t-!A"PPY t-!OLiDAYS!

DECEMBER

VOL. 37, No. 12

2009

CONTENTS
2

News

2009 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee

Stephen Pitcairn

One Outstanding Stinson Flying Station Wagon .

. . . Soon to be joined by its sister ship

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

13

Peach State Aerodrome and Candler Field Museum

A tangible tapestry of time

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

20

A Country Boy's Dream

The story of Aircraft By Shue

by Dick Crensh aw

24

Light Plane Heritage

The Dormoy Bath Tub

by Jack McRae

26

What Our Members Are Restoring

Ray Lemmon's Stinson 108

by H.G. Frautschy

28
30

Chapter Locator

STAFF

The Vintage Mechanic

EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Di rector/Editor
Production/Special Project
Photography

Fuel and oil systems

by Robert G. Lock
34

Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy

36

Vintage Book Reviews

39

Classified Ads

COVERS
FRONT COVER: "Wouldn't it be neat to have two airplanes with consecutive serial numbers,"
wondered Richard Preiser of Delray Beach, Florida. The first airplane in his stable is this Stin
son 108-3 restored by Gene "Pete" Engelskirger of Hinckley, Ohio. NC6364M was the VAA
Classic Reserve Grand Champion in 2006. Now owned by Preiser, it wi ll serve as the sister
ship of the airplane he is now restoring, NC6365M. See the story by Sparky Barnes-Sargent
starting on page 6. EM photo by Jim Koepnick, photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.
BACK COVER: A gentle snowfall on a winter's day just outside of Old School Aviation at Van
Sant Airport in Erwinna, Pennsylvania gives us a beautiful background to admire Ray Lem
mon's recently restored Stinson 108 and a Stearman destined to be shipped overseas. The
photo was snapped by one of the Old School Aviation mechanics who worked on the Stinson,
Christopher Cummings . Our thanks to Mssrs. Lemmon and Cummings for sending it to us to
wards the end of last winter. See the article on Lemmon's Stinson 108 starting on page 26.

Advertising Coordinator
Classified Ad Coordinator
Copy Editor
Di rector of Advertising

Tom Poberezny
Mary Jones
H.G. Frautschy
Kathleen Witman
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
Sue Anderson
Lesley Poberezny
Colleen Walsh
Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representatives:

Specialized Publications Co.
U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Northeast: Ken Ross
609-822-3750 Fax: 609-957-5650
kr40@comcast.net

U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Southeast: Chester Baumgartner

727-532-4640 Fax: 727-532-4630
cbaum111@mindspring.com
U.S. Central Time Zone: Gary Worden and Todd Reese
800-444-9932 Fax: 816-741-6458
gary. worden@spc-mag.com; todd@spc-mag.com

U.S. Mountain and Pacific Time Zones: John Gibson

916-784-9593 Fax: 510-217-3796
jolmgibson@spc-mag.com

Europe: Willi Tacke

Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012
willi@{lying-pages.com
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

The Vintage Instructor Column

The Vintage Instructor column will
be taking a brief break during the
winter months as we revise the edi
torial calendar related to that fea
ture. Due to the pressing needs of
his business, Doug Stewart will no
longer be writing the column. Doug
began writing for our then-new col
umn, The Vintage Instructor, in Janu
ary of 2003. We thank Doug for his
efforts as the "leadoff batter," and
we wish him well in the future.

Vintage Airplane Magazine

With the announcement by EAA
of the ending of publication of
Sport Pilot & Light-Sport Aircraft, and
the incorporation of the content
of that magazine into a new EAA
Sport Aviation, a few VAA members
have wondered aloud if there are
any similar planned changes to the
division publications, and in par
ticular to Vintage Airplane. In short,
the answer is no.
VAA and its board of directors rec
ognize that one of the most visible
and anticipated member benefits
is our monthly magazine, and that
its publication as a printed maga
zine is important to each member.
While continuing to print Vintage
Airplane, we will explore other tech
nologies to further enhance mem
bership, including EAA's online
community at www.Oshkosh365.
org, a members-only online archive
of Vintage Airplane magazine , as
well as electronic means to share
slide show, video, and audio con
tent related to information on the
operation, restoration, and social
aspects of being part of the vintage
aircraft community. Adding to and
enhancing the content of Vintage
Airplane is our goal, not to replace it
with online-only content. We will
continue to pack it full of content
from our regular contributors and
from members who volunteer to
share their knowledge with their
2

DECEMBER 2009

Treasurer Charles W. Harris Retires

Citing personal reasons, VAA Treasurer Charles W. Harris has an
nounced his retirement from the VAA board of directors, effective im
mediately. Prior to making his retirement announcement, Charlie had
advised the board he had not felt well for several months. On medical
examination he was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder
that is being treated successfully, and a full recovery is expected.
In a letter to his fellow direc
tors, he wrote:
"It has been a unique honor
and rare privi lege to have
served EAA, the Vintage Aircraft
Association board, Paul, Tom ,
and the entire leadership and
membership of EAA and VAA.
I will be most happy to assist
in any transitional matters with
those elected or named to suc
ceed me . .. ... My very best
wishes to all of the officers and
directors of the Vintage Air
craft Association in the years
to come. Vintage is the finest
such organization in the world,
and may it always be so."
Harris, who has also stepped down from his volunteer efforts dur
ing EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, has been a member of the board since
being elected in 1988, and he has served as VAA treasurer since
1996. An inductee of the VAA Hall of Fame, Charlie has served the
membership on a national and local basis for more than 35 years.
We've been in regular contact with Charlie over the past couple of
weeks; he is home and tells us he has had significant improvement on
the road to recovery. We all wish him well!

fellow VAA members. If you have

something you think would be of
benefit to other members, feel free
to drop us a line at vintageaircraft@
eaa.org or via regular mail at VAA,
P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

Working on
Better Wi-Fi
for AirVenture

2010
Even with the
best events, there's

always room for improvement, and

that's the approach EAA headquar
ters is taking toward improving Wi
Fi coverage on the grounds at next
year's fly-in. During lithe heat of
battle" at Oshkosh last summer, the
wireless Internet availability and
connections were well below the
high standards EAA members and
visitors expect. That was confirmed
in the comment cards and post
event surveys.
Your voices were heard and your

feedback noted. Those comments

were exactly what EAA needed to take
back to its wireless partners and sup
pliers to make things better in 2010.
We'll continue to survey EAA mem
bers and AirVenture attendees to de
termine the best way to meet the
demand next year. Look for updates
as we make progress over the winter
and use your ideas to make things
better on the Net next summer!

Members Aim to Resurrect

Bugatti Racer
Two Oklahoma EAA members
Scotty Wilson, EAA snss, and
Gregg Carlson, EAA 101S379-are
hoping to create a true replica of the
Bugatti Model 100 racer. The sleek
machine was built by famed auto
mobile maker Ettore Bugatti and en
gineer Louis de Monge to compete
in an air race before the outbreak
of World War II, but it wasn't fin
ished in time. When the German
army marched on Paris in June
1940, the project was abandoned
before the airplane ever flew. Even
tually, it was brought to America by
car aficionado Ray Jones to acquire
its engines. In 1996, the aircraft was
donated to EAA, and it's on display
at EAA's AirVenture Museum.
In mid-October Wilson and Carl
son came to EAA to identify the
plane's airfoil using a "Profiler," an
electronic plotter that rolls along the
wing's surface, transferring data to a
computer for analysis. Because there
is no comprehensive set of drawings
covering the entire aircraft, "the only
way to build one is to backwards en
gineer it," said Wilson. "It is abso
lutely essential that we be able to
accurately determine what airfoil is
on the plane," Wilson stressed.
Some aviation enthusiasts insist
that since the aircraft has never flown,
it is not historically Significant, but
Wilson vehemently disagrees. "Five
patents were issued to Bugatti for the
airplane-many of which appeared
on other aircraft after the war," he
said, including the dual drive train,
the flight control tail that mixes the
elevator and the rudder, and the au
tomatic flaps system, which pre-dates

Scotty Wilson, left, and Gregg Carlson meticulously plot the original Bu
gatti wing in attempts to determine its NACA airfoil. EAA has the airplane
displayed in the AirVenture Museum.

the F-16's by 40 years.

Construction of the replica
started in May. The fuselage shell
is finished, and Wilson expects to
complete the empennage and fuse
lage over this winter.
The replica racer is being built to

accommodate the Bugatti SOB en

gines modified for aircraft use, turn
ing two metal, ground-adjustable,
contra-rotating Ratier propellers,
but the likely powerplants will
be two late-1990s/early 2000s
BMW engines.
......

Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the Year Award

We ran out of space last month to include a photo of our two VAA
Behind the Scenes Volunteers of the Year. Flanking VAA President
Geoff Robison are Michael Blombach (left) and Archie James. The
Indiana twosome oversaw the Vintage Hangar project and worked
throughout the spring and summer to complete the hangar on time
and under budget, which made it possible to enjoy the facility for the
first time during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009. Our thanks to Mike
and Archie for their above and beyond the call of duty volunteer spirit!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Scouring the
nation for at
least one
example of
the Pitcairn
Mailwing
series of
biplanes was
one of
Pitcairn's
passions.
Here he pilots
the PA-8M
Super
Mailwing
(right), with
the PA-6
Super
Mailwing,
along the
shore of Lake
Winnebago in

1997.

Mike Posey and Steve with the Pitcairn PA-8M Super Mailwing
in the background. As a young man Steve (right) spent some
time working for the successor to Pitcairn Aviation's airmail
operations, Eastern Air Lines.
4

DECEMBER 2009

tephen Pitcairn, the son of

the aviation entrepreneur
Harold Pitcairn, founder of
Pitcairn Aircraft, preserved
his father's legacy by restoring Pit
cairn aircraft and donating to many
aircraft endeavors. He had a deep
love for aviation and attained his
pilot certificate around 1940.
Because of the effects of a child
hood illness, Stephen Pitcairn was
rejected from military service, but
he was able to fly with the Civil Air
Patrol along the East Coast of the
United States searching for enemy
submarines. For a short time he flew
DC-3s for Eastern Air Lines. In the
1950s he was denied his FAA med
ical certificate. During this time he
put his energies toward antique cars.
When he finally got his medical cer
tificate back in the 1970s, he began
buying and restoring Pitcairn aircraft.
Stephen Pitcairn served EAA as
a member of the EAA Foundation
board of directors from 1982 through
1990. After the restoration of EAA's
Ford Tri-Motor was completed, he
made possible the construction of
EAA's Pitcairn Hangar on Pioneer Air
port. The hangar serves as the perfect
place to tell the story of his father's
company, Pitcairn Aviation, and
stands as a grand location to display
the other aircraft he has donated to
EAA over the years: the PA-39 Auto
giro, the PA-7 Sport Mailwing, and
Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro, Miss Cham
pion. He also made possible the res
toration of the 1928 Pitcairn-Cierva
PCA-1 Autogiro, donating the his
toric rotorcraft to the National Air
and Space Museum's collection. Pre
ferring to keep his philanthropy
quiet, Pitcairn donated to many mu
seums, and he gave freely of his re
sources to preserve the history of
aviation, making his contributions
with little or no fanfare.

Steve and his friend and mechanic for many of his projects, Mike
Posey (left) of posey Brothers Aviation , as they assembled the
Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro Miss Champion before it was flown for the
last time and placed on display at the EM AirVenture Museum.

Mike Posey and Steve with the Pitcairn PA-8M

Super Mailwing in the background.

Mike Posey, his niece Kelly Posey, and Steve Pitcairn. Steve
was no stranger to the Posey Brothers shop in Robbins
ville , New Jersey, since he actually owned the shop build
ing, and he was an active participant when Mike restored a
PA-7, PA-6, PA-7S, and PA-8 Mailwings, plus the first produc
tion Pitcairn Autogiro , the PCA-1, currently on display at the
American Helicopter Museum in Brandywine, Pennsylvania .

A:-"":-~~--..J
After regaining h~F":";

c
IS
A medical certifi
ate, Steve and his Mail .
regular attende
wings. became
East and Md es to many flY-inS in the
I west.

