{

VJN.TAGE I R P L ~ ~
STRAIGHTAND LEVEL
2 VAA NEWS
4 AEROMAIUH.G. Frautschy
5 THIRTY FIVE YEARS ATTHE OUTER
MARKER!DutchRedfield
9 THE FINALTOUCHDOWNIDutchRedfield
10 THE COUPE HOMECOMING CONVENTIONI
BobSwanson
13 FIRST REMOVETHE MOUSE DROPPINGSI
BuddDavisson
17 TYPE CLUB NOTESIH.G. Frautschy
19 AIRVENTURE FUN AT THE VElTEiBLUST
SEAPLANE BASElNormPetersen
24 MYSTERY PLANEIH.G. Frautschy
26 PASS ITTO BUCK!BuckHilbert
27 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
29 CALENDAR/CLASSIFIEDS
www.vintageaircraft.org
Publisher TOM POBEREZNY
Editor-ill-Chief scon SPANGLER
ExecutiveDirector, Editor HENRYG. FRAUTSCHY
Executive Editor MIKE DIFRISCO
COlltributing Editors JOHN UNDERWOOD
BUDD DAVISSON
Art/PhotoLayout BETH BLANCK
PhotographyStaff JIM KOEPNICK
LEEANN ABRAMS
MARK SCHAIBLE
Advertisillg/EditorialAssistalll ISABELLEWISKE
SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION I NFORMATIOI
Where has the time
gone this year? It seems as though we just started the fly-in
season with Sun 'n Fun, and now we're winding down. Either
way, the colder temperatures and falling leaves have the effect
of giving us reason to pause and look back at the past year.
Given the dire predictions we were presented with before
New Year's day last year, I'd have to say that the year 2000
has been a very positive experience.
Norma and I have enjoyed meeting with many fellow avi-
ation enthusiasts throughout the year. We've been pretty
busy, too! Norma has been active as she works to keep the
costs for Vintage airplane insurance rates as low as possible.
The industry is still in a state of flux, as mergers and consoli-
dations between insurance underwriters continue to affect
the type of businesses they're willing to keep "in their
books."
On my side of the fence, I've been busy with my business
interests as well. I've been very involved in recreational avia-
tion too. During the past two years I've served as the
president of EAA Chapter 8, meeting with my fellow EAAers
at least once a month. Many years ago, back in the late
1960s, I was president of this same chapter. Back then, it was
nearly an all males group. We'd meet at night at someone's
home or shop, and kibitz over their latest project. Back then,
you were certain to see a scratch-built homebuilt or one per-
haps, if they were really ambitious, a one-of-a-kind project.
There was one more aspect to flying that my good friend
Dick Austin pestered me about. He kept dragging me off to
see old airplane parts, and meet with old airplane people.
Guess what?
I was hooked. In 1969, at the Gastonia, North Carolina fly-
in, I bought my first antique airplane, a 1936 Monocoupe. I
haven't been the same ever since! A Cub, Luscombe, Waco
UPF-7 and a few others have been in my hangar at one time
or another, and I've enjoyed them all, and I've especially en-
joyed the people whom I've met during my association with
older airplanes.
Now our little chapter, that used to have 15 members,
boasts a roster of nearly 120 people, and most of them are in-
volved in vintage aviation. It's still fun!
During the fall here in the southeast USA, almost every
weekend there's plenty of flying action. In September, we
went to Ocracoke Island, one of the barrier islands of the
Outer Banks of North Carolina. Travelling with a group of
Chapter and Shiloh Pilots Association members, you can fly
and then walk to almost anywhere on the island you desire.
ST LEV L
by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
The food and beaches are great! Unlike the northern portion
of the Outer Banks, a major portion of the sand south of
Nags Head is national seashore, so there is little development
of the area. You can stand on the beach, look north and
south, and all you will see is sand and water. How wonderful.
Pull out your map and take a look-if you're looking for a re-
laxing flying vacation, you may find it very enjoyable.
Next we were off for a weekend of fun in Darlington,
South Carolina at the annual VAA Chapter 3 Fly-In. One of
the special treats at this gathering was the guest speaker. EM
Founder and Chairman of the Board Paul Poberezny was our
guest of honor. This gathering is a very laid back event, with
a lot of sitting under the wings talking airplanes and giving
buddy rides.
On Friday night there was a pig pickin' at the airport, and
breakfast clubs on Saturday and Sunday. We had the dinner
catered on Saturday night, after which Paul gave his talk,
which everyone enjoyed. Then it was time for the awards,
and Norma and I were happily shocked when our names
were announced as the winners of the Contemporary Grand
Champion trophy with our 1964 Baron. What a surprise!
While we were sitting under the wing of t he Baron on Sat-
urday afternoon, Paul was visiting with the group. At one
pOint he turned to me and remarked that the laid back, fun
spirit the Chapter 3 fly-in had was just right.
On Sunday morning I had the pleasure of flying Paul to
Columbia, South Carolina for his airline connection. The
next weekend found us at Ridgeway, Virginia for the Chapter
fly-In, Breakfast, and Pig-Pickin'. This is just a Saturday event,
but it draws a number of people and airplanes. After one
more week, we traveled to Tullahoma, Tennessee for the
Beech Party. All Beech manufactured aircraft owned by mem-
bers of the organizations affiliated with the Museum are
welcome at this event, which is sponsored by the Stagger-
wing Club, Staggerwing Foundation, the Twin Beech Club,
and other related organizations. I first showed up at this gath-
ering in a Staggerwing "D" model in 1973. It's been great to
go back to Tullahoma each year.
One of the best aspects of being involved in aviation are
the relationships with your fellow aviators. There really is a
benefit to belonging to a group of individuals who have a
common set of goals and interests. Within your circle of
friends, ask those who are not yet Vintage Aircraft Associa-
tion members to join us.
Lets all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation.
Remember we are better together. Join us and have it all! ......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
VAANEWS
compiled by H.G. Frautschy
EAATAKESSTANDON
BELL 47EMERGENCY
AD
EAA has asked the Federal Avia-
tion Administration (FAA) to
withdraw its Emergency Airworthi-
ness Directive (AD) on Bell 47
helicopters, specifically the aircraft's
rotor blade grips, that was issued on
August 31,2000.
EAA made the withdrawal request
after its own research, verified by in-
dependent sources and Bell
Helicopter Textron, determined the
AD was not justified and would ef-
fectively ground all Bell 47s in the
THECOVERS
FRONT COVER.. .Jack Arthur of Des
Moines, Iowa is "Couping" in his 1961
Forney Fornair F-1A Execta, one of 25 air-
planes built to the Ercoupe type certificate by
Air Products, Inc. of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Jack removed a phenomenal amount of
mouse nests and other material from the air-
frame as he began an extensive restoration.
When built by Air Products, the -A model of
the F-1 featured rudder pedals, a$100 option.
One of the many airplanes now included in the
VAA's Contemporary judging category (which
now encompasses aircraft built 1955 through
1965), the F-1A is agreat example of how a
number of classic airplanes had many ver-
sions that gave them a long production life.
EAA photo by Mark Schaible, shot with a
Canon EOS1 nequipped with an 80-220 mm
lens on 100 ASA Fuji Provia slide film. EM
Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce
Moore.
BACK COVER. ..Waiting Quietly at the
Vette Seaplane Base dock is abeautiful Piper
PA-12 mounted on aset of Edo 2000 floats,
and sporting afancy yellow paint scheme by
noted restorer Chuck Andreas of Neenah,
Wisconsin. The brightly colored PA-12 is
owned by Dave Zawistowski of Eagle River,
Wisconsin, and is powered with a 150
Lycoming 0-320 and has flaps and an
increase in gross weight, up to 1935 Ibs. The
pretty floatplane has won several trophies for
its owner. EM photo by Mark Godfrey.
2 NOVEMBER 2000
United States without cause. The he-
licopters, built in the 1950s and '60s,
are still widely used in a variety of
aviation functions including service-
for-hire operations, and some are
well-kept personal rotorcraft.
IIFAA's issuance of an Emergency
AD in this case is definitely an over-
reaction," said Earl Lawrence, EAA
Vice President of Government Pro-
grams. IIUsing FAA's own guidelines,
the risk factor for this aircraft falls
below the minimum needed to issue
an emergency AD. The one and only
accident report available over the
past 25 years that involved Bell 47
rotor blade grips did not request in-
creased disassembly and inspection
of those components. EAA feels that
if an Airworthiness Directive is nec-
essary, it should be a standard AD
that can be included with the regu-
lar maintenance these aircraft
receive. II
EAA also took issue with data used
to support FAA's emergency AD is-
suance. The data from Australian
aviation authorities is available to
the general public only through a
Freedom of Information Act request.
The level of secrecy regarding this
data casts suspicions over FAA ' s
process to determine the emergency
AD's necessity, as well as the inabil-
ity for input from Bell Textron and
Bell 47 owners and operators.
FAA issued the AD based on re-
ports that in its opinion, future
cracks in the blade grip assembly
would not be adequately found
through maintenance procedures
adopted in 1978. This study was
completed without technical input
from the helicopter's manufacturer,
Bell 47 owners/operators or any
users' coalition or association. There
have been no Bell 47 helicopter acci-
dents or incidents in the U.S. caused
by blade grip failure.
EAA became interested in the is-
sue because the Bell 47 qualifies as
both a vintage and warbird aircraft .
In evaluating AD's issued against air-
craft in which our members have an
interest we now apply FAA's new
risk-factor guidelines which were un-
veiled this past summer. These
gUidelines are designed to include
the widest possible input as ADs
were developed. In this case, the
data disclosed that the total risk fac-
tor fell well below the level necessary
for issuance of an Emergency AD.
The total risk factor placed the Bell
47 rotor blade grip situation within
FAA's IIUrgent Safety of Flight Situa-
tion" or "Final Rule AD with
comments" category. While proper
precautions should be taken with
aircraft that fall into this category, it
is not urgent enough to force Bell 47
operators to schedule additional
maintenance checks, especially with-
out manufacturer support and
direction.
"Bell Textron has already strongly
disagreed with FAA's action , "
Lawrence said. "In fact, the Emer-
gency AD would effectively ground
all Bell 47s in the United States,
since there are not enough parts to
support maintenance required by
the Emergency AD. This grounding
would actually be detrimental to
flight safety, since it would take
valuable time away from pilot in-
struction and recurrency training."
EAA has recommended that the
FAA postpone final action until the
agency can work with Bell Textron
and Bell 47 users to determine the
extent of any problem and the ne-
cessity of an AD . If an AD is
necessary, it can then be published
as a Standard AD in the Federal Reg-
ister and supported with Bell Tex-
tron maintenance bulletins.
Additional information, includ-
ing EAA's letter to the FAA Aircraft
Certification Service and charts out-
lining the risk factor using FAA
guidelines, are available at the EAA
website: www.eaa.org.
EAA AIRVENTURE
DATES
As a reminder, here are the dates
for EAA AirVenture, which will now
take place from Tuesday through
Monday each summer.
200l-July 24-30
2002-July 23-29
2003-July 29-August 4
2004-July 27-August 2
2005-July 26-August 1
Ifyou'd like to see more on this
past summer's event or are plan-
ning ahead for 2001's AirVenture,
be sure to visit your EAA Conven-
tion and Fly-In website at: www.
airventure.org.
EAA SOUTHWEST
REGIONAL FLY-IN
DATES
After holding its fly-in in October
for the past several years, the Board
of Directors for the EAA Southwest
Regional Fly-In (SWRFI) has ap-
proved a change in dates to late
September, beginning in 2001.
