, AN! r f,\ ~

'\ I ..Q\iii; S ilk _. dII...... r._

Restorer's Corner Our judges did an excellent job of spotlighting the worked mostly in the background, but all are to be $11 ~R.I\IELAI\nEH,.R. best of the competing aircraft, and the results of their commended for the fine job which they did. deliberations will be published in a later issue of The -Last year we initiated the practice of recognizrng 'our Vintage Airplane and also in Sport Aviation. Incidently, outstanding Division Volunteer. This year we had so the new judging manual and grading sheets, which are many outstanding volunteers that your chairmen could EAA's Silver Anniversary Convention is now history. actually still in the developmental stages, worked not narrow themselves down to a single choice, so It was undoubtedly our smoothest and most efficiently extremely well. We'll have more on this when the Outstanding Volunteer Awards were presented to Hugh operated convention to date, thanks primarily to a great manual is finalized. P. Harrison, Jeff Copeland, Bob Wallace and Mary group of volunteer workers who unselfishly gave of their The Division Fly-By Schedule Committee had an Morris. We wish to extend our congratulations and time and energy so that all of those attending could uphill battle against the weather all week, since this was sincere thanks to each of them, and we hope that they enjoy themselves to the fullest. We would like to the most waterlogged convention in history, but they will again work with us next year. particularly commend those who volunteered their were still able to put together a very interesting History The superior job done by our Division Volunteers was services to the Antique/Classic Division. This group has of Flight (in the rain) for the Thursday evening airshow. paralleled by our Division showing in numbers of display increased in number and ability year by year since your To quote the Friday edition of the Oshkosh Daily aircraft registered. For the first time the Antique/Classic Divisions's first participation in the convention in 1972. Northwestern, Division had more display aircraft on the field than all This year found us with a really great team of Chairmen, "A backdrop of glowering clouds added its own other categories combined. There were more antiques Co-Chairmen and Volunteers, and, thanks to them, every drama Thursday as the Experimental Aircraft than there were Warbirds, and there were more Classics facet of our operation ran smoothly. Association's 'History of Flight' looked both backward than there were bomebuilts. This is indeed a milestone Our Division parking committee did an absolutely and forward and figuratively tipped its wings to a past of which each of us in the Division can be justly proud, fantastic job, and their's is the most difficult task at the arid future which would hardly recognize each other." and we want to thank each of you owners and pilots convention. Our lovely ladies in our headquarters barn "The afternoon air show was two-and-one-half hours who brought an antique or classic and competed for the and in our display booth in the exhibit building sold of concentrated nostalgia. As if some ancient God of the trophies. To those of you who won we would like to more new membership's in the Antique/Classic Division air had summoned them from aviation's Vahalla, 60 express our sincere congratulations. To those of you than were sold by either of the other two divisions years of human achievement in fabric and metal, who did not win, clean up and rework that old bird combined. Our forums programs were their usual great heroism and dogged determination, passed in review." some more, and try again next year. We would like to success with the more popular ones having an overflow The remainder of the Division Committees, the Press see every aircraft on the field be trophy winning quality, audience, although we had increased the size of our Coverage Committee, Pavilion Program Committee, and we would like to be able to award each of them a forum tent by twenty-five percent, and had increased its Security Committee, Booth and Barn Decorations trophy. The more difficult you make the judges' job, the seating capacity by one hundred more chairs. Committee, and Equipment and Supply Committee better we like it. OFFICIAL MAGAZINE ANTIQUE / CLASSIC DIVISION of Editorial THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Staff P.O. Box 229 Hales Corners, Wis. 53130 Editor Assistant Editor SEPTEMBER 1977 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 9 AI Kelch Lois Kelch

Assoc iate Editor Associate Editor Robert G. Elliott Edward D. Williams 1227 Oakwood Ave. 713 Eastman Dr. Daytona Beach, Florida 32014 Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056

Associate Editors will be id entified in the tab le of con· Restorer's Corner ...... , ...... 1 tents on articles th ey send in and repeated on the article 1914's Wi ld Blue Yonder ...... 3 if th ey have written it. Associa te Editorships will be assigned to th ose who qualify (5 articles in any ca lend ar A Texas War Cloud ...... 5 year). Ace Among Aces ...... 15 Nevil Shute ...... 23 Directors

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC Claude L. Gray, Jr. AI KelCh 9635 Sylvia Avenue 7018 W. Bonniwell Road DIVISION Northridge. California 9 1324 Mequon, Wisconsin 53092 OFFICERS James 8. Horne Evander M. Britt 3840 Coronation Road Box 1525 PRESIDENT Eagan. Minnesota 55 122 Lumberton. North Carolina 28358 J.R. NIELANDER, JR. EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP P.O. BOX 2464 George E. Stubbs M. C. "Kelly" Viets FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33303 Box 113 R R 1, Box 151 Brownsburg. Indiana 46112 Stillwell, K ansas 66085 o NON-EAA MEMBER - $34.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division, 12 VICE·PRESI DE NT William J . Ehlen Morto n Lester JACK WINTHROP Route 8 . Box 506 P.O. Box 3747 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Asso cia­ RT. 1, BOX 111 Tampa. Florida 33618 Martinsville. Virginia 24112 tion. 12 monthly issues of SPORT AVIATION and separate membership ca rds. ALLEN, TX 75002 o NON-EAA MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division. 12 Advisors monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; c; ne year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa­ SECRETARY W. Brad Thomas. Jr. Dale A . Gustafson tion and separate membership cards. SPORT AVIATION not included. RICHARD WAGNER 301 Dodson Mill Road 7724 Shady Hill Drive o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division. 12 monthly P.O. BOX 181 Pil o t Mountain, North Carolina 27041 Indianapolis, IN 46274 issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and membership card. (Applicant must be current EAA member and LYONS, WI 53148 must give EAA membership number. Robert A. White Roger J . Sherron TREASURER 1207 Falcon Drive 446-C Las Casitas E.E. " BUCK" HILBERT Orlando, Florida 32803 Sa nta Rosa, CA 95401 PICTURE BOX 8102 LEECH RD. Arthur R. Morgan Stan Gomoll ON THE COVER (Back Cover) UNION, IL 60180 5 13 North 9 1st Street 1042 90th Lane, N.E. Milwaukee. Wisconsin 53226 Minneapolis, MN 55434 Stan Morel's D VII, a dream from Sept. 23, 7977 - Werner Voss and THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Class ic Aircraft. Inc . and is published m onthly at childhood come true, his DR-7 (very close to death by Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second) class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office. Hales Corners. Wisconsin lead poisoning). A jack Daniels 53130. and add itional mailing off aces. Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircra ft . Inc. at $14.00 per 12 m onth period of which $ 10.00 is for the public~ tion of THE VINTAGE A IRPLANE. Membership is o pen to all w ho are drawing. interested in aviation.