All the aircraft restored under his guidance

were enjoyable projects , and the restoration
of the PCA-2 Autogiro by George Townson and
Steve seemed to be particularly pleasurable .
Here, he ~repares the cockpit as he readies
the Autogiro for one of its last flights .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

t was a fairly short hop from

Antiquers Aerodrome in Del
ray Beach to Sun 'n Fun for
Richard Preiser and his Stin
son, but it was a decades-in
the-making journey for them to
arrive there together. Richard was
just a teenager when he started
learning to fly in 1969. He soloed
at Pompano Beach, but wasn't mak
ing much money at the time and
couldn't afford to continue lessons.
So when he went into the Air Force,
he flew with its aero club and earned
his private certificate just three days
before leaving for a tour of duty in
Vietnam as a weapons mechanic,
loading bombs in airplanes.
After returning to the States, he
bought two Corvettes, married, and

DECEMBER 2009

started a family. Being dO-it-your

seifers at heart, he and his wife,
Peggy, decided to go into their own
printing business. The sale of the
Corvettes funded that venture, and
just as soon as the business was
profitable, Peggy suggested he buy
back one of the Corvettes. Instead,
he decided to pick up flying again
and bought a Piper Arrow-and
later, a Cessna 150 for his son.
Years later he was bitten by the
vintage bug, after he struck up a
friendship with fellow Floridian
Kevin Proodian, who had been fly
ing radio-controlled airplanes with
Richard 's son, Brian. When Kevin
bought a Stinson 108-3, he fre
quently flew it over to Antiquers
Aerodrome to visit the Preisers. Be

1947 ad.

ing around that Stinson was all it

took-Richard was hooked. "I told
my son that I was going to trade the
Cessna 150 for a Stinson," he said,
chuckling. "Brian is now a captain
on Colgan, flying for Continental.".
Kevin, an airline pilot who is
also a certificated flight instructor
and an airframe and powerplant
(A&P) mechanic, loves flying clas
sic tailwheel airplanes. He good
naturedly steered Richard away
from buying an early-model Stin
son 108 that hadn't flown in 20

after a brief conversation, he sent

Gene a deposit for the Stinson, sight
unseen-and then asked Peggy for
permission to buy it.

odd years, telling him, "If it hasn't

run in that long, you're going to
spend something like four times
the purchase price to get it in flying
condition. If you want a pristine air
plane, let's look around for one. Just
a couple of weeks later, NC6364M
showed up on Barnstormers [web
site]. It was an Oshkosh 2006 Clas
sic Reserve Grand Champion, and
I told him it would be a good air
plane." Richard called owner and
restorer Gene "Pete" Engelskirger of
Hinckley, Ohio, in early 2007, and

Flying Station Wagon

All told, more than 5,000 of the
Stinson 108 series were manufac
tured. According to FAA Aircraft
Specification No. A-767, the Model
108-3 was similar to the 108-2, with
the exception of "larger fuel tanks,
structural changes for increased
gross weight, revised vertical tail
surfaces, and a controllable rudder
trim tab, [which replaced the] rud
der bungee."
In 1947, a utility version of the
Model 108 Voyager was introduced,
and its attributes were marketed in

this manner: "New! America's first

personal/cargo' plane! See the new
Stinson Flying Station Wagon. Re
inforced 24-cu.-ft. cargo compart
ment in 2-tone plywood paneling
equipped with tie-down straps. A
side-loading baggage compartment
offers an additional 11 cu. ft. of car
rying space. Carries pilot and 600
cargo pounds, or pilot, one pas
senger, and 500 cargo pounds. Two
rear seats can be replaced in 5 min
utes' time. Ideal 'utility' plane for
ranchers, farmers, sportsmen, and
flying businessmen."
Powered by a 165-hp Frank
lin 6A4-165-B3, the Flying Station
Wagon measures 25 feet 2 inches
from nose to tail, has a wingspan
of 33 feet 11 inches, and reaches
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

a height of 7 feet 6 inches in level

attitude. It weighs 1,320 pounds
empty and has a useful load of
1,080 pounds. Its maximum struc
tural cruising speed is 126 mph,
with a cruise speed around 108
mph-just right to enjoy some
fresh air from its sliding windows.
With a SO-gallon fuel capacity (a
25-gallon tank in each wing) and a
10-gph fuel burn, it offers a range
of around 540 miles.
If you look carefully at the Stin
son's wings, you'll notice slots in
the leading edges, which increase
the airflow over the ailerons at high
angles of attack, thereby providing
greater stability and control. And
the slightly offset vertical stabilizer
(for the 1948 model) helps counter
act the torque of the 165-hp Franklin
engine. Slotted wing flaps enhance
takeoff performance, and landings
were cushioned by the cantilever
gear's oleo-spring shock absorbers.
The Model 108-3 Flying Station
Wagon sold for $6,484 in 1948, ac
cording to aviation historian Joseph
Juptner (U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 8).
Touted as being roomy and
soundproofed, with quick takeoffs
and slow landings, Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft Corporation fur
ther enticed its targeted share of
the market by advertiSing that "be
ginners can solo this spin-resistant
Stinson in only about eight hours'
flying time!" and thereby offered
a "special flight plan for business
and professional men ... your Stin
son dealer will teach you to fly,
free-up to and including solo." It
was a winning campaign, appar
ently, since another company ad
proclaimed that" ... Stinson has
become America's biggest-selling
4-place personal plane-especially
with 'over-40' owners who fly for
business and pleasure."

NC6364M
Manufactured by Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft Corporation-Stin
son Division in Wayne, Michigan,
in April 1948, it took nearly two
years for this particular Flying Sta
tion Wagon to arrive in the hands
8

DECEMBER 2009

"About a month
after I bought
64M, I thought,
'Wou Id n't it be
neat to have two
airplanes with
consecutive serial
' "
num bers.....
-Richard Preiser

Kevin Proodian (kneeling) and

Richard Preiser-these longtime
friends are both aficionados of
Stinson 108-3s.

of its first owner. Later, while Rich

ard was focused on his family and
printing business, NC6364M was
doing touch-and-goes between var
ious owners from Nebraska to Flor
ida, and then on to Ohio, where it
languished for a number of years.
Gene Engelskirger, who restored
the airplane, wrote this about
NC6364M: "[It had] been around
the Cleveland area since 1972 and
was tied down next to my first res
toration at Columbia Station air
port 34 years ago. Bernie Ockuly
bought the basket in 1987 and
started the long process of bring
ing her back to life. Bernie got the
RV bug, and I picked up the project
in 1995. It was going to be a quick
one-to-two-year deal that was fi
nally finished 11 years later."
He also enumerated a few po
tentially controversial and inter
esting details derived from his
restoration research:
"There are two holes on the un
derside of the right gear leg. The

battery drain hose originally went

through the empty hole, and a ser
vice bulletin put it where it is now.
This was to eliminate acid on the
gear leg paint.
"Franklins had red lettering on
the rocker covers. [But] not in the
later production years, according to
[the late Charlie Hart], a former em
ployee of Franklin Aircooled Motors.
"A lot of Stinsons have cowling
props on both sides. [But] per the
Stinson parts book, they only had
one on the right side for oil stick
and cap access.
"The aircraft was delivered with
a Scott 3-24 BS tail wheel, item 202
(a), which was a 6-inch hard rubber
unit. It was replaced with a Scott
3200, item 202 (c), in July of 1950.
"The aircraft was delivered
with a Sensenich wood propeller.
In July of 1950, a metal McCauley
was installed."
Karl Engelskirger helped his fa
ther with the restoration, and he
shared some information about

Left: Stinson 4-The interior

and panel of NC6364M.
Below left and above:
Close-up views of panel.

what is perhaps the Stinson's

most unusual original fea
ture-the low-frequency an
tenna for shortwave radio. It
stretches from the top of the
fuselage to each wingtip and
the tail, and surprisingly, its
presence isn't discern able in
flight. "The radio antenna in
stallation was a joy," recalled
Karl as he smiled. "That air
plane was untouched from the
time it left the factory; it had
the original panel, radios, and
interior. The only thing miss
ing was the antenna, and a

gentleman in California who

was parting out several Stin
sons had one that still had the
latches on the position lights.
Then the only thing we were
missing was the ceramic insu
lator that goes on the tail, and
I found one from another Stin
son, so we were able to piece
the whole thing together."
To keep the panel looking as
original as possible, Gene and
Karl mounted a small sliding
tray behind the old Hallicraft
ers shortwave radio . This ra
dio can be removed, thereby
allowing easy access to the
new radio, which is mounted
on the tray. To make the air
plane practical for cross
country flying in present-day
airspace, updated avionics
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

The aileron hinge fairings are made of cast aluminum.

and other items include an Ameri

King AK-350 encoder, a Bendix/
King KT 76A transponder, and a
Whelen A650 navigation/strobe
light system (in place of the origi
nal Grimes navigation lights). A
four-place Flightcom 403mc inter
com was installed, along with an
Ameri-King AK-450 emergency lo
cator transmitter, and a Bendix/
King KLX 135A GPS/comm.
According to Karl, the Stinson
had been tied down outside for
many years and corrosion had be
gun in the wing spars. "That was
difficult to deal with," he said, "be
cause the stamped ribs and alu
10 DECEMBER 2009

Baggage capacity in this compartment is 100 pounds.

minum spars are riveted together,

making it hard to replace the spars.
But we finally got that cleaned up.
The fuselage and wings were cov
ered with the Poly-Fiber system,
and the entire airplane was painted
with Aerothane."

Current Caretaker
Thirty-eight years after Richard
first started taking flying lessons,
and 59 years after NC6364M was
manufactured, the time had finally
arrived for the two to become ac
quainted and begin their journey
together. Richard and Kevin trav
eled via airline to Ohio to pick up

the Stinson and fly it together to

Florida . It was a memorable occa
sion-especially since their return
cross-country was encumbered first
by low ceilings and then, as they
flew farther south, by very thick
smoke from intense forest fires in
southern Georgia.
But they made it successfully, and
back in Florida, Kevin gladly stepped
into his flight instructor role to help
Richard learn how to fly the tailwheel
airplane, as well as the nuances of
coaxing the very best performance
out of the Flying Station Wagon. Re
calling those lessons with a chuckle,
Richard said, "It took a while to

make the transition from tricycle to

tailwheel, and Kevin actually made a
pOint to go flying on windy days, be
cause Antiquers has trees on one side
and a tower on another side, so you
really have to know how to handle
the airplane."
"The aircraft is very forgiving," said
Kevin, adding, "I tell people it is like a
four-place Piper Cub-the same wing
planform, a Hershey bar with round
wingtips. The takeoff and landing
speed is 80 mph, and it stalls at 61.4
mph, with flaps down. It's a very hon
est airplane, and very affordable."
Richard's delight in flying his
Wagon is obvious, as well as his dedi
cation to keeping the airplane in top
notch condition. Since he's owned
it, it has been awarded the 2008 Best
Restored Classic (101-165 hp) and
2009 Outstanding Classic Aircraft
(9/1/45-12/31/55) at Sun 'n Fun.

All in the Details

There are numerous fine details
that make NC6364M's restoration
an award winner-and since a casual
observer may not even be aware of
some of these items, Kevin shared his
knowledge about them. "Everything
is original to this airplane, minus the
Cleveland wheels and brakes," he ex
plained. "They came from the factory
with Goodrich brakes. This airplane
has the original-type split windshield,
paint scheme, and polished alumi
num trim. The headliner is complete
with the original dome light and ele
vator/rudder trim controls. The 108-3
was available in two colors-the Stin
son Maroon or Blue only, with Diana
Cream trim . The fabric and uphol
stery were beautifully done [by Paul
Workman of Ohio] and are correct
for this model, and so are the mahog
any veneer panels."
If you stand underneath the wing
and gaze up at the ailerons, you'll
notice some rather large, stream
lined covers for the aileron hinges.
They are cast aluminum fairings,
composed of two halves which are
joined by two screws-and it's not
often you'll see these anymore. The
inspection plate covers are also orig
inal, according to Kevin, who ex

plained that they are different from

most because they have two fastener
strips on the back side and four
small, raised vents on the front.
Richard humbly confesses that, af
ter he bought NC6364M and began
thoroughly observing all of its de
tails, "I told Gene that I didn't pay
him enough for all the detailed work
that was done on it-he is a super
nice guy, and he got a chuckle out of
that. I paid his price, but lowe him !z
money-you know what I mean? To ~
see the work he did, I know he didn't ~
make a dollar an hour."
~
UJ

UJ

eli
~

Stinson Sister Ships

~
en
Throughout their lives, the en
Preisers have worked hard for what J:~
they have, and they derive a deep "
satisfaction from achieving their
hands-on goals-whether it's run
ning a successful business, remod
eling their home, or their latest
endeavor-restoring an airplane .
"My wife and I took a six-room
house and made it into a gorgeous
mansion," explained Richard,
smiling. "My wife and I painted it
inside and out, we did all the wood
working together, and we bought
186 tons of bricks and made our
own driveway. That took about
six months of laying the sand and
shell rock foundation, and then the
brick with our own hands. "
So it's just natural that Richard
feels a bit uncomfortable accepting
compliments for NC6364M. Now
he 's determined to restore its sis
ter ship with his own hands, and
to that end, he's keeping his hand
some Stinson hangared-and only
flying it on nice days-so he'll have
a pristine example to go by for his
own restoration.
Top: It's nice and clean under the
cowl! This 165-hp Franklin runs
strong, but parts are hard to come by.
Middle: Close-up view of the
controllable rudder trim tab.
Bottom: Close-up view of the
antenna attachment tab
on the wingtip.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

Close-up view of the inspection plates.