The fly-in, held at Abilene Re-
gional Airport, will now be held on
the fourth weekend of September.
Those dates are similar to the sched-
ule in earlier years, including when
the event was held in Kerrville,
Texas. The change means SWRFI will
be held September 21-22, 2001 in
Abilene.
SWRFI also set its schedule
through 2005, so aviation enthusi-
asts can better plan their attendance
at the event.
Those dates include:
2002-Sept. 27-28
2003-Sept. 26-27
2004-Sept. 24-25
2005-Sept. 23-24
For more information regarding
Abilene, including local accommo-
dations, contact the Abilene Con-
vention and Visitors Bureau at
800-747 -4700.
27TH ANNUAL MIDWEST
GENERAL AVIATION
MAINTENANCE
SEMINAR
Lewis University, in conjunction
with the Illinois Department of
Transportation and the FAA, will
host the General Aviation Mainte-
nance Seminar, February 21-22,
2001. The free seminar offers train-
ing, exhibits and demonstrations in
the latest maintenance practices. It
offers technicians, managers and
flight operations personnel the op-
portunity to update their training
and view the latest products in the
field. The training classes meet the
annual inspection authorization re-
newal requirements established by
the FAA.
Four sessions will be offered each
hour on both days, with breaks to
give the participants time to visit
with the exhibitors.
AERONCA 15AC TYPE
CERTIFICATE SOLD
For those of you who remember
the Aeronca 15AC Sedan, and those
who still own one of these classic ex-
amples of post WW-II aviation, take
heart. The original engineering data,
drawings, etc. (sans the Aeronca
name and logo) have become avail-
able on an unrestricted basis to Burl's
Aircraft Rebuild, LLC. According to
Burl Rogers, owners can look for-
ward to new manufacture of
replacement parts for anything they
need for the 15AC Sedan. He'll also
have STC'd 180 Lycoming conver-
sion kits, which will include a
fiberglass cowling, engine mount,
throttle and mixture bracket, and
modified baffle with air scoop for
the oil cooler. Ifyou need parts, op-
erating and service manuals, or have
any comments or questions, contact
Burl at Burl's Aircraft Rebuild, LLC,
PO Box 671487, Chugiak, AK 99567-
1487,907/688-3715, toll free in the
U.S. 877/688-3715 or on the web at
www.burlsaircraft.com.
HARTZELL PROP STC
FOR CESSNA 170
Hartzell has announced they now
have an STC for their two-blade 80
inch diameter prop for the Cessna
170 and 170B that have been con-
verted to use the 180 hp Lycoming
0-360 engine with a constant speed
prop.
The prop is approved for both
landplane and seaplane use. The full
kit from Hartzell includes the two-
bladed prop, a required harmonic
damper, polished spinner and the
STC documents. Itretails for $7,595.
Ifyou already have a prop, the STC
kit cost is $2,495. Citing improved
climb and cruise performance,
Hartzell also notes the conversion
-
eliminates the restricted arc on the
tachometer present when a 76 inch
constant-speed prop is used.
For more information, contact
Hartzell at 800/942-7767 or 937/778-
5726, or visit their web site at:
www.hartzellprop.com.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Consolidated Fleetster
Show a picture of this airplane
(below) to a group of old-time avia-
tion buffs, and the background
rumble of identification will be:
IILockheed," or IILockheed VEGA!"
Which it ain't!
Over the past decades I've done
considerable research and writing
on this IILockheed Vega look-alike, "
and published individual histories
of the less-than-thirt y of these
planes, built by Consolidated in
Buffalo, New York.
Of the six Fleetsters of the 20A
Model, built for TWA in 1932, and
flown with mail, freight, and occa-
sional passengers until 1936, one is
of particular interest.
It is: Consolidated Fleetster 20A,
SIN 3, Registration number 13210
On January 25, 1939, this air-
plane was sold to Essair, Inc. of
Dallas, Texas.
Essair was the first of a new group
of IIfeeder" airlines, authorized in
January 1939 to begin an experimen-
tal passenger and express service
4 NOVEMBER 2000
from Houston to Amarillo, Texas, via
Abilene. This lasted only until July.
Essair eventually began full service
over the route on August I , 1945, us-
ing three Lockheed L.I0 Electras.
The following year it became ... Pio-
neer Air Lines.
My questions are:
During the brief original service
by Essair, was the Consolidated Fleet-
ster put to flying on the line, and
considered an airliner?
Your help and/or commentary
will be much appreCiated.
Richard S. Allen
831A Stewart Avenue
Lewiston, ID 83501-4713
Thanks Dutch
Dear Captain Redfield,
Since joining the Vintage section
of the EAA over a year ago, I can't
tell you how much I look forward to
Thirty Five Years at the Outer Marker in
each edition. It stays in its cover un-
til I get a quiet time to read and
absorb it without any interruptions!
I was about to write to the editor to
see if a could get your address to
write to you, when it appeared re-
cently. I guess a lot of people were
thinking the same way.
When I've finished with Vintage,
it goes over the fence to my neigh-
bor (another 747-400 Captain) then
to a few others, just for Thirty Five
Years.
Thanks again for taking the trou-
ble to write your memoirs.
Yours faithfully,
Lloyd G. Shepherd
Qantas Airlines
We've received a number of similar
notes and E-mail comments about the
excerpts form Dutch's first book. This
month, we publish the final article in
the series, as well as a touching post-
script from the Captain. We can only
echo your kind words when we write,
"Dutch, Thanks for sharing so much
of the color and feelings that went along
with aviation as it grew up during your
decades long career. Three cheers for
Holland "Dutch " Redfi eld! "-H.G.
Frautschy ......
Consolidated Fleetster 20A

I
-
lye
ears
att
Outer Marker
Final Excerpt
Practicing the Real Thing and The Airman's Sky
S
hortly after the Boeing Stra-
tocruiser was put into service in
the early 1950s, Pan American
took delivery on the very first flight
simulator in the airline industry.
Thus began many years and many
thousands of hours of pilot training
and pilot checking utilizing these
computerized electronic devices that
are incapable of flight.
Simulator units are custom-built
with each one very carefully tailored
to exactly duplicate the cockpit con-
figuration of the aircraft types that
are operated by many airlines of the
world, and few of them are alike. An
airline generally maintains a simula-
tor for each aircraft type flown, a
simulator for the Douglas DC-lO per-
haps, another for the Boeing 747, an-
other for the Boeing 727, etc., with
each simulator cockpit exactly and
completely configured as are the air-
line's own airplanes.
A simulator today costs approxi-
mately five million dollars (Editor's
note: Dutch wrote this in 1980. The
price is a bit more today!), with sophis-
ticated computers, powerful cockpit
motion systems that duplicate most
of the motions encountered in flight
itself, as well as computer-generated
visual systems that can display
through the windshields a good
many of the more important simu-
lated visions of flight.
When a training crew steps onto
the flight deck of a simulator, for all
appearances it is exactly the same as
stepping through the crew entrance
door and into the cockpit of the air-
craft itself. The cockpit interiors, the
color schemes, the panels, controls,
switches, lighting, the instruments
and radios of flight and navigation,
the controls and gauges of the en-
gines, the hydraulics, the electrical
systems, all duplicate and respond
with great fidelity, and even sound,
to the indications that would be ap-
parent in all phases of flight, even
the tire squeal upon touchdown.
The airlines utilize simulator train-
ing because many, many dollars can
be saved, especially when crews are
transitioning onto a new airplane
type being introduced into an air-
by Holland IIDutch" Redfield
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Despite the simulators
line's fleet, thus averting many
involved working closely to-
hours of expensive training on gether, results in consistently
the aircraft itself. good all-around industry air-
Following completion of manship.
transition training in a simula- It has been a unique oppor-
tor, when pilots finally do get
electronic sophistication,
tunity to be able to watch and
to fly the new airplane they study such a large group of pi-
have the tremendous advan- lots, with observations being
tage of being totally familiar made at a time when they are
with operating procedures and operating under the stress of
the vital cues of flight itself
being totally finger-wise in the strict and very comprehensive
cockpit. Thus they can devote pilot checks, with their hair
full and undivided attention to down, so to speak. It has taken
mastering any differing t ech- a long time to sort out the few
niques that may be involved in pilots with the qualities of
simply are not there, and
flight itself. what I, at least, associate with
Yet, simulation is not, and
never will be, the complete an-
swer because despite very
sophisticated control systems,
motion systems and visual sys-
tems, and despite the fact that
simulators are considered "fly-
able" and may even appear to fly
well to some people, something has
always been missing.
The simulator in a large room is
bolted to a concrete floor and there
really is no airplane wing actually
parting the molecules of flight, nor is
the movement of cockpit controls
actually deflecting control surfaces
into flowing airstreams, thus feeding
back to the pilot important pressures
and feels. And their motion systems
are greatly limited and lack fidelity
in duplicating and transmitting to
the pilot's backside authentic and
very, very important feel cues of
flight for proper aircraft control.
Blinking computers, whirling tape
reels and meticulously programmed
data all try to do an effective job of
signaling motion systems and con-
trol feel systems. Despite the
simulator's electronic sophistication,
the vital cues of flight itself simply
are not there, and never will be.
Something is missing and all airmen
sense it and many are frustrated,
only a few are not.
Following an FAA required simula-
tor check ride it has disturbed me to
sign my name to documents attest-
ing that the pilot being checked
could, in fact, fly an airplane and
6 NOVEMBER 2000
never wi/I be.
that I considered he was competent
to do so for another six months. It
disturbed me because I simply did
not know. In the simulator all con-
cerned are very much aware that no
one is going to get hurt no matter
what happens. Unfortunately all
concerned go home wondering if
they really can do it, or not, when
the time really comes.
Pan American has had as many as
3,000 pilot crew members on its pay-
roll at one time. With crew transfers
from one division to another, off
base training aSSignments and the
like, it has been my fortune, at one
time or another, to have shared a
cockpit with a good many of these
men. As a result, and sooner or later,
a person involved in training is
bound to form some opinions on
what may, or may not, be norms of
airmanship.
The average, or above average, air-
man without a doubt makes up the
roster of most airlines, this because
both the airline companies and the
FAA establish and require confor-
mance to strict competency
standards. This, along with the
equally concerned cooperation of
the pilot aSSOCiations, and with all
outstanding airmanship.
What is it that makes these
people something special?
Always a mature, under-
standing, thoughtful-of-others
person with an unmistakable
aura of professionalism.
A complete recognition of the
necessity for operating by the book,
with a thorough knowledge of, and
concurrence with, book philoso-
phies.
When under great pressures, an
ability to sort out options, and with
minimal deliberation, select the best
one.
Far-ahead thinking and far-
ahead planning, always with
complete sharing of information
with other crew members.
Quick establishment of crew un-
derstanding and crew teamwork in
the handling of situations, whether
covered by the book, or not.
A cat-like ability to somehow al-
ways land on their feet, flying out of
unforeseen and difficult operating
conditions unscathed and as if noth-
ing out of the ordinary had ever
happened.