Copyright C 1977 Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. All Rights Reserved. • 's I ue By Dick Bothwell The 7974 's Wild Blue Yonder article comes to us from Dick Bothwell, who is an editor of the St. Petersburg Times. The article is from a Bicenten­ nial book of articles published by the Times. Photos were furnished by Harry Ropp and are part of the Johnson collection. The caption on photo below read "First trip landing, Pilot Tony Jannus and two passengers. " Drawing below is of Tony Jannus.

3 One bright New Year's Day morning six decades ago, inflamed the admiration and affection of the people of applied full power of his little 75-h.p. Roberts motor. To there was in the St. Petersburg sky a strange, ungainly St. Petersburg that he is remembered and extolled to the the cheers of the crowd, the craft lifted off and winged sort of bird with wide, stiff wings, a bulky body and a point of confusing the issue ..." toward Tampa, landing there on the waterfront 23 curious whirling thing back toward the tail. From sheaves of yellowed newspaper clippings, from minutes later. The line was in business! With a great roaring sound, this odd waterfowl went government records, from correspondence with airplane "For three months," wrote Gay White, "the line kept rushing across the water and then lifted up into the air manufacturers and old-timers, persistent Gay White to its schedule with astonishing regularity ...More than without flapping its wings. People were cheering and finally got the story - and St. Petersburg, the credit. 1,200 passengers were transported without accident or shouting. Why? It was a good time for new projects in the Sunshine injury." Aviation history was being made Jan. 1, 1914, by the City. A real estate boom had developed in 1912. By A second Benoist flying boat was added to the line first flight of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line. 1914 the Tampa and Gulf Coast Railroad (later with service extended to Bradenton, Sarasota southward; A couple of years earlier, there was another of these Seaboard Air Line Railroad) was about to come into to Tarpon Springs northward. J ann us' brother Roger curious birds that carried hu mans. town. piloted the second plane. As far as is known, an early·day barnstorming pilot, L. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad passenger station A number of noted Americans rode with the brothers: W. Bonney, came to town to make the first local flight was being built; so were the first streetcar line and gas humorist George Ade, cartoonist John T. McCutcheon; on Feb . 17, 1912. plant. the entire St. Louis Browns baseball team. ­ From a sandspit "runway" at Bayboro, he made an No wonder Percival Elliott Fansler, local live wire, But the operation terminated in March. The clouds of exhibition flight in an old Wright plane. Nothing figured the area was ready for an airline. After all, didn't World War I plus a new railroad into St. Petersburg and spectacular, but the crowd was satisfied. To fly at all was almost 1 0,000 people Iive here? money panics wrote an end to the historic venture. something of a minor miracle in those days. Fansler brought Thomas W. Benoist, St. Louis plane "To me," Tony Jannus once wrote, "flying is not the Bonney's flight was just a curtain-raiser for the main manufacturer, to St. Petersburg, organized local support, successful defying of death but the indulgence in the event - an event which made world aviation history and and a contract was written. poetry of mechanical motion, a dustless, bumpless, was promptly forgotten by the young city for four The Benoist firm was guaranteed a cash subsidy from fascinating speed, an abstraction from things material decades. the City of St. Petersburg and its businessmen, plus a into infinite space ..." Scout around behind the Senior Citizens Center on franchise to operate on the North Mole and in Central U.S. Coast Guard records show that Tony and Roger The Pier approach and you'll find a fairly modest Yacht Basin. were the first airline pilots ever licensed by the monument. The plaque reads : "From This Site the St. Benoist agreed to provide planes and crew, maintain government. But not for long. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, the World's First two scheduled flights daily between St. Petersburg and Tony was killed in Russia, in a crash while Scheduled Airline, Began Regular Flights Between St. Tampa, six days a week, for a period of three months. demonstrating planes for .the Russian army over the Petersburg and Tampa, Jan . 1, 1914. This Plaque and Local merchants were pledging $1,500 that the line Black Sea at Sevastopol; Roger went down in flames, a Site Dedicated December 4, 1953, by the city of St. would payoff. captain in the American Expeditionary Force. Petersburg to All the Airlines of the World." The Benoist Air Boat parts were shipped down and Learning through trial and error, early-day pilots had The golden anniversary of the great moment at Kitty assembled, with chief mechanic Jay Dee Smith keeping a a short life expectancy. . ~ . Hawk, N.C., when the Wright brothers graduated from keen eye on proceedings. bicycles to powered flight was in 1953. Anthony Habersack J ann us, 24, chief pilot, a'rrived, When that occasion came along, John Shea of creating a stir. Greenwich, Conn., was writing a history of scheduled He was clean-cut and intell igent, a noted figure in airlines in the U.s. and was looking for the first line. He early aviation. In 1912 just before coming here, he had found a lot of claims. piloted the plane from which Capt. Albert Berry, U.s. When he wrote the Chamber of Commerce asking for Army, had made the first parachute jump, over Jefferson details about the local operation, officials belatedly Barracks, Mo . And Jannus was a bachelor. realized they had better nail down that honor - and did. Hundred of proud citizens crowded the waterfront Gay White of the city publicity department was that bright morning of Jan. 1, 1914. Former mayor A. assigned the research job and spent nearly two years C. Pheil paid $400 at auction for the first ticket and piecing the long-neglected story together. climbed into the two-place "pusher" biplane, 26-feet Shea came down to do a bit of research himself, and long, 45-foot wingspread, propeller mounted behind the promptly bumped into the ghost of Tony J annus, the open cockpit. line's chief pilot. With small American flags fluttering from the struts, " It is apparent," he wrote later, "he {Jannus} so Jannus taxied the biplane out into the yacht basin and Notice how clean cut the fuselage is.