"About a month after I bought

64M, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be neat
to have two airplanes with consecu
tive serial numbers.' So I researched
NC6363M, and found that it
crashed. An 80-year-old man called
me from Ohio and confirmed that
information-he was there when it
went into the trees. So then I looked
for NC6365M, and I found it in San
Marcos, Texas. I e-mailed the owner
and found out everything was for
sale. The project was in bad shape
and wasn't complete-so I had to
sleep on it and think about whether
12 DECEMBER 2009

I really wanted to buy it and re

store it. It was missing a lot of parts,
and some were damaged and mis
matched. But I decided to go ahead
with it," declared Richard with an
optimistic tone of determination,
"and I bought a third Stinson from
California, just for parts. I've never
restored an airplane, and I want to
do everything on it I can, and I have
an A&P who is guiding me through
the project."
Richard is making steady prog
ress on his project. To date, he
has had all of the instruments for

NC6365M overhauled by Keystone,

he's completed the interior wood
work, and he's started working on
the wiring system and the fuse
lage. He hopes to finish this Stin
son in three or four years, if all goes
smoothly. And when he does, it's
likely that the two virtually iden
tical Stinson sister ships will com
pose quite an eye-catching display
on the flightline in their deep, rich
maroon paint scheme. And Richard
will no doubt finally feel comfort
able accepting compliments for his
own restoration.
~

Photo of Stearman Model 6L Cloudboy flying, by Jeff Jeffares.

Patrons enjoying the cuisine in the Barnstormer's Grill.

A 1928 Stearman C-3B alights

gently on the long grass runway at
Peach State Aerodrome as a 1929
Curtiss Robin's Wright )6-5 coughs
to life and prepares for takeoff. The

C-3B slowly S-turns past a field of

colorful vintage airplanes, sun
light glinting from its polished,
hand-spun spinner. The stately bi
plane winds its way toward a large

1930s-style hangar where an ami

able crowd of folks has gathered.
Children are leaning over a wooden
picket fence, waving at all the pi
lots, and antique autos, tractors,
and even a horse-drawn carriage
line the parking lot. Inside, melo
dious notes from a player piano
entwine with the hunger-stirring
aroma of freshly baked pies straight
from the ovens of the Barnstorm
er's Grill, where a virtual smor
gasbord, ranging from salads and
sandwiches to seafood and filet mi
gnon, is served. Laughter and chat
ter resound through the eatery,
spilling out onto the patio as locals
and visitors alike join in the fun of
reliving the era of early aviation,
here in rural Williamson, just 30
miles south of Atlanta, in the heart
of Georgia.

The museum is currently housed in this new building, which resembles the original American Airways Hangar at
Candler Field.
14 DECEMBER 2009

Looking Back
Back in 1909, a businessman
b y the name of Asa Griggs Can
dler (who owned the Coca-Cola
Company at the time) opened a
new racetrack near Hapeville,
Georgia. Situated in a wide-open
field, it was also the perfect loca
tion for aerial exhibitions, which
were held there in 1910 and 1911.
Eventually, more attention was fo
cused on the practical aspects of
aviation, and another gentleman
from the local area, James H. El
liott, decided to lease the racetrack
and prep some additional acreage
for airplane use. Elliott opened
his flying business there in 1919
and sold the field in 1923. The
following year, a couple of local
aviators-Doug Davis and Beeler
Blevins-began prevailing upon
Atlanta's mayor, Bill Hartsfield, to
recognize the business value of avi
ation . Davis established his own
flying circus, and he and Blevins
each built their own hangars at
Candler Field, thereby establish
ing a base of operations for their
separate flying businesses. And fi
nally, in 1925, Mayor Hartsfield
acknowledged that Candler Field
was indeed a good location for At
lanta's airport. Four years later, the
city purchased the airfield, which
eventually evolved into today's
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Interna
tional Airport.

Candler Field Museum

Ron Alexander is the man be
hind Peach State Aerodrome and
Candler Field Museum . A retired

Delta Air Lines pilot with a gentle

and easygoing personality, he is
also a highly driven entrepreneur.
He's established numerous success
ful aviation businesses (see sidebar),
yet he wanted to realize at least one
other ambitious dream-building
an antique airplane museum that

"The overall objective

is for you to walk into
this museum and feel
like you're stepping
back into that era.
e also want people to
enjoy riding in an old
car, in a horse-drawn
carriage, and flying in
an old airplane."
- Ron Alexande
would be just a bit unusual. For
one, he wanted to pay tribute to a
particular era of aviation and his
tory-that being the late 1920s and
early 1930s-in an operating mu
seum. And that essential thread of

a "living" museum was necessary to

create the tangible tapestry of time
he desired. "With that in mind,
some of the things we have
are not going to be pristine or
award-winning airplanes or cars,
but they're going to be functionaV'
Alexander explained. "The over
all objective is for you to walk into
this museum and feel like you're
stepping back into that era. We also
want people to enjoy riding in an
old car, in a horse-drawn carriage,
and flying in an old airplane./J
Another key thread that adds
depth and texture to this tapestry
is Alexander's belief that "to make
this kind of museum work, you've
got to have other than aviation
people come out and support it.
You need to include those who are
involved in antique automobiles,
tractors, and even vintage cloth
ing-and just include everything
involved in that era."
Since Atlanta is his home base,
he decided that preserving its rich
local history would be ideal. He
knew that Davis, a 1920s aviator,
was from the local area and had
built the first hangar on Candler
Field. "So I thought that a logical
thing to do would be to develop
Candler Field as it existed in the
late 1920s and early 1930s/' he
said, "and focus on that."
That idea blossomed into a mul
tifaceted project. Alexander re
searched the history of Candler
Field and found some photographs
of what it looked like in the early
1930s. Then he started looking
for an existing airport that could

Relaxing on the observation deck and patio

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

1939 DC-3A, antique autos, and a Davis airplane .

Bird's-eye view of the Stearman C-3B and Curtiss

Robin.

Candler f ield -'tuseum

Concept drawing of the Candler Field Museum complex.

physically accommodate a variety

of hangars and buildings. "Peach
State Airport, as it has been called,
has been here since 1966," he ex
plained, "and I finally discovered
that the 100 acres adjacent to it
was for sale at a fairly reasonable
price. So I decided to purchase the
entire package and develop a por
tion of it as Peach State Airpark to
help pay for the runway. We didn't
have an architect put it together; I
just visualized it in my mind, and
then we started working to make
that vision reality."
The museum, which opened
in September 2008, is currently
housed in a new building that
resembles the original American
Airways Hangar, complete with
observation deck , restoration
workshop, restaurant, and ban
quet facilities. An aviation re
search library, named in honor of
Jack Barbery, will soon be open to
the public. "Much in the museum
has been donated by Jack Barbery,
who is a retired Pan Am flight en
16

DECEMBER 2009

gineer," said Alexander. "He has

collected antique aviation mem
orabilia and old airplanes , too.
He's donated two KR-34 biplanes,
which will be restored, and an
OX-S Robin, which is currently
undergoing restoration. We have
a mechanic who works with vol
unteers to help restore and main
tain the museum airplanes."
As a work in progress, the mu
seum will continue to evolve, and
the next building slated for con
struction is the old Eastern Air
Transport Hangar. It will be large
enough to house the grand old
lady of the airlines-the DC-3.
A bed and breakfast for the aero
drome, along with apartments for
seniors, are also part of the over
all plan, as well as a hotel and
larger banquet facility in the guise
of the original Candler Field art
deco-style terminal building. Two
smaller hangars will pay tribute
to aviators Davis and Blevins and
will also house a variety of 1920s
and 1930s artifacts.

Rotating Exhibits
Just as a shuttle carries new
threads back and forth to weave
fabric, Alexander plans to breathe
vitality into the museum 's tangi
ble tapestry by continually rotat
ing the exhibits of airplanes, autos,
and tractors. So at any given time,
visitors will hopefully be able to see
something they haven't yet seen
and perhaps even be able to go for a
ride or flight in it. "What we try to
do is get people to put airplanes on
loan to us for a while," explained
Alexander, "and rotate them in and
out. For example, we had a guy
with an Aeronca Champ here for
a while, and the Curtiss Robin is
owned by a local pilot [Richard Ep
ton] who flies it on a regular basis. "
To date, airplanes in the rotat
ing exhibits include a 1929 Curtiss
Robin, a 1928 Waco CSO, a 1928
C-3B Stearman, a 1930 Stearman
6L Cloudboy, a 1939 Douglas DC
3A, and a 1941 Stearman PT-17 .
Barbery's OX-S Robin will join the
others when its restoration is com
plete, as will a 1918 Curtiss IN-4D,
which local craftsman Brian Karli
is rebuilding.
N28AA, which has recently been
christened the Candler FieLd Express
DC-3A, was originally delivered
to Braniff Airways in 1939. "After
Braniff, it went to Trans-Texas, and
it's been in several different air
lines, ending up in Provincetown
Boston Airlines. A friend of mine
ferried it up here from Tamiami
Airport," said Alexander, "and at
that time I owned Alexander Aero
plane Company, so myself and
several employees restored the air

The Stearman C-3B.

plane in 1991. Right now we use it

for training and some promotional
work, but it doesn't fly more than
about SO hours a year or so."
Alexander acquired the Stear
man C-3B about 10 years ago from
antiquer friend Jim Friedline . "I
had a PT-17 that was destroyed
in a tornado, and I traded Jim my
busted-up airplane for the C-3B. I
flew it a couple of years, and at the
time, I was one of the three own
ers of Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings
in California. We had a restora
tion company that we had started
out there at Flabob Airport," re
called Alexander, "and a young
man by the name of Brian New
man did a large bulk of the resto
ration on the airplane."
Of the aircraft he has, Alexan
der treasures one in particular-not
only because it handles very nicely,
but also because there weren't
many built. Smiling, he said, "The
most unique and rare airplane I
have is my square-tail 1931 Stear
man Model 6L Cloudboy, with a
Lycoming 220. It was designed as
a military trainer, and they only
made 10 of those airplanes, which
were later called YPT-9s. My par
ticular airplane was called an XPT
912, and it was the test airplane for
the YPT-9s."

A Gathering Place
Today, the airstrip, Candler
Field Museum, and Peach State
Airpark are collectively known as
Peach State Aerodrome. The fledg
ling airpark has a separate, gated
entrance, which offers residential
privacy from the museum and

Even though they're on display inside, each of the

antique autos are operational.

restaurant portion of the field.

Walking trails wind through the
airpark, and there are runway lots
as well as a few lakefront lots on
site. Owners design their homes
and hangars to be constructed
with a Vintage-style exterior, in
keeping with Peach State's over
all theme.
Yet the aerodrome is home to
more than just the museum and
airpark residents-it's also head
quarters for the Georgia chapter
of the Antique Airplane Associa
tion and EAA Chapter 468. The
newly formed Georgia Cub Flyers
have adopted Peach State as their
home base as well; they held their
first fly-in here in August 2009,
with nearly 30 Cubs and more
than a hundred Cub aficionados
attending. Other groups also meet
here-including the Flying Grif
fins, which is a radio-controlled
model airplane club, and shhh!
the Quiet Birdmen.
But that's not all. Since Alex
ander's vision encompasses more
than antique airplanes, the local
Georgians have also found a place
to call home . Many enjoy seeing
the other antique conveyances
in action, which include a 1909
Sears automobile, 1923 and 1925
Model Ts, 1928 Model A Road
ster, 1929 Model A pickup truck,
1933 Chevrolet Master sedan, and
a 1920 carriage. And they also en
joy large gatherings there . "We
have banquet facilities for up to
500 people, and that's the local
community that comes to the
banquets," explained Alexander,
who is pleased to welcome the

neighbors. "We ' ve had a couple

of aviation events, but we've also
had a chorale, chamber of com
merce meetings, and it's mostly
general events like that. The lo
cal community, including the
county commissioners, has really
embraced this museum. They're
very pleased to have us here, and
this is the very first museum in
Pike County. They think it's great,
and we get real good support from
them. Ninety percent of the peo
ple who visit here are non-aviation
people." That means that more
people are becoming familiar with
grass strips and airplanes, which
helps foster a positive public per
ception of general aviation.

