Of no teworthy interes t is th e p osition of Edito r of Th e VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Eff ective at once, Gen e R. Chase ha s ass umed thi s p ositi o n and b egun hi s duti es to enhance o ur o utstanding publi cation . In STRAIGHT AND LEVEL order to b etter relate Gene to you , w e would Ii ke to present some of th e interes ting background and quali­ ti es h e p ossesses . Born in Casp er , W yoming in 1924 , Gene began his infant car ee r as a no rmal child and m oved with his par­ By Brad Thomas ents to Scottsbluff. Nebraska in 193 1. He too k his first airplan e ride at th e age of twelve, in a Stinson SR- 6. He had been watching and admiring airplanes since his early days in Casp er and th e fa scination of air­ January of ea ch year marks a p eriod of personal for travelers in th ese areas. Corporate flyi ng increased craft bega n to entrench his desire and motivation to drive to enhance and pursu e your New Year's res olu­ and many owners of single and light twins found their become a part of avi ation . After gradu ating from high tions. Following a p eriod of holiday fes tiviti es and time sa ved and travel costs redu ced by th e use of th eir sch ool h e entered coll ege in Scottsbluff, completed seasonal enjoyment , the routin e of your work duti es own aircraft for bu siness and p erso nal transpo rtati o n one year , and with WW II in progress entered th e relaxes and your thoughts wander through th e past to areas not se rv ed by th e airlin e industry. Navy fli ght training program in 1943 and flew TBF 's. year to analyze your goals and achi evements that w ere But what of th e Antiqu e, Classic or sport avi ati o n Returning to Scottsbluff h e compl et ed his coll ege set twelve months ago. During 1979, many unknown owner and pilot? O shkos h '79 w as to tally su ccessful caree r majo ri ng in m echani cal engi n eeri ng. H e re­ factors app eared on th e horizon th at would affect and w e brought our aircra ft fro m everywh ere, drove mained active in th e Naval Reserve program and fl ew your avi ation hobby and p ossibly alter your thoughts our ca mpers and arrived in autos. Admittedly, sp o rt va ri ous typ es of fi ghters; some of whi ch w ere Co rsa irs, and intended course . avi ati o n and general av iati o n pil ots are probably no t Bea rca ts, Panther jets, Cougars and Ph antom F2H-1 's. Th e " Great Airspace Robbery" of th e FAA appea red flying as many pl eas ure hours as in p reviou s yea rs, During hi s college ca reer h e obtained his fli ght in fro nt of us as an unknown blotch to sport aviati o n but w e do show a t o tal interest by combining o ur instru ct o r rating and currently holds a comm ercial and contained many fa cets and proposals that w ere recr ea ti o n al activiti es with a planned schedul e t o ticket , single and multi-engine land , glider , and instru­ definitely not in line with th e intent as presented . continu e o ur hobby with th e z ea l and zest w e have ment and instrument instructors ratings. During hi s Reali z in g th at th ese proposals w ere not in th e b es t always exhibited. transitio n to civilian w o rk h e wa s first employed as an interes t of sport and gen eral aviati o n , we rose to pro­ So h ere w e ar e in January, 1980, having survived en gineer with a natural gas utility and then pro­ test. W e bro ught forth our valid analys is and sugges ted two majo r se t-backs and lo oking fo rward to a w o n­ g ressed to probably hi s most enjoyabl e experi en ce reasonabl e methods to approach the actual problem s drous yea r with th e ambition and su cces s w e p o rtray at that lime, as a pil ot and engin eer with Standard with appropriate lea d ership , thou ght , and fact s. With­ and pursu e with th e ability to overcome that pas t and Oil of Indiana. out th e help of each and every m ember of EAA and look forward to an eventful and su ccessful yea r . O ur In 1973, Gene w as invited to be a p art of EAA Hea d­ our Divisio n , who wrote letters of comment to th e FAA Antiqu e/Classic Di visio n displayed a reasonabl e growth quarters and h e functi o ned in th e va ri ous p ositio ns and your Congress m en , w e firmly b eli eve th e entire during "1979. M embership increased, n ew ch ap ters of ass istant edito r , bu siness manager , and directo r of proposa l would have passed through th e government w ere fo rm ed , O shkos h '79 was fantas ti c, and w e are our EAA Air Muse um Foundation where he continu ed channels in haste. Th e resounding echo of our EAA looking fo rward to bringing you an ex panded and fruit­ to serve until his recent promotion as Senior Edito r m embership togeth er with the resp o nses from A O PA ful Divi sio n during 1980. Your o ffi ce rs, directo rs and of SPORT AVIATION and Editor of Th e VINTAGE AIR­ and oth er aviation o ri entated avi ati o n gro ups bro ught advi sors w ant you th e m embershi p to keep u s info rmed PLA N E and Warbirds p ublicati o ns. Th e backgro und th e att enti o n of our individual and coll ective experti se of your suggesti o ns to ex pand and develop o ur Di vi­ and ex p eri en ce Gen e p ossesses w ill undo ubtedly before th e public, o fficials of Congress and th e FAA. sion for th e purpose it was chart ered to pursu e. We brin g to us an exciting, concise and w ell organized Inflati o n continued to be brought befo re our eyes, h av e many new inn ova ti o n s t o i mp rove o ur image publi ca tion that will continu e to expa nd and crea te and as Janu ary expir ed and th e fo ll o wing m o nths and th ese wi ll b e brough t to your att entio n as th ey th e interes t w e d es ire to develop i n Th e VINTAGE AIR­ vani sh ed , a seemingly endless rise of pri ces appea red unfold. PLANE . in o ur cos ts of oil-related produ cts. W e had all rea d O f special inter est t o o u r m em ber ship is ou r H e has flown 25 1 differ ent typ es of aircraft that and h ea rd through th e media th at gasoline costs t o anno uncem ent that John Turgyan has been p laced include over 80 antiques , 60 homebuilts and 28 military us w ould reach o ne d o ll ar p er ga ll o n befo re th e end of o n th e Boa rd of Directo rs of th e D ivisio n and will typ es. H e is th e pro ud own er of a 1928 Church Mi d­ 1979. In January and February of 1979, I doubt if many ass ume hi s n ew p os itio n immediately. There is p roba­ wing (currently o n di splay in our EAA Museum), a of us actu ally b eli eved th ese es timates of fu el costs bl y no o ne individual w h o, over th e yea rs, has attended 1935 Taylor E-2 Cub th at is li censed and flying, and a would reach th e pri ces predicted. But it did happen and parti cipated in m o re fly-in s th an Jo hn. Hi s ex­ 193 1 Curtiss Wright , Jr ., that is under res to ration . and even exceed ed th e ori ginal es timates. Airlin e posure, knowl edge, interes t and devotio n to EAA, our W e are p roud to have Gene Chase o n our tea m ! transp ort ati on costs have rise n d ras ti ca lly and many Antique/Classic Division and sp o rt avia ti o n will defi­ feeder ro utes w ere terminated , thus multiple probl ems nitely enhance th e image we d es ire to dem o nstrate. Editorial Tti~ VI""TAf3~ AIl?VLA""~ Staff OFFICIAL MAGAZINE EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC Publisher DIVISION INC. Paul H. Poberezny of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Editor P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130 Gene R. Chase CopyrightO 1980 EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc., All Rights Reserved. (Boeing Company Photo) A United Airlines Boeing Model BOA in flight over a mid­ JANUARY 1980 VOLUME 8 NUMBER 1 west city. (On Th e Cover. Th e number 2 Pip er Tri Pa cer owned by Leslie D. Marsh of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Photo by Jack Cox .! Associate Editors : H. Glenn Buffington, Edward D. Williams, Byron (On Th e Back Cover. Following engine overhaul preparatory to Jimmy Doolittle's Tri- Capitol record (Fred) Fredericksen, Lionel Salisbury setting flight, in October, 793 7, th e SUPER SOLUTION sits parked at th e Prall & Whitn ey Aircraft Plant in Eas t Hartford, Connecticut. Ph oto courtes y of M ally Laird.! Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIR­ TABLE OF CONTENTS PLANE during the current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE and a free one-year membership in the Division for their efforts. POLICY-Opinions Straight And Level by Brad Thomas .. , ', ...... ,.,...... 2 expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting A Tri-Pacer With A Pedigree by Gene R. Chase ...... • ...... ·, · 4 rests entirely with the contributor. Directors Laird Super Solution Project by Gene R. Chase ...... ,. .. 7 Claude L. Gray. Ir. M orton W. Les ter Airline Travel Fifty-Plus Years Ago by Edward D. Williams .... . ,...... 9 PRESIDENT 9635 Sylvia Avenue P. O. Box 37 47 Northridge. CA 91324 M artinsv ille, VA 24 112 A Montana Fly-In by Ed D. "Skeeter" Carlson ...... , ...... 14 W. BRAD THOMAS, JR . 2 13/34Q·1 J38 703/632 4 839 Ho me 301 DODSON MILL ROAD 703/638 -8783 O flice A Little Bit Of Little Ed Heath by Robert Burge ...... , ...... 16 Dal e A. G ustafson Airplane Type Clubs ...... - ...... 18 PILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041 7724 Sh ady Hill Drive Arthur R. Morga n 919/368-2875 Home Indianapo lis, IN 46274 3744 North 5'l st Blvd. Calendar Of Events ...... , .. 19 919/368-2291 Office 3'17/293·44 30 Milwauk ee, W I 532 16 4 14/441·3631 A Curtiss Album by George Hardie, Jr ...... 20 VICE-PRESIDENT Ri c hard H. Wagn e r Borden's Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's by Lionel Salisbury ..... • .. .. 24 P.O. Box 181 lohn R. Turgyan JACK C. WINTHROP Lyons. WI 53 148 1530 Ku ser Road ROUTE 1, BOX 111 414 /763 · 2017 Ho me Trent o n . NI 08 619 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP ALLEN, TX 75002 414/763·9588 O ffi ce 609/585·2747 2141727-5649' AI Kelch o NON-EAA MEMBER - $22_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ 66 W . 622 N. Madison Avenue Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year mem­ SECRETARY Ceda rburg. WI 5301 2 bership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separate membership cards . 414/377· 5886 H o m e M . C. "KELLY" VIETS SPORT AVIATION magazine not included. 7745 W. 183RD ST. Advisors STILWELL, KS 66085 o EAA MEMBER - $14_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic 913/681-2303 Home l ohn S. Copeland Stan Gomoll Gen e Morris Division, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD. 9 Joa nn e Drive 1042 90th Lane, NE 17 Chandelle Drive (Applicant must be current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.) 913/782-6720 Office ·W es tborough. M A 01 581 Minneapolis, M N 554 34 Hampshire. Il 60140 TREASURER 617/366·724 5 61 21784·11 72 3 12168 3-3199 E. E. "BUCK" HILBERT Ronald Fritz Rob ert E. Kesel George S. Yo rk 1989 Wil son. NW 455 Oakridge Drive 181 Slobo da Av e. P.O. BOX 145 G rand Rapids, MI 49504 Roch es t er, NY 1461 7 M ansfi eld . OH 44 906 UNION, IL 60180 616/453-7525 716/342·3170 Ho me Business Phone 41 9/755-1011 815/923-4205 716/325-2000, Ext. Home Ph o ne 419/5294 378 23250/23320 Office