4

One airplane that won part of its reputation in During the years in the Navy, I had been exposed to a round trip, from my apartment. They took a year to models built by most of us in our youth, read about in lot of flying, although, much as I wanted the A.P. pro­ complete, and, had it not been for the expertise of a such magaz ines as WARBI RDS, FLYING ACES, gram, I was never able to get it. I did fly as Safety Pilot man I met, who has since become an expert on Fokker WI NGS, and seen in the old classics; "Hell's Angels", for the Chiefs of the Bureau of Aeronautics though, wings, Richard Wilkinson, I would still be swearing at "Lilac Time", "Wings", and the more modern, in sound starting with Admiral Towers, even to soloing the SOC woods and glues and impossibles concerning the triple and color, "The Great Waldo Pepper" and "The Blue back to Anacostia from New Jersey once. I had a lot of tapered box spars. His craftsmanship is notable in the Max", all have Fokker aircraft, albeit "Waldo Pepper" left/right seat time in various aircraft, including jets, Formula 1 racer wings he builds as well as Fokkers. John exposure is a triplane. before retirement, and kept flying my own, on the side. McMaster, Gordon Gabbert, Jim Parks, John Talmage Probably the one that impressed people most, both 1965, I decided on building the Fokker D-VII, also have those spruce, mahogany and birch beauties on during WW I, and thereafter, was th e Fokker D-VII, rem embering the old one, and having seen the Smith­ their Fokker D-Vlls, the best quality and workmanship! partly due to the consideration of its bei ng the best so nian's while stationed in Anacostia, D.C., and having A fire in the duplex next door missed, by less than a fighter of the 1914-1918 era, singled out as a war repara­ 'collected' odds and ends of Fokker parts whenever I week, the destruction of my wings, since I had just tion, because of its reputation . ..in erster Linie aile happened to stumbl e across them, thus with an original moved them from the carport to my hangar at Grand Apparate D-VII. . . (especially all mac hin es of D-VII set of wheels, a rudder, a seat, I later fou nd an 'N' strut, Prai ri e Airport prior to the fire. type.) in the terms of the November 11 th , 1918 and compil ed several sets of plans, mostly model air­ Meanwhile, I made the fuselage lay-out on three Armistice. plane, plus those published in FLIGHT years ago, and pl ywood 4' x 8' sheets, fitted and cut my tubing, and I I was lucky enough to have seen these D-VII repara­ the Jose ph Ni eto plans, good, but none good enough to chose to use 4130 steel, with the intention of having the tions fly when I was a small boy, along with many other build a real plane from. pl ane last long enough to enjoy years of it, rather than combat aircraft of the period, and the distinctive sound I ran into several Mercedes engines, one used as an the old iron tubing of the period. of the Mercedes called attention to the aircraft above anchor to a buoy for a cabin cruiser, the others about as One thing is an absolute about Fokker airplanes. immediately. The rotary engines were noted by the on­ good a condition, not worth the trouble, plus some the Everyth ing is related to every other part, and a deviation off sounds, whereas the big upright six had a mellow late Julius Head had collected. in anyone will reflect a series of problems in a hurry. regularity to its tone. I even touched one in Mineola, Looking for help, I found many people with similar Fokker seemed to be a man whose entire concept of Long Island , N.Y., and it might well have been the omen ideas and no way to get the information we each needed, aeronautical engineering was to the effect that all parts of a project in the future, back in those early 1920s. so Nov . 11, 1965, we started an informal, non-profit should have at least three or more functions, and he My flying started at Armonk, N.Y., September 1925, club, naming it the "FOKKER VEREIN". The senior managed to do it! riding as a co-passenger in a 3 place open biplane, which membership is composed of all the WW I aviators, taking Other than for better materials, not available at the set the hook I will carry for life. in all nations flying combat in 1914-18, with the second time, I would strongly urge that there be NO dimen­ Enlisting in the Navy, I started taking flying lessons at group being the owners, builders, and pilots of WW I sional changes without a lot of skull practice beforehand the Signal Hill Airport, Long Beach, CaL, in 1934 in aircraft, Allied, and German and their allies. to justify doing so. Securitys, Fleets, Great Lakes, and Wacos, and, when One thing led to another and through various The project 'looked' easy and I had delusions that it money was low, in C-3 and K Aeroncas. Dual was $6.00, members' help, I was enabled to get several good sets of would be finished quickly, but for the undependability Solo $5.00, while the puddle jumpers soloed at $2.00. working drawings, including a set of the originals from of the welders. (There were three, at various times, and Even so, during Hoover's administration, my Navy Emil Meinecke, ex-Chief Test Pilot for A. G. Fokker, it would have paid me to learn to weld it all myself, pay was cut to $30.00, and part of that was taken out and also a German pilot who flew fighters in Turkey. from the standpoint of achieving, rather than killing, for retirement hospitalization, so I had a $15.00 a With satisfactory plans, I visited the FAA GADO in time.) month flying budget. Had I been Sea 1/c, I could have Fort Worth, discussing the project, quality of the plans, When the fuselage was completed, I called FAA for flown twice as much on $50.00 a month. and received suggestions that started the project roll ing. an inspection, and it looked like FAA had a holiday that I bought into my first airplane, an unlicensed Waco One foremost concern was that I had a poor opinion of day. SIX inspectors visited my apartment, quite sur­ GXE, with two other sailors, for $33.34, in 1936, in my welding potential, and had asked what FAA would prised to see it hanging in my living room from front Norfolk. After creaming itself and one of my partners, I think concerning my having an A&E, or an A welder, do door to the furthest window. I had to be careful opening bought a Great Lakes in 1938, for $100.00, then two the welding for me. The answer was that they would feel the door! (Naturally I am a bachelor, and this is one way more Lakes, ending up with the one Cole Palen now flies more assured with a pro, as I would with the less costly to get that way!) at Old Rhinebeck. It was and is tops! possibility of mistakes on a project of this size. With the favorable comments and first logbook sign­ A Fairchild 24W, a Bellanca, a PT-22, a Laird, a The project actually took ten years, although six was off, I could now sit in the cockpit, albeit without land­ Knight Twister, then a Cabin Waco EQC-6 with a super­ spent in putting together what was collected. The wings ing gear, engine installed, or tailfeathers, and play 'avia­ charged Wrig_ht R-760-E2, and then I was ready to build were built in a barn, in Ponder, Texas, 70 miles away, tor' a bit. It looked about the right size to match the my own.

