutes the Work of the EAA Aviation Foundation .
... We Put It Together To Set You Apart
The Past, Present, and Future of Aviation will unfold for you . The EAA Aviation Center is a
tribute to the men and women who have made personal flight possible and aproud salute to
you, the members of the world's greatest aviation organization.
A bold new concept in museum design, using the modern magic of Audio-visual
Technology offers the entire family the experience of flight.
Fly or drive to the EAA Aviation Center at Wittman Field in Oshkosh (just off Hwy. 41).
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday
11 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays
Closed on Easter, Thanksgiving , Christmas and New Years Day
Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance.
DEDICATED TO THE EDUCATION , HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION