GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION It's EAA AirVenture time! It's here. For aviators around so many years now. Merchandise the globe, the month of july VAA is about participation: Be a Bob Lumley, Chairman, lumper@ always brings EAA AirVenture member! Be a volunteer! Be there! execpc.com, 262-782-2633 Oshkosh to mind. Most every Let's all pull in the same Metal Forming Workshop one of these aviators will wish direction for the good of aviation. Steve Nesse, Chairman, stnes2009@ he or she were going to be able Remember, we are better together. Iive.com, 507-373-1674 to attend, but for varied reasons, join us and have it all. Parking and Safety many are never able to make it. Michael Kosta, Chairman, cubflyr@ Here's hoping this is the year for Vintage Aircraft Association comcast.net, 303-673-9355 you! I still remember my first EAA Chairpersons Participant Plaques convention in 1984. So far, I have jack Copeland, Chairman, not missed a single Oshkosh since Convention Management copelandl @jul1o.com, 508-393­ my first, and each of them has Geoff Robison, Chairman, 4775 been very enjoyable. But, some chief7025@ao l. com, 219-493­ Past Grand Champions members are not as fortunate as 4724 Steve Krog, Chairman, sskrog@aol. J am in being able to come to this Butch joyce, Vice-Chairman, com, 262-966-7627 great event every year. Even if you windsock@aol. com, 336-427-0971 Safe Flying can get here only once, you really Convention Management Field Ken Morris, Cha irma n, owe it to yourself to experience Operations [email protected], 815-547­ this amazing celebration of the George, Daubner, Vice-Chairman, 3991 Spirit of Aviation. [email protected], 414-673-5885 Security One of the great benefits of VAA Judging/Awards Tim Fox, Chairman, tim @ membership is the opportunity Dave C lark, VAA C hi ef judge, f l yingshepherds.com, 260-486­ to serve your fellow members as [email protected], 317-839-4500 8126 a Vintage volunteer during EAA Computer Operations Tall Pines Cafe AirVenture. So, as we typically Earl Nicholas, Chairman, eman4@ Steve Nesse, Chairman, stnes2009@ do each year in july, here's a ameritech.net, 312-451 -2930 Iive.com, 507-373-1674 partial list of names and contact Construction andMaintenance Tony's Trolley information for many of the Michael Blombach, Chairman, jim Brown, Chairman, 414-895­ volunteer chairpersons for the m [email protected], 260-745­ 6282 Vintage area of operations. Want 2339 Tour Tram to rev up your visit by installing Headquarters, Sales james LeFevre, Chairman, 920-434­ some extra horsepower to your Ruth Co ul son, Chairman, 1656 Oshkosh experience? just drop [email protected], 616-624­ Type Club Headquarters these folks a line, and they will fill 6490 Steve Krog, Chairman, ss krog@aol. you in on these varied volunteer Headquarters, Information/ com, 262-966-7627 opportunities. Hope to see you Activities Volunteer Center around the Red Barn. jeannie Hill, Chairman, 815-943­ Steve Moyer, Chairman, 215-514­ Please do us al l the favor of 7205 1855 inviting a fri end to join the VAA, Membership/Chapter Info Volunteer - Hospitality Center and help keep us the strong Dave Bennett, Chairman, antiquer@ Lorraine Eberle, Vice-Ch airman, association we have all enjoyed for inreach.com, 916-645-8370 920-233-2324 u y VOL. 37, NO.7 2009 CONTENTS I Fe Straight & Level It's EAA AirVenture time! by Geoff Robison 2 News 6 The Vintage Aircraft Association Who we are ... how fortunate we are .. and all for so little! by Charles W. Harris 9 It All Started With Dad's Airplane: The Jacobson Family Saga of N5752C A Grand Champion with a family connection by Budd Davisson 1 5 N90 Tango Tango to Oshkosh The vintage AirVenture experience by Mike Sheetz 20 The McBride C-150TD A family project by Budd Davisson 26 The Vintage Mechanic Adhesives and bonding, Part II by Robert G. Lock STAFF 34 Mystery Plane EAA Publisher Tom Poberezny by H.G. Frautschy Director of EAA Publications Mary Jones Executive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman 36 Eagles Nest at Platte Valley Photography Jim Koepnick Giving new meaning to the golden age of aviation Bonnie Kratz by Sparky Barnes Sargent Advertising Coordinator Sue Anderson Classified Ad Coordinator Lesley Poberezny 38 Aeromail Copy Editor Colleen Walsh Director of Advertising Ka trina Bradshaw 39 Classified Ads Display Advertising Representatives: Specialized Publications Co. U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Northeast: Ken Ross 609-822-3750 Fax: 609-957-5650 COVERS [email protected] FRONT COVER: One of the best reasons to choose a project airplane can be its history