You're Invited!
A variety of special events are
held throughout the year at the
museum, and aviators as well as
the general public are warmly wel
comed. A first-time vintage week
end was held in September 2009,
complete with visitors in period
costume, music provided by a
men's chorale group, and an 1899
calliope. "We'll sell homemade
ice cream that's been mixed us
ing a hit-and-miss engine, have a
cake walk and a mime group, and
generally just have a good time,"
shared Alexander, "and we'll get
all the old cars out and fly the old
airplanes-plus, we'll have a horse
and carriage for people to ride in.
This will be the first year we've
had the vintage weekend."
Other events include a visit for
children from Santa Claus and
continued on page 38
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

Ron Alexander and his Stearman

C-3B, inside Candler Field
Museum.

n Alexander just can't imagine life

without flying. When he was a cadet in
the Civil Air Patrol at age 14, he took a
ide in a C-119 Flying Boxcar and knew
he was meant to be a pilot. He soon soloed an
Aeronca Champ near his home in Bloomington,
Indiana, and earned his flight instructor rating.
By the time he entered the Air Force in 1964, he
had already logged 800 hours . His five years in
the Air Force included one tour in Vietnam, flying
the C-7 Caribou.
In 1969, he started flying for Delta Air Lines
(based in Chicago) and eventually gave instruction
and checkrides in the Boeing 737 before retiring in
2002. During those years, he again became active
in general aviation when he bought a J-3 Cub for
$3,000 in 1974. Unfortunately, a summer storm
got the best of the Cub just as he was relocating
to Georgia. "Then I got real interested in restoring
antique airplanes," he said, chuckling, "so I restored
a Cub first and then a Stearman PT-17-and I
discovered that we had a lot of difficulty getting
airplane parts. So in 1979, we started Alexander

Aeroplane Company out of our

hangar at Cedar Ridge. I also
bought a Stits distributorship
from a local person, because Ray
Stits wasn't sure he wanted me to
be a distributor. Then in 1992, I
bought Stits-I owned it outright
myself for a few years. Then I had
a partner-Jon Goldenbaum,
who still manages Poly-Fiber
and we ended up merging
Ceconite into it, so there were
three of us that owned it."
He also started a technical
center in Griffin, Georgia, during that time. "When
I owned Alexander Aeroplane, I discovered that
the best way to sell products was to teach people
how to use them. So we started a workshop
program, formally teaching people how to do fabric
covering, composite and sheet metal work, welding,
and so forth. Ultimately it became the SportAir
Workshops, and I sold it to EAA. And in 1996, I sold
Alexander Aeroplane to Aircraft Spruce."
His recent endeavors include his composite
repair company, Atlanta Aerospace Composites,
which he started in 2002. Today, the company
repairs corporate and regional jet radomes, in
addition to doing sheet metal and composite work
on regional jets. Alexander also has interest in a
couple of other companies, though he didn't start
them. He owns "a major part of the Accessory
Overhaul Group, which is an overhaul facility for
regional jets, and a separate machine shop."
When asked if he ever feels overwhelmed, he
laughed gently and replied, "Most of the time!"
Then he explained his secret: "Well, actually, you
know what has made it work are the people I hire.

I guess my 'thing
in life,' if I have to
have 'a thing,' is to
start something,
and then once I get
it up and running,
let somebody else
have it." Reflecting
for a moment,
he laughed again
and commented,
"Sometimes it's
not all successful!
I enjoy taking
risks; it's partly
the challenge, and
it's also because
I enjoy creating
something
from nothing.
What makes it
possible is the people who work for
me. I hire my people based entirely on
their attitudes-not their resumes at
all. I want to know them, spend some
time with them, and I want them to
have good, positive attitudes. We do
build every single business based on
customer service."
Alexander's primary passion, above
all else, is simply flying. Smiling and
laughing wholeheartedly, he declared,
"It's my life! You know, I don't know
what I'd do if I couldn't fly. To me,
there's nothing better than taking
one of these biplanes out and flying
it in the evening or early morning-I
mean, that's the greatest thing in
the world! I clear my mind by doing
that. I have 24,000 hours of flying
time, and I still enjoy it. Flying is
very important, and I love these old
airplanes-I just like that era of time.
To me, the 1920s were a fascinating
time, and I enjoy studying it and
learning more about it-and doing
things to help re-create it."
.....

The story of Aircraft By Shue

BY DICK CRENSHAW

terprise that started

with a dream and
grew as a result of
perseverance, dedi
cation, and patience.
In his youth John was a typical
boy, riding his bicycle to a grass
strip airport and hanging on the
fence , dreaming about the day he
could fly. He fulfilled that dream by
working as a line boy at Valley Air
ways in York, Pennsylvania.
His dream didn't come easy, as
he earned just 65 cents an hour,
20

DECEMBER 2009

and his dual-instruction lessons

cost $6 an hour. That meant 10
hours of work to pay for one hour
of dual flight instruction. It seems
that the 10-to-l ratio is still with
us today. Working for $13 an hour
to pay for flight instruction at $130
an hour seems quite commonplace;
the aspiring aviators of today seem
to have the same challenges we
had 60 years ago. Sixty-five cents
at a time, John kept adding to his
logged time, and he soloed in 1947.
Prior to the formation of Aircraft
By Shue and his dedication to Waco
aircraft, John restored several aircraft

with his brother Charlie and other

family members. His aircraft projects
included a Taylorcraft BC-12, Ercoupe,
Piper Tri-Pacer, Piper 180 Comanche,
Piper Clipper, and Aeronca K.
John was not the only Shue bit
ten by the aircraft restoration bug.
His brother Charlie restored an
L-2 Taylorcraft to military specifi
cations and a 1929 Kreider Riesner
KR-31 (NCI0054) to flying condi
tion. The KR-31 is powered by an
OX-5 engine and is now part of
the Hagerstown Aviation Museum
in Hagerstown, Maryland. Hager
stown was the home of Fairchild

Left: Prior to being covered, this is the completed

structure of AI Shimer's UMF-5.

The interest in Waco airplanes be

gan in 1964 when John purchased
his UPF-7 basket case. He was still
working at AMP at this time, and
the restoration became a seven-year,
part-time weekends and nights proj
ect. In May of 1971, the plane flew
for the first time since 1946.

Grand Champion at the National

Biplane Association Expo in 2007
and Reserve Grand Champion in
2003, 2005, and 2006. It was Best
In Class-Waco open cockpit at the
AAA National Fly-In in Blakesburg,
Iowa, in 2004,2005, and 2007. Also
listed were five other awards re

John's UPF-7 was the first of five EAA Oshkosh award winners. The five
airplanes so honored at the annual EAA fly-in are:
Year
1972
1986
2000

Model
UPF-7

N-Number

Owner

NC3016S

UPF-7

NC32183
NC32084

John Shue
Dr. Criss Kidder

2000

UPF-7
UPF-7

2008

UPF-7

The awards were not limited to Os

hkosh; Jack Hill's UPF-7 won best in
show at the Burlington, North Caro
lina, fly-in and was also Grand Cham
pion at the 2009 Sun 'n Fun Fly-In.
All of the above aircraft were based
on the East Coast at the time they
were displayed at the EAA Fly-In in
Oshkosh. That had me wondering if
there were any Shue-restored Wacos
west of the Mississippi River receiv
ing recognition. I contacted Gary Pe
tersen in Walton, Nebraska, and got
quite a surprising response.
Gary's UPF-7, NC39743, won
Aircraft, and Kreider Riesner was a
subsidiary of Fairchild. Charlie was
also heavily involved in recovering
one of the more unique airplanes
to come through the Shue shop. It
was a 1937 VPF-7 Waco owned by
Al Shimer. This aircraft was one of
six VPF-7s shipped to the Guate
malan Army Air Corps in 1937. It is
powered by a 240-hp W-670 Con
tinental engine and is presently on
loan to the Kalamazoo Aviation
History Museum.
John retired from his electrical
engineer position with AMP Incor
porated in 1987. His son Scott left
the company in 1990; however, at
his young age it was a career change
rather than a retirement. Together,
they formed Aircraft by Shue.

Loel Crawford

NC29303

Dick Ash

NC32071

Jack Hill

ceived in the Nebraska area.

To date the Shues have restored
10 Wacos, and many of these air
craft have been winners at regional
air shows and fly-ins. It is hard to
keep track of the awards since many
of these planes are not located in
the Pennsylvania area.
Scott learned the aircraft restora
tion trade by working with his fa
ther. By the time they reached Loel
Crawford's UPF-7 (NC32084), he
was pretty much the lead man. Scott
has restored and completed the last
three winning aircraft on his own

One of only four built, and the last one to survive, this is a 1935 8-17E
8eechcraft Staggerwing, serial number 49. John Shue spent a consider
able amount of time restoring the cabin biplane.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

John retired from

his electrical
engineer position

with AMP
Incorporated in
1987. His son Scott
One of the many UPF-7 restorations done by the Shues, this is NC29996,
a UPF-7 owned by Sion Bass of Georgia.

left the company

in 1990; however,
at his young age

it was a career
change rather
than a retirement.

John Shue's UPF-7, the one that started him on the path to becoming
an acknowledged expert on the aircraft, was first restored in 1972. The
father-and-son team is now restoring it for the second time.

with technical advice and final as

sembly help from his father. Scott
is known as "Mr. Detail." Wings,
in addition to complete restoration
projects, are his particular specialty.
A complete restoration means
all new wood. Scott will cut and
shape new spars from Sitka spruce;
build new ribs, tip bows, wing
walks, etc.; and assemble new
wings from scratch. All formers
and stringers in the fuselage re
ceive the same expert attention.
He replaces all sheet metal parts
that are not in perfect condition
with new metal fabrications. He re
stores and re-upholsters cockpits.
Scott rebuilds and reinstalls orig
inal engine and flight instruments
to maintain the authenticity of the
22 DECEMBER 2009

aircraft. To keep the FAA happy, the

emergency locator transmitter is
there, but not in plain view-an
other effort to keep the airplane's
appearance as original as possible.
When you see a finished Waco
coming out of the Shue shop, you
can't help but marvel at the beau
tiful finish and attention to detail.
The fabric surfaces appear to be
painted with a modern-day finish;
however, they are hand rubbed and
polished dope.
The UPF-7s are not the only Waco
models that have been restored.
Just recently Scott finished a 1930
Waco RNF, NC859V, for Joe Kamin
skas. The first fly-in for Joe was May
2009 at Horn Point, Maryland. He
received both the AAA President's

Award and PAAS Antique Grand

Champion award. Since originally
writing this article, EAA AirVenture
2009 has come and gone. Joe and
his RNF won the Vintage Aircraft As
sociation Antique Grand Champion
award, which left him extremely
proud but also humbled when he
realized he had competed and won
against some of the best restorations
in the country. (See a video of Ka
minskas' RNF at www.AirVenture.org/
videos. Click on the AirVenture tab
and you'll see the video.)
Congratulations, Joe, and to
Scott Shue and his dad.
Scott and his father are pres
ently restoring a 1935 UMF-5 for Al
Shimer. John has rewired the aircraft
and fabricated engine baffles and the

Jack Hill's Waco UPF-7 serves as the backdrop for John (left) and Scott
Shue, the father-and-son duo responsible for some of the most beautiful
Waco restoration in recent memory.