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IS owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc.. and is published monthly at Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53t30. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 , and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc.. are $14.00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation. Page 4 Page 14 Page 16 3 TrI- a'~r witb

a ·~~di9r~~ By Gene R. Chase

In February, 1976, Leslie D. Marsh, EAA 137616, 2-20-51 Installed standard wings (Leslie talked about homa, Tennessee. A work schedule was set up and of 811 Shelbyview Drive, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160 this with J. Meyers, Piper test pilot, now retired, and th e restoration was soon underway. purchased an "old run-out" Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer learned that slotted wings were used for some of the Richard and Leslie were pleasantly surprised to bearing registration number N7777K. From a distance tests prior to this date) find that the only evidence of corrosion in the entire it looked fine but up close certain problems were airframe was around the door channels. These were obvious. The wing tip bows were damaged and there (Various) Series of fuel flow tests using a Stromberg removed and replaced. The frame was cleaned and was evidence of previous hail damage which among carburetor epoxied and wood stringers replaced where necessary. other things, had,dented some of the wing ribs . Damaged wing ribs and tip bows were repaired and The plane was covered with Grade A cotton and 3-3-51 Checked rate of sink with round leading edge the butt ribs replaced. The fuel tanks were removed Irish linen, all of which punched in the green. It flaps and cleaned . was no raving beauty but was airworthy, and Leslie The aircraft was covered with Grade A cotton en­ enjoyed flying the Tri-Pacer for about 100 hours over (Various) More Stromberg carburetor tests and cabin velopes from Cooper Aviation Supply Company. After the next 2 years. heat tests an application of fungicide, the finish consisted of Shortly after acquiri ng the aircraft, while going 4 coats of clear nitrate dope, 12 coats of silver butyrate through the plane's paperwork Leslie discovered that 6-7-51 New type controls installed (No details avail­ and 12 coats of color butyrate. The colors are the he owned more than iust another PA-22. ,After doing able) original Piper Polar Gray trimmed in Tennessee Red . some research · he found that his craft bearing serial The restoration further consisted of new hardware, number 22-2 was the second Tri-Pacer built by Piper, 2-8-51 through 9-51 Eight engine changes relating to control cables, windshield, side windows, headliner, its date of manufacture being 11-15-50. cooling tests and various horsepower ratings carpet, upholstered seats , tires, bottom engine cowl­ The prototype Tri-Pacer was N7700K, serial number ing and scoop. Other panels and fairings were re­ 22-1. It was subsequently destroyed during static 10-30-51 Installed auto pilot devices (This is the final paired to new condition . testing at the factory. The third Tri-Pacer was the entry relating to experimental work in N7777K) After 7 months of hard work and total devotion, first production machine and was retained by W. T. N7777K was assembled in September, 1978 and test Piper as his personal plane. In June, 1953, all experimental equipment was flown on October 2, 1978 . Everything checked out Leslie is fortunate in having the early log books for removed and the aircraft was put in standard category. beautifully and after , 5 hours of local flying, Leslie N7777K. A sampling of the entries looks like this: It was sold by Piper in late '53 or early '54. displayed his confidence in the Tri-Pacer by making The factory-installed engine in N7777K was a a round trip flight to the Grand Bahamas. 11-16-50 First test flight by J. Meyers Lycoming 0-290-0, sin 528-21, however, in 1951 during The plane is currently based at Parish Aerodrome, the period of many engine changes, this particular Tullahoma , Tennessee, site of the Walter H. Beech (Various) Several flights checking engine cooling engine was also installed in two other Piper aircraft, Staggerwing Museum and the EAA National Fall Fly-In . a PA-20, N1590A and a PA-18 , Nl199A. 11-21-50 Tests with Aeromatic prop After flying the Tri-Pacer for two years, Leslie dis­ cussed a complete restoration of the plane with Ri chard 11-22-50 Tests with Sensenich controllable prop Blazier, owner-operator of Ragwing Aircraft at · Tulla­ 4 x 8 -t5 .!!1. :>- . ..0 '­ 2 ~

LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION PROJECT

By Gene R. Chase

(Ph oto b y Don M orris) Th ese are th e iolks wh o gave up a weekend to load th e Laird into a closed va n ior it s trip to Wi sconsin. Standing I. to r.: Bill Choma, Rod Spanier, Donna Morri s, Jim Sweeney, Gordon Knapp , Dr. John Shinn, Leonard McG int y, Cici Chapman. Kn eeling I. to r.: Fr ed C)uinn, Bill y Henderson, Paul Hopkins, Chris Choma, George Read, Je ss ie Woods. Bill Choma is Director oi Maint enance at th e Mu seum and he and son Chri s drov e th e van transporting th e plane to th e Mu seum.