6 would be helpful. Losing the original wire wheels re­ sulted in buying a pair of N3N wheels, complete with brakes, then purchasing a pair of new solid stub axles, plus a 30 pound axle tube, which was machined to take the stubs, plus making up a pair of spindles for the bungees, plus a floating collar, eccentric arm and 4130 offset arm to the brake drum, and a weight difference of 60 Ibs. for the N3N wheels versus 18 original wheels helped . All very slightly forward of the e.G., but at least forward. I replaced the stubwing light aluminum tubes with .125 wall tubing, adding a bit more weight. With the gear on the fuselage, the Fokker became bigger and a lot higher than I had anticipated it would be. The chalk lines did not take care of altitude! I made up plywood jigs for the stabilizer and elevator, fitted up the vertical fin to the original rudder, and made steel jigs for the two ailerons. The tailfeathers made the plane extend itself further, and I was starting to realize what BIG meant. Since I would be operating out of Grand Prairie Air­ port, with concrete runways, I decided to use a Maule tail wheel, and use the set of Bendix brakes, so that I would not have the World's longest land ing roll and could feel secure on ground handling. A tailskid was made up in case.... Wanting to keep as much to the original as possible, I had to consider the thrust line, which meant inverting Morel and completed, uncovered Fokker. (Photo by Mike McKay) the Ranger engines back to right side up. I had some information from people who had modified surplus chalk lines I had laid out in the carport, not a big plane. of hunting on my part and friends and his family, we Rangers for race cars, after the war, and contacted Ed Back in the carport, the landing gear went together, never found them, and the only conclusion was that "he Brennan, who had inverted several until he finally got and this is another unique Fokker feature. The gear is took them with him!" one to run well, but was unable to get much help since 4130 streamline tubes, joined by an aluminum box, with That would have been a set back, excepting that I had he was busy with his own work. Mr. Fairchild was living 640 hand bucked rivets, through which the one piece decided to use one of two low time Grumman Widgeon and he made some suggestions which were followed con­ axle tube is contained, and over which the stubwing is engines to replace the hard to find Mercedes, which cerning the oil system, plus some of the things that the attached. 1 hat wing provides enough lift for the full gear posed another series of problems to be solved. late Mr. Russ Anderson, Denver, Colo., had done, plus weight!! ! Weight differences were 750 dry for the old; 350 dry, Gordon Gabbert's project, plus some of my own ideas, The landing gear shock system is 5/8" bungee cords, Ranger, a matter of 400 Ibs! Also the old was a water and the inversion has performed without a hitch to-date. wrapped over a retaining collar eleven times to provide cooled, the Ranger is air cooled, thus minus the water/ I also met another EAAer, Dr. Charles Covino, Pres­ the softest, most positive absorbtion I have ever felt. radiator weight forward. The Ranger is 8 inches shorter ident of American and General Magnaplate, with a Very smooth and balanced! than the Mercedes, of slight benefit in massing weight branch factory in Texas, and having heard of the Navy's The original wheels had one badly dented rim and forward. Cross sectional dimensions between support publicity race car, with which they broke the World several of the spokes broken. Before I could use them, legs were the same distances. speed record, then re-broke their own again and again, they needed repair, and an A&E friend, Ed Sanders, Weight and balance had to be retained in the same had a brainstorm to try the process they had used on took them home to repair them for me. A good deed, envelope as original to match performance in flight, thus their engines on my two engines. It is the one used in except that he passed away sometime later. Despite a lot any additional weight I could mass forward of the e. G. space by all manned and unmanned space satellites and