Scott Shue has a special affinity for building wings. These are just a few
of the wings he's built for Waco restorations.

exhaust system. He is also restoring

the two cockpit interiors, including
the rebuilt engine and flight instru
ments. In addition, he is fabricating
sheet metal panels and the bump
cowl, which is a major undertaking.
Scott has built a complete set of
new wings . The next step will be
covering the entire aircraft and the
finishing process of doping and
sanding, doping and sanding, un
til the desired result is obtained.
This aircraft is powered by a 210-hp
Continental R-670 engine.
Complete restorations are not
the only thing happening at the
shop . They will build any wooden
pi ece found in a Waco. This in

cludes any individual piece or com

plete assemblies such as wings,
vertical fins, center sections, fuse
lage formers, and stringers. John is
also set up to repair and rebuild the
UPF-7 landing gear.
Now just because he 's not the
prime restorer in the shop now, I
don't want you to think John is
out to pasture. He has spent a great
deal of time restoring a 1935 B-17E
Beechcraft Staggerwing, serial num
ber 49. There were only four of this
model built by Beech, and this is
the only survivor. Two have been
destroyed and the third was con
verted to a B-17R.
Unlike most Staggerwings fly

ing today, this aircraft is powered by

a W-760-2 Wright engine, not the
R-985 Pratt & Whitney. This aircraft
passed through a series of owners who
had hoped to restore it, but for the
most part it remained in storage until
it came to the Shue shop in 1986.
The frame-up restoration was
accomplished using new wood
throughout the aircraft. One of the
Shues' hard and fast rules is that
they never use or repair old wood;
it has to be new. A new mohair
interior has been installed, along
with a complete panel of restored
instruments from that time period.
The instrument panel is a thing of
beauty unto itself. All aluminum
sheet metal parts have been newly
fabricated using the original pieces,
when available, as patterns.
Presently John is again restor
ing his personal UPF-7, the aircraft
that started it all back in 1964. It
has been close to 40 years since its
original restoration was completed,
and John felt it was time.
In addition to his Waco project
he is restoring a J-3 Cub for an old
friend, Bob Bittner. If this was not
enough, there is a second]-3, John's
personal plane, which is about half
way to completion.
John also spends a great deal of
time on the telephone helping out
fellow Waco owners with techni
cal information and personal ad
vice based on his experience in the
restoration business. He is always
ready to help anyone with aircraft
problems or questions.
For those of you who do not
know John Shue, he is an aviation
romantic. Some might even call
him an aviation maniac. In either
case, John is an aviation enthusiast
of the first order. If you ever have
the opportunity to visit his shop
in Emigsville, Pennsylvania, I am
sure he will gladly show you his
library, complete with a stamped
metal cathedral ceiling and a spiral
staircase. It's located on the second
floor. It contains more than 2,500
volumes of aviation literature and
history, including a complete set of
Ernest Gann's books.
.......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

Light Plane Heritage

PUBLISHED IN

EAA Experimenter

FEBRUA RY 1957 , MAY 1989

THE DORMOY BATH TUB

M cRAE
EAA 93

BY J ACK

The Dormoy Bath Tub was one

of the simplest and probably least
expe nsive successful lightplanes
ever built. This airplane was de
sig ned and built by Mr. Etienne
Dormoy, then of the Engineering
Division of the Air Service at Mc
Cook Field near Dayton, Ohio. It
was flown in the lightplane events
at the 1924 and 1925 National Air
Races by Mr. Dormoy in competi
tion with the Driggs Dart, Powell
Racer, and Mummert Sportplane.
The m ain purpose of the design
was to obtain a practical light
plane with the utmost in simplic
ity and economy of construction .
As can be seen from the drawings
and photographs, the fuselage of
the original airplane consisted of
a small nacelle in which the pilot
and e n gine occupied nearly all
available space. The tail surfaces
were supported on three steel-

tube longerons with diagonal wire

bracing. The cockpit space was
very small, and for the 1924 Races
the tachometer was mounted in

the winds h ield . The nacelle was

of steel-tube, three-Iongeron con
struction, with sheet aluminum
covering. The tail surfaces were of

Harry Thompson 's modified Bath Tub, powered by a Franklin engine, was
on the flightline at Oshkosh a number of years ago. His control levers are
... what else, old-style plumbing fixtures.

Editor's Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA's Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se
ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!-HGF
24 DECEMBER 2009

EM ARCHIVES

This Is the Dormoy Bath Tub in its original form when

It was Introduced by Etienne Dormoy in 1924. Power
was a Henderson four-cycle motorcycle engine.

steel tubing, covered with fabric.

The wing was of conventional
two-spar wood and fabric construc
tion. The wing bracing was unusual
in that the lift truss consisted of a
single steel tube on each side with
two additional flying wires per side
to resist the torsional loads. The
lift struts and center-section struts
were round tubes with balsa fair
ing. The fuel tank was mounted in
the wing section. The aileron con

EAA

EXI'RI!INTER

trol system was unconventional

in that the aileron balance cable
went forward from the aileron
horn to the top of the wing where
it entered a small, curved tube that
guided the cable outside the wing
to the leading edge of the wing.
The cable then continued inboard
along the outside of the leading
edge through several fair leads to
a turnbuckle located at the center
line of the airplane.

The landing gear consisted of a

hinged-axle member and a com
pression strut on each side with
rubber-cord shock absorbers. Drag
loads were taken by two struts on
each side running fore and aft from
the axle to the single lower longe
ron of the nacelle.
The engine was a converted four
cylinder Henderson motorcycle
engine that developed about 20
hp at 2300 rpm. An air scoop was
mounted on the left-hand side to
provide better cooling of the cyl
inder heads. This engine installa
tion proved to be very reliable at
the 1924 National Air Races, where
the Bath Tub competed in all three
lightplane races and won the Rick
enbacker Trophy Race of 140 miles
at an average speed of 70 mph and
with a fuel consumption of 40
miles per gallon. The ship finished
second and third, respectively, in
the other two lightplane races.
The Bath Tub had a gross weight
of 425 pounds and a wing area of 85
square feet. The light wing loading
of 5 pounds per square foot made
the little ship difficult to fly in rough
air. The wing span was 24 feet, and
the length was 13 feet 5 inches.
After the success at the 1924
National Races, Mr. Dormoy rede
signed the fuselage for better per
formance at the 1925 Races. The
tail booms were done away with
and the fuselage was extended aft
in a more conventional arrange
ment. Jury struts were also added
to stabilize the long lift struts.
However, even with these im
provements the performance in
1925 was not enough to match the
speed of the Powell Racer, which
was the winner.
Mr. Dormoy later became as
sociated with the Buhl Aircraft
Company in Michigan, and in
1931 he designed the Buhl Bull
Pup lightplane, some of which are
still in service.
......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25

Ray Lemmon's Stinson 108

BY

or back cover photo and

the photos you see on
these pages were sent to
us by member Ray Lem
mon, EAA 42686, VAA 717946 of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Ray is a longtime EAAer and re
tired United Airlines captain with
a number of airplane projects to
his credit, including a Piper Super
Cruiser, which he rebuilt in 1973
74, and a Beechcraft D-17 Stag
gerwing, which he flew for more
than nine years back in the 1960s
and '70s.
This particular project, a 1948
Stinson 108-3 Voyager, NC6183M,
serial number 4183, out of more
than 5,000 built, was manufac
tured by Consolidated Vultee
Aircraft Company at its Wayne,
Michigan, factory. The airplane
was owned by Sherman Oxford
for many years, until it was sold
to Bob Coates in 2001. Unfortu
nately, it was involved in a wreck
on its second test flight after a

26

DECEMBER 2009

H.G.

FRAUTSCHY

Above: A quick run down the snow-covered runway shows the Stinson
is ready for flight when the weather breaks.

It was a beautiful winter day, with the snow falling in big flakes, when the
Stinson had to be rolled out to be repositioned when rearranging the air
planes in the hangar at Old School Aviation. Mechanic Christopher Cum
mings snapped the shots at Van Sant Airport near Erwinna, Pennsylvania.

The post-World War II pe

riod was a time of great op
timism in general aviation,
and the advertising of the
day often showed dapper
owners/pilots using their
new aerial station wag
ons to further their busi
ness interests. It was no
coincidence that names
such as the Sedan, Sta
tion Wagon, Super Cruiser,
and other automotive-style names were added to airplanes
of the day. The expectation that the airplane was expected to replace
the car for many businessmen, combined with the marketing that flying
was nearly as easy as driving a car, made great fodder for the advertis
ing industry.

restoration was com

pleted in 2004, a tragic
accident that resulted
in Coates later passing
away due to his injuries.
Ray Lemmon bought
the airplane and be
gan work. The dam
age to the airplane was
confined mostly to the
front of the fuselage, re
quiring weld repairs to
the fuselage, a new fire
wall, and a new engine
mount for the Franklin
engine, plus all of the
sheet metal forward of
the baggage door. The
right wing also required
repairs, as did the land
ing gear.
When the welding
repairs were done and
it came time to start
adding parts instead of
taking them off the air Two views of the Stinson showing the neat
plane , the Stinson was workmanship as it was being restored by Ray
moved into his home Lemmon. Now at the "add the parts " portion
shop, which, from all of the restoration, it would soon be moved to
appearances, has all the Old School Aviation for completion.
comforts of u pstairs,"

including a parquet wood floor Airport in Erwinna, Pennsylvania.

They got started on the final leg

and an easy chair!

After three years of work at of the project on Valentine's Day
home, Lemmon decided that the 2008. While he could also work on
project could be finished quicker if the project at Old School, Lemmon
he turned it over for completion to was able to see the work acceler
George Taylor's fixed base operator, ate thanks to the efforts of the air
Old School Aviation at Van Sant plane's chief restorer, Larry Stangil.
II

A close-up view of the repaired section

of the fuselage, including the back
of the instrument panel and cockpit
controls. The box on the left is the
glove/map box, while on the right the
box has been converted to serve as
a position for the radio. The two verti
cal channels in the foreground are the
mounts for the battery holder.

Once the 108-3 was moved to Old

School Aviation at Van Sant Airport,
covering work could be completed.
Here the tapes are having the
edges set on the lower fuselage
prior to final silver and finish coats.

The beautiful etched-aluminum

lower panel combined with the blue
stand-off panel containing all the
instruments makes for a lovely
cockpit. The Stinson had not been
modified over the years, making its
restoration a bit easier to complete
in that regard.

Ray thinks so highly of Stangil's

effort that he had a special plaque
honoring his work installed in the
interior of the faithfully restored
Station Wagon.
......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

Chapter Locator and Info

Visit the VAA chapter

nearest you and get to
know some great
old-airplane enthusiasts!
You don't need to
be a pilot to join
in the fun, just have
a love of the
great airplanes
of yesteryear.

CALIFORNIA

ILLINOIS

Hayward, CA, VM 29
Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 6:00 p.m.
Hayward Airport Executive Hangar
William Field, President
Phone: 925-463-0589
E-mail: wfteld49@aol.com

Lansing, IL, VM 26
Meeting: Contact President
Peter Bayer, President
Phone: 630-922-3387
E- rna iI: C18obayer@comcast.net

INDIANA
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento, CA, VM 25
Meeting: 2nd Sat., 9:00 a.m.
See chapter website for location.
David Magaw, President
Phone: 916-488-0455
E-mail: pittsjlyers1s@yahoo.com
www.Vin25.org

Auburn, IN, VM 37
Meeting: 4th Wed., 7:00 p.m.
Auburn Airport Chapter Hangar
Drew Hoffman, President
Phone: 260-693-9747
E-mail: drewhof!man@vaa37.org
Website: www.VAA37.org

KANSAS
CAROLINAS, VIRGINIA

28 DECEMBER 2009

Walnut Cove, NC, VM 3

Meeting: Contact President
Susan Dusenbury, President
Phone: 336- 591-3931
E-mail: sr6sue@aol.com

Overland Park, KS, VM 16

Meeting: 2nd Fri., 7:30 p.m.
Contact president for location.
Ronald Wright, President
Phone: 913-451-1255
E-mail: ronsharylwright@yahoo.com

FLORIDA

LOUISIANA

Lakeland, FL, VM 1
Meeting: Contact President
Jon Baker, President
Phone: 863-676-0426
E-mail: airmanj5@wmconnect.com
Website: http:///saaca.com

New Iberia, LA, VM 30

Meeting: 1st Sun., 9:00 a.m.
LeMaire Memorial Airport Hangar 4
Roland Denison, President
Phone: 337-365-3047
E-mail: vaa30@cox.net

Albert Lea, MN, VAA 13

Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 7:00 p.m.
Albert Lea Airport FBO
Paul Stieler, President
Phone: 507-377-2291
E-mail: pstieler@smig.net

NEBRASKA
Plattsmouth, NE, VAA 31
Meeting: 1st Sat., 10:30 a.m.
Plattsmouth Airport Term Bldg.
William Kroeger, President
Phone: 402-331-3887
E-mail: pilotwill@cox.net

NEW HAMPSHIRE
North Hampton, NH, VAA 15
Meeting: 2nd Sat., 11:00 a.m.
Hampton Airfield
John Maloney, President
Phone: 603-580-2590
E-mail: ejjmik@comcast.net

NEW JERSEY
Andover, NJ, VAA 7
Meeting: 1st Sun, 10:30 a.m.
Aeroflex-Andover Airport
Joe Tapp, President
Phone: 908-8]2-3821
E-mail: joetapp@comcast.net

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

Columbus, OH, VAA 38

Meeting: 2nd Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Contact president for location.
Perry Chappano, President
Phone: 614-496-3423
E-mail: polestar@ameritech.net

Tulsa, OK, VAA 10

Meeting: 4th Thurs., 7:00 p.m.
Hardesty South Regional Library
Joe Champagne, President
Phone: 918-257-4688
E-mail: skypal@groveemail.com

OHIO

TEXAS

Delaware, OH, VAA 27

Meeting: 3rd Sat., 9:00 a.m.
Delaware Municipal Airport
Terminal Building
Martin Mcintire, President
Phone: 740-362-7228
E-mail: wjmcintire@cs.com
Website: www.EAAdlz.org

Spring, TX, VAA 2

Meeting: 4th Sun., 2:00 p.m.
Dry Creek Airport
Fred Ramin, President
Phone: 281-444-5309
E-mail: lredramin@sbcglobal.net

OHIO
Troy, OH, VAA 36
Meeting: Contact President
Richard Amrhein, President
Phone: 937-335-1444
E-mail: dickandpatti@aol.com

WISCONSIN
Brookfield, WI, VAA 11
Meeting: 1st Mon., 7:30 p.m.
Capitol Drive Airport Office
James Brown, President
Phone: 262-895-6282
E-mail: jb191o@wi.rr.com

Want to Start a VAA Chapter?