In 1931, Jimmy Doolittle set the U. S. transconti­ leaving his job as an engineer with the U.S . Navy at took shape, donating materials, etc. Last but not least, nental speed record, crossi ng th e cou ntry in 11 hou rs Cape Canaveral so he could devote full time to th e Laird were the cash contributions including funds raised 16 minutes 10 seconds, averaging 217 mph, including project. The work was being done in a hangar at the through the sale of specific items for this purpose 3 refueling stops. The flight was made in a beautiful Winter Haven, Florida Airport. (see notice at the end of this article). little biplane designed by E, M. "Matty" Laird and built Through Ed's friendship with Matty and Elsie Laird When the aircraft reached its present state of com­ by the Laird Company, in Chicago, in only six weeks. of Boca Raton, Florida, Matty's expertise and support pletion as shown in the accompanying photo, a meet­ The remaining parts of this one and only Laird was available. Jimmy Doolittle of Los Angeles also ing was held between representatives of the Florida Super Solution are owned by the Smithsonian Insti­ lent his support to the project. Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association and tution's National Air and Space Museum and are cur­ As work progressed, the idea of seeing the Super the EAA Air Museum Foundation to discuss the Mu­ rently on loan to the EAA Air Museum Foundation. Solution fly one day became overwhelming to those seum's offer to make its shop at EAA Headquarters In 1975, Chapter 1 of EAA's Antique/ Classic Division who were directly involved. The N .A.5.M. policy does available to complete the project. offered to restore this historical aircraft for the not permit any of their aircraft to be flown, so arrange­ The unanimous decision resulted in the move last N.A.S.M. under the auspices of the EAA Air Museum. ments were made to retain the original Laird parts so summer of the Laird Super Solution replica and the After completion, the plane would be displayed in they could be duplicated. Work was started immedi­ original Laird parts, to the Museum in Franklin, Wis­ the EAA Museum. ately on a faithful copy of the original aircraft, with consin. While on temporary display in the Museum, This group, more commonly known as the Florida ownership being retained by the EAA Air Museum the Laird was one of the most popular exhibits. Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association, began Fou ndation, Inc. The aircraft has since been moved into the shop the restoration project in earnest. This was a tre­ Interest in the' project spread like wildfire and and the construction schedule is geared to having mendous undertaking considering the fact that these soon offers of assistance were received from EAA it in flying condition on the flight line at Oshkosh are the same people who also put on the Annual Sun members throughout the country. This volunteer '80! Watch for update reports on the Laird Super Solu­ 'N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. help was in the form of making parts and fittings, tion project in future issues of this publication. The project leader was Ed Escallon, EAA 58814, making complete components (for example, the wing who demonstrated his extraordinary dedication by panels and tail group), drafting the plans as the plane 7 NOTICE - The following items are available from EAA Headquarters. Funds derived from the sale of these items will aid in financing the completion of the Laird Super Solution project. The sales price includes a tax deductible donation to the EAA Air Museum Founda­ tion, Inc. lithograph (17" x 22") - A beautiful rendering of the Super Solution in authentic colors from an oil paint­ ing by Richard E. Thompson. The original painting was authenticated by Mr. Laird and his initials ap­ pear below the signature of the artist. This litho­ graph is also available, framed and personally auto­ graphed by E. M. "Matty" Laird and General James Doolittle. Historical Photo Album - 12 - 8 x 10 glossy prints from Mr. Lai rd 's personal collection, i ncludi ng pi c­ tures of the Super Solution, the Laird Solution, the Laird-Turner Racer , Jimmy Doolittle and Matty Laird. Commemorative Stamp Memento - Stamp collectors should be particularly interested in this uncan­ celled 13c stamp commemorating 50 years of com­ mercial aviation, 1926 - ·1976. This 8" x 10" memento is suitable for framing and each one is numbered and personally autographed by E. M. " Matty" Laird. Depicted on the stamp are two early aircraft used to carry the first commercial Air Mail in the U.S. In the background is a Ford Pullman and in the foreground a Swallow, designed and built originally by Matty Laird as Wichita's first airplane. Laird Jacket Patch - These patches are .13;"" x 3 3;"" and are faithful reproductions of the Laird Company logo. •

For prices and ordering instru ctions please see the ad on page 26 of this issue.

(Photo b y Lee Fra y) Th e Museum crew unloading lhe Laird Oil ils arrival ell lh e Museum.. i,.li", -rr"vel -'-, -CJ'%"S SAG

By Edward D. Williams " Special clothing for airplane travel is unnecessary found advisable to have the person in charge of your air Associate Editor when the traveler uses the regular, es tablished passenger travel department take an airplane ride during (his) spare 773 Ea stman Drive air lines . Th e airplanes of these lines are of th e enclosed time to acquaint himself with th e advantages , thrill and Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 cabin type with th e interiors similar to thos e of a railroad time-saving elem ent of air trave/. " parlor car. This was at a time when most of today's airlines All Photos Courtesy Of United Airlines "However, should th e traveler intend to take sp ecial weren 't even born. Ex cept As Noted chartered airplane trips, in which open cockpit planes For example, in the five-page timetable section, may be us ed, the traveler should equip himself with a there were these familiar names: Northwest Airways, pair of goggles and a helme!." Western Air Express, Capitol Airways, Pan American The advice continues with a style note to the ef­ Airways, Colonial Air Transport, Clifford Ball, Stout fect that, " A sp ecial flying suit is usually not necess ary, Air Services, Maddux Air Lines, Boeing Air Transport especially in the summer months, and its purchase should and Pacific Air Transport. be lerr to the discretion of the traveler." But there also were a Southwestern Air Fast Ex­ This up-to-date information was contained in the press, Universal Air Lines, Interstate Air Lines, Na­ Airline travel still had a long way to go in 1929. For article "Air Travel - A New Source of Profit", by Fred tional Park Airways, Mutual Aircraft Corporation, and the previous year, a total of only 52,924 airplane pas­ Burns, in the inaugural issue of TRAVEL TRADE Maga­ even a Yellow Cab Airways. sengers had been reported by the Aeronautical Cham­ zine of July, 1929. As a service to its readers in Volume And they were flying everything from a new Ford ber of Commerce. This averaged out to just slightly 1, Number 1, the magazine also carried a composite 5-AT-C to the old Eaglerock biplane - flown by Wichita more than 1,000 passengers a week for all the airlines listing of timetables and fares of the existing airlines Falls Air Transport. in the entire United States. (Last year there were about in the United States which carried passengers. This In addition, according to the timetable section in 5,000 airline passengers for everyone in 1929.) special section consisted of only five pages. the magazine, other equipment in service were the Burns admitted to his readers that, "Air transporta­Boeing 80 and 40B (flown by Boeing Air Transport), tion is still in its infancy" since many passengers still the Boeing 40C (flown by Pacific Air Transport), the had to ride in open cockpits. But the drama of avia­ Fokker F-10 trimotor (flown by Pan American, Uni­ tion, as covered in the press since Charles Lindbergh's versal and Western), the Fokker Super Universal (flown historic New York-Paris flight two years before, could by Universal, National Park, Southern Air Transport Historically speaking, when it comes to airline mean financial success to travel specialists. "Th e travel and Standard Air Lines), and the Hamilton Metalplane travel, 1929 was a vi ntage year. burea us and tourist agencies who equip th emselves now (flown by Northwest). Fifty years ago, the airline queens of the skies were to handle air travelers will not only profit, but will be th e However, an airline passenger could still find him­ the Fokker, Boeing, and Ford trimotors, and airline recipient of beneficial indirect publicity," Burns wrote self in an open cockpit Stearman C-3B of Western passengers were passing out of the "flying suit and prophetically half a century ago. Air Express if he didn't mind the breeze. And, ac­ goggles" age into a new era in which they no longer Lindbergh's feat had caused public interest to sky­ cording to the TRAVEL TRADE timetable, other air­ had to sit on mail pouches in open cockpits. But it rocket, and travel would never be the same. Burns lines boasted of such equipment as Capitol 's and was still a time when most people in the world had commented: Embry-Riddle Company's Ryan Brougham, Northwest's not flown and commercial air travel had to be sold " With th e Ameri ca n public becoming more and more Stinson Detroiter, Southern's J-5 and J-6 Travel Airs to the public. airminded daily, the increase in pass enger airlines and and Curtiss Robin and Pan Am's "Keystone Trimotor, Today, travel agents book clients on 600-mi le-an­ frequent r;1ail y sight of th ese planes pass ing overh ead, six-passenger Loening and Fokker F-VII". hour jumbo jets to exotic and far away places, and th e new comforts and sa fety factor of today's airliners, The timetable showed the travel opportunities exist­ these bookings are heavy on both scheduled and char­ th e enthusia sm of th e public for th e adventure, romance ing at that time. Route systems ranged from only be­ ter flights. But 50 years ago, air travel was new to and speed of th e airplane flight. th e travel burea us and tween Waterloo and Des Moines (Midwest) and Kan­ travel agents, and they had to work to get all but the tourist agencies are afforded a new and additional source sas City-Des MoineS-Minneapolis (Yellow Cab Airways) hardy and adventu resome into an ai rli ner. of income." to the extensive route systems of Pan Am and Boeing. In 1929, travel agents were given this guidance by And in order that they might be knowledgeable However, transconti nental air travel had al ready an expert: about the subject, Burns suggested that " It is generally been available to an airline passenger for almost two 9 When Stout Air Services flew between Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago in 7929, it operated the venerable Ford Tri­ motor, which not only was built by the Slout Melal Air­ plane Co., a division of the Ford Motor Co. , but th e air­ plane traced its lineage to th e original Stout Trimotor. Stout Air Services in early 1929 was operating th e Ford 5-AT-8 (shown above in the markings of Nationa l Air Transport! and later in the year added th e 5-AT-C. The 5-A T-8 was the ultimate in trayeler comior/ and received its approved typel certificate ih jun e, 79 29. It was hur­ riedly put into service' by othe, airlines, such as Maddux, T.A. T., Pan Am, Colonial and &.A. T.