U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Southeast: Chester Baumgartner with your family; that same reason can cause your judgment to be clouded when it comes 727-532-4640 Fax: 727-532-4630 to the project's viability. When it was discovered his newly pu rchased C-170A was a frosty cbauml1 [email protected] caricature of an airplane crafted entirely out of corrosion, Steve " Jake" Jacobson just U.S. Central Time Zone: Gary Worden couldn 't say " No," and so an extensive restoration of this classic was done and it was 800-444-9932 Fax: 816-741 -6458 selected as the Grand Champion Classic of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. EAA photo by gary. [email protected] Mike Steineke. U.S. Mountain and Pacific Ti me Zones:John Gibson BACK COVER: There are five McBrides, and they all had a hand to one extent or another 916-784-9593 Fax: 510-217-3796 in the creation of this modified Cessna 1500. Just saying you're going to convert a 150 [email protected] to a taildragger sounds like it's easy, but it's not. There is a lot of work that has to be Europe: Willi Tacke done and a lot of parts to be chased. See Budd Davisson's article on the McBride fami ly Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Fax: +49(0)8841 /496012 project starting on page 20. EAA photo by Bonnie Kratz. willi@{lyillg-pages.com VINTAGE AIRPLANE Rare Pitcairn Autogiro Arrives for AirVenture Around this time last year, Jack and Kate Tiffany, of Spring Hill, Ohio, and the crew of Leading Edge Restora­ tions, were anticipating the flight of their recently restored Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro to Oshkosh for AirVenture 2008. However, the rotor blades were significantly damaged during testing about a week prior to Oshkosh, and the flight had to be called off. That made the arrival of the PA-18 that much sweeter as the 77-year-old rotorcraft landed safely at EAA's Pioneer Airport on Wednesday, June 24, 2009, in plenty oftime for this year's convention. A total of 19 Pitcairn PA-18s were built from 1932-1933, and this one, the result of nearly a decade-long restoration, represents the only flying example left in the world. The last leg of the journey to Pioneer Airport was from the Hartford, Wisconsin, airport, about 38 nautical miles south of Oshkosh. With just a hint of emotion in his voice, Jack remarked as the 'gyro took off on the final leg from Hartford, Wisconsin, "It's unreal [to see it depart]; 40 miles from Oshkosh, after nine years ...it's unreal:' Plans are for the aircraft to be displayed at-where else-Pioneer Airport's Pitcairn Hangar until right before AirVenture, then it will be relocated to the Vintage area on convention grounds for static display throughout the week. For more on the arrival of the Autogiro along with a video clip of it in flight, visit www. AirVenture.org and click on the Multimedia link. After AirVenture, the PA-18 will return to the Pitcairn Hangar for display through August. Andrew King, pi­ lot, may even fly the Autogiro in EAA's Good 01' Days of Aviation event scheduled for August 29-30 before de­ parting to the airport in Brodhead, Wisconsin, and then back to Spring Hill, Ohio. 2 JULY 2009 (~ Theater """"'\ ) InThe West Side- " 1) Woods Vintage Aircraft ~ VAA Camping Antique Parking AREA j) V;""" ",,'" GENERAL (V ( r \ \ Type Clubs, LAYOUT ~ () Workshops 5hog," ~V \:!j Red B,," Showplane/Camper M\ b h' B h 't t' !JJ.\ em ers Ip oot ()Hangar R egis ra Ion \:> \ \'--______ Row 74 Cafe D Volunteer Booth Past Grand Champions - parked along road Wayfinding Tower ~ Ta ll Pines Cafe­ o VAA Near Ultralight Runway Operations and in rows 60 & 61, Shack VAA Special Interest Aircraft VAA Parking- ­ Display No Ca mping Area CommCenterD Row 62 through Row 77 ~ Row 78 Rows 60 Row 50 & 61 East Side VAA Camping and Parking Starts Here­ Continues to Row 150 R..... C6lO9 To help members who fly in to understand the layout cated just south of the VAA Red Barn (see map). The EAA of the convention area administered by the VAA, we've convention campgrounds are private campgrounds and prepared this simplified map. As you can see, camping are not open to non-EAA members. Each campsite must starts at Row 74 on the east side of the main north/south be registered by a current EAA member. road (Wittman Road), with the areas to the north of that Another immediate benefit of VAA membership is line set up to handle display-only vintage aircraft. That's your free VAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 Participant why you may see open areas as you taxi south to your Plaque, which you can pick up in the rear of the Red Barn. camping location.