STRAIGHT AND LEVEL VOYAGER ­ NOW PUBLIC DOMAIN and the only way to accomplish it was fect example of courageous and daring the EAA way - design, build, test, people willing to test and gamble change, redo and make do. The total perhaps life itself for a chance to do project did not cost $2 million like it something no one has done before. All might have had the government been EAA members should stand tall at this involved. In fact, if the government had success for the part they played in it. by Bob Lickteig been involved, that amount probably The Voyager is now the second would have been spent just to estimate homebuilt aircraft on display at the Na­ what the cost would be. tional Air and Space Museum. It joins We of EAA have seen so much suc­ Steve Wittman's Bonzo. cessful work from Burt Rutan, the Voy­ Many stories, books and a motion On Friday November 20, 1987, just ager's designer, that we knew structur­ picture have been written covering the 11 months after its historical flight, the ally the project was possible. I am sure Voyager odyssey. Now, the Voyager it­ Voyager has become the newest attrac­ most of us would admit that this pro­ self is on display in the center of U.S. tion at the National Air and Space posed flight was a long shot, though, aviation history. These are all fitting tri­ Museum in Washington, D.C. when you consider the factors of weath­ butes to the Voyager, its gallant crew, As we well remember from its two vis­ er, fuel, mechanical failures and human Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, and its its to Oshkosh, the Voyager is a large fatigue. The master of long distance designer Burt Rutan. aircraft, with a wing span of 110ft., flights, Max Conrad, never considered The Voyager now belongs to the pub­ about the same as a Boeing 727 air­ an eight-day endurance flight of any lic. In its proud position at the National liner. Suspending this huge aircraft pre­ kind. And that's not even considering Air and Space Museum, it will continue sented some problems as the gallery it the cramped quarters the Voyager crew to inspire and thrill over 7 million visitors was destined for is only 105 ft.wide. had to endure - Max would never have a year. This required positioning the Voyager had room to bring along his guitar. We're better together. Welcome in a slight bank, which gives the viewer The flight of the Voyager was a per­ aboard, join us and you have it all. • a sense that it is making a graceful turn inside the Independence Avenue en­ trance to the Museum. The Voyager is displayed without its winglets, as the record flight of 25,000 plus miles was made without them . The one on the right wing blew away on take off, and the pilots maneuvered the aircraft to cause the left winglet to tear away in flight. The Voyager was not a government or big business project. The Voyager was more like a typical EAA homebuilt project. EAA members were involved in contributing and soliciting money, parts, material and equipment from wherever they could to keep the project alive. This project was a dream and a challenge, 2 NOVEMBER 1987 PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER Tom Poberezny TIlt= VICE-PRESIDENT MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Dick Matt CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks JANUARY 1988. Vol. 16, No.1 MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING Mary Jones Copyright "'1988 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Norman Petersen Dick Cavin FEATURE WRITERS Contents George A. Hardie, Jr. 2 Straight and Level/by Bob Lickteig Dennis Parks 4 AlC News/by Norm Petersen EDITORIAL ASSISTANT 5 Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks Carol Krone 6 Ed Wegner's Fairchild 24 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS by Norm Petersen Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel 9 Members' Projects/by Norm Petersen Jeff Isom 10 The Time Capsule/by Jack Cox 12 Vintage Seaplanes/by Norm Petersen Page 6 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC 13 Type Club Activities/by Norm Petersen DIVISION, INC_ 14 Harry & Sherry's Taylorcraft BC-12D OFFICERS by Harry Miltner President Vice President 19 Out of the Past ... In Photos R. J. Lickteig M.C. "Kelly" Viets by Ray L. Johnson 1718 Lakewood Rt. 2, Box 128 20 Fly Out to Shawano/by Bob Lumley Albert Lea, MN 56007 Lyndon, KS 66451 22 Interesting Members - Jay Vieaux 507/373-2922 913/828-3518 by Bob Brauer Secretary Treasurer 23 Prop Tips Ronald Fritz E.E. " Buck" Hilbert 