Th e Ford 5-AT-C, which followed closely behind Ihe 5-A T-B in 7929, 'increased passenger capacity to 77 pas­ sengers. The first plane off the assembly line in Dear­ born, Michigan, went to Maddux Air Lines in California in mid-1929, and by the end of the year a total of 35 5-AT-Cs had been delivered to various airlines. Note the mail bags being loaded into th e wing storage compart­ m ent.

10 . years , since September 1, 1927, but on two different airlines. That was when Boeing Air Tran sport and Na­ tional Air Transport joined up at Chicago, making New York to Oakland travel by air poss ible for th e first time. (See Th e VIN TA GE AIRPLA NE, December, 1977 .) The roots of today's airline industry go back to that time. For example, Maddux joined with Standard and with Transcontinental Air Transport to form Trans­ continental and Western Inc., the original TWA. Stout was merged into National Air Transport, which later joined Boeing Air Transport, Pacifi c Air Transport and Varney Air Lines to form United Air­ lines. Western Air Express, with National Park, evolved into Western Air Lines. Clifford Ball evolved into Capital Airlines, which eventually merged into United. Northwes t Airways became Northwest Orient. Embry-Riddle, Universal , Colonial and South ern and others formed American Airlines. Fifty years ago saw the beginning of th e complex airline family trees, but they all shared one beli ef ­ that the carrying of passengers was "here to stay". Travel authority Burns beli eved in it, too. His ar­ This is the prototype Boeing 80 photographed on Jul y 14 , ticle in the July 1929, TRAVEL TRADE said: 1928. Power is three P. & W. Wa sp engines. "One decided reason fo r travelers turning to airplane transportation, especially seasoned travelers, is th e op­ p ortunity of see ing planes fr om a new p erspective, of being above th e scenery instea d of on a level with it. " That has been one of the major lures to flight from the first time a man-carrying aircraft was launched, and now- in 1929 - it was being used to snare poten­ tial air passengers instead of early balloonists and aircraft pilots. Ca bin shot of Ford Trimotor showing airspeed indica tor " An airplane view ca nnot be duplica ted by any m ethod and altimeter; also th e aluminum sea ts which rep laced of travel oth er th an via airplanes," Bu rns wrote in u nder­ wicker chairs. Note th e captain's hea vy lea th er ja cket scoring the obvious. and th e pull down shade over th e w indow in th e door Today's pampered passengers in th e supersonic to th e flight deck. Concorde might appreciate their accommodations more if they took notice of Burns' statement that the 1929 air traveler would be able to see more in his alloted vacation time "since use of airplanes w ill en­ (Trans Worfd Airfin es Photo) able th e traveler to cover approximately 7,000 miles in Pa ssenger chairs in th e earl y models of th e Ford Trimotor 70 hours". were of wicker constru ction. Lat er they were furnished Passenger convenience and comfort in 1929 was in aluminum covered with lea th er. Large windows, ar­ not as complex a matter. Boei ng Ai r Transport's Wasp­ ranged to provide passengers with a good view of th e powered Boeing 80 trimotor was the last word in landscape, were of non-shallerable glass w ith individual luxurious air travel when it was first introduced in shades. Electri c ca bin lights were provided over each late 1928 . The large cabin carried 12 passengers and sea t. Th e cabin interior wa s covered sheet aluminum w ith was provided with hot and cold running water, forced a ba lsa wood core, providing a surface for interior decora­ air ventilation, leather upholstered seats and indi­ tions and some soundproofing. vidual reading lamps. 11 (Boeing Company Photo) In -fli ght shot of a triple-tail /3 oeing 80A. Note th E.' aft ex­ tensions on th e fenders to protect th e lower wings fro m wheel splalt ering.

Th e Boeing 80 trimotor wa s introdu ced in late 79 28 and b y th e next year had es tablished itseli as a leading air­ lin er despite th e fact th at it was a biplane. Th e single­ rudder 80 was superseded later in 1929 by a single-rudder 80A and th en a triple- tail 80A.

In late 1929, the newer, Hornet-powered 80A, car­ The Ford 5-AT-B was the ultimate in air travel in Passengers who dared to fly commercially were rying 18 passengers, was available. Boeing Air Trans­ early ·1929..It was first delivered to Transcontinental rewarded with a memorable experience. In 1929, one port, the following year, hired eight registered nurses Air Transport in October, 1928, and Maddux, Pan passenger , a Philadelphia engineer named Walton to tend to the passengers' needs. They were the first American, Southwest Air Fast Express and Stout each Forstall, wrote: stewardesses ill the airline industry. got their first 5-AT-B's in December, 1928. Colonial " Flyin g as we did . .. gave a wonderful opportunity The Fokker ··F-10 also had its touch of class. It fea­ Air Transport didn't get its first 5-AT-B until March , to 'see th e world go by'. And what an interes ting world tured mahogany paneling, a complete lavatory and 1929. Almost immediately, in May, 1929, the larger it was. . It had not yet grown used to our tremendous individual reading lights. But more than just pas­ and improved 5-AT-C was delivered to Maddux. The three-motored Ford. Th e roar of our propellers brought senger comfort was of importance to the fledgling next month, 5-AT-Cs went to Northwest, Stout and humans to look up and wave, dogs to bark in defi ance, airlines. In 1929, for example, Northwest Airways Pan American-Grace. By the end of 1929, the Ford made horses and ca ttl e scamper wildl y, and dro ve chickens equipped its planes with radio r eceivers and indi­ Trimotor had become the backbone of the schedule to th e nea res t cover, seeking refu ge fr om some giga nti c vidual headphones. air transportation industry. hawk." 12 With sea ting for 18 passe ngers and a crew of two, the Boeing 80A was an air traveler's dream in 1929. The main cabin was lined with rows of three sea ts and was finished with mahogany panelling (of plywood), with a thick core of balsa wood for insulation. Soundproofing of th e cabin walls permitted passengers to converse in near normal tones. Heating and ventilation brought considerable com­ fort to passengers, who were protected by shatterproof glass windows. There also was a cloak room, overhead racks and a lavatory with hot and cold running water. Cons tru ction details show clearly in this photo of an early Boeing Model 80 .