Roger F. Duncan, in his book East-
ward, the story of a sailing trip down
the Maine coast in his lovely Friend-
ship sloop, has the following to say:
"When you contemplate the run from
Passamaquoddy to Saint John by your
fireplace at home, you somehow don't
see yourself standing on the bowsprit,
bounced and whirled about in a choking
thick fog by a cresting chop-listening
with one ear for the foghorn on the light
and with the other for the whistle-all
the time getting set by the tide in a di-
rection and at a speed at which you can
at best only guess. As the poet Philip
Booth long ago said, 'The chart is not
the sea. III
No indeed, liThe chart is not the
sea." This writer has been a sailor for
quite a few years and like many oth-
ers, this I have learned the hard way.
Long ago it was discovered that the
momentary enjoyment of a carefully
plotted position on a beautiful, but
very often thoroughly soaked nauti-
cal chart, has never caused a
whistling wet wind to diminish, en-
veloping fog to dissipate, or
smoothed the foam-crested, bearded
following seas that endeavor to bury
the stern.
No, the chart is not the sea, and
similarly, neither are the airman's air
charts the sky, nor is the airman's
sky the blue. The airman's sky, like
the sea, has great fluidity and power-
ful current flows and boiling tide
rips, and whirlpools and tidal shears,
and fogs, and ice, and at very high
altitudes and around the world
stretch river-like streams of fast-mov-
ing air with velocities in excess of
200 mph. Where these high cur-
rents border on surrounding air there
will be powerful shear effects that
cause great boiling unseen eddies
that can punish an airplane and its
crew for fatiguing hours.
Great storms can cover half of
the nation with 30,000 to 40,000
feet of deep, dense clouds with their
wet lower fringes touching the
ground. To the airman there is no
escape from their enveloping dark
mists that endeavor for hour after
hour to smother his airplane with
their wetness, their gloom, their
stratas of shifting air, and stratas of
performance-damaging tempera-
tures, their icy mists freezing to the
vital foils of flight, and impact
tubes, and intakes.
Imbedded in the vast cloud cover
can lurk powerful thunderstorms
with energies of bottled-up nuclear
bombs and ominous foreboding
blackish-green skies. Sometimes
there is no out and the airman must
drive through. Shoulder harness
and crotch straps snap into place
and are snugged. Engine and airfoil
heat is switched on. One pilot, in-
tent at the controls and his
instruments, the other, peering head
down at the radarscope, gives left
steers and right steers to the other in
an effort to circumnavigate the
heavy rain reflected echoes ahead
while rain and hail pelt the cockpit
with such intensity the crew are un-
able to make out one another's
shouts. Blinding lightning flashes
and deafening thunder crashes ex-
plode only a few feet outside their
thin aluminum, glassed-in shell as
violent currents of vertically rising
and descending air severely buffet
the airframe and twist and flex the
wings and engine pylons. In sec-
onds, heavy hailstones may batter
cockpit windows into screens of
opaqueness and severely damage
the leading edges of supporting air-
foils and vital engine intakes. A
few airmen have brushed with
river-like deluges which have some-
how quenched the tremendous
roaring fires deep in the heart of
the great engines.
And, the airman's sky is not the
blue on long, lonely descents
through darkness, and wet clouds,
and shifting winds, and turbulence,
with circling, seemingly endless cir-
cling flight at a bustling terminal's
outlying holding fix while approach
delays, alternate airports, fuel re-
maining, diversions, passenger
handling, are reviewed and decisions
made over the radio with the com-
pany dispatcher far below, sipping
cold, stale coffee at his cluttered desk
in the nOisy dispatch office. During
breaks in the cockpit, under tem-
porarily glaring chart lights,
diversion fuel and endurance charts
are referenced and frugal powers set
on the engines while with a watch-
ful eye the flying and navigation of
the other pilot is monitored. A glow
from distant lightning causes a
glance outside.
Around and around in the mo-
notonous holding patterns.
Overhead the navigation fix ob-
scured on the rain-pelted ground far
below. Then a reversing tum during
which speed falls off due to the in-
creased drag of the prolonged turn,
and altitude sags from the lift lost.
Wings level, the sweep hand of panel
clock is actuated and a 60-second
run is flown, then another turn back
to overhead the fix. Compensation
must be made for a strong crosswind
by crabbing flight, crabbing first one
way, then the other. Around and
around. Time passes.
As night falls, the red and green
navigation lights on the wings cast a
glow in the glistening fog although
the wing tips themselves cannot be
seen. Beyond the cockpit there has
been nothing to look at since the
first dusting through of the cloud
tops in the dusk as descent was
stated into their depths at 28,000
feet. Concentration has had to be
on the instruments of flight and
navigation, with the outside viewed
peripherally, the opaqueness out
there being of no assistance to the
control of flight.
A special weather report is trans-
mitted to aircraft, big and small,
holding at and descending toward
terminal holding patterns. The
weather has lifted slightly now being
just at the minimums authorized for
an approach. Our flight is given a
revised expected approach clearance
time of 10 minutes hence as another
airplane holding 3,000 feet below is
cleared to initiate its approach. Then
we are cleared to descend to 2,000
feet and the cockpit comes alive
from the monotony of the circular
holding. But if clearance to begin
our approach is not soon forthcom-
ing the lowering fuel gauges will
take over and diversion will become
an actuality rather than a contin-
gency plan and en route airways
charts to the alternate airport are
readied, in case.
In a short while we are cleared
and depart the holding pattern and
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
.. .an occasionalground light can beseen drifting by
then the captainsandcopilots glideslope needles
slip slowlytoward their mid position...
now track the ILS localizer course
through the rain and cloud toward
the unseen runway ahead. The slop-
ing glide path beam is stili far ahead
and low level turbulence keeps the
throttles and flight controls busy
for speed and altitude control. Be-
low, an occasional ground light can
be seen drifting by, then the cap-
tain's and copilot's glideslope
needles slip slowly toward their mid
position and the landing gear is ex-
tended as final descent to the
runway is initiated. As the outer
marker site, about five miles from
the runway, is passed a light at each
pilot's panel flashes a coded mes-
sage and also builds then quickly
fades a signal in crew headsets; at
the same time the direction finder
needle which has been pointing to-
ward the outer marker swings to
point behind as we fly by. Landing
flap is extended and our flight be-
gins a slow descent down the gently
inclined glideslope beam.
Adrenaline flows and tension
mounts as the few remaining items
on the check lists are challenged and
responded to. The first officer calls
out, /I 500 feet," then immediately
diverts his attention outside search-
ing the night mists for some ground
visual cues. The captain, hard at
work, remains head down with his
hands and feet busy on the controls
and throttles, concentrating, at a
very critical part of the approach, on
flight control, speed control, and
precise tracking of localizer and
glides lope, compensating for and
correcting for surface turbulence and
adjusting crab for the now-diminish-
ing but still buffeting winds. His
vision is fixed on the bouncing,
swaying needles before him as he
nudges each of them back into place.
S NOVEMBER 2000
Great concentration is required and
he is tired. The flight departed
Tokyo 14 hours ago.
The windshield wipers are
switched on by the flight engineer
who is also monitoring the de-
scent, ready to make required
call-outs should the first officer
not do so. Now ahead through the
rain-streaked windshield can be
dimly seen the approach and
strobe lights that lead to the as yet
unseen runway.
/1200 feet above minimums. 100
feet above minimums," then, /lRun-
way lights in sight!" The captain
looks up from his instruments and
the descent continues toward the
lights of the dimly outlined run-
way, its evenly spaced edge lights
glowing wet against the low level
shifting mists and pelting rain. The
first officer calls out /ISO feet," then
/130 feet." Outside, the black rain-
soaked runway is difficult to make
out through the rain-smeared wind-
shield and determination of vital
geometric angles for judgment of
the last few feet to the runway is
difficult, but alignment with the
runway is satisfactory and its rain-
soaked surface can't be more than a
few feet further; then with a firm
thump the plane is ground borne
and rolling at a blistering 150 mph
down the runway.
Throttles are snapped closed and
engine reverse controls grasped and
actuated as speed brakes on the
wings' upper surfaces automatically
deploy, nUllifying lift and producing
powerful aerodynamic braking. The
engineer officer now closely moni-
tors engine rpms and temperatures
while the first officer calls out de-
celerating airspeeds. As the plane
slows to taxi speed the wheel brak-
ing system can be felt releasing and
reapplying brakes as the wheel anti-
skid system senses tires skidding on
the rubber coated, slippery pave-
ment. Finally the plane swings
ponderously onto a runway clear-
ing taxi strip and the crew looks
back to their left where the landing
lights of a closely following airliner
can be seen in the slanting rain,
crossing the threshold of the run-
way just landed upon.
Switches click as the flight engi-
neer completes his part of the after
landing check list. The captain asks
for flaps up and the panel indicators
display their slow retraction into the
wing. There is a sigh and tensions
relax as changeover is made on ra-
dios to ground traffic control
frequency where the flight is as-
signed its arrival gate. The plane is
taxied to the ramp area in the pelt-
ing rain and the crew feel sorry for
the ground assistant far below in his
shining yellow slicker, directing
them the final few feet to the gate
with his lighted signal wands. No,
the sky is not the blue.
Ifyou'veenjoyedreadinghis
memoirsof a careerfilled withavi-
ation, you'llwantto read "The
Airman'sSkyIs NotTheBlue,"also
writtenbyDutch. Manyof these
samestories, anda numberof oth-
ers, areincluded. You canorderit
directlyfrom himfor $15.95 plus
$2.50shippingandhandling.Send
yourcheckor moneyorderin U.S.
funds onlyto: HollandL. Redfield,
P.O. Box 941, Cutchogue, NY
11935-0941.
On the next page is Dutch's post-
script to the series of excerpts from
his first book, Thirty-five Years atthe
OuterMarker, which we began run-
ning in June of 1999. ......

'/
by Holland "Dutch"Redfield
D
uringalifetimeinaviation,
I have experienced only
. oneforced landing. It was
notdifficult. Thedead-stickglide
beganat3,000feet. Therewere
severalsuitablefields from which
to choose. Thingsworked out
nicely. Yet, IknowthatIhaveone
moreforced landinglurkingand
waitingfor meoutthere. Ibelieve
atthisstageofmylife thatIam
preparedfor it. Perhapstherewill
bewarning, maybenot.
Willtherebetimefor metoplan
a good approach to this final
touchdown? Will itbe ahasty, no
power, nooptions, straightahead
steepdescenttoawallopinghard
touchdown? Or, will itbea soft
afternoonpeacefulglide?
Whatever, for thisfinal glide I
askonlyfor anopencockpit, so I
can, howeverbriefly, savorfor the
lasttimethefeels offlight, as bi-
plane wings forward of me
exquisitelyframe and record the
slowlychanging, tiltingscenesas I
maneuverandsilentlybankand
glideontowhatIhavelongknown
will be myveryfinal approach.
Please, nohelmet, so oldears
canbestsensevital changesin
speed, relayed throughthelovely
soundsofwhistlinginterplane
strutsandwires, andsocheeksand
baredheadcanbest read changing
airflows swirlingbehindthecock-
pit'stinywindshield.
Below, inaforest oftrees lies a
grassyfield longagoset aside for
biplaneflyersofold. It lookssmall,
tiny. Withlightlycrossedaileron
andrudderI'llslipherafew inches
overthefence. I'll level heroff,
thenhold heroff, withwheels
skimmingthegrasstips. Thelift
ofwings, thesoundsofflight,
rapidlydiminish. Withstickfull
back, lift fades, a slighttremor,
thensheand Iare bumpingand
rollingacross thebeautifullysod-
ded field. Thewoodenpropeller
remainsstill.