24 Just Another Grass Landing Strip. __ 15401 Sparta Avenue P.O. Box 145 Kent City, MI49330 Union,IL60180 Not Anymore/by Joyce Helser Page 10 616/678-5012 815/923-4591 26 Welcome New Members 28 Mystery Plane/by George A. Hardie, Jr. DIRECTORS 28 Letters to the Editor John S. Copeland Philip Coulson 29 Vintage Trader 9 Joanne Drive 28415 Springbrook Dr. Westborough, MA01581 Law1on , MI49065 617/366-7245 616/624-6490 William A. Eickhoff Stan Gomoll 41515th Ave. , N.E. 104290th Lane, NE St. Petersburg, FL 33704 Minneapolis, MN 55434 813/823-2339 6121784-1 172 Page 22 Dale A. Gustafson Espie M. Joyce, Jr. 7724 Shady Hill Drive Box 468 Indianapolis, IN 46278 Madison, NC 27025 317/293-4430 919/427-0216 FRONT COVER ... Flying over the green Wisconsin countryside is Arthur R. Morgan Gene Morris Ed Wegner of Plymouth, WI in his award-winning Ranger-powered 3744 North 51st Blvd. 115C Steve Court, R. R. 2 1941 Fairchild 24 which employs a certified Beech electric propeller. Milwaukee, WI 53216 Roanoke, TX 76262 For the full story on this custom restoration see page 6. 414/442-3631 817/491-9110 (Carl Schuppel Photo) Daniel Neuman Ray Olcott BACK COVER ... Keystone-Loening K-84 "Commuter." Introduced 1521 Berne Circle W. 104 Bainbridge in 1929, NX9781 was the prototype 300 hp amphibian of which 40 Minneapolis, MN 55421 Nokomis, FL 34275 were built. (EAA Photo Archives, Kurt Collection) 61 21571-0893 813/488-8791 S.H. "Wes" Schmid George S. York 2359 Lefeber Avenue 181 Sloboda Ave. The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL Wauwatosa, WI 53213 Mansfield, OH 44906 AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC . 4141771 -1545 419/529-4378 INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC .. are registered trademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are DIRECTOR EMERITUS trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited. S.J. Wittman 7200 S.E. 85th Lane Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are Ocala, FL 32672 solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should 904/245-7768 be sent to: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/426-4800. ADVISORS The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh. WI 54903­ Robert C. " Bob" Brauer John A. Fogerty 3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates fo r 9345 S. Hoyne RR2, Box 70 EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is Chicago, IL 60620 Roberts, WI 54023 for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation. 3121779-2105 715/425-2455 ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis­ Robert D. "Bob" Lumley Steven C. Nesse ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any repOrt of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising N104 W20387 2009 Highland Ave. so that corrective measures can be taken. Willow Creek Road Albert Lea, MN 56007 Colgate, WI 53017 507/373-1674 Postmaster: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. , Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. 414/255-6832 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3 Compiled by Norm Petersen GENE CHASE RETIRES After 14-1 12 years at EAA Headquar­ ters in various capacities, including editor of The Vintage Airplane since De­ cember 1979, Gene Chase jumped on the retirement bandwagon as of . November 1, 1987. Not one to worry as to what he would be keeping busy with, Gene admitted he has many "projects" that need work, including his model shop in his home and two airplanes in Gene Chase contemplates retirement on his last day at his EAA desk. These multi­ his hangar - a 1933 Davis D-1-W and talented hands have flown more than 287 different types of airplanes and written a 1935 Taylor E-2 "Cub." ~merous airplane articles. Gene came to work at EAA from a prisingly, the exact spot is easy to find the Heath factory in the early '30s. Hans corporate pilot position at Standard Oil as Clyde and Karen Brey report that to had returned to his native Denmark in Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he this very day every time they plow the 1935 and Roger thought he might still had flown a Lockheed Lodestar for a ground, some additional silver grey and be living in Odense, Denmark - up in number of years. In addition, Gene has green fabric comes to the surface! his eighties! maintained a CFI rating for over 40 Gene and his wife, Dorothy, donated Bill Schlapman asked if I knew any years and plans on continuing dual in­ their "Church Midwing" to the EAA Air Danes in Odense.