The Boeing 80A was introduced in September, 19 29 and was a huge plane for the day. It was des ign ed for large capacity trans continental passe nger service and mail­ express operation. It was flown by Boeing Air Transport, which introdu ced stewardesses to th e industry th e fol­ lowing year.

Being an airline passenger in 1929 could have its drawbacks, however. Such as the incident reported in a 1929 issue of Western Air Express' DASHBOARD RECORD . It involved a flight in a Fokker F-10 which encountered bad weath er and was forced down atop a mountain in Utah in subzero weather. The pilot hitchhiked to a farmhouse and telephoned Salt Lak e City for help. A rescue truck was sent, but it couldn't get within a quarter mile of the plane. The result was that the pilot had to enlist the aid of his passengers in lugging 1,000 pounds of mail and their baggage to the truck. Then they had to push the truck uphill and ride downhill as they headed for the nearest town. But, all in all, in the history of the airlines, 1929 was a year to remember. 13 By Eel D. "S keeter " Carlson Route I, Box 202 Jrlontana Spokane, WA 99204 Yl (j:Zy"In Photos b y Doris Carlson

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Bea con Star Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana. The barn, a famous dance spot in the thirties, was rebuilt by Frank Ba ss in 1977. A new house w ith an indoor pool Scale model built b y Hap Hall is a ll exact cop y of brother replaces an elderly iarm house on the Montana Ran ch. Bud's Piper PA- 12.

Beacon Star Antiqu e Airfield is located in the cen­ there was a lot of help from many, many friends. The slide trombone who flew in from North Ridges, Ca li­ ter of the huge Montana Judith Basin where famous Montana Chapter of th e Antique Airplane Association fornia with hi s new bride, Dallys. During the evening Charles. Ru ssell captured Western art on ca nvas . The helped prepare th e airfield for th e fly-in and spon­ Bob Taylor, National President of th e A ntique Air­ airstrip is on a half section ranch owned by Frank sored the no-host dinner of barbecued stea ks which plane Association was introduced. He surprise d every­ Bas s, a prominent Montana auctioneer who promotes amazingly could be cut with plastic forks providing one by announcing th e forthcoming marri age of Jerri aviation every chance he gets. His second annual fly­ th e excellency of Montana beef. The M oore, Montana Brooks of Sylma, California and Frank Bass as the first in last August 4th and 5th was conveniently held at Women's Club made sure there was plenty of food wedding to be h eld at the upcoming A.A.A. National the end of the EAA Oshkosh Fly-In enabling many and beverages for brea kfast and lunch fo r the two Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa. pilots to stop enroute home to the Northwest. My days. The old-fashioned barn dance las ted into th e wee wife and I in our D. H. Puss Moth joined th e hundred In the bi g barn , a famous dance spot of th e thir­ ho urs of th e morning. giving many but a short sleep aircraft in attendance. ties and forti es and recently saved from destruction 'neath th e wings before th e ea rl y ri sers w ere enjoying The gathering at the private airport was another by th e Ba ss family, th e Lewistown Barbershop Q uar­ th e excell ent weather by flying around th e big sky of success ful event for Frank Bas s and his family in­ tet entertain ed with several songs. N ex t , the walls M o ntana. Others too k advantage of the swimming cluding son Colin with whom he is associated in th e once aga in vibrated with good music by the " H ertz pool and enjoyed th e country-club atmosph ere of auctioneer business. Th ey are all qui ck to add that Combo" Orchestra jo in ed by " Spinach " Ennis on th e~ th e ranch. 14 va of the three known Lincoln PT's. NC2'J73 I is owned Air show p erformer AI Newby taxies his dreat Lakes Trainer Dr. H al Wighton of Roslyn, Wa shington and the olh er past Frank Bass' Kari Keen Coupe which projects a unique ()wned by Jim Hayden ()f Boise, Idaho. "ant-eater" profiIe. .. ~

Ha yden's award winning Linc() ln PT and th e Puss Lefi to righl- Jerri Brooks and Fr ank Bass, Belle and " Ously' th in front of the hangar additi()n which Frank Ba ss Rhodes, and Bob Taylor in front of the Ka ri Keen Coupe. 'ed 10 th e barn.