We roll to a stop. I have no
belttoloosen. Iraise goggles and
slowlyclimbout. Suddenlythere
is applause, thenbearhugs, and
slaps ontheback. "Hey, youold
goat, you reallyslickedthatone
on!" Iamwitholdfriends.
And thenstandingnear, Ispot
beloved Helen. Iyell to her.
runtoher. .....
I
TheCoupeHOl11ecoming Convention
College Park, Maryland,June30-July3, 2000
TheErcoupeOwnersClubAnnual Convention fortheYear 2000
By Bob Swanson
Sixty years after the certification of
the first Ercoupe at Riverdale, Mary-
land, the Ercoupes returned for the
first Ercoupe Owners Club (EOC)
convention of the new millennium.
For this special reunion they chose
the nearest airport to the original En-
gineering and Research Corporation
(Erco) factory, where the Ercoupe was
built. The convention was held at
College Park Airfield, located just one
mile from the factory.
In February of 1999, Betsey Weick
(daughter of Fred Weick, the designer
of the Ercoupe) and Robert Swanson
(Ercoupe owner and pilot since 1980)
jointly agreed to host the year 2000
annual convention of the EOC. To
accomplish the convention they
formed the Coupe Homecoming
Club (CHC). The club acquired 42
members who contributed their
ideas, funds, and labor to plan the
convention. During the convention
many members of the club, as well as
additional volunteers, provided the
staffing that made the convention a
success.
The College Park Airfield, under
the direction of Lee Schiek, is the
only general aviation airfield in the
Washington, D.C., area that is adja-
cent to a Metro rail line. The airfield
staff was praised for their support of
the Convention, and deservedly so!
The College Park Aviation Mu-
seum, headed by Cathy Allen, is
located on the property near the air-
field. Convention attendees enjoyed
tours of the facility, which features
several early aviation aircraft, as well
as one-and-a-half Ercoupes! A com-
plete Ercoupe hangs from the ceiling,
and a half Ercoupe (without wings or
tail cone) sits on the floor. Transpar-
ent covers over the engine and the
10 NOVEMBER 2000
end allow visitors to see into the
workings of the aircraft.
A new Fred Weick exhibit was cre-
ated for the convention. It contained
many items borrowed from the Lang-
ley, Virginia, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration Museum,
which holds many Fred Weick items.
The museum has kept interest in the
Ercoupe going for years by hosting
annual Ercoupe gatherings.
Local EAA Chapter 4 provided a
steady supply of hamburgers and
hot dogs for the attendees. Two lo-
cal squadrons of the Civil Air Patrol
(the Prince George's and the Bowie
Squadrons) combined their cadets
and senior members in an opera-
tion coordinated by Captain Bob
Turner. They established a commu-
nication network that supported
the convention for all three days.
The nearby University of Maryland
provided rental rooms, a dining
(Above) James Shadoan's 415C is a blue beauty. (Below) College Park Airfield and Aviation
Museum, with about 50 of the attending 56 Coupes on the field at this time.
Betsey Weick in yellow shirt, her brother Dick
Weick in blue shirt (daughter and son of Fred
Weick, the designer of the Ercoupe). Norm
Crabill (with the hat) is a lifelong aviation
enthusiast who grew up in the shadow of the
Erco factory. The fellow in the white shirt is
Marv Dunlap, who is completing the construc-
tion of the ONLY four-seat Ercoupe. It was
never finished by Erco and should be flying
next year. They are standing in the College
Park Aviation Museum.
hall, the banquet facility, and even
a couple of buses.
Club members and volunteers pro-
vided a wide range of support,
including a full-time safety officer on
the airfield, a reception and informa-
tion center, aircraft parking, aircraft
judging, and photo coverage. Club
members invested a lot of time and
effort in local transportation. Andy
Neyens provided the central direc-
tion and coordination for a fleet of
vehicles driven by club members.
The staffs of both the College Park
Aviation Museum and the airport
provided vehicles and drivers to help
as well.
Approximately 5,100 Ercoupes
were built in Riverdale from 1940
through January of 1952. After pro-
duction ceased in Riverdale, another
500 variations of the Coupe were
built from 1956 through 1970 by
holders of the manufacturing rights.
The total Coupe production included
about 5,600 aircraft.
Fifty-six Coupes (about 1 percent
of the total production) returned to
College Park for this year's conven-
tion. These included 415C, 4150,
415C/O, 415E, and 415G Ercoupes,
Forney Aircoupes, Alon Aircoupes, a
couple of Mooney Cadets, and even a
homebuilt Mini Coupe. Total con-
vention attendees exceeded 220
people based on the security logs.
The National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration (NOAA) has a
distribution division, headed by Pat
Banks, that occupies office space in
the previous Erco factory. Pat was so
kind to permit the convention at-
tendees to visit the old factory site.
He and several NOAA volunteers
came in on the weekend, on their
own time, to assist in tours of the
factory space.
Award Winners
Longest Distance Flown Directly to the Convention
George Watts, Alon A2, N6362V, flew from San Antonio, Texas.
Most Unique Coupe
Mark Hardin, 415C, N37143.
Lowest Serial Number
Mark Hardin, 415C, N37143 (PQ13, serial no. 11 0).
Best Ercoupe
Syd Cohen, copilot Brandon Garrity, 415D, N94196 (started as a 415C) .
Most Original Ercoupe
Arden Krueger, 415C, N2926H.
People' s Choice
Ronald Blackadav, Alon A2, N423LF.
Best Forney
Bob King, Forney F-1, N7556C.
Best Alon
Ed Hoak, Alon A2, N5616F.
Best Mooney Cadet
Lynn Rotz, Mooney M-1 0, N951 OV.
Oldest Certificated Pilot Who Flew his Coupe to the Convention
Frank Glenn
Youngest Certificated Pilot Who Flew his Coupe to the Convention
Rick Krens
Longest Direct Distance Traveled by Means Other Than a Coupe
Dave Perozek of Mercer Island, Washington.
Fred E. Weick Award
John Wright Jr. and his wife Kathy for their years of service to the EOC, in-
cluding hosting two conventions! Eileen Wright for her years of service and
outstanding job as EOC Secretary.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
(Above) Coupes come in all colors! This is Martin Dunlap's 415B. (Below) Twin tails as far as
you can see on the field at College Park.
Betsey Weick and Jim Norris
arranged the Erco factory tour. They
contacted former Erco employees to
give firsthand reports on what it was
like to work in the Erco factory. Sign-
boards showing production of
Ercoupes were placed in the factory
to show visitors what the factory
looked like in the 1940s. John Fay co-
ordinated access to the Garber
facility. Ercoupe serial no. 1 was low-
ered from the ceiling, where it has
been stored for the last 20 years. The
Erco and Garber tours were extremely
well attended.
Trophies this year were handmade
solid balsa models of the Coupe, sus-
pended from handmade wooden
arch trophy stands. Joe McCawley
(EOC Board Chairman) served as the
master of ceremonies for the banquet
Saturday evening.
Recognition is due to Lynn and
Joel Nelsen. They arrived at College
Park Friday morning, June 30, after
flying their 415D Ercoupe, N99387,
7,730 miles in 70 hours of flying
time on a trip around the country
that started from their home in Frost-
12 NOVEMBER 2000
proof, Florida.
During the banquet a raffle and
auction were held to raise funds for
the Fred E. Weick Scholarship Fund
with the Embry-Riddle Aviation Uni-
versity. The total amount of money
raised for the scholarship fund was
$741. Our heartfelt thanks to all who
donated and purchased items.
Valuable door prizes were awarded
during the banquet and seminars.
Thanks to all who donated those fan-
tastic prizes. In addition, each pilot
who flew into the convention re-
ceived a souvenir that was provided
by Steve Kish and Clem Beauchemin.
The seminars were well attended.
A session led by Greg Gorecki pre-
sented the changes made to the
Ercoupe during production and post-
production, and a lively discussion
debated the need and purpose of
some of the changes. "Growing Up
With the Ercoupe" presented by Bet-
sey Weick held a bonus treat for the
audience when both of Betsey's
brothers, Don and Dick, joined her
in making the presentation. "The Er-
coupe-The Aircraft That Corrected
The very original and beautiful Ercoupe
panel of Syd Cohen's airplane.
the Deficiencies of Early Aircraft"
presented by Robert Swanson was
followed by a discussion among the
attendees that resulted in the sharing
of additional favorable information
about the Ercoupe. Robert Donelan
led a technical seminar, and Terry
Bell presented a carburetor seminar.
Other special events of the con-
vention included tours of the College
Park Aviation Museum and its
restoration shop, as well as a walking
tour of the airfield that highlighted
the aviation history of College Park.
Several attendees enjoyed a flight
across the Chesapeake Bay for a
lunch of incredible crab cakes. On
Sunday morning a non-denomina-
tion worship service was held. The
"Coupes Over Washington" flight by
12 Coupes has been classified, so I
can neither confirm nor deny the
flight ever took place!
The EOC Board Meeting was held
Saturday afternoon. A website for the
EOC was approved; details will be
available in the future. Mark Hardin
confirmed he would host next year's
convention in Terrell, Texas, on the
last weekend in June. Marvin Dunlap
is exploring the pOSSibility of the
2002 convention being hosted in
Michigan.
This convention reaffirmed the
special nature of "Coupers." The
"Oshkosh" standard of courtesy, re-
spect, and self-policing was exceeded
by the added dimension of family in-
volvement that makes the Coupers
special. Dare we say it, but no other
aviation group has more spouses,
children, grandchildren, and signifi-
cant others involved with the pilots
than the EOC does. ......
A spin-on oil filter helps keep the lubricant clean in Jack's newly overhauled Continental C-90.
The cockpit of this Fornaire Execta was originally configured for IFR flight when it left the
Carlsbad, New Mexico, Air Products factory in 1961. Arthur has the airplane set up for VFR
flight, with a GPS, communications radio, and transponder. He's still on the lookout for a pair
of original Forney control wheels.
P
icture three five-gallon pails. Got
that in your mind? Okay, now
picture those pails full of mouse
droppings and nest material because
when Jack Arthur, of Des Moines,
Iowa, got serious about restoring his
newly acquired Fornaire Ercoupe, re-
moving 15 ga ll ons of the highly
corrosive stuff was the first order of
business. Ugly image for such a cute
little airplane, huh?
From the beginning, Jack was des-
tined to own an Ercoupe. For one
thing, when he first started flying in
1991, it was in an Ercoupe with his
1 4 NOVEMBER 2000
brother in-law, who owns a '48
model. And then there was the acci-
dental discovery of an apparently
abandoned Forney Ercoupe in Blair,
Nebraska. The fates told him he was
an Ercoupe kind of guy and to go for
it. Unfortunately, what the fates did-
n't tell him is that this particular
Ercoupe a) was full of mice and b)
would test his patience in terms of
paperwork. But, we're getting ahead
of ourselves.
Jack's airplane had been flying for
barely a month when he arrived at
AirVenture 2000. But, after all of the
work
he had put
into his own per-
sonal little twin-tail kiddy car, he
wasn' t about to leave it at home. As
it sat out there on the line, it was in-
teresting to see how few people
recognized the airplane for what it
was . After all, to most folks, an Er-
coupe is an Ercoupe. Of course, to
the rabid followers of the breed that
is anything but true.
Those who did notice Jack's air-
plane undoubtedly thought it to be
a modified Ercoupe. The Forney
canopy isn't often recognized by
folks, nor is the color scheme. Ditto
the bumped-out instrument panel
with the very un-Ercoupe-Iike pro-
trusion that holds far more than the
usual array of Ercoupe instruments.