7 vehicles for lubrication, and is the first aircraft engine to tified Shop doing rolled threads, swaging cables and Because my Waco EQC-6 had been covered with Stits be so done. All moving parts, plus the cylinder cooling such, proved an answer to the time problem. They made polyfiber when I had her overhauled, and that she fins, plus the exhaust, were specially treated. up all the internal drag and anti-drag wing rigging rods, caught fire in flight after I sold her, with no damage to AeroTex Maintenance Co., of Blue Mound, Texas, has and those for the fuselage, and the hard wire bracings of the fabric, I elected to cover with it again. I do feel, an experienced Ranger crew doing major overhauls, (and the landing gear, and all my control cables, provided now, that I would have been as well off covering after one bad experience with a so-called A&E who proof tests, certification, and all my engineering data for with intermediate rather than the heavy weight though, ruined an engine), was delighted to have AeroTex do the FAA, which we had gone over together before. filling is easier. The Fokker is a light plane, equivalent to work. All parts were sent to General Magnaplate after Once the wires were installed and rigged, the airplane Grade A cotton or linen would be fine, all considered. disassembly, clean up, dye inspection, with all new parts started becoming very rigid and totally aligned. All the The machine guns were made up to original specs, where there was any question of wear, since tolerances control surfaces of the Fokker are square, 30 degrees without the working mechanism, holding to the orginal had to be exact. throw of all surfaces, and that simplified matters greatly 26 Ibs. each (52 total) to fit in the gross weight picture. I The Magnaplating was done while they had the engine in making adjustments and rigging. met the U.S. Firearms, Tobacco & Booze inspector down, after which the AeroTex crew re-assembled and The tripod struts, (called Baldachins) are proof of completely overhauled the two engines. Not only was Fokker's insistance on multiple use of parts. They are the overhaul satisfactory, without problems on the first attached to the engine mount, the top fuselage longeron, "Who ate the cat?" (Photo by Mike McKay) engine, but the Magnaplate work provided two divi­ the landing gear front strut attachment fitting, and set dends. A 30% reduction in friction and an increase of 38 stagger and gap for the top wing. The wing fittings are h.p. at the same rpm! It added still another reduction, in made of six laminations, hydraulic press bent, Magna­ fuel consumption!!!! fluxed, Edgewelded, then X-rayed, and certified, and FAA showed interest in the process, including visiting one is capable of holding the static weight of an empty the Magnaplate plant, and closely checking the engine, DC-3! The lower fittings to the fuselage set the inci­ tests, etc. The engine also requires 75 hours running dence, 1Y2 degrees, and are only made up of four lamina­ because of the inversion. tions. The back strut can change upper wing incidence, Install ing the engine, I added an oil cooler, a fuel which is set Zero for the D-VII. pump, a starter, generator, a tach generator, a battery I must have enjoyed making cowlings, for I ended up and case, and moved the oil tank before the firewall. Got with four sets, improving on each as I went. Rather than the heavy, large prop hub and matching heavy prop, using "L" shaped locks with coarse threads fitted to which got the weight as far forward as I could go. Had welded-on nuts, to secure the cowls, I went Dzus fasten­ made up a steel radiator shell, and tried my hand at ers, which do a nice, if modern, job. Had a special die fiberglassing, (with misgivings) and was surprised to find made to make my louvres with. (It ended up being the first effort came out like I knew what I was doing. It borrowed before I finished, became side tracked, and I withstood a one ton load without cracking as well. ended up paying $40.00 to have a louvre beat out by Throughout the entire building program, weight was hand, to match the others, and still don't have it back!) my biggest concern, and balance as well, so everything GADO was replaced by EMDO, and Engineering was being done with those considerations in mind, plus Inspector F. John Wagner went all through the project, keeping dimensions to the plans. I had a slight problem checked welds, alignment, workmanship, paperwork, in maki ng up ferrules for the piano wire rigging wires, so rigging, and OK'd the project for continuation. considered alternatives, ending up with MacWhyte rods I built a 2x4 "frame house" looking affair around the and terminal fork ends in stainless steel. fuselage, upon which I mounted the top wing, which A decision was reached when I weighed the loop allowed for aligning and fitting it up. I could then weld material, in 4130, for the corners, plus the piano wire, the critical Baldachin fittings to match those of the spar ferrules and turnbuckles as opposed to the 4130 corner fittings. Running the aileron cables, connecting them wedges, terminal forks, locknuts and rods and found the and trying them out from the control stick, checking new materials lighter and stronger and easier to work, aileron throws, and with FAA's OK to cover. ... .found BUT MacWhyte indicated six months between order and that there were 3,030 rib stitches and seine knots in the del ivery! wings!!!! (I have first and second fore finger joint scars Key Aviation, almost in my back yard, a FAA Cer­ to prove each one of them too!) ailerons, oil tank, engine prop and hub, all cowlings, control cables, stubwing on the landing gear spreader, machine guns, fabric, paint, seat, and instrument panel with all new and certified instruments. A miniscule windshield was mounted between the guns. I had been told that the pilots removed it in 1918, partly because the blast hit the under side of the wing and rammed the air down their necks, so I mounted mine a bit further aft, to clear the blast. The engine would exhaust to the left, with prop rotation, it would also provide me with all the CO gas I wouldn't need , even if it is an open cockpit, so the exhaust was designed to cross over, and, to make everyone rea l happy with noise and polution, built in an intensifier tube at the front to get all combustion done inside . • < e"1ew/C h ~ 70C ­ With the engine inverted, I needed another 'jJt~",.L ''6 carburetor, bought a Bendi x PS-5C pressure down draft e3l\l..t 9~~ '; 68 c . carburetor, added an electric pump, an electric primer ~ OK. ~ ill solenoid and a 24 VDC electrical boost system, for the 12 primer. To make the guns look real, a tape deck and 18 strobe gun firing electronics were installed. Outdoor speakers were installed in the nose, under the cowling to broadcast gun sounds forward and down. The flashing strobes and gun noise are great. I filled the oil tank, borrowed a set of aviation scales, jacked the Fokker aboard and leveled the longerons. I ran the plumb bobs fore and aft, measured the distances between them and the landing gear and each other. The hangar deck is full of yellow chalk marks and lines . .. .weight comes to 1711 Ibs. In flight tail weight for the "DER ZIRKUSMEISTER prepares - Snoopy Beware!" original was 112-116 Ibs., tail down, three point, it is 250 Ibs. My tail weight is 115 up, 250 down. Re-check, check again, right on the barrel head !!! Time to call for final inspection . Mr. Wagner comes almost immediately! It was nip and tuck for awhile, the Balkan crosses in black with Daytona trim, as per the over, goes through all the paper work first, checks the until I showed them the plans for "Build your own German regulations replacing the Maltese crosses in airplane over from stem to stern, asks many questions, machine guns." One set which will shoot real 1918. which I can answer easily. (I've lived with this plane for ammunition, and no more problems. They were doing My fuel tank was made in aluminum, heliarced, six years and know all there is to know about her, up to their job and we have enjoyed friendly rel ations ever instead of brass with solder joints, it holds 30 gallons. this stage. Flying is still an unknown quantity to me.) He since. The oil tank does not connect to the upper right side. asks me where we can borrow a typewriter, and signs my Ann Klein furnished the snow white smooth tread (7) Germany changed it too, since a leak got oil in the gas logbooks. (The EAA form books and logbooks really tires to finish off the landing gear. (Universal Tire Co ., and vice versa, of the gas tank as the plans call for. paid off dividends, saving time too!) He then typed up Lancaster, Pa.) The original seat wood bottom was replaced, and roll an 8x10 pink form and a smaller white one, and told me Peter R. Garrett, of Victoria, Australia, sent me a and pleated Naugahyde was used instead of the old to "Put them in the cockpit where they can be seen!". swatch of the belly of Baron Manfred v. Richtofen's lea th erette. Promptly done, since I had bought the certificate DR-1, which I had Stits match up; turned out Sante Fe Time to check everything...Fuselage has landing holders long before. It sure looks good there! THIS IS red. The national German tail color; Daytona white, and gear, wheels, brakes, tail wheel, tail surfaces, wings, THE DAY!!!! ~-.-.--.....::-~-==---- ~---,.-a_, , .. ____.::'f ~....;,. ~