Bud Hall of Bozeman , Montana announced that Lincoln is owned by th e EAA Air Museum and was on It is hard to beat Montana hospitality and many PA-12 had pupped during the night but the " baby" display at Osh kosh '79. of us also had the pleasure of a chat with Rose and ned out to be an exact scale model , meti culously To redu ce expenses everyone volunteers to help Frank Wiley who were visiting from Shreveport, Louisi­ d e by his brother, Hap Hall of Lewi stown, Montana. during the fly-in and air show. Although Frank main­ ana. Mr. Wiley, a noted pilot and former Montana Among th e outstanding antiques attending beside tain s that trophies aren't necessary and that his fly­ Aeronautics Commissioner for whom Miles City Air­ , Bass' Kari Keen Coupe was a Staggerwing Beech in is just a big get-together for fri endly pilots, he ac­ port was renamed , is the author of an excellent book h Lan e Leonard of Covina, California, a Cessna cepted the " Roving" Hot Air Trophy and Bob Taylor on ea rly Montana aviation called " Montana and the master with Darlene and Art Swenson of Spokane, presented some flyers with A .A .A . Fearless Pilot Wings . Sky". shington, and a Wa co Cabin with George H eft­ One such fearless pilot was AI Newby of Belgrade, Frank and Jerri were married at the big August wed­ ~er of Kansa s City. Also attracting attention were Montana who gave an excellent performance in his ding and speaking for myself and many Northwest ) Lin coln PT's , Jim Hayden's recent restoration for Great Lakes Trainer. AI , along with Fred Ludtke, Ron aviation enthusiasts we wish them much happiness ich th e A.A.A. Missouri Chapter awarded th e " Best Litton, and the very active Bozeman Skydiving Team and many more successfu l fly-ins at their Beacon Star ique" trophy and th e military painted one which put on a good little air show. "Dusty" Rhodes, ac­ Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana. I just been purchased at Oshkosh by Dr. Hal Wigh­ compani ed by his wife Bette, flew in from Colorado of Ro slyn , Washington. Th e only other known to do th e announcing. 15 making of propellers, and a German taught motor mechanics and general construction. At this time Heath was involved in making the "A LITTLE BIT OF Heath Parasol or Henderson-powered plane. I was at the school about three months when the plane finally was taken off the boards and general construction was started. I, along with other students, helped build the fuse­ lage. We used Thomas Morse Scout lower wings for the Parasol. When the plane was ready for testing, it LITTLE ED H EATH" was lowered through a hole in the shop floor, to street level, as the school was on the second floor of a two­ By Robert Burge story building. It was loaded into a Packard bus or 761 2 Eri e Street semi-station wagon and taken to the field at Des Sylvania , OH 43560 .plaines, Illinois, where the wings were attached. Eddie had been injured in an automobile accident, so he hired Lt. Edwards of Lambert Mail Service to test hop the plane. After several attempts, it became Ashville, NY 14710 airborne for several hundred feet, then pancaked, August 11,1978 busting the under carriage. They found out that the Dear Antique 'Ai rplane Lovers: . T. M. Scout wing was not suitable, so Heath designed I had my 1929 Heath Parasol at Oshkosh in 1973, Robert: a high-lift wing, and with some modifications the at which time it was f lown on five different days, with Your inquiry concerning Eddie Heath and request plane was ready again. This time Eddie tested it and an original HEATH HENDERSON B-4 e ngine. Si nce for any pictures or what have you, takes me back to he flew it about four miles when the motor quit and then, I have installed a Con tinental A-40-4 in same. the period of March thru July, 1927. he set it down near a swamp. All the students at the It now flies like a real airplane, without the worries I did have quite an album of pictures of the school field were taken to where the plane came down and that accompanied every flight, reliability-wise. The ac­ on Broadway, and the field at River and Touie Cross we carried it bodily all the way back to the field. companying picture was taken in the summer of 1977, Road at Rantoul, Illinois. I don't recall why the motor failed but the fabric which shows just how cute a Heath can be (if any Heath After leaving Heath I obtained a mail job at May­ was completely ruined on the wing and fuselage. fans are still reading thus far.) wood, Illinois, at Checkerboard Field. I made several The plane was repaired again and Lt. Edwards tested With this preface it can be understood that I am flights with Lindbergh and Lt. Edwards on the Chicago! it. The company was given the O.K. to produce and a real Heath nut. While reading the list of new mem­ St. Louis air mail run, to familiarize myself with the sell it. bers joining the OX-5 Club, I read that Norman E. route. When Lindy went to California for his Ryan, The Heath Parasol sold in kit form, for $160.00, Skinner, RD #1, West Lake Road, Ashville, New York I was given his position until the service was can­ less motor and prop. The prop cost $38.00. I do not '141'10, had just joined, and gave as one of his flying celled . I bought an OX-5 Standard from Heath for remember what the motor cost. Eddie Heath had pur­ instructors the name of Ed Heath. This prompted me $650.00, flew east to my, at that time, home town of chased 50 Henderson motors. to inquire as to "just what" Norman might know about Brocton , New York, and barnstormed around western I made the first three propellers ever made for Ed Heath that might never have been said before or New York, Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. In the plane. The first two were broken in test flights stories, etc., and his own flying history especially as 1932, I joined the Army Air Corps at Kelly Field , Texas, and the third was still in use when I left the school. it might relate to Ed Heath. staying in 'til 1945. E. H . had a temper to make up for his small size. I was delighted to get the following eight page let­ While in Texas I used to visit a ranch on Medina He was built like a coiled spring, powerful for his size, ter from Norm, and with his permission, I am sure Lake and one weekend the ranch-house burned down moved fast and didn't care how big you were. that you will enjoy his story as much as I have. and I lost my photo album, clothes and several hundred M any time, at the field, we saw men twice his size, dollars. back down . To go back 50 years to Heath School of Aviation is After a student soloed, the school sold him one Regards a time I'll always remember. I'm now in my 70th year. hour of solo flight time for $35.00. Then E. H . went Bob Burge The tuition was $350.00, and we worked in the up with him, and "checked him out". There were no shop for two hours, for one minute of flying time. licenses to be had then . You paid for your instruc­ Eddie Heath was a little shrimp, not much over tions, then bought a new or used plane, if you had five feet tall, and a whiz of a pilot. AI Myers was chief the cash . Sometimes two or more went together to instructor, and there was a Texan, about Eddie's size, buy a plane. You followed the fairs or carnivals or 16 who also instructed. A big Swede instructed us on the went to country towns and flew passengers. If I remember correctly, E. H . had the first license ever issued in the state of Illinois. I don't believe (Ph oto Courtes y of Bob Bu rge) E. H. weighed much over 110 pounds, wringing wet. Bob Burge's H ea th as it looks now aft er rep lacing th e Whenever he flew the OX-5 Standard or the OXX-6 H ea th-Henderso n B-4 engin e w ith th e m ore reliable Con­ Super Standard or any of the Jennys he owned, he linental A-4 0-4. always had a large cushion to sit on, so that he could see over the side. E. H. also owned a German Fokker monoplane of WW I vintage. It was suspended from the ceiling of the shop/school. None of the students liked the instructor from Texas as he was a braggard and blowhard, and when­ ever possible, we asked for AI Myers. Lt . Edwards was an Army Reserve Pilot, and flew the mail from Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis. He also instructed for E. H. whenever needed. He was killed in a plane crash in the Allegheny Mountains, near Pittsburgh, around 1928 or 1929. On the mail , we flew Curtiss D-12's with plywood fuselages and fabric-covered wings. If we had a pas­ senger, he sat on the mail bags, in the compartment in front of the pilot. At one time in school we had a Henderson motor mounted on a heavy post, with a dummy prop on it, for instruction purposes. Directly below the post, on ground level , there was a two chair barber shop. E. H. had started the engine to do some experiments, but when he revved it up, the prop broke, went through the floor and pierced the tile floor in the barber shop, directly beside the chair of a fellow getting a hair cut or a shave. The barber, the cus­ tomer, the landlord and two policemen came upstairs to Eddie's office. The yelling could be heard a mile away and the end result was that Eddie was forbidden (photo by Eric Lundahl) to run any motors in the building. He then had to Bob Burge's H enderson-pow ered H eath Super Para sol at Oshkos h 7 3 . rent space in a garage behind the school. He also had to pay for all the repairs to the building. paid $15.00 per flight or $30.00 round trip, with three Lockbourn Air Base at Columbus, Ohio. He really had a voice that could be heard a long trips per week. In August, 1945 I was discharged as a Master Ser­ ways off and could swear like the professional he was. In June of '28, Lambert lost the mail contract, so geant at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and returned home to I met Mrs. Heath just once, at the school. She was as I previously wrote, I bought a Curtiss Jenny and Jamestown, New York where I eventually started my a few inches taller than Eddie, and somewhat heavier. flew home. own ornamental iron shop. I don't know if they had any children. I worked for Glenn Curtiss in Buffalo for a short I hope that my ramblings of the time I spent with Eddie didn't spend much time at the shop/school time, then joined the Air Corps. I was sent to Kelly Eddie Heath have been of interest to you. after the Heath Parasol went on the market. Field, at San Antonio, Texas, and when Randolph Sincerely, I received my diploma from the school in August, Field was started, I was one of the first G.l.s assigned Norman E. Skinner and the school got me a job at Checkerboard Field there. in Maywood, Illinois. I soloed at Heath with 3 hours I was one of the very few enlisted pilots in the serv­ Editor's Note: 28 minutes dual instruction with AI Myers. I bought ice, a 1st Sgt. in the 4th Bomb Wing, heavy, at Mitchell In response to Mr. Skinner's statement that h e did not extra time on several occasions and was hired by Lam­ Field, Long Island. I later transferred to the 416 A.B. know if Ed H ea th had any children, we had the dislinct bert Aviation Company of St. Louis. at B.W. 8, Greenland, then to Africa, Murmansk, Prest­ pleas ure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Zacharias of I flew several trips, mostly as a passenger, between wick, Scotland, Archaugel, Russia, back to Greenland Sea ttle, Wa shington about two years ago wh en th ey visited Maywood, Springfield and/or to St. Louis. I became then to England General Hospital at Atlantic City, th e EAA Air Museum. Mrs. Zacharias is th e former " Dickie" a full-fledged mail pilot in October of 1927. We were New Jersey; then to Maxwell Field, Alabama; then H ea th, Ed 's daughter. 17 AIRPLANE Culver Club The Health Club Monocoupe Club Lawrence Low, Chairman Robert Bu rge, Chairman Mr. & Mrs. Bud Dake TYPE CLUBS 60 Skywood Way 7612 Eri e Street 8318 Fairbanks Woodside, CA 94062 Sylvania, OH 43560 Berkeley, MO 63134 Aeronca Club No Newsletter No Newsletters 4 newsletters per year Edward H. Schu bert, Chai rman Dues: Dues: Dues: $3.00 per year 28 East State Street The Mooney Mite Owners Janesville, WI 53545 The Dart Club Howard Club Association 2 newletters per year Lloyd Washburn John Turgyan, Chairman Box 3999 Dues: $3.00 per year 3958 Washburn Drive 1530 Kuser Road . PI. Cli nton, OH 43452 Trenton, NJ 08619 Chariottesvi lie, VA 22903 Aeronca Club No Newsletters No Newsletter No Newsletters 14100 Lake Candelwood Ct. 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Dale Beach , Chairman Ev Payette 12 newsletters per year Cessna 1201140 Association 1621 Dreher Street 1604 South Custer Road Dues: Owners, $3.00 per year Box 92 Sacramento, CA 95814 Monroe, M I 48161 $2.00 t rophy fund Ri chardson, TX 75086 12 newsletters per year No Newsletter (volu ntary) 11 newsletters per year Dues: $12.00 Dues: non-owner, $12.00 per year Dues: $10.00 18 Dear Paul : How the year has " flown". Your visit to those Rearwi n Clu b Wheelchair Pilots Continental Lu scombe Association guys " down under" last April just seems a Rt. 1 Howard Treadwell Loren Bump month or two ago. Poynette, WI 53955 11018 - 102nd Avenu e 5736 Esmar Road Hope to see you and Audrey soon. Max Clear as you would know is organizing and hosting No Newsletter Largo, FL 33540 Ceres, CA 95307 our " Homebuilt" Annual Convention Fly-In Dues: No N ewsletter New sletter mid January. '80. Dues: Dues: For the past two years I have spent full Rose " Parrakeet" Clu b time pouring in 60 to 70 hours per week for Jack W. Rose World War I Aeroplanes total rebuild of three Tiger Moths I had as P. O . Box 32 Leonard E. Opdycke International Pietenpol Association "basket cases". I have made all new wood , Ingleside, IL 60014 15 Crescent Road Rob ert L. Ta ylo r replaced 30% metal components, cadium plated all metal , etc., etc. Unfortunately, I No Newsletter Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 forgot that Valda was subsidizing the project!! Dues: 5 newsletters per year (as with the two Moth Minors). We now have a Dues: Voluntary 4 newsletters per year five month old boy " Guy", (easier than making The Staggerwing Club Du es: $5.00 p er year aeroplanes) . James c. Gorman, President I have suddenly realized that I have 10 Box 1217 months more work on the Tigers for " flyaway". Mansfield, OH 44902 I've already spent $39,000 on the project ­ CALENDAR OF EVENTS disaster! As complete kit sets they are for sale. 4 newsletters p er year, plus 4 from My bank tells me I have to find the money Staggerwi ng Museu m quickly. Sadly, I will have to part with my Moth Dues: $10.00 p er year MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - Sun ' N Fun Minor to stay afloat. 1980. Note new dates. For information , pl ease Paul , I would like to find someone who can Stearman's Res torers Associ ation contact: Betty Jones, 4195 Forres t Drive, Mulberry, afford to love her as I have done. She is a very T. Lowe, President FL 33860. rare, beautiful and useful aeroplane, with only 823 Kingston Lan e 550 total hours since new from the factory JULY 12 - TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN - Meyers OTW in 1938. I have replaced all woodwork in her Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Reunion - Back to Factory. OTW and former OTW other than the sailplane spar (as with AKM 6 newsletters p er year owners - hangar flying , dutch trea t. For informa­ Moth Minor). Du es : $10.00 p er year tion , please contact: Di ck Martin , Rt. 3, Aerodro m e She is th e third prototype of ei ght made in UK before the production series. Maybe Taylorcraft Owners Club Road , Green Bay, W I 54301 , or Harold Lossner , you would know of a person worthy of such an M erton A . M ea d e, Jr. , President 41 5 Eighth Street Pla ce, Des Moines, IA 50313. aeroplan e? 2009 Victoria Drive AUGUST 2-9 - OSHKOSH, WIS CONSIN - 28th Kindest ragards and Merry Christmas. Annual EAA Fly-In Convention. Start making your Myles, Valda & Guy Robertson Aquia Harbour 1A - 10 Brett Avenu e Stafford, VA 20021 plans now. Takapuna, Au ckland 6 newsletters p er year AUGUST 9-16 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - The New Zealand Dues: $5.00 per yea r Inte rnati ona l Aerobatic Championships. Start making your plans now! " The Uncommon Cub" AUGUST 17-30 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - World Garth Elliot A erobati cs '80. Fo r th e first time ever , th e U.S. Second Li n e W es t will h os t the World 's Aerobati c C hampionships. Meadowvale Don' t mi ss this histo ri c event. Fo r informatio n , Ontario LOJ 1KO, CANADA pl ease contact : WORLD AEROBATICS '80, EAA 34 Newsletters Per Yea r Box 229, Hal es Corners, W I 53130. Dues: Postage Donations AUGUST 22-24 - COFFEYVILLE , KANSAS -Funk Vagabond New s Fly-In . Best Antiqu e and Best Homebuilt trophi es Cecil Ogles, Editor/Publisher as w ell as Funk trophies. Fly-bys - spot landing ­ 448 C Avenue bomb drop contests. M eet and talk with H oward Coronado, CA 92118 and Joe Funk, aviation pioneers. For informati o n , 12 newsletters per yea r pl ease contact: Ray Pahls , 454 South Summitlawn , Dues: Donations Wichita, KS 67209, o r G. Dal e Beach, 1621 Dreher West Coast Cess na 120/140 Club, Inc. Street, Sacra mento, CA 95814 . Doug Williams, President OCTOBER 1-5 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - 2nd Box 891 Annual EAA National Fall Fly-In. Don ' t miss thi s one. M enlo Park , CA 94025 For info rmation , please con tac t: EAA Fall Fly-In , c/o Myles Robertson 's Moth Minor. 7 newsletters per year EAA , Box 229, Hales Corners, W I 53130. Dues: $6.50 per year 19 A Album