But then, not many folks have actu-
ally seen a Forney-built Fornaire
F-IA Execta, which was not only
the top of the Ercoupe totem pole,
but very close to the end of the Er-
coupe line.
The Ercoupe has died and been
resurrected at least a half dozen times
Dennis Biela
over the past
60 years, and Forney
got into the act in 1956.
They were building the
ai rplanes as the Fornaire F-l in Fort
Collins, Colorado, when their
money began to get tight and the
doors were closed. Somehow the city
of Carlsbad, New Mexico, wound up
with the assets and the rights to the
type certificate, something that has
never been fully explained to this
writer. However, Air Products leased
the rights from Carlsbad and began
building the airplane right there in
town. Along with the F-1, they be-
gan building the F-1A, which
included rudder pedals, as a hundred
dollar option. Up to that point, all
Ercoupes were two-control, if-you-
can-drive-you-can-fly, airplanes. The
supposedly stall-proof, two-control
Dennis Biela
system was labeled
the Simplomatic.
When Jack Arthur's airplane rolled
out of the Air Products factory it was
completely IFR. It even had an ADF.
Being an II A" model, it also had rud-
der pedals, something that Jack saw
as a plus. The current paint job on
Jack's airplane, which is what it was
wearing when he purchased it, looks
suspiciously non-factory, a fact he
doesn't try to dispute. However ,
even when removing every single
piece of the airframe, down to the
last nut and bolt, he found no paint
anywhere on the airplane. This leads
to the conclusion that the paint job
was a factory custom scheme, al-
though he has yet to be able to verify
that fact.
After leaving the factory, the air-
plane went through the usual num-
ber of owners until the mid-1980s
when an unsuccessful change of
ownership nearly sealed its fate. A
buyer in Nebraska negotiated a deal
with a widow in Pennsylvania to
purchase the airplane and sent a
ferry pilot after it. When the pilot ar-
rived, the seller wanted more money
but let him take the airplane any-
way. The bill of sale remained
unSigned. Need we explain what
happened next? The wannabe new
owner was never able to strike a deal
with the woman, and the airplane
became a mouse hotel for the next
eight years as it sat on the Eagleville
Airport in Blair, Nebraska. It might
still be sitting there if Jack's brother-
in-law, Mike Abrahams, hadn't
stumbled across it. During the eight
years it had been sitting there, it had
run up a huge hangar rent bill to the
airport. Then, to add injury to insult,
the hangar fell on it, but that caused
only minor damage.
When Jack decided to buy the air-
plane and went to the airport
commission, he was advised he could
buy it for the price of the back
hangar rent, about $3,500. He and
his brother-in-law trucked it home,
but it wasn't until he got it home
that he realized what he actually
had; it was one of only 25 1961 F-
lAs built by Air Products in Carlsbad.
He also didn't realize what a quag-
mire the airplane's paperwork was
about to become.
To register an abandoned airplane
with the FAA there is a specific pro-
cedure that usually involves, among
other things, a receipt from a sher-
iff's tax sale. However, under
Nebraska law, Jack didn't have to go
through a sheriff's sale, so when he
went to the FAA, there was more
A familiar profile, but with a few twists. The
rear windows and the hinged rudders tell
you this is not an Ercoupe built in College
Park, Maryland. The extended cowl bumps
for ignition harness clearance also are differ-
ent than the older ' Coupes, as is the color
scheme. Jack Arthur is still looking for addi-
tional documentation on the exact colors
and layout used by the Air Products factory.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
than a minor problem with the pa-
perwork. In fact, it took two years of
running back and forth getting doc-
uments signed, re-signed, drafted,
and redrafted before he was able to
register the airplane as 3044G with
his name as legal owner. Prior to
that, as far as the feds were con-
cerned, the airplane didn't exist.
During the two years of the paper-
work battle, however, Jack wasn't
just sitting around doing nothing.
When they got the airplane home
they found that what looked to be a
solid, intact airplane on the outside,
presented some serious restoration
challenges internally. The aforemen-
tioned mice had effectively rendered
every piece of steel in the wings use-
less. They had also managed to
corrode the lower wing skins and
some structure in the outer panels so
badly that most of the outer lower
skins had to be replaced. The mice
had help from the battery in ruining
much of the lower fuselage skins,
which had to be replaced as well.
As they began digging into the
structure, they found a repair on
the right rear wing spar that was, as
Jack puts it, " ... done like it was a
tinker toy." So, they replaced the
entire spar.
One of the major restoration chal-
lenges was unexpected: It turned out
that restoring and rigging the rudder
pedal system wasn't as easy at it
would appear. lilt uses two little bell
cranks that have very little travel to
control both the rudders and the
16 NOVEMBER 2000
nose wheel, and it took forever to
get everything just right," says Jack.
When doing the instrument
panel, Jack installed new Mitchell
engine gauges and a Northstar M3
GPS that required 337s. He also in-
stalled shoulder harnesses, which
required an FAA-approved pull test.
He has nothing but high praise for
the cooperation he got from his lo-
cal FSDO while restoring the
airplane, once the paperwork was in
order, that is.
Although the airplane was com-
plete, when he rescued it someone
had cut the control wheels, and he is
desperately looking for a pair. Any-
one have a spare set of Forney
Ercoupe control yokes out there?
Jack had a dedicated crew of
helpers, starting first with his
brother-in-law, Mike Abrahams and
his good friend, Mark Kokstis. In
addition, he says, "I was really lucky
to have an I.A, Allen Core, who
looked over my shoulder every step
of the way, making certain it was
being done right. Without him, it
would have been a much more dif-
ficult job."
When it came to the engine, Jack
says, liThe engine ran really well,
and although we didn't have the
logbooks, all indications were that it
didn't have much time on it. We
had long discussions about whether
I ought to major it or not, and I was
kind of dragging my feet while some
of the others said I should com-
pletely overhaul it. I finally gave in,
and we split the case. When Tom
Burmeister, who overhauled the C-
90 Continental, took it apart he
found the crankshaft had a bunch of
cracks in the front journal. If I'd
flown it, there's no doubt that I
would have had a catastrophic en-
gine failure during the first hour. So,
I guess the rule in this kind of situa-
tion should be, when in doubt,
rebuils it, and this applies to every-
thing, not just the engine."
Jack, who is a schoolteacher, says,
"This is the first project of this mag-
nitude that I have ever in my life
attempted. I got my license in 1995
and have about 300 hours, 50 of
them in the Ercoupe. Since we got it
flying, my wife and I have really en-
joyed just jumping in it and going
places. It is really fun to pull up to
the gas pump and have people come
over to ask about it.
II It is also a great way to own an
airplane. To find one that is in need
of repair and work on it a little at a
time. That wouldn't have been possi-
ble, however, without an LA. who
would cooperate and great friends
who were willing to give me their
time. My local EAA Chapter, 135,
was also a great help. If nothing else,
they were willing to listen to my
horror stories along the way."
Before he's finished talking about
the airplane, he will always men-
tion his wife, Esther, who was
central to the project. "She's really
into aviation and supported me
every inch of the way. Even with all
the other help, if she hadn't been so
behind the project, I'm not too sure
I would have even started it. Now
that it's finished, she wants to get
her license in it."
Jack reports that he flight plans
105 mph and five gallons per hour
and one of his first cross-countries
was journeying to the Ercoupe fly-in.
Does he ever intend on selling the
airplane? "For me, this is just about
the perfect airplane. It is fun to fly,
inexpensive to operate, and I can af-
ford everything about it. It's just
perfect."
Nope, doesn't sound like it's go-
ing to be for sale. .......
TYPE CLUB
NOTES
by H.G. Frautschy
Compil ed from various type club
publ ications & newsletters
Carbon Monoxide Problems and Swifts
by Rick Stroud
From the Globe Temco Swift Internet Update
The Newsletter of the "Electronic Swift Wing," edited by Denis M. Arbeau
I recently read an article on car- not been any published "tolerance -worry; 10 to 20 ppm-land imme-
bon monoxide problems in levels" for aircraft, but the original diately; and 35 ppm-you have an
aircraft on AvWeb (www.avweb. OHSA regulation was 35 ppm con- emergency. I believe the author
com) under their" Aeromedical" tinuous in the workplace, which was a bi t conservative, but I will
heading. The article was very de- was subsequently raised to 50 readily agree that any exposure is
tailed and reviewed a couple of ppm. The author's recommenda- not good.
carbon monoxide detectors. I pur- tion for aircraft was : 5 ppm We also checked both our birds
chased the one recommended
(AIM Model 935 available from
Aeromedix.com, about $79 with
shipping) and fo u nd both our
Swifts were pumping carbon
monoxide into the cockpit. My
Swift (210 hp with a bubble
canopy) peaked at 150 ppm on
takeoff, and Lana's Swift (145 hp,
mostly stock) peaked at around 45
ppm. Since I was headed over to
Jim Thomason's for annual in-
spections for the Swifts, the first
thing we did was seal the tail on
both birds. That dropped the read-
ings , now registering between
"Lo" and 5 ppm for both birds.
The table located on page 18 is
from the article and indicates the
levels and their effects.
The article indicated there have
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
heater both on and off.
VAA Editor's Note: Using an AIM
935 Low-Level CO detector, I checked
the Aeronca Sedan I fly and found
that while taxiing I would see read-
ings varying from 18 to as much as
85 ppm, depending on the direction I
was taxiing and the surface wind
speed and direction. Taxiing with a
5 to 10 knot tailwind was the worst
case. It was just enough breeze to al-
low the warm exhaust gases to start
rising as they exited the dual ex-
haust stacks.
The exhaust gas from the Conti-
nental C-145 can easily enter the
cockpit from the bottom of the fuse-
lage, where the bungee cord covers do
not tightly seal against the fuselage
(above). There's also no cover over
the bungee cords, so any air that en-
with the heater on. Our heat
muffs appear to be okay as the
heater did not raise the readings
for either bird.
I guess the point is that Swifts
have a known problem with air
flowing forward from the tail. If
it's not sealed, you are probably
getting some carbon monoxide in
the cockpit. Of course, it would be
even worse if the exhaust stacks
are leaking into the heat muff. We
are planning on using the detec-
tor on all of the aircraft (eve n
other brands!) around the home
field to possibly head off prob-
lems. Now that I really know what
is in the cockpit with me, I would
certainly recommend checking
the carbon monoxide level in any
aircraft (especially Swifts) with the
ters the fuselage can make its
way up into the main cabin
through any of the holes and
gaps in the floorboards.
Within moments of take-
off, the readings, taken with
the unit lying flat on the
floor, started going down,
leveling out with a "Lo" (be-
low 5 ppm) indication on
the CO detector. At no time
during flight did the readi ng
go up, but the elevated read-
ings during taxiing certainly
got my attention! While in
flight, I also checked the car-
bon monoxide level with the
heater on and didn't see
anything above "Lo" in the
carbon monoxide l eve l window.
Whew!
I'd highly recommend reading
the articles regarding CO detectors
within the Aeromedix.com web site.
You may be tempted to use a
cheaper, less expensive "home use"
CO detector in your airplane. Un-
fortunately, the lowest number
displayed for home detectors is 30
ppm, and the alarm won't even
sound until 100 ppm is reached.