It's easy to start a VAA chapter. All you need to get started is five Vintage enthusiasts. Then contact
the EAA Chapter Office at 920-426-6867, or e-mail chapters@eaa.org to obtain an EAA Chapter Starter
Kit. EAA has tools to help you get in touch with all your local Vintage members, and they'll wall< you
through the process of starting a new chapter.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Fuel and oil systems

Our subject for this issue is fuel and oil systems. So

let's get started with some basics. There are two types
of fuel systems-I) gravity feed and pressure feed (both
can be carbureted), and 2) injected (always pressure
feed). Unless modified, all older aircraft used a carbu
reted system. There are two types of oil systems-wet
sump and dry sump. Most older aircraft used dry sump
systems because they were powered by radial engines.
Dry sump systems carry the oil in
an external tank, while wet sump
systems carry the oil in the main
crankcase of the engine.

systems are similar to gravity feed but operate at a

higher carburetor fuel inlet pressure. This pressure is
boosted by an engine-driven, vane-type fuel pump .
The pump pressure is adjustable; I usually set the pres
sure to the middle of the range of operation. Most sys
tems of this type operate at 3-5 psi, so I set the pressure
at 4 psi . There must be an emergency backup pump,
which may be hand-operated (wobble) or electrically
driven. When the pump is op
erated it should not raise fuel
pressure above the maximum al
lowed. There will be a bourdon
type fuel gauge to indicate fuel
flow pressure . Gauge pressure
should be taken at the inlet to
the carburetor.
Now, let's start at the top of the
system and work down.

Gravity feed

GRAVITY FEED FUEL SYS

TEMS: Gravity feed fuel systems
are the most common among
older aircraft. They are simple in
operation and require no engine
driven or auxiliary fuel pump.
Gravity feed systems operate at
a very low carburetor inlet pres
sure, generally 0.5-1.0 psi. The
pressure depends on the height
of the fuel tank above the car
buretor inlet; 39 inches will give
the system 1.0 psi of positive fuel
pressure. Therefore, no engine
driven fuel pump is necessary.
Pressure feed systems use an engine-driven pump with an auxiliary hand (wobble)
or electrically driven pump . These systems normally
operate at a pressure of 3-5 psi. Therefore, fuel flow is
greater in a pressure feed system over a gravity feed sys
tem . It is important to note that g rav ity f eed carbu
retors w ill not work on pressure feed systems,
and pressure feed carbs won't work on gravity
feed syst em s.

carburetors will not work

on pressure

feed systems,

FUEL TANK: Originally made

from Terneplate and soft-soldered
together, these tanks were heavy
when compared with aluminum.
Terneplate is thin steel sheet
coated with lead for corrosion
protection. Because these materi
als are weldable, it is common to
remanufacture tanks using alumi
num alloys 3003 or 5052. Tanks
have internal baffles for structural support and to keep
fuel from sloshing around in the tank. Tanks are con
structed to withstand an internal pressure of 3 psi.
Tanks have sumps to drain water and sediment from
the lowest portion of the tank. They are vented to the
atmosphere; if two tanks are interconnected, their vent
lines are also interconnected.

and pressure feed

carbs won't work on

gravity feed systems.

PRESSURE FEED FUEL SYSTEMS: Pressure feed

30 DECEM B E R 2009

FUEL ST RAINER: Usually mounted on the for

ward side of the firewall (but some were mounted in

the rear cockpit), the gascolatorlstrainer will remove

sediment before it enters the carburetor. There is a
means to drain water condensation from the unit. It
mayor may not be the lowest point in the system. The
correct nomenclature for this unit is gascolator.

diameters for radial engines up to 225 hp are 3/8 inch,

and for engines to 450 hp, 1/2 inch. I use the Boeing
Stearman as an example when there is no factory data
on fuel line size. The Stearman used fuel lines that are
1/2 inch in diameter.

SHUT-OFF/SELECTOR VALVE: Located on the

aft side of the firewall, the fuel valve directs and shuts
off fuel to the carburetor. The valve should be plainly
marked to show fuel quantity in each tank, and the
pointer should show from which tank the engine is
drawing. The valve must positively shut off the fuel.
There must be positive detents in the valve so the valve
feels as though it "snaps" into place. Remove the fuel
line to the carburetor and ensure there is no flow of
fuel with the valve in the "off" pOSition. If automo
tive fuel is used, check the inside diameter of the flex
ible hose from the gascolator to the carburetor; I use
a 3/8-inch or l/2-inch wood dowel rounded on one
end to accomplish this task. Because of additives to the
gasoline, automotive fuel can cause swelling of flexible
lines. This check should be done at each annual inspec
tion. Swelling of the inner-tube diameter can cause fuel
starvation to the engine, with disastrous results.

TROUBLESHOOTING: Other than checking

screens and looking for leaks, there isn't much to look
for. Always check lines for chafing; chafing can even
tually cause a hole to be rubbed into the line. Sump
drains may continually leak as seals wear or debris col
lects in the drain seat area. Pressure systems should be
monitored on the pressure gauge for any changes in
operating pressure. A lowering of the pressure could
indicate pump wear.

CARBURETOR: Often overlooked during restora

tion is the type of carburetor to be installed. Gravity
systems use a carburetor capable of operation at low
fuel pressures. Gravity systems often work at fuel pres
sures up to 1.0 psi. The carburetor overhaul manual
will tell you which part-numbered carburetors are
gravity feed and which are pressure feed . As the fuel
enters the carburetor, it is again strained. At the fuel
inlet there is another small screen that sho uld be
periodically inspected, particularly during the an
nual inspection.
ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS: Pumps are usu
ally a vane-type pump, the sliding vanes producing
a low positive pressure. A means to adjust pressure is
included on the pump. The drive shaft has a "shear"
section to protect the engine in case of pump seizure.
EMERGENCY FUEL PUMP : A common type is
a hand-operated "wobble" pump. Later installations
may use an electric boost pump. There should be a
means to adjust output boost pressure to the carbure
tor. Some pumps have a small screen incorporated to
further strain the fuel before it enters the carburetor.
LINES &: FITTINGS: Fuel lines are commonly
made from aluminum alloy 5052 tubing. This alloy is
easily bent and flared. The flaring angle is 37 degrees
(not automotive type, which is flared at 45 degrees).
Aluminum AN fittings are to be used; blue anodizing
on the fittings identifies them as aluminum . The tub
ing should be clamped every 18 inches. Common tube

OIL SYSTEMS: All radial engines were equipped

with dry sump oil systems. Dry sump systems had an
external oil tank, while wet sump systems had the oil
contained within the engine case. Now, let's look at
the system components in detail.
ENGINE-DRIVEN OIL PUMP: These pumps were
gear type and had two functions: 1) to provide positive
oil pressure to the engine, and 2) to scavenge oil from
the engine sumps and return it to the tank. Therefore
the scavenge side of the pump had twice the capacity
as the pressure side. The engine-driven pump contains
a suction inlet check valve, the purpose of which is to
block oil from entering the pump when the engine is
not running. However, it seems that if the oil tank is
mounted above the pump inlet, oil will seep around the
check valve and flow into the lower cylinders, creating
the dreaded hydraulic lock. Always turn the prop at
least 14 blades before starting. If in doubt, remove one
spark plug from the lower cylinders, start and run the
engine with the plugs out, then shut down and reinstall
the plugs. Then clean the engine and fuselage of all the
oil that was blown out of the lower cylinders!
OIL TANK: Most small, single-row radial engines
carried from 4 to 8 gallons of oil. The amount of oil
carried is determined by th e airframe designer. Tanks
were designed to withstand an internal pressure of 5
psi, so they were well baffled and made of heavy Terne
plate or aluminum . Some aircraft were equipped with
an oil shut-off valve to keep oil from entering the en
gine when not running. But this was always dangerous
if the pilot forgets to turn on the oil prior to starting.

"Y" DRAIN: The "Y" drain is installed at the lowest

point of the system and allows oil to be drained from
the tank. Some "Y" drains had a built-in fuel dilution
port that allowed the pilot to introduce fuel into the
oil system to dilute the oil for cold starting.
OIL COOLER: If installed, the oil radiator is used to
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

31

cool the oil before it re-enters the engine. Oil coolers are
equipped with a thermostat valve that directs oil through
the cooler when a certain temperature is reached. Oil
coolers are best repaired by sending them out to a repair
shop for overhaul and test. Coolers were made of brass
and soft-soldered together during assembly.

ing some type of failure. J've heard stories of metal con

tamination in a newly overhauled engine, only to be
found that it came from the tank or cooler and not the
newly overhauled engine. A flexible line should always
be installed from the engine to the firewall to sense oil
pressure. A synthetic rubber hose is recommended.

TROUBLESHOOTING: Once the pressure has been

LINES, FITTINGS, &: HOSE: Since they carry lit
set at the pressure pump, it should only vary in pres
tle or no pressure, oil lines are made from 3003 alu
minum tubing usually 1 inch in diameter. The ends sure due to temperature. The oil system in an engine
are beaded to accept hose and clamps. The fittings is complex, and on Single-row radials, only one pump
are brass or aluminum and are coded AN840, AN842, is used to pressure and scavenge the oil. Oil will seek
and AN844. Hose is Mil-H-6000, which is fuel- and the path of least resistance, so if a clearance between
two parts increases, the oil will
oil-resistant. Clamps are stain
be pushed through at this point.
less-steel worm-type clamps.
This will cause a drop in oil pres
Worm-type clamps tend to stay
sure. Rather than adjusting the
round when tightened, while
pressure, one should investigate
the older clamps will move to
and locate the real problem. This
an out-of-round condition when
could be easier said than done, as
over-tightened. Note: Use only
oil lines
some disassembly of the engine
enough torque on the clamps to
may be required.
stop seepage, and no more . Do
not over-tighten clamps. Normal

CHOOS ING OIL : The fol

torque for clamps is a mere 20-25

lowing represents my opi nion.
inch-pounds. When assembling
There will be other opinions, and
the aluminum tubing, the tubing
all lines
should not touch and the maxi
one should choose what he or she
mum separation should be one
thinks best for the engine. J have
always broken in a newly over
tube diameter.
hauled engine with pure mineral
INSTRUMENTATION: Pres
oil, either SO or 60 weight, what
sure and temperature gauges are
ever the overhaul manual recom
provided in the cockpit to mon
mends. Assuming the engine had
itor oil. These gauges are bour
some test-stand time, I generally
don-tube type, the pressure gauge
run the new engine long enough
being connected to a pressure port on the engine case by to check for operation and leaks. Then test flight at a
a flex line to the firewall, then to the instrument by alu
high power setting for one hour; then check all screens
minum tubing. The temperature gauge has a shielded for contamination. At 10 hours of time I drain and re
line filled with a liquid, which vaporizes and expands as place the oil, check the screens, and do a cylinder leak
the oil temperature increases; this is what is known as a age check of the engine and also a close inspection of
vapor-pressure indicator. Methyl chloride is a common the engine and controls. The next oil change is done
fluid used in the sensing bulb. The sensing bulb at the at 25 hours of time. The oil is drained, cylinder leakage
end of the line probes heat either in the crankcase or the checked, and a close inspection made of the engine
oil line. Never cut the capillary line to shorten it! The and controls.
liqUid will turn to a gas under atmospheric pressure. If
One should keep a close accounting of the oil that
there is excess length of line, it will have to be coiled must be added to the tank during run-in. When oil
and clamped, preferably behind the instrument panel.
consumption decreases, the rings have seated, and at
this point the engine can continue on mineral oil or
MAINTENANCE: The chafing of oil lines can cause be switched to ashless dispersant (AD) oil. My prefer
failure with disastrous results. Check all lines for secu
ence is to run the engine another 25 hours on mineral
rity, chafing, and leaks. Tighten hose clamps to about oil, then switch to AD oil. Having said that, I have just
20-25 pounds of torque. Once a hose is saturated with completed the break-in of a Continental W-670 engine
oil, continued tightening of the clamp will not stop using SO-weight AeroShell ashless dispersant oil, with
excellent results. However, always follow the recom
the seep; replace the hose. If the engine is to be re
placed for any reason, remove and flush the oil tank mendations of the overhaul shop. Perhaps this could
and cooler (if installed). This is especially important if be a future column. Most overhaul shops still recom
metal is found in the main or sump oil screen, indicat
mend engine break-in using straight mineral oil. ~

The chafing

of

can

cause failure

with disastrous results.

Check

for security, chafing,

and leaks.