Morel leaving Navy-Dallas on Armed Forces Day after display. Fokker was also flown by NAS e.O., Capt. e.N. james, U.S.N. that date, 7976. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy)

I started replacing cowls, inspection plates, checking reduces .. Engine is running, look over the side ....She's and still in sight of the field, (although I am watching all for any loose ends. Might as well take it out and lift her in the air!!! Throttle isn't even fully open, about half the the ground I've never found myself so interested in it off the runway and chop the throttle, see what she feels quadrant! before, just in case). Throttle back to 2050, then 1950.. like in the air and landing. No real flight this time .. This is the thought that so many of E.A.A.ers share. .airspeeds reading 120, then 115 ...clear the area and try .Tomorrow, maybe .... "Why not?" and so I put the throttle to the gate, she is for a stall. ..gingerly...power all the way off and nose I had run slow time on the engine, then taxi time, really moving, altitude going up .... 1 keep listening to the up, she just drops it, lazily, and recovers...No wing including some with power all the way, lifting the tail, sound of the engine ...Look at the airspeed, it reads 105 drop! Again, same thing. then trying to see whether I could ground loop it. (Hard mph!!!! Climbing fast. ..hard to believe! Th is is all Secondary and tertiary stalls, all clean, no bad tend­ to do, on purpose!) She was steady as a brick! I got real exclamation points now. Gages are all in the green ... encies...the rigging is all on the money! She is unreal! good at making fast ground turns with the tail up and .Something should happen wrong, but everything is Tighten the turns, to wings straight up and down, top full power on, so had no trepidations about it. going beautifully. I had a strange sensation, of riding in rudder and back stick ...she should flip over the top .. Pre-flight was more extensive than the entire building it, as a spectator ...the plane is doing everything all by .but doesn't, and I don't want to tempt her further. I job, then started up, warmed up; out to the side of the herself! Creepy feeling almost, as though it knew its own think the funny gut feeling is excitement, but level her duty runway, checked gages, safety belt and shoulder element and was glad to be back home again. The seat out anyway. harness, fuel on BOTH, mags, full power run up, idle, and rudder are the only two original parts I have used, Try an air landing ...She goes where she is pointed, everything is in the green. No traffic. Power on and tail and they are back in the air 57 years later! Nothing on steadily. Now, back to Grand Prairie traffic pattern .. up as we go on to the runway, astride the yellow line old Rip Van Winkle! .Nothing there, it's all mine! Come to think of it, if I and rolling, suddenly things get quieter and vibration Out of the pattern and to the south, clear of TCA, bust this thing now, it will be some time before I get it able to get out? Check systems, gages, idle her down, master and switches OFF, idle cut off, switch off, gog­ gles up, harness unfastened, and now to make a non­ chalant egress, especially since it looks like a mob scene coming around the corner...Reaching for the stirrup step with my right foot, my leg betrays me and I darn near break my neck, almost miss the step!!! Congressman Milford, a pilot himself, as well as my old CAF Sponsor, seems as tickled as I am. Congratula­ tions are mixed with a lot of "Why didn't you tell us you were going to fly today?" and other odd words, (of course I didn't know myself!). Doing the walk around post-flight, I notice that the tailwheel steering spring had broken in two. (Found one part just past the numbers on the runway later!) That accounts for the funny feeling aft...and also proves that there was someone looking after me too, and kept me from making another take-off and go round right after the first. Replaced the spring, and I think that, about then, I finally exhaled, at last. Even today, I have the feeling that 'Someone' is in that cockpit with me, flyi ng it. The cockpit is as big as the rest of the Fokker too, but not drafty, excepting on my back, when it is! Now is a good time for a resume. I found that an 80 mph approach is OK for some other airplane, (which I must have forgotten I wasn't flying the first time), 60 mph is ideal, depending on gusts and such. I landed her in a 20+ knot 45 degree crosswind, coming back from Commerce, Texas, and she never strayed off the yellow stripe. I have also found that too fast has a pocketful of surprises, and that she handles very quickly to control Stan Morel's beautiful piece of workmanship is tried on for size by Lloyd Wilcox, a DR I Builder. inputs, not the roll rate of a Pitts, but fast enough to educate pilots! The best straight and level speed is 132 mph at 2450 rpm with a cruise prop. It doesn't need a climb prop repaired and fly it again, maybe ...stay awhile longer base, final and still holding 80 mph. Down the chute, with the rate she eats altitude up! I tried climbing as and do a fly-by .... yellow line on the nose, now back, and she touches on slow as 60 mph, when everything on the panel seemed to I still have the eerie feeling that she is doing the fly­ the numbers with a single triple "SQUEAK" in the redline together, oil temp and cylinder head temp, but ing! Line her up to the side of the runway, nose down, smoothest three point of my life! ...She rolls to a near cooled off fast by dumping the nose, excepting the oil watch the rpm and speed, under red line ...way under .. stop, feels squirrel-like aft, but still