The specially built units intended
for vehicle us e display CO levels
from 5 ppm on up to 150 ppm,
above which the word "High" is
displayed. The audio alarm and
flashing LED are activated above
10 ppm, with the alarm and flash
rate increasing as the CO levels in-
crease. - HGF)
CarbonMonoxideLevels and Their Effects
35 ppm No obvious symptoms after 8 hours exposure
200 ppm Mild headache after 2 hours exposure
400 ppm Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 2 hours exposure
800 ppm Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 4 5 minutes exposure,
collapse after 2 hours exposure
1,000 ppm Unconsciousness after 1 hour exposure
1,600 ppm Unconsciousness after 30 minutes exposure
18 NOVEMBER 2000
A happy Steve Petrich of Mound, Minnesota,
winner of the Best Fabric Seaplane award at
AirVenture 2000, holds his fancy award
plaque while standing on the float of his
completely restored 90-hp Aeronca 7 AC
Champion, N84609, mounted on a rebuilt set
of Edo 1320 floats. Steve spent the better
part of three years restoring the 1946 air-
plane and the floats, including the neat yel -
low and white paint scheme.
Very sharp interior cabin work by Steve
Petrich caught the judges' eye. Steve has also
installed a seaplane door that hinges up out
of the way. The pretty instrument panel was
finished with a black crinkle finish.
From the Minnesota/Canadian border area comes this bright red 1948 Stinson 108-3, mounted on a set of Edo 2425 floats and flown in by Ross
Benike of Birchdale, Minnesota. Converted to a Continental 0-470-R engine of 230 hp pulling a McCauley constant-speed prop, the big-tail
Stinson will cruise at 120 mph on floats, 130 on wheels. Ross reports he has flown the pretty red Stinson nearly 300 hours in the past three
years since buying the floatplane from a neighbor only 13 miles away!
20 NOVEMBER 2000
A unique first-timer at Oshkosh is this
Canad ian-registered 1972 Yugoslavian
UTVA 66, C-FBBF, mounted on a set of
Wipline 3730 floats and flown to Oshkosh
by Paul Cowley of Aurora, Ontario,
Canada. Powered with a Lycoming GISO-
480 engine of 340 hp swinging a three-
blade Hartzell propeller, the UTVA features
ailerons that droop with the flaps and
fixed leading edge slots for excellent slow
speed performance-so necessary on floats.
Paul reports the airplane is presently being
flown on a military license in Canada, but
the civilian license is in the works.
Sitting quietly at attention is this pretty Cessna 140,
N89794, mounted on a set of rather ferocious looking
Edo 1650 floats, complete with shark mouths! Flown to
Oshkosh from Surfside Seaplane Base by its owner,
James Edwards of Aurora, Colorado, the 140 floatplane
makes a very adequate two-place machine for those
who enjoy the feel of a Cessna, especially on floats.
This 1946 Cessna has been on floats since 1948 and has
roamed all over the United States. The original
Continental engine was replaced with a Lycoming 0-
235 of 115 hp about 20 years ago. It swings a Sensenich
M76AM-2-45 prop for good seaplane performance.
Another "first" for the seaplane fly-in was the
arrival of this 1944 Beechcraft C -18, N44573,
mounted on huge Edo 7850 floats and flown in by
Allan Lund of Hayward, Wisconsin. Based at
Surfside Seaplane Base northeast of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the big twin floatplane has been a
Minnesota resident for many, many years and was
formerly owned by Pat Magie at Ely and the
Claggett family of Aqua float fame. Allan reports
he has flown the big bird nearly 150 hours in the
past year, including a trip to Alaska and back on
floats. He was surprised to learn that this was the
very first "Twin Beech" on floats to visit the
Vette/Blust Seaplane Base.
The blue summer sky and puffy white clouds, along with a full
reflection, make this beautiful de Havilland Beaver, N622JM, on
matching Wipline amphibious floats, really sparkle in the after-
noon sunshine. Flown in by Bruce Francis of Lisle, Illinois, the
big six-placer features all the Wipline modifications of extend-
ed baggage and rear windows, dorsal fin and fancy paint
scheme. With a Pratt & Whitney R-985 driving a three-blade
prop up front, this is the ideal vacation machine, especially
when going to places like Oshkosh.
With the heavy wind from the northeast, seaplanes such as this Piper
Aztec Nomad had to taxi around the harbor to warm up the engines
before going as far up the creek as possible, making a final turn, and then
applying full takeoff power in an attempt to be near flying speed when
going through the "gate" and bouncing off the first big wave in the heavy
water.
Both Lycoming 250-hp engines are at absolute full power (notice the
propeller tip vortices) as the big twin Aztec has gotten on the step and is
accelerating to takeoff speed-a most impressive display for an airplane that
will out haul a Beaver at 30 mph greater cruise speed-for half the price!
This was the very first Nomad to visit the EAA seaplane fly-in.
22 NOVEMBER 2000
Two of the crew that brought the twin-engine
Piper Aztec Nomad on floats to the fly-in from
Gravenhurst, Ontario, were Andrew Goltz and
Melissa Spinks. The smiling seaplane judge, with
clipboard in hand, is none other than Bill
Schlapman of Winneconne, Wisconsin.
Here is the "dock crew" that meets all incoming sea-
planes at the various docks. These 12 busy volunteers
are the heart of the welcoming committee, all under
the direction of Lon Nanke, fourth from the right,
who runs a tight ship and is able to lead the younger
people into top performance. Pilots maintain that
they remember the smiles on the faces of the dock
crew all the way home! To this we can all add our
" thanks" for a job well done.
Attracted by this fancy paint scheme, Steve Delano, Cold Spring, Minnesota,
bought this Cessna 185 on PK 3500 floats about five years ago and added a
Continental 10-550 engine of 300 hp and a three-blade Hartzell prop. The
result was this beautiful floatplane complete with plexiglass door windows
and STOL kit for top performance. As Steve says, "It really gets up and goes!"
(Left) Manning the Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA) booth and holding
the latest book offering in his hands is the "recognized dean of seaplane
pilots," Dr. Dale De Remer, a retired professor at the University of North
Dakota in Grand Forks who has probably taught more people how to fly a
floatplane into the "bush" and survive than anyone in the business.
(Above) Here is a trio of "web-footed" pilots if there ever was a three-
some: on the left is Dr. Dale De Remer (manning the SPA booth), center IS
Mark Wrasse, chairman of the seaplane fly-in, and on the right, the former
tower chief at Oshkosh's Wittman Field, Russ Lincoln, of Ripon, Wisconsin.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
The proportions and structural details of this
monoplane make it look like a parasol conversion
of a Ryan B-1, but it is not. The engine under the
cover is a 220 hp Wrightj-5. Note that the C-prefix
to the registration number was painted over with
white paint before the picture was taken. The
builder's name and registration have been digi-
tized out. It's too easy to identify old airplanes by
their numbers these days! Send your answers to:
EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086. Your answers need to be in no
later than December 20, 2000, for inclusion in the
February 2001 issue of Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail.
Send your answer to vintage@eaa.org.
Be sure to include both your name and address
in the body of your note, and put "(Month) Mys-
tery Plane" in the subject line.
November Mystery Plane
From Peter M. Bowers, Seat-
tle, Washington, we have this
response to our August Mys-
tery:
The August Mystery Plane is a
German/Dutch Fokker C.Il. The
U.S. registration number doesn't
show, but it is probably C262,
C/N 202. It spent its last U.S.
years, 1928 to 1931, in Detroit,
and the photo shows it in front of
a hangar marked Michigan State
A viation School.
The existing FAA history on by H.G. Frautschy
C/N 202 shows that it was as-
signed temporary registration
2429 on May 2, 1927, and re-
ceived license C262 on May 3, German/Dutch Fokker C.II
1927. After a series of owners,
the U.S. Customs Service seized it
in May 1930, apparently because
of smuggling activity with illegal
markings. Customs sold it to a
new Detroit owner in September
1930; a Later owner crashed it at
Detroit on July 28, 1931.
In next month's issue we'll
have a complete article by Pete
on the many variations of the
C.II.
One of our answers has a per-
sonal connection to the Fokker
C.II. Haywood Faison sent us
this note:
The August Mystery Plane is
24 NOVEMBER 2000
Brock & Weymouth's Canadian registered CII, ON 174 with oval radiator, changing from wheels to skis. Canadian registrations changed from
G-CA to CF-AAA and on in 1929. G-CA planes could retain those registrations, so the two systems were in use simultaneously.
Pete Bowers Collection
Fokker built, and I believe the
model designation is C-2.
There is a little story behind
my recognition of this airplane.
In the fall of 1923, when I was
six years old, my dad's company
had hired the Brock and Wey-
mouth Company of Philadelphia
to do aerial mapping of parts of
western North Carolina. The pur-
pose was to pick sites for dams to
provide hydroelectric power.
This company was highly success-
ful in this type work, and as I
understood, it had imported from
Holland six of the above type aircraft.
One of these operated from a
field on the outskirts of Hender-
sonville, North Carolina. My
father was the contact for his
company. He often took me with
him when he visited the opera-
tion, which of course was
fascinating for me. My parents
were not so trustful of flying ma-
chines in 1923 that they would
allow me a real flight. However,
on one occas ion they put me in
the cabin and ran down the field
fast enough to become briefly air-
borne. I still remember 70 some
years later when the rumbling of
the wheels over the cornrows
stopped for a moment or two.
This, of course, plotted the di-
rection of the rest of my life.
Palmetto Air Service
Haywood R. Faison
Lt. Colonel, USAF (Ret.)
Lt. Col. Faison served as a
gofer at the local airport, soloed
a J-2 Cub in 1936, and became a
career Air Force pilot in 1942,
serving until his retirement in
1968. He flew 3S missions as a
B-29 commander and flight
leader, and flew in during the
Berlin Airlift in 1949. In 1968,
he founded the Palmetto Air Ser-
vice, an FBO still in operation in
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. He
keeps a framed picture of the
Brock and Weymouth crew, his
father, and the Fokker C.1I on
his office wall.
Other correct answers were
received from:
Leonard E. Opdycke, Pough-
keepsie, New York, and Ralph
Nortell, Spokane, Washington.......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
PASSITTO BUCK
by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
EAA #21VAA #5
P.O. Box 424,Union,IL60180
FAA- DoYou HaveAnyDoubts?
Are there people behind that FAA
Logo?
Are they really, and I mean really,
there to help you?
Let's look at these questions and
my opinions on the FM.
Sure, it's a bureaucracy, and what's
the first rule in a bureaucracy? "Pro-
tect the bureaucracy and cover your
butt," right?
That's not always a good rule, but it
is sometimes a necessary fact , because
in every bureaucracy there is a peck-
ing order. If you're trapped in that
peckjng order, you bow to those above
and pass it on down to those below.
So sometimes you have to deal with
a sticky situation and tread the line to
accomplish a purpose. Try to see
FM's (the agents) side and what you'd
do if it were your decision.
The person you deal with is just as
much an individual as you are. He
has wants, likes and dislikes, and
sometimes has the advantage, and
maybe a disadvantage, of the bureau-
cratic process.
I have found that most of the FAA
people I deal with are into the job be-
cause they love aviation, airplanes
and people who fly them. Their
problem most of the time is that they
are so far into it, they are out of it.
They don't get to fly for fun any-
more. It's a job.
When they question something, it
raises hackles.
The presumption that they are neg-
ative about everything can be a real
hurdle.
The "Book" is their Bible and they
must use it . Those FARs cover any
and all situations. Most agents are
into the "Book" so much they can tell
you every loophole, and if there isn't
one, they can help you interpret the
26 NOVEMBER 2000
regulations to your advantage.