32

DECEMBER 2009

Jim Ostrich
La Mesa, Co

Pilot since 1980

Also has a Beech T-34,
North American T-28C,
L-29 Delfin Jet and a
North American built L-17A

Norma and the folks at AUA Insurance are

friendly, helpful, and most importantly they
get the BEST RATES out there for antique /
taildragger insurance. They worked with me
to get a check pilot in the local area to where
I purchased the aircraft, to get me safe and
competent in the aircraft (Beech 18) and have
been great ever since. I have owned the
C-45 (BE-1 8) for two years and love flying it.

- Jim Ostrich
ky"

.
land "Airport in the S
18) at Catalina
fo his 0<:-3.
. Jim's C-45 (BE
William wrigley r
Here IS . '
1930'5 by I
built In the

'5

Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program oHers:

Lower premiums with payment options Additional coverages Flexibility on the use of your aircraft Experienced agents
On-line quote request available AUA is licensed in all states

The best is affordable. Give AUA a call- it's FREE!

BY

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US

FROM GORDON LACOMBE OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN .

Send your answer t o EAA,

Vintage Airplane, P.O . Box 3086,

Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 . Your

answer needs to be in n o later
t han January 15 for inclu sion
in the March 2010 iss u e of
Vintage A i rplane.

You can also send your re

sponse via e-mail. Send your
answer to mysteryplane@eaa.org.
Be sure to inclu de you r name
p lus your city and st at e in the
bod y of your not e and put
"(Month) Mystery Plane" in the
su b ject line.

SEPTEMBER'S MYSTERY A N S WER

Mexico, before attend

ing St. Peter's College at
Jersey City, New Jersey,
where he studied engi
neering for three years.
"Radical" is, per
haps, the best word
that describes the 1921
Remington-Burnelli
RB-1 (T. T. Remington
was Burnelli 's partner).
Thoroughly described
in the pages of Aerial
Burnelli's second "lifting body," the RB-2.
Age Weekly and Flight,
he September Mystery Plane the RB-1 was, like the Lawson C-2, a
was of such an unusual pro giant for its day. In an obvious depar
file I wasn't surprised that ture from conventional design prac
many of you experienced tice, the "lifting fuselage" feature of
"vintage airplaners" spotted it right the RB-1 was, to say the least, unique.
away. Here's Wes Smith's answer:
How Burnelli came to the conclusion
Vincent Justus Burnelli (spelled that the fuselage could be aerody
"Buranelli" in early aeronautical lit namically useful (the lift generated by
erature) was born at Temple, Texas, the fuselage was said to be about 40
on 22 November 1895. He attended percent of the total) is unclear. He was
school at Temple and at Monterrey, certainly an original thinker, although

T
34

DECEMBER 2009

the concept of "blended wing-bod

ies" dates at least as far back as 1909,
when Dr. Hugo Junkers proposed the
notion. In any case, the RB-1 (built by
the Remington-Burnelli Aircraft Corp.
at Amityville, Long Island, New York)
was powered by two 420-hp Liberty
V-12s buried inside the fuselage. The
biplane wings spanned 74 feet, and
the 14-foot wide (at the front) fuse
lage, when added to the elevator and
propellers, gave the RB-1 an overall
length of 41 feet 2 inches. The airfoil
cross section of the fuselage is only
described as "special," while the wing
used an M-2 airfoil. A maximum
height of 18 feet and loaded weight of
14,637 pounds made the RB-1 truly a
"large" airplane. Life of the RB-1 was
relatively brief. It was destroyed in a
storm on Staten Island in 1923. In
terestingly, the engines of the RB-1
ended up in the Sikorsky S-29A, ac
cording to an interview conducted
with Burnelli by Harvey Lippincott.

(Harvey was the official historian for

United Aircra{t/United Technologies for
many years.-Ed.)

countered trouble over Rhode Is

land when it ran out of fuel and
crash-landed in a swamp. The wicker
cha irs, mounted only temporar
ily, created havoc during the "land
ing" when passengers where tossed
about the cabin. Luckily, they only
suffered minor injuries. After repair
at the Broad Street location, the air
craft was returned to Brainard Field.
Photos taken of the interior appear
to show that at least one Ford auto
was carried by the RB-2. Another
source states that the aircraft toured
the United States carrying an Essex
coupe and eight passengers. In 1964,
the sign of the Garvan-Burnelli Air
craft Corp. was found on the prop
erty. Unfortunately, the fate of the
RB-2 is unknown to this author.
After the RB-2, Burnelli continued
to refine his concept and built sev
era l more "lifting fuselage" designs
through the end of World War II.
Burnelli died on 22 June 1964 at the
age of 69, on Long Island, New York.
For many years Chalmers H. Good

lin took up where Burnelli left off,

complete with conspiracy theories
on who was trying to kill Burnelli's
work. In more recent years, aI/12th
scale flying model of the RB-2 has
been successfully flown, and plans
for a radio-controlled model of the
RB-2 are being offered for around
$25. Perhaps not the bonanza Bur
nelli had hoped for, but still an inter
esting model airplane.
Regards,
Wesley R. Smith
Springfield, Illinois

Burnelli did not quit with the

destruction of the RB-l, although
Remington had enough by 1924
and pulled out of their partnership
early in the construction of the RB
2. Burnelli's second "lifting body,"
the RB-2 (the September 2009 Mys
tery Plane), was an incremental im
provement over Burnelli's original
design. The fuselage, now covered
with corrugated duralumin, had a
volumetric capacity of 14 feet by 15
Other correct answers were re
feet by 6 feet 6 inches. The rectan
gular construction of the Burnelli
ceived from Toby Gursanscky, Syd
ney, Australia; Glenn Robinson,
fuselage was also considered to be
Lagro, Indiana; Wayne Muxlow,
an advantage in case of a crash, due
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Alan Bu
to the added structural strength.
chner, Pine Mountain Lake, Cali
Relocating to Hartford, Connecti
fornia; Joe Stamm, Chagrin Falls,
cut, Burnelli now joined forces with
Ohio; Russ Brown, Lyndhurst, Ohio;
Thomas Garvan, of the Garvan Pa
Wayne
Van Valkenburgh, Jasper,
per Company. Designed as a cargo
Georgia;
Tom Lymburn, Princeton,
aircraft, and dubbed The Flying Show
Minnesota; and Ev Cassagneres,
room by flying with a Ford Model T,
Cheshire, Connecticut.
....
the RB-2, now a product of the Gar
van-Burnelli Aircraft Corp., was even l-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
larger than the RB-l. With a span
of 80 feet, a length of 46 feet, and a
height of 19 feet 6 inches, the RB-2
weighed 9,800 pounds empty and
16,500 pounds loaded. Powered by
two British Galloway Engineering
Atlantic engines of 500 hp, the RB-2
had a VMAX of 102 mph. A subsidiary
of Beardmore, the Galloway Atlantic
was a V-12 based on BHP cylinders
and a twin Puma block. It first ran in
October of 1917 and was built in the
It's called rejuvenation, and it works great with real
dozens for the de Havilland D.H . 15
dope finishes. Spray our rejuvenator over aged dope;
and Handley Page V/1500. In fact,
it soaks in and restores flexibility for years of added
it was the most powerful British en
gine at the end of the Great War. The
life. It can even hide hairline cracks. And no finish
four-wheel undercarriage of the RB-l
has the foot-deep luster of
was also refined, being replaced with
twin wheels.
authentic polished dope.
Only detail parts of the RB-2 were
built at the Garvan-Burnelli Aircraft
Roll back the calendar on
Corp., located at 1840 Broad St., in
your plane's finish!
Hartford. The aircraft was actually as
sembled in a hangar at Curtiss Field
on Long Island and was initially test
flown there before being flown to
Brainard Field near Hartford, where
RandolphAircraft.com
it was based. Flown by Lt. George
Pond, U.S. Navy, the RB-2 soon en

Well, for fabric-covered

airplanes, anyway... we
got the idea from Ponce.

800-362-3490

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

3S

beyond aviation. These women have

been there, they've done it, and you
get to "hear" it in their own words.
One lesson that rings loud and
clear throughout this book is that
with hard work, determination, and
commitment, you can do anything
you set your sights on.-Kristy Hemp

A Hunger for the Sky

By Sparky Barnes Sargent
A Hunger for the Sky recounts the
paths of nine women from age 28 to
98 who, through desire and passion,
found their own unique way into the
world of aviation. Each story begins
at childhood and finishes with what
the women aviators are doing today.
Sparky Barnes Sargent takes you on a
journey through their trials and tri
umphs to reaching their goals. You'll
find yourself connecting with and
rooting for each woman.
This book explores the different
aviation careers each woman chose,
the path she took, and in some
cases, the path she paved . Some
found aviation early on, but oth
ers discovered it late in life. You'll
get to know Evelyn Bryan Johnson,
who learned to fly when World War
II was coming to an end and has
logged more than 57,635 hours of
flight time; Sandy Mercandetti, a
single mother who started flying in
her mid-30s and went on to be an
airline pilot; Suzanne Asbury-Oliver,
the only professional female sky
writer in the nation; and six other
amazing women in aviation.
A Hunger for the Sky should be on
the must-read list for every woman
today, especially young women. It
not only covers career options, but
also teaches life lessons that stretch
36

DECEMBER 2009

(Editor's Note: I enjoyed reading

Sparky's book as well, as [ do all her
articles, but one biography really got
my attention. The story of Vi Blowers
was delightful. She is a la, _/ from Ohio
whom [ first met over a decade ago at
Oshkosh when she displayed the KR-21
she owned with her friend Brown Dil
lard. It was as fun to read as it is to sit
and chat with Vi in personf-HGF)

Harold F. Pitcairn-

Aviator, Inventor, and

Developer of the Autogiro
by Carl R. Gunther
I realize it's a cliche to say that
a book represents "a lifetime of
work," but in this case it fits the
project perfectly. Carl Gunther's
father, Ariel C. Gunther, learned
to fly at Pitcairn Aviation in 1925,
and Carl can't remember a time
when he wasn't interested in avi
ation. The story of Pitcairn was
meant to be preserved by him, for
Carl knew both Harold Pitcairn

and his son, Stephen. Thanks to

his dedication to the history of
early American aviation on the
East Coast of the United States,
and to the story of Pitcairn in
particular, he was asked by the
Pitcairn family to thoroughly re
search the records of Pitcairn's avi
ation companies, beginning with
the fixed base operator founded
by Harold, all the way through
the arduous patent litigation that
finally ended years after Harold
Pitcairn's untimely passing.
The book, comprised of 729
pages, is an in-depth review of the
correspondence by Harold and his
contemporaries in the industry,
both as an operator of a pioneer
ing airmail line and as he founded
the Autogiro business in the United
States. In reading the correspon
dence it's clear that Harold Pitcairn
was a man dedicated to the prom
ise of safety the Autogiro seemed to
possess, and that despite financial
and legal hurdles that often would
have stopped others cold, he kept
at it until his end.
Harold F. Pitcairn-Aviator, Inven
tor, and Developer of the Autogiro isn't
a "quick read," and it isn't intended
to be so; it's a deep historical refer
ence that is quite readable thanks to
Gunther's smooth transitional text
and the conversational style of Pit
cairn's letter writing, with a gener
ous sprinkling of sharp photographs
from the Pitcairn files and the au
thor's collection. The combination
makes it quite enjoyable, and gives
insight to a time when the ability to
express oneself well via a letter was
considered not only a necessity, but
an art.-H.G. Frautschy
Published by the Bryn Athyn
College Press; distributed by the
Sweden borg Scientific Association.
Order by calling 215-914-2986 or
online at www.newphilosophyonline.
org. Available in both cloth and
softcover editions.
ISBN: 978-0-910557-75-7 ........

Drive one.

"WE SPEAK CAR.

And People Like What We're Saying."

2010 Ford Fusion

"America's most fuel efficient mid-size sedan"
"The four-cylinder Ford Fusion S is certified at 34 mpg
highway and 23 mpg in the city, topping the Toyota Camry and
Honda Accord."
"The Fusion 1-4 joins the all-new 41 mpg Ford Fusion Hybrid,
already at the top of the mpg tables."
"The 2010 Ford Fusion Sis powered by a new 2.5-liter Duratec
mated to a fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission."
"The Ford Fusion is the only AWD V6 sedan in its class."