is tracking true, a bit stayed hot awhile longer than I liked, though the Magna­ .airspeed 125 mph, throttle back, but not so much as to of brakes takes care of the aft feeli ng. plate finish is insurance in that regard, I still don't like cool the engine, almost feels like she slows up at 125. Taxi in to my hangar. Before I get to it, Congressman slow climbs! Ideal seems to be 80 mph so you can stay Look over to the right. ..1 had been too busy to notice Dale Milford, grabs my right wing tip, a Navy Fighter up (or down) with everything in the pattern. Cruise is everyone had come up out of the Gopher holes ...people pilot, Lieutenant C. D. Carson, takes the left one. Having 115-120 dependant on 1950-2050 rpm, and you can fly on the runway, on the ramp, at operations...Wow.. seen my next door neighbor, the EAA-AAA Grand slower. Fuel consumption is 9 gallons per hour, with a .I'm sure to bounce into the next county with spec­ Champion Eaglerock without brakes, I guess neither three plus hour range. tators!! ! know that I have brakes, but appreciated it anyway. I have to esti mate a standard Ranger for operations, Back to pattern altitude, slow flight her to 80 mph, The way I feel, sort of inflated, I wonder if I'll be assume it would be a little lower with higher rpm, and maybe ten gallons an hour with exactly three hours to my first ground loop ...and a beauty too! Right over on empty.. .if one wants to be foolish and see. her back! Stall should be under 40, which means that she flies The landing gear folded under, from the sideload, the at 50 mph on the deck and don't haul the stick back and prop and lower left wing dug in, and the original rudder expect it to come down ...it will, after it has gone up went Kaput, taking the new fin with it too. The top first!!! It can bounce, but that stubwing erases a lot of wing had NO damage, she went over on soft grass that otherwise bouncy mistakes, and also launches you off was level as a pool table, "Whoofed" the air from under, the deck, on ground effect, like a catapult, on take offs. settled down like a lady ...and it was all in slow motion. She lands transport or three point as easily. Just . .plenty of time to cut switches, shut down the fuel. . decide which to do first, and stay with it that way. The .and then I opened my safety belt ...and dropped right 'little rudder' which is said to be too small, will do all on my head!!! I had come in behind a Bonanza with an you want it to, the D-VII cost a lot of WW I planes their emergency, which turned out to be no problem, but existance, in combat. ..and she still does it very nicely .. then I got it! .Like Pitts, PT-17s, PT-22s, UBF Wacos, and some others I rebuilt the tail, made a new rudder, fixed the gear who tried the Fokker out. ..excepting one ex-USAF back up, and mounted the brake pedals where they Instructor who gave me a little insight in the fact that belonged in the first place, on the rudder bar, where sometimes it is the pilot, more than the plane, that they work perfectly. Re-inspected, then went out and makes for the outcome. I did have a close one that was took the GAMA Award . for Best Homebuilt, two more unexpected, when a stranger in a Citabria made a run from Commerce, Texas, Fly-in. An EAA local award, right in front of me with no warning. I had seen him and a completion award from Dalworth Chapter 34. One come up to 4 o'clock high, but was also very concerned from the Naval Air Station, Dallas, for an appearance for with reading my engine instruments at the time. Armed Forces Day, and a few others. The last one I got Above: Those beautiful box spars ready for clos­ These dogfights should ALWAYS be arranged for on at the Xmas Banquet was one for landing wheels up in a ing. With this construction no wires are needed. N deck beforehand! 20 feet in front closing diagonally is wheels down airplane! struts were affixed to satisfy wary WW I pilots. too close for comfort! All in all, she is everything, plus, what has been said Below: Top wing just completed, ready for cover Gross weight is 2070, (attributed to an overfed pilot, about Fokkers. The e.0., of Navy Dallas, Capt. e. N. in part, pushups and pushaways are helping though, plus J ames, USN, flew her and is the only other person who - an extremely strong structure. vanity). Also some new instruments that did not exist at has. He is still beaming on the other side of the World the time, but nice to have. I might remove a few of today...and Corky Fornoff wants to do it next. Said it them, since they are in CG, and the guns might be just a is what he always wanted to fly and asked to do so, next bit lighter ...1 never have been able to find out whether time. :p­ the Fokker was weighed with or without the Spandaus. -----0 Assume they were, ammunition was another 180 Ibs. though, which is 232 Ibs. (That makes up the in­ struments and radio weight.) Counting the stubwing between the gear figures 280 square feet of wing area, the wing loading comes to 7.4 Ibs./sq. ft. and power loads at 8.6 Ibs./h.p. (or 10.4 Ibs./h.p. with a standard Ranger 200.) Not bad! I made a mistake when I built my brake pedals since I had them bolted on the floorboard, and with a rudder bar, kicking full rudder, my heel would not be able to get to the pedal if I needed to do so . . .and I did ...The same tailwheel steering spring broke again, with a gusty wind about 20 knots, and doing about 30 mph, she start­ ed to go to the LEFT. The right steering spring having broken again, rudder and power did nothing to help matters since she already had a start of her own, I met Above: A belt with a champagne bottle, "OUCH!". - -....\,) Album 'intage Machines