I have a few suggestions when deal-
ing with the "Feds."
"Schmooz" will get you a lot more
than damnation! Give the agent a
chance, open the door and treat him
like you would like to be treated. Be-
have like you are at a railroad
crossing-stop, look, and listen. Use
his knowledge and expertise with the
book, ask him how to accomplish the
task at hand using the book. That's
his way of life.
Your Executive Director/Editor,
H.G., gave me some time off while I
attended some doings in Washington,
D.C. At the Pilot/Owner Maintenance
ARAC meeting we put together our fi-
nal draft of suggestions to the FAA.
The ball is in their court and we can
expect action on this in the form of
an NPRM somewhere down the air-
way. If I say anything about the
contents of the draft, I'd be a "Ieaker,"
so we won't go into that.
The media kick-off for Countdown
to Kitty Hawk and the meeting of the
Centennial of Flight Commission
were exciting, to say the least! If we
can whip up nationwide enthusiasm
on this one, aviation might just come
back into the favored son limelight
we once enjoyed.
[ took time out to visit FAA Head-
quarters (Pres. Clinton was out of
town). I visited with Phyllis Anne
Duncan, the Editor of FAA Aviation
News. What a wonderful, dedicated
person. She flies! She writes great
prose. See her column "Editors Run-
way" in the October 2000 issue and
read her thoughts about Concorde.
I also spent some time with some
of the other Feds. I'm always amazed
at the respect they have for EM. It's a
kick to have them talk about Vintage
Airplane and the articles we publish,
and about AirVenture and all the
things that happen at "Oshkosh." See
what I mean? They do like airplanes
and it shows.
The next day was the National
Aeronautic Association (the Aero Club
of America) Awards Ceremony at the
National Air and Space Museum. I
was awarded the prestigious "Elder
Statesman of Aviation" award. Quite
an honor, although I must admit it
takes the wind out of my sails to be
considered "Elder." I wasn't the old-
est on that podium, but I wasn' t the
youngest either. It was a real privilege
to be up there with some of the
Tuskegee Airmen, and the movers and
shakers of aviation who were honored
that night. I'm still not over being
called an "Elder" though, and I don' t
want to hear any smart remarks about
it when you see me either!
I' ve also been working with the
United Airlines Historical Foundation,
helping put together something for
the 75th Anniversary of United Air-
lines. I guess I am getting old. It will
be twenty-five years ago that I re-en-
acted that first flight of Captain Leon
Cuddeback in the Varney Airlines
Swallow. Sure doesn' t seem that long
ago, but it was, and this "Elder States-
man of Aviation" would do it again, if
they'd let me!
Meanwhile, while I dream a little,
it's over to you,
NEWMEMBERS
IanjohnSilvester....................... ........ .. ........
................ .......... .....NarreWarren,Australia
johnTabone.. .... ..............Sydney,Australia
MaximoPimentaCosta Aurelio.......... ...... ..
..................................Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Alan Cornyn....PincherCreek, AB, Canada
BarryWilliam Harsent.. .. .... ................ ...... ...
.......... .... .... .. .... .. ..........Vernon, BC, Canada
Frankj. DuBray......PortPerry,ON,Canada
AlejandroGutierrez.......Queretaro, Mexico
FranciscoIcaza...............San Angel, Mexico
Eddiej.Mclean.. ..................... ............ .........
............ .. ...............Whitianga,NewZealand
GeraldGrocott..............Zurich,Switzerland
DanaWoods................MountainView, AR
ThomasGrifford...... .... .... .. .CaveCreek, AZ
janVanBurken...... .......... ...........Tucson,AZ
jillArchibald........ .... ........ ........Ferndale, CA
AnthonyM. Capozzi.....GrandTerrace, CA
WalterDeanCason..................Angwin,CA
Richard Fahning...... ...... ...... ..Foresthill,CA
Ben Hall..... .................... ...PalmSprings, CA
Rick Harrison.. .. .... ........ .......Mira Loma, CA
Rick Holmes.............. ............ .. Riverside, CA
Martin Madden...........................Somis, CA
DaveMaltone..................GroverBeach,CA
SeanMMarshall.... ................ .Riverside, CA
j.D. Mendonca.......... ........SantaMaria, CA
RobertW.Milligan................Temecula, CA
Michaelj.Moran............ ....Healdsburg,CA
Gerald K. Morgan............Ben Lomond, CA
ThomasE. Schoder.............. ... Modesto, CA
Paul E. Sherman.....................Riverside, CA
William R. Stein.. ...... ...................Aptos, CA
j ames H. Westfall.................... . Coloma,CA
Brian Baldwin...................... .. .....Parker,CO
DouglasH. Kingsley...................Parker, CO
TomLytle.................. ...... ....Longmont,CO
Ted Waltman.......................Lakewood, CO
EmeryWeber.............. ..............Denver,CO
GaryS. Bonomo........ .. .....NewFairfield, CT
RobertT. Hartman...............Englewood, FL
Ed Kosanke........................ ...... ....Naples, FL
FrederickMcNulty........Deerfield Beach,FL
Melvynj.Ott..................SatelliteBeach, FL
Stephen M. Weiss......NorthBay Village, FL
Donna Forbes...... ................ ....Marietta, GA
Lance Koberg...........................Marietta,GA
jeffrey K. Perry...................... Cumming, GA
PeterWheble.................PeechtreeCity, GA
ThomasBergman.....................Evanston, IL
GordonG. Danforth.....................Peoria, IL
james C. Fassino.........................Canton,IL
Carl G. Gorra.... .............. .. .. . Warrenville, IL
WilliamL. Kukla..................LakeZurich, IL
DonaldW.Mack.. .. .......... ....New Lenox, IL
James c. Mette....................Streamwood, IL
DanNelson........................ .............Ladd, IL
RaymondSchwarz...................Glenview, IL
A. j.Wiss..........................................Pana, IL
Chris&jennZahn.............Edwardsville, IL
Jeffrey R. McWhorter.... ........Valparai so, IN
jimG. Moschenross........ ...lndinapoJIis, IN
MarkA. Paszkiewicz..........Jeffersonville, rN
Leonard Cole...... ............Independence, KS
WilliamE.johnson.................Florence, KY
George Kalbfleisch.......... .........Florence, KY
BobbyW.Thomas.... ...... .............Island, KY
MichaelW. Davis.........................Oscar, LA
MatthewTotten.............. .. ... Covington,LA
ChasLeatherman....................Bel Aire, MD
johnDanforth,Jr. .....................Warren, MI
Denni sHughes................ .. .. .. ..Belmont,MI
JohnOrloMaxfield........ .. .....Northville, MI
James L. Mynning............ .........Chelsea, MI
ScottM.Sedam..............................Novi, MI
Joseph P. Monno...................Hastings,MN
MichaelMorris.. ...... ...... .. ........ . St.Paul ,MN
Gerald F. Sadowski........ .......... .. Fridley, MN
AlbertStix................................StLouis, MO
CraigA. Neuhardt..................Salisbury,NC
StuartB.Harner......................Mandan,NO
P.Byrnes.............................Pennsauken,NJ
JohnO. Donato.... .. .. ...... .......Mendham,NJ
Edward Price........ ................OceanCity,NJ
JerrySorin........ .... ...............Morristown,NJ
WalterM.Chandler.... ......Clifton Park, NY
ThomasF. Schmitz....................Oneida,NY
Douglas R. Cutlip...... .. North Royalton,OH
Bernard1. DeLong...................Dayton,OH
David Duntz......................Beavercreek, OH
Virgil 1.johnson................WeiHngton, OH
David B.Webb........ .... .....Wapakoneta,OH
GuyGuernsey........................CoosBay, OR
WilliamG. Baltrusaitis............ .... ........ .........
..........................................WestChester, PA
RobertGoughnour...........BelleVernon,PA
JimSwalley.................. .................... . Erie, PA
DonaldC. Mestler.. .......... .. ........Gilbert,SC
Noel P.Atherton........ ...Fairfield Glade,TN
DonaldD. Freeman.. .. ......EstiliSprings,TN
GeorgeL. Ivey......................Cookeville,TN
Edward E. Allen.... .. ................Mesquite,TX
RobertAllen.... ......................Carrollton,TX
DeanCarter................ .... ...... ...Houston,TX
Bill DuCharme.......... ............McKinney,TX
R. JohnGieske............................Austin,TX
H. Ivan Haecker...... .. .. .. ... CanyonLake, TX
LarryE. Hale..........................Granbury,TX
Stan Krovontka.....................Galveston,TX
CharlesMcNulty....................Cieburne,TX
MarkD.Mostrip...............San Antonio,TX
Richard Ramsey...........................Irving,TX
GaryRosa....................Fair OaksRanch,TX
Jody R.Thrasher.......... ............Garland,TX
GregoryVince..............................Dallas, TX
TomWood.................................Ogden,UT
TimothyJurik...... .......... .. ......Hampton, VA
MargeryNatalie......................Herndon,VA
J. D. Skipper........ ........ ........ ......Bedford,VA
BrianStrattner..........................Norfolk, VA
RichardWallis.................Williamsburg, VA
LindaM. Morrison...... ........ ...Bellevue,WA
ChrisChomo.................... .. ....Oshkosh,WI
Brad R.Schultz.................... .... ....Sparta, WI
LeonSiverling.. .............. ........Brooklyn,WI
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
.----
StatementofOwnership.Management.andCirculation
009 1 _ 6 9 4 100/00

n.c....P.Poba.. U\y
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-.....
28 NOVEMBER2000
Fly-In Calendar
Thefollowing list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of
information only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement,
control or direction of any event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed.
Please send the information to EAA, Aft: Vintage Airplane, P.G. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be receivedfour months prior
to the event date.
EAARegionalFly-Insshowninbold.
JANUARY 1,2001 - NAPPANEE, IN- 10th annual New Year's Day Hang Over jly-
in,sponsored by EAA Chapter 938. II a.m.-2 p.m. Info: "Fast Eddie, "
219/546-2795 or the chapter website: www.bnin.net/-jlyboy
VINTAGETRADER
Something to buy, sell or trade?
MISCELLANEOUS
An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to
obtaining that elusive part .. 50 per word, $8.00 minimum charge.
Send your ad and payment to: Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Cen-
ter, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, or/ax your ad and
your credit card number to 920/426-4828. Ads must be received by
the 20th a/the month/or insertion inthe issue the second month/al-
lowing (e. g., October 20th/or the December issue.)
BABBlnBEARING SERVICE- rod bearings,main bearings,camshaft
beari ngs,masterrods,valves. Call usToll Free 1/ 800/233-6934,e-mail
ramremfg@aol.com Websitewww.ramengine.com VINTAGE ENGINE
MACHINEWORKS,N. 604FREYAST. ,SPOKANE,WA99202.
AIRCRAFTLINEN- Imported. Fabrictapes. Foran 18"by18"sample,
send $10.00. Contact for price list. WW IAviation Originals, Ltd., 18
Journey' s End, Mendon, VT 05701 USA. Tel : 8021786-0705 , fax:
802fi86-21 29. E-mail :Wwlavorig@AOL.com
Vi ntageFederalskis,#SC-3,Mfg.1942-1943 with cables and fittingsfor
'48 C-170. Pictures available. Possible New England delivery. $750.
LarryStegna,207/ 563-1196.
NeededtocompleteCont. C50-3: oneintakeelbow21181,orsetoffour
2ea. 21181 ,21180;one threaded crankshaftmag dri ve adapterforsin-
gle ignition;alsothemating magnetodriven gear. Part numberscannot
belocated. Smith,204Lockport,Plainfield,IL60544-1940.