By Ceorge Hardie, Jr. fAA Historian All photos are courtesy of th e author except as no ted

The success of the Curtiss flying boat came at an opportune time. While the U. S. Navy ordered five of the Model F boats and the Army took three, and a few were sold to wealthy sportsmen, the threat of war in Europe brought a flood of orders. When war finally broke out in August, 1914, the British government bought the Wanamaker flying boat "America" and ordered a duplicate. Designated the H-4 , an additional 55 were eventually produced. A larger version, the H-8, was called the " Large America" by the British. Re­ engiried with the 275 hp Rolls Royce engine, the type became the H-12. This was th e first American airplane to see actual combat in World War I when it intercepted a German Zeppelin and shot it down on May 14 ,1917. The first sinking of a German submarine took place from an H-12 three days later. Glenn Curtiss (/eft) poses with a class of flying boat students at Hammondsport, New York. The H-12 had a wing span of 92 feet 8 inches and was powered with Rolls Royce engines of 275 hp. In 1916 the U. S. Navy ordered the first of a batch of 20 H-12's. Powered at first with the Curtiss VXX engine of 200 hp, these aircraft eventually substituted the 400 hp Liberty engine to get better performance.

The Model HS-/ flying boat of 1917 was a single engined des ign intended for training Th e Model HS-2L had a larger wingspan and was powered with th e 400 hp Libert y and coastal patrol. engin e to improve performance. 20 A Model H-12 flying boat nears completion at the Curtiss factory, March 1917. Close-up of the H-12 hull reveals the size of this model compared to the "America".