Peach State

EM calendar of Aviation Events Is Now Online

EAA's online Calendar of Events is the "go-to"
spot on the Web to list and find aviation events
in your area, The userfriendly, searchable format
makes it the perfect web-based tool for planning
your local trips to aflyin.
In EAA's online Calendar of Events, you can
search for events at any given time within acertain
radius of any airport by entering the identifier or a
ZIP code, and you can further define your search to
look for just the types of events you'd like to attend.
We invite you to access the EAA online Calendar
of Events at http:// www.eaa.org/calendar/

continued from page 17

the Easter Bunny, various air

plane gatherings (Aeronca, Cub,
70 mph fly-in), and a Veterans
Day fly-in. Alexander himself is a
Vietnam veteran who received the
Distinguished Flying Cross for a
resupply mission he flew for Spe
cial Forces. "SO that's a real pas
sion for me," he emphasized. lilt's
real important that the veterans
be recognized from World War II
on up. That's the main event we
have here, as far as I'm concerned.
And we get a big response from
locals with that, and that's what
we're looking for. We're here for
everybody, and that's the crux of
it-we are not exclusive to avia
tion people."
Captivated by the intrigue of a
bygone era, visitors both young
and young-in-spirit find themselves
drawn to Peach State Aerodrome,
home of Candler Field Museum.
Once there, they each contribute
their own richly textured threads
to this tangible tapestry of time
whether their interests are antique
wings or wheels or just old-time
family fun. Rides are available
(by prior arrangement) in a Waco
YMF-5 on the weekends from June
through September, and for those
who crave just a bit more time in
the air, Tim Preston offers on-site
tailwheel instruction in his J-3 Cub
and Stearman. All are welcome to
visit and fly through the Georgia
skies, or simply relax and let the
southern breezes caress their coun
tenances as they trade at least a few
moments of today for a few mo
ments of yesteryear.
For more information, visit www.
PeachStateAero.com or contact Ron
Alexander by phone at 770-467
9490 or e-mail at ronalexander@
mindspring.com. The aerodrome
(GA2) is located just inside Atlanta's
30-nm veil in Williamson, Georgia,
and has a 2,400-foot by 100-foot
grass runway, with a field elevation
of 950 feet mean sea level. Avgas is
available (pilots are advised to ver
ify fuel availability).
.......
38

DECEMBER 2009

Upcoming Major Fly-Ins

U.S. Sport Aviation Expo

Sebring Regional Airport (SEF)

Sebring, Florida

January 21-24, 2010

www.Sport-AviationExpo.com

~.

_..

AERO Frledrlchshafen

Messe Friedrichshafen

Friedrichshafen, Germany

April 8-11, 2010

www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/htmf/en
Sun 'n Fun Fly-In

Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL)

Lakeland, Rorida

April 13-18, 2010

www,Sun-N-Fun.org

To start receiving e-Hotllne thiS week,

VISit www.EAA.org/newsletters

Virginia Regional Festival of Flight

Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ)

Suffolk, Virginia

May 22-23, 2010

www.VirginiaFfyfn.org
Golden West Regional Fly"n and Air Show

Yuba County Airport (MYV)

Marysville, California

June 11-13, 2010

www,GofdenWestRyfn.org
Arlington Fly-In

Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO)

Arlington, Washington

July 7-11, 2010

www,ArfingtonFfyfn,org
EAA AlrVenture Oshkosh

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH)

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

July 26-August 1, 2010

www,AirVenture,org
Colorado Sport International Air Show and Rocky

Mountain Regional Fly-In

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC)

Denver, Colorado

August 28-29 2010

www.COSportAviation,org
Copoerstate Fly-In

Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ)

Casa Grande, Arizona

October 21-23, 2010

www,COPPERSTATE.org
For details on hund reds of upco mi ng aviation
happenings, incl uding EAA chapter fly-ins, Young Eagles
ra ll ies, and oth er local aviation events, visit the EAA
Calendar of Events located at www.eaa.org/caiendar,

AERO CLASSIC
" COLLECTOR S ERI ES"

Vintage Tires
Something to buy,
sell, or trade?
Cl assified Word Ads : $5.50 pe r 10 words , 180 words
maximum , with boldface lead-in on first line.
Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1,
2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch . Black and white only, and no
frequency discounts.
Adve rt ising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to
desired issue date (i. e., January 10 is the closing date for the
March issue). VAA reserves the right to reject any advertising
in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue .
Classified ads are not accepted via phone . Payment must
accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-6845)
or e-mail (c/assads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards
accepted ). Include name on card , complete address , type of
card, card number, and expiration date . Make checks payable
to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications
Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086 .

MISCELLANEOUS

Flying wires available. 1994 pricing. Visit

www.flyingwires.com or call 800-517-9278.
www.aerolist.org, Aviations' Leading
Marketplace

New USA Production

Show off your pride and joy with a
fresh set of Vintage Rubber. These
newly minted tires are FAA-TSO'd
and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some
things are better left the way they
were, and in the 40's and 50's, these tires were perfectly in
tune to the exciting times in aviation.
Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from
the rest, but also look exceptional on all General Aviation
aircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above average
tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.
First impressions last a lifetime, so put these
bring back the good times .....
New Gener al Aviation Sizes Available:

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Desser has the largest stock and

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tires in the world. Contact us
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www.desser.com

AIRPLANE T-SHIRTS 150 different airplanes

available. WE PROBABLY HAVE YOUR
AIRPLANE! www.airplanetshirts.com or
call 1-800-645-7739. We also do Custom
T-shirts and Caps for Clubs.

REAL ESTATE

Southern Utah # 1 Airpark in Southwest.

Grassy Meadows Sky Ranch UT 47. Rare
Find: Mega home with 7,000 sq ft Hangar,
runway access, on 2.6 Acres. Nice selection
of Hangar/Homes & Lots on 1 to 2.5 Acres
for Sale. www.s/cyranchairport.com or Call
Nick Berg 435-668-3800.

SERVICES

Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC:

Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering,
fabric repairs and complete restorations.
Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472
1481 Ohio and bordering states

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done
and you ' re busy flying and showing it off? If so, we'd like to
hear from you . Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial
source (no home printers, please-those prints just don 't
scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from
your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can
burn photos to a CD , or if you're on a high-speed Internet
connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or
Word document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail
program asks if you 'd like to make the photos smaller, say
no.) For more tips on creating photos we can publish, visit
VAA's website at www.vintageaircraft.org. Check the News
page for a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph?
For more Information, you can also e-mail us at vlntagealrcraft@
eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

39

Membershi~ Services Directory

VINTAGE

THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

AIRCRAFT
ENJOY
'-c::::...~1I~
EAA's VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION
EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

~ TM

OFFICERS
Preside nt
Geo ff Robiso n

Vice Preside nt

George Daubner

152 1E. MacG regor Dr.

N5 7W3483 7 Pondview Ln

New Haven , IN 46774

Oconomowoc, W I 53066

260-4934724

chie{7025@aul.(ot11

sec retary

262560- 1949

gciaub" er@eaa.org

Steve Nesse

2009 Highl and Ave.

Treasurer

C ha rles W. Harris

72 15 East 46th SI.

stl,es2009@live.cu1n

cwh@hv5u. com

Albert Lea, MN 56007

5073731 674

Tulsa, OK 74147

9186228400

DIRECTORS

Steve Be nder

85 Brush Hill Road

SIJerborn, MA 01 770

5086537557

Jean nie Hill

1'.0. Box 328

Harvard, IL60033-0328

815-943-7205

ss t 1O@COIncas l .lIet

David Be nn ett

375 Killdeer Ct

Lincoln, CA 95648

916645-8370

Espi e "But ch " Joyce

704 N. Regional Rd .

Greensboro, NC 27409

3366683650

Qntiquer@inreacll .co1ll

winrisock@aol.com

Jerry Brow n

Dan Knutso n
106 Te na Ma rie Circle

IbrowIl4906@aoJ.(om

/odicu/)(.tilclwrter.llet

4605 Hickory Wood Row

Greenwood, IN46 143
317-4229366
Dave Cla rk

635 Vesta l La ne

Plainfield, IN46168

3178394500

Lodi, WI 53555
608-592-7224
Steve Krog

1002 Hea ther Ln .

Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627

Phone (920) 426-4800

EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM-7:00 PM

Monday-Friday CST)
80()'5646322
FAX 920-42&4873
www.eaa.orglmemberbenefits
membership@eaa.org
New/ renew memberships Address changes Merchandise sales ' Gift memberships

EM AirVenture Oshkosh
888-3224636
www.airventure.or,{
Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232
www.sportpilot.o'i
Programs and Activities
Auto Fuel STCs
920-42&4843
Education/ Aeroscholars
920-426-6570
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920-426-6880
www.airacademy.or,{
EM Scholarships
920-426-6823
Right Instructor information
920-426-6801
www.eaa.oJ:&L!1afi
Library Services/Research
920-42&4848
Benefits
AUA Vintai!e Insurance Plan
80()'7273823
www.auaonline.com
EM Aircraft Insurance Plan
866-6474322
www.eaa.o!SL.memberbenefits
EM VISA Card
80Q.853-5576 ext. 8884
EAA Hertz RentA-Car Program
80().654 2200
www.eaa.orglhertz
EM Enterprise Rent-A-Car Program
877421-3722
www.eaa.orglenterprise
Editorial
920-42&4825
www.vintageaircraft.org
VAA Office
FAX 920-426-6579

do vecpd@a tt .lI 'l

sskrog@aoi .com

Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4775

Robert D. "Hob" Lumley

1265 South 124th SI.
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-782-2633

copela nd l @jw lO.com

Illmpf.'f(g~xecpc . com

EAA

S. H. "Wes" Schmid

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft

AssociatiDn, Inc. is $40 for one year, inelud
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family
membership is an additiona l $10 ann uall y.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is available at $23 annually, All major credit
cards accepted for membership. (A dd $16 for

Ph il Coul so n

284 15 Springbrook Dr.

Lawton, MI 49065

269624-6490

rCDu/son S I 6@cs.com

2359 Lefeber Ave nue

Wauwatosa, WI 5321 3

414-77 1-1 545

sIJscf/mid@smail. com

Dal e A. Gu stafso n

7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapo li s, IN 46278

317-293-4430

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60643
773-779-2 105

Robert C. Brauer

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

8102 Leech Rd.
Union, IL 60180
815-923-459 1

pllotopiiot@aoi .cotll

buck 7ac@g m aii.com

Gen e C hase

Gen e M o rris

5936 Steve Court

2159 Carlton Rd.

Oshkosh, WI 54904
920-231-5002

Roanoke, TX 76262

81 7-491-9 110

GRCHA @cirarter. lIet

gellem orris@Cil art f'r.net

Kent City, MI 49330

616-67850 12

Ro nald C. Fritz

15401 Spart a Ave.

J~~nB~~rft~n
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609758-29 IO

r Fritz@path waYllel .com

j r tll rgya'14 @aoi. com

dwalker@eaa.or
mrobbins@eaa.org
airacademy@eaa.org
scholarships@eaa.org
tdeimer@eaa,org
slurvey@eaa.org

membership@eaa.org
membership@eaa.org
membership@eaa.orJ!.
vintage@eaa.org
tbooks@eaa.org

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Foreign Postage,)

tia le(a)'t'Pm s" .com

airventure@eaa.org
sportpilot@eaa.org

888-EAA-INFO (3224636)

EAA Members Information Line

Use this tollfree number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions;

chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling.

Office hours are 8:15 a.m .. 5:00 p.m. (Monday Friday, CST)

John S. Copel. nd
1A Deacon Street

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www.vintngeaircraf/.org, www.ain'enture.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefits E-Mail: vintageaircra{t@eaa.org

EAA SPORT PILOT

Current EAA members may add EAA
SPOR T PILO T magazine for an add itiona l
$20 per year.
EAA Membership and EAA SPOR T
PIL OT magazine is availab le for $40 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not ineluded). (A dd $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFf ASSOCIATION

Current EAA members may joi n t h e
Vintage Aircraft Association and receive
VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an ad
ditional $36 per year.
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE
magaZine and one year membership in the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46
per year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine nDt ineluded). (A dd $7 fo r Foreign Postage.)

lAC

Current EAA members may join the

International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi
sion and receive SP OR T AER OBATICS
magaZine fo r an additional $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPOR T AER OBAT
I CS magazine and one year membership
in t he lAC Division is availab le for $55
per year (SPOR T AVIATION magazine
not incl u ded) . (A dd $18 f or Fore ign

Postage.)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join the EAA
Warbirds of America Division and receive
WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $45
per year.
EAA Membe rship, WA RBIRDS maga
zine and o n e year membersh i p in the
Warbirds Division is available for $55 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine not ineluded). (A dd $7 for Foreign Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit yo u r remittance with a
check or draft drawn on a United States
bank payable in United States dollars. Add
requ ired Foreign Postage amount for each
membership.

Membership due s to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contri butions

Copyright 1:12009 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved.

VINTAGE AIRPlANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM

Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane

magazine, is $36 per year for EM members and 546 for non-EM members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO
ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPlANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse
any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.

EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to subm~ stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely
with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Ed~or, VINTAGEAIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.
EMand EM SPORT AVIATION, the EM Logo and Aerooautica'" are registered trademar1<s, trademari<s, and service mar1<s of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademar1<s
and service marks wrthout the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Associatk>n, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

40

D ECEM B E R 2009