TNE.GtfLYErutnR-
WAYTG

YGIIR-
Of course, ifyou plan to it,
theeasiestway isstiRPoly-Ylber.
Poly-Fiber?Because for30yearsbuilders
" havefollowedoureasystepsandachievedsafe,
trulysuperlative,long-lastingresults. AndPoly-Fiber
productsarepainstakinglymanufacturedand proven
overtime.Ourreader-friendlymanualisalmostlike
havingan instructorrighttherewithyou,and if you'd
likesomecoaching,tJyoneofourhands-onworkshops.
There'salsoastep-by-stepvideo,akitforpracticing
withPoly-Fiber,plusawebsitefull ofinformation.
WE. NAVE. ,OVE.RE.D
800-362-3490
www-.polyfiber.com
e-mail:info@poJyfiber.com
Aircraft Coatings
Flyhighwitha
qualityClassicinterior
Completeinteriorassembliesfordo-it-yourselfinstallation.
Customqualityateconomicalprices.
Cushionupholsterysets
Wallpanelsets
Headl iners
Carpetsets
Baggagecompartmentsets
Firewallcovers
Seatslings
Recoverenvelopesanddopes
Freecatalogofcompleteproductline.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample col ors and
stylesofmaterials:$3.00.
INC.
259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept .VA
Fallsington,PA19054 (215)295-4115
www.airtexinteriors.com
VINTAGEAIRPLANE 29
AlhinLang.
PeoriQ, JL
Started a \ing
club iQ 1'954
Albin Lange stands with his J948 J08-3 Stinson Station Wagon outside his hangar in Peoria.
AUAis
~
approved.
Tobecomea
member of the
Vintage Aircraft
Association call
800-843-3612
"Afterseveral disappointing repliesfor AUA's Exclusive EAA
Vintage Aircraft Assoc.
insuranceatothercompanies, AUA
Insurance Program
replied with the positive answer -
'Wewill insure a 51 yearold airplane,
in air-worthycondition, and a 78year
old pilotwith a medical certificate.'
Nowthe Stinson 6766Mis 52and Iat
79am happywith AUAfor my second
yearrenewal."
- Albin Lange
The bestis affordable.
GiveAUAa call - it' sFREE!
8 0 0 7 2 7 3 8 2 3 ~ ~
Fly with the pros.. .fly with AUA Inc.
Lowerliabilityand hul lpremiums
Medicalpayments included
Fleetdiscountsfor multipleaircraft
carryingall risk coverages
Nohand-pro ping exclusion
Noagepenal/}'
Nocompone tpartsendorsements
Discountsforcl aim-free renewals
carryin all risk coverages
Remember,
We're Better Togetherl
AVtATlON UNLlM/rED AGENCY
VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT
ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
EspieButchJoyce GeorgeDaubner
P.O. Box35584 2448LoughLane
Greensboro.NC27425 Hartford.WI53027
336/393-0344 262/673-5885
windsock@ool.com anftque2@aol.com
Treasurer
Secretary
W. Harris
SteveNesse
7215East46thSt.
2009HighlandAve.
Tulsa.OK 74145
AlbertLea.MN56007
918/622-8400
fJJ7/373-1674
cwh@hvsu.com
DIRECTORS
RobertC.BobBrauer
9345S. Hoyne
Chlcago.IL60620
7731779-2105
photoplot@aoi.com
John Berendt
7645EchoPointRd.
Cannon MN5SOO9
fJJ7/263-2414
mpfalrctJld@rconnect.com
JohnS.Copeland
1 ADeaconStreet
Northborough.MA01532
508/393-4775
copelandI@Juno.com
PhilCoulson
28415SpringbrookDr.
Lawton.MI 49065
616/624-<>490
rcoulsan516@cs.com
RogerGomoll
321-1/2S. Broactway#3
Rochester.MN55904
fJJ7!28a-281O
rgornoll@hotmail.com
DaleA.Gustafson
7724ShadyHIli Dr.
IN46278
317/293-44JO
JeannieHill
P.O.Box328
Harvard.IL60033
815/943-7205
dinghoo@owc.net
SteveKrog
1002HeatherLn.
Hartford.WI53027
262/966-7627
sskrog@aol.com
RobertD.BobLumley
1265South 124thSt.
Brookfield.WI 53005
414/782-2633
lumper@execpc.com
GeneMorris
5936SteveCourt
Roonoke.IX76262
817/491-9110
n03capt@fiash.net
DeanRichardson
1429Kings LynnRd
Stoughton.WI53589
608/877-8485
dar@resprod.com
GaoIfRobison
1521 E.MacGregorDr.
NewHoven.IN46774
219/493-4724
chlef7025@aoi.com
S.H.Wes"Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatosa.WI53213
4141771-1545
shschmid@execpc.com
DIRECTORS
EMERITUS
GeneChase E.E. BuckHilbert
2159 Rd. P.O. Box424
Oshkosh.WI54904
Union.IL60180
815/923-4591
buck7ac@mc.net
920/23I-fJJ02
ADVISORS
DavidBenne" AlanShackleton
11741 WolfRd. P.O. Box656
GrossValley.CA95949 SugarGrove.IL 60554-Q656
5301268-1585 630/466-4193
antlquer@inreach.com 103346.1772@Cornpuserve.com
ServicesDirecton'_
EnjoythemanybenefitsofBAAandthe
BAAVintageAircraftAssociation

EAAAviationCenter,POBox3086,OshkoshWI54903-3086
Phone(920)426-4800 Fax(920)426-4873
WebSi te:http://www.eaa.organdhttp://www.airventure. org E-Mail:vintage@eaa.org
EAAandDivisionMembershipServices
800-843-3612 FAX920-426-6761
(8:00AM-7:00PM Monday- Fri dayCST)
New/ renewmemberships: EAA, Divi sions
(VintageAircraftAssociati on,lAC.Warbi rds) ,
Nati onalAssociation ofFli ghtI nstructors
(NAF!)
Addresschanges
Merchandisesales
Gi ftmemberships
ProgramsandActivities
EAAAi rVentureFax- On-Demand Directory
..............................732-885-6711
AutoFuelSTCs . ...... . . .......920-426-4843
Build/ restoreinformati on ......920-426-4821
Chapters: locating/organizing..920-426-4876
Educati on........... . .... .....920-426-6815
EAAAirAcademy
EAASchol arships
EAAYoungEagl esCamps
FlightAdvi sorsinformation.....920-426-6522
FlightInstructorinformation ...920-426-6801
Flyi ngStar tProgram .920-426-6847
Li braryServices/Research ......920-426-4848
MedicalQuestions..... ........920-426-4821
Techni calCounsel ors ... .......920-426-4821
YoungEagl es .. ... ... ... ... ... .920-426-4831
Benefit s
AircraftFinancing(Textron) .. . . .800-851-1367
AVA . . ........ ...... . ..... . .. .800-727-3823
AVEMCO . ....... . .. . ....... . .800-638-8440
TermLifeandAccidental .......800-241-6103
DeathInsurance (HarveyWatt&Company)
Editorial
Submittingarticle/ photo;advertisinginformation
920-426-4825... . ... . .. .FAX920-426-4828
EAAAviationFoundation
ArtifactDonations.... ... ... ...920-426-4877
Fi nancial Support. .. . ... . .. . . . 800-236-1025
MEMBERSHIPINFORMATION
EAA
MembershipintheExperimentalAircraftAssociation,
Inc. is$40foroneyear,including12issuesofSPORT
AVIATION.Familymembershipisavailableforanaddi-
tional$10annually. JuniorMembership(under19
yearsofage)isavailableat$23annually.All major
creditcardsacceptedformembership.(Add$16for
ForeignPostage.)
VINTAGEAIRCRAFTASSOCIATION
CurrentEAAmembersmayjointheVintageAircraft
AssDciaton andreceive VINTAGEAIRPLANEmaga-
zineforanadditional$27peryear.
EAAMembership,VINTAGEAIRPLANEmag-azine
andoneyearmembership int he EMVintageAir-
craftAssociat i on is availablefor$37 peryear
(SPORTAVIATIONmagazinenotincluded). (Add
$7forForeignPostage.)
lAC
CurrentEMmembersmayjointheInternational
Aerobat ic Club,Inc.Division and recei veSPORT
AEROBATICSmagazine foran additional$40
peryear.
EAAMembership,SPORTAEROBATICS magazine
andoneyearmembershipinthelACDivision is
avai lablefor$50 peryear(SPORTAVIATIONmag-
azi ne not incl uded) . (Add $10 for Forei gn
Postage.)
WARBIRDS
CurrentEAAmembersmayjointheEAAWarbirdsof
AmericaDivisionand receive WARBIRDS magazine
foran additional$35peryear.
EM Membership,WARBIRDS magazineandone
year membershi p in the Warbirds Di vi si on
isavailablefor$45peryear(SPORTAVIATION
magazinenoti ncluded). (Add$ 7forForeign
Postage.)
EAAEXPERIMENTER
Current EAA member s may recei ve EAA
EXPERIMENTER magazineforan addit ional $20
peryear.
EAA Membershipand EAAEXPERIMENTERmag-
azi ne is availabl e for $30 per year (SPORT
AVIATIONmagazine notinciuded).(Add$8forFor-
eignPostage.)
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit yourremittancewithacheckor
draftdrawnon aUnitedSt atesbankpayablein
Uni ted States dollar s. Add required Foreign
Postageamountforeach membership.
MembershipduestoEAAanditsdivisions arenottaxdeductibleascharitablecontributions.
Copyright 2000bytheEMVintageAircraftAssociation
All rightsreserved.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IPM 1482602 is published and owned exclusively by Ihe EMVintage Aircraft Association 01 the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EMAviation Center. 3000
PobereznyRd.. P.O.Box 3086.Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086. Periodicals Postage paidat Oshkosh.Wisconsin54901andat additionalmailing offices. POSTMASTER:Send addresschanges to EMAntique/Classic Division. Inc..
P.O. Box3086. Oshkosh.WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN ANDAPO ADDRESSES - Pleaseallowat least twomonths fordeliveryofVINTAGEAI RPLANEtoforeign and APO addressesvia su"acemail. ADVERTISING - VintageAircraft
Associationdoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductofferedthrough theadvertising.Weinviteconstructivecriticismandwelcomeanyreport ofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertising sothatcorrectivemeasurescan
betaken.EDrrORIALPOLICY:Readersareencouraged tosubmITstoriesandphotographs. Policyopinionsexpressedinartic"",are thoseattheauthors. Responsibilityforaccuracyinrepor1ing restsentirelyWITh thecontributor. No
renumeration made.Materiaishould besentto:EdITor. VINTAGEAIRPLANE. Box3086.Oshkosh. W154903-308E. Phone9201426-4800.
The words EM,ULTRALIGHT,FLY WITH THE FIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,FOR THE lOVEOF FLYINGand the logosof EM,EAA INTERNATIONALCONVENTION.EAAVINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION,INTERNA-
TIONALAEROBATIC CLUB,WARBIRDSOF AMERICAare registered trademarks. THEEAASKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAAAVIATION FOUNDATION.EAA ULTRALIGHTCONVENTION and EAAAi rV.ntur.are trade-
mar1l.softheaboveassociationsand theirusebyanypersonotherthantheaboveassociation isstrictlyprohibited.
vintage airplane 31
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