The Model H-16 has an early type windshield and the engines are not yet installed. A Model F-5-L awaits covering in this view taken October 31, 1918 at the Curtiss factory,

21 a joint product of Navy and Curtiss engi neers. The Curtiss Company had built a new plant at Garden City, Long Island for th e (A Curtiss Album . .. Continued) new Curtiss Engineering Corporation , es tablished to condu ct the experimental The British meanwhile were ex periencing operational damage to their H-1 2's work for the company. Th e hull and some other components for the NC-1 had in North Sea operations, so a new model, the H-16, was built with a new hull been built at Buffalo and were then moved to the Garden City plant where a design. Fitted with Rolls Royce "Eagle" engines of 340 hp , the British eventually special building for th e project had been built to protect its secrecy. bought 75 of the type. Because production facilities at Curtiss were strained to the limit, the British df'cided to manufacture the H-16 at Felixstowe, England. Named for the town where they were built, these became known as the Felixstowe F series flying boats. Noting the success of the British F-5 type, the U. S. Navy arranged to produce the type as the F-5-L, using Liberty engines. The Naval Aircraft Factory built 33 before the Armistice was signed, and the Curtiss Company comp leted 60. When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, German sub­ marines were taking a terrific toll of transatlantic shipping. The British were anxious to obtain as many flying boats as possible to combat this menace. The need for longer range and greater load-carrying ability prompted the suggestion that a flying boat be built to fly the Atlantic to avoid the submarine danger on de­ livery. With the decision to go ahead with the project, Glenn Curtiss was called to Washington early in September, 1917 to discuss the design with U. S. Navy officials. After the preliminary specifications were agreed upon , a contract was drawn up in December, 1917 by the U. S. Navy for the Curtiss Company to construct four of these flying boats . Named th e NC type (for Navy-Curtiss) th e design was to be

IOiiicia' u.s. Navy Ph ow ) Th e NC-/ at Rockaway Beach. Note the three engine arrangement with the cockpit in th e center nacelle.

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(Officia' U. S. Navy Ph oto) (Offi cia' u. S. Na v y Ph ow) Th e NC-4 being prepared (or launching. Closp- up oi th e NC-4 being preparpcI ior flight. The NC type was the largest aircraft to be built in the U.S. up to that time. After some preliminary maneuvering the decision was finally made to complete With a wing span of 126 feet and an overall length of 68 feet, the NC-1 was powerd the four NC boats with the express purpose of making a transatlantic flight. Three with three of the new Liberty engines. Completed in October, 1918, a flight to of the boats, NC-1, NC-3 and NC4, left Rockaway Beach on May 8,1919 on the the Washington Navy Yard for final inspection was made on November 7. On first leg of the flight. The three left Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland on May 16 for November 11, the Armistice was signed and the contract for the NC's was sus­ the crossing. NC-1 and NC-3 were forced down, but NC4 landed at Lisbon, pended. Portugal on May 27 to complete the first successful aerial crossing of the Atlantic O cean .

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.~ ~ -- · ~~d~-- Another view of th e NC-4 under repair. (Official U S. Navy Photo) Th e N C-4 on the beach for repair. (Official U. S. Na vy Pharo)

(Official U. S. Navy PholO) (Offi cial U. S. Navy Ph aro) Th e NC-4 entering Lisbon harbor aft er the transatlantic flight. Th e N C- 4 taxiing in aft er a flight. 23

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DESCRIPTION OF CHANCE H eight overall , 10 fee t 2 inch es . Wing area (including Fu se lage framework is built of steel tubes, covered VOUGHT CORSAIR ai lerons), 320 square feet. Pratt & Whitney W asp en­ wi th fa bri c and aluminum. Ai lerons are of wood , fabri c gi ne, 425 H o rsepower. Wing loading, 11.4 pounds per cov er ed . Tai l surfaces ar e of steel tubi ng, fabri c " Th e Chance Vought Corsa ir is made by th e Chance square foot. W eight empty, 2,365 p ounds; u se ful load , covered . Th e fram ework of th e wings is built of wood , Vou ght Corporation of Hartford, Connecticut. It is a 1,285 pounds; gross w eight , 3,650 pounds. cov ered with fabri c. high speed plane, used a grea t dea l fo r li ght mail routes. Perf orm ance: Hi gh sp eed , 150 miles p er h o ur. The landing gear is equipped w ith o leo spring, mad e It ca n als o be equipped with pontoon gea r fo r use by Crui sing sp eed , 125 mi les p er h our. Landing sp eed , by th e Chance Vought Company, and Bendix brakes. the U. S. Navy fo r launching by catapult f rom battle­ 55 miles p er hour. Rat e of climb, 1,500 feet p er minute. Propell er is Hami lton-Standard . Hand inertia starter ships. It is also a favorite plane with th e armi es and Climb in 10 minut ~s , 10,200 feet. Se rvi ce ceiling, is p rovided . El ectri cal start er is optional . Instrument navi es of Argentina , Brazil , Cuba, China, Peru and 19,000 feet. Radiu s 515 miles. Gasoline capacity, 110 panel is sp ecial Chance Vought mak e. Instruments are M exi co. ga llo ns. Pio nee r." Sp eci fica ti ons: Sp an , upper wing, 36 feet; low er Contro ls are d ual. Pl ane is convertibl e to land plane wing, 34 fee t, 6 inches. Length overall, 24 fee t 6 inch es . o r sea plane by interchange of landing gear . 25 LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION '0\ Classic owners! t~~, · c(", \ RESTORATION PROJECT 1~\1 ~on't q.4 ~ ~ ... -- ~ r ~I ' r....\ ...... 4!tJUI ...... IUW 1~G . 18.,8~...... lClu ... .,n': (Right) American Commercial Aviation • Individually Numbered American Commercial BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Aviation Bicentennial l ...... -.... ,_..... ,._ .. ,.. ~!: Commemorative Is­ -~ -",," -- .. '<#" ...... ,._.... ~.I_...... __~ ....."'-""'"...... _... '1. .... _____ - DRESS sue Stamp (mounted), - ...... -..-- -~ - .... signed by E. M. (Mat­ ... r ...... ,,"_ .. _.".~ __ IT UP 'A ty) Lai rd - $5.00. (Tax ,?J deductible portion: N! . 335 u WITH A NEW I .. -..- ... __... - ...... ,-.....- ...... , ... ~..-'" ... ,,,~,,>""'" _II.~)N .. ,...... _,.,"'____lll- ' _,"",~""" $3.50) ,\1"1..'..... UI "",uf, ~ "O''''_ II~ INTERIOR!

All Items READY-MADE for Ea~y • Laird Super Solution Lithograph (Shown Above) DO-IT-YOURSELF INSTALL-ATION 17"x22" - Full Color. $6.00. (Tax deductible (Right) portion: $5.00) Lithograph autographed by E. M. • Lai rd Jacket Patch -­ Seat Upholstery -- Wall Panels (Matty) Laird and General James Doolittle ­ Handsomely embroid­ ered in gold , green Headliners -- Carpets -- etc. $175.00 (Tax deductible portion: $125.00) and red -- $2.00. Ceconite Envelopes and Dopes

Send $1.00 for Catalog and Fabrics Selection Guide (Left) • Historical Photo Album -- 12 8x10 Glossy ,4i/de,x P~,!JIW. Prints from E. M. (Mat­ This project being funded by the sale of mer­ ty) Lai rd 's Personal 259-15 Lower Morrisville Rd. chandise. The sales price includes a donation Collection -- $10.00. Fallsington, Pa. 19054 r,•. .. ..J (Tax dedu cti ble por­ to the Air Museum Foundation, Inc. .'J~'. I (215 ) 295- 4115 [ tJ tion: $5.00) Send check or money order to: EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATION, INC. P.O. Box 469 Hales Corners, WI 53130 Payable In U.S. Funds Only AVAILABLE BACK ISSUES OF The VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1973 - March through December 1974 - January through March , May through December 1975 - All Available 1976 - February through May, August through December 1977 - All Available 1978 - January through June, August, October, November 1979 - February through December The above m entioned back issu es are available from H ea dquarters for $1.00 each, postpaid. 26 (Photo courtesy of Matty Laird) Mr. E. M. " Mally" Laird at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. In th e ba ckground is th e converted 12 hp Frank­ lin automobile engine which powered Mr. Laird's iirst aircraft design in 191 2; a midwing monoplane later con- I verted to th e Bab y Biplane.