~ urf!s from the Jack Rose collection. M.B. 2 bomber was -:I by Billy Mitchell for his demonstration ofsinking ships at in 7927. It was powered by two liberty engines, liquid led, V72 developing 420 hp gave this "dirty old bird" a top '?d of 99 mph. However, it carried a good bomb load 400 '?s. Lower left: M,B. 2 cockpit. Note Liberty starting ructions . 1 UUI . engines on this page are reported to be Liberty models of vlinder test type, 8 cylinder, 72 cylinder and the large one ?4 cylinder, developing some where in the 800 hp class. Jer right: A student pranged the Jenny.

accorded to any single squadron of the Allies. And the sure of oneself, always in perfect hea lth. Muscles must Editor's Note: Reprinted unedited from commander of this J agdstaffel No. II hold s the world be in good condition, nerves in perfect equ ilibrium, all National Geograph ie, June 1918 issue. record in air dueling, for he li ved to conquer 80 enemy the organs exercisi ng naturall y. machines. "Alcohol becomes an enemy- even wine. All ab us es FONCK, OF THE CIGOGNES must be avo id ed. I t is indispensable that one goes to a combat without fatigue, without any disquietude, either The most polished aerial duelist the world has ever Air due ls were unknown four years ago. Boys of 18 or physical or moral. 20, untaught and inexperienced in the art, have flown seen is Rene Fonck, aged 23, now flying with the "It must be remembered that combats often take aloft and mastered it- mastered it so thoroughly that less Cigognes, Spad 3. This is the famous fig hting escadrille place at alti tudes of twenty to twenty-five thousand prudent antagonists have fallen before them, sometimes that was commanded by Guynemer at the time of his feet. High altitudes are trying on one's organisms. This six in one day. At least a score of such duels have been disappearance, September 11, 1917. Curiously enough, indeed is, at bottom, the reason that keeps me from reported where the victor won by the expenditure of a Lieutenant Fonck, who was then a member of Escadrill e flying too conti nu ousl y. And I never fly except when in single bullet! N. (Nieuport) 103, was Guynemer's avenger. He shot perfect conditio n. I am careful to abstain when I am not Lufbery for America, Guynemer for France, Bishop down on September 21 the German pilot, Li eutenant exactly fit. Constantly I watch myself. for Great Britain, and von Richthofen for Germany have Wissemann, who had written home to his mother in " It is necessary to train as severely for air combats as towered above their comrades from the popular view­ Cologne, boasting that he had been victorious over Guy­ for any other athletic contest, so difficult is the prize of point because of their conspicuous successes in this new nemer and now need fear no one. As no proof of Guy­ victory. Yet if one finds oneself in prime condition, all art of aeroplane dueling. nemer 's death has yet been fo und, the truth of the rest is play." To promote this new and spectacu lar branch of war­ Wissemann 's clai m is doubted. And these precepts come not from a Sunday-school fare, the rival air forces of the bell igerents have con­ Consider the details of Fonck's record. Up to April 3, teacher, but from a youth who has demonstrated his structed the swiftest and deadliest types of aerop lanes, 1918, he had shot down official ly 32 enemy aircraft, theory with as thorough a test as can be imagined. to be manned by their air duelists- expert sharpshooters engaged in upward of 200 combats, flow n over 1,000 "All the rest" may be play, yet there is in that little and pilots- whose duty it is both to attack the heavy hours above the enemy's lines, yet had never received a play of Fonck's a secret of quickness and anticipation bombing and reconnaissance planes of the enemy and to bullet hole in his aeroplane! Now he has 45 enemy that is almost sup erhuman. defend their own slower aeroplanes from chasing av ia­ planes on his tablet and is the French ace of aces. tors. Most of hi s combats are against fo rm ations of five or HOW HE DESTROYED SIX MACHINES IN Each belligerent nation has co ll ected the cream of its more enemies. While delivering the coup de grace to one ONE DAY sharpshooters into one squadron, or escadrille, where as he must prevent a surprise from the others. How he Li eutenant Fonck is the only Frenchman who has o ne unit they ca n be hurl ed into a threatened area with succeeds in this could never be satisfactorily explained, brought down six enemy aircraft in one day. He went up eve ry prospect of success over less skilled antago nists. yet that he does succeed is beyond question. Such in­ back of Soissons with his patrol on May 9 last and en­ THE PREMIER ESCADRILLE credible perfection in maneuverin g and such rapid and countered three two-seater machines of the enemy. Two in fa llible accuracy of aim have never been equalled by of these he destroyed in less than ten seconds and the France has her Cigognes ("Storks")' the celebrated any other fighting pilot. third fell five minutes later. That afternoon he ran onto Spad 3, to which belong Fonck, Heurteaux, Pinsard , Li eutenant Dorme, of the same escadrille, who had a formidable formation of five of the new Pfalz fighting Deullin, Gond, Herrison, the Americans Baylies and Par­ 23 on his score at the time of his mys terious disappear­ machines working in contact with five Albatros scouts­ so ns, and those who have mad e the sacrifice supreme­ ance May 25, 1917, had shot down 10 of this number all single-seaters. He dived into them and sent down Gu ynemer, Auger, Rene Dorm e, and de la Tour. before be rece ived more than two bullets in his own three, one after another, the remainder breaking up and America has her Escadrill e Lafayette, which was com­ mac hin e. He was nicknamed "the Unpuncturable" by his escaping before he could catch them. These six machines mand ed by Major Lufbery and which stands third among comrades for this superb skill and good luck. Guynemer were shot down with an expenditure of ten cartridges all the fighting escadrilles of France in the number of returned daily with his plane, and even his clothing, rid­ per machine! enemy ae roplanes shot down. dled with bullet holes. One can but wonder at the mirac­ The British have R.F.C. Squadron No.1, which is THE STORY OF RAOUL LUFBERY ulous record made by Fonck. commanded by Captain Fullard and which brought Raoul Lufbery, the boy who ran away from his home down 200 German aeroplanes in a short six months. FONCK REVEALS HIS SECRET in Wallingford , Conn., when he was 17, who wandered And the Germans entrusted their hopes to the famous But is it a miracle? Let Fonck himself tell the secret. half the world over, working at odd jobs until his curi­ Tango Circus, so nicknamed by the English pilots by I n an interview with La Guerre Aerienne, of Paris, re­ osity was satisfied and his purse replenished , who en­ reaso n of the close formation in which the gaudily cently he made the following obserations concerning his listed as a regular soldier in 1907, and went to the pai nted aeroplanes of this enemy unit flew. The victories preparations for combat: Philippines for two years, where he won all the prizes of claimed by this band amount to more than double those "One must be in constant training, always fit, always his regiment as the best marksman on the range, and

16 The American Ace, Major Raoul Lufbery, and his Nieuport Lieutenant Charles Nungesser; score, 36 Huns Note the gun on the engine hood, synchronized to fire through the propeller. Nungesser is second only to Lieutenant Fonck among living French fliers in On the machine at the rear a Lewis gun is shown mounted on the top plane. the number of his victories. His fighting plane mounts one gun on the engine Major Lufbery was killed in an air fight on May 19, 1918. His record of official hood and one on the upper plane. victories over the Huns was 18.

who entered aViation in France, his mother's country, This places Sergeant Putnam in the proud position of among the British pilots, Philip F. Fullard coming next, mainly to avenge the death of his friend and patron, America's ace of aces, with a total score of 13 aeroplanes with 48, and William A. Bishop, the Canadian, who Marc Pourpe- this same Major Raoul Lufbery met his shot down. Forty-two other young American pilots have visited the United States during last winter, standing death on Sunday morning, May 19 last, with a record of won one or more victories over their opponents. Ten of third, with 47 victories. 18 German aeroplanes shot down, which is the highest them have won their fifth and with it the title of ace. (Since the above was written an unofficial report score held by any American. Not a newspaper in our THE HI GH- SCORE ACE OF TH E ROYAL states that Major Bishop has added 25 more victories to land but told of his loss. This runaway boy died leaving FLY IN G CORPS his score of 47, making a total of 72; stating further that his name as well known to his countrymen as is that of "The King has been graciously pleased to approve the he has retired from air fighting to instruct his freshmen Pershing or Sims. award of the Victoria Cross to Second Lieutenant (tem­ pilots in the art of air dueling. Bishop has now but one Among the last heroic survivors of the old school of porary Captain) J ames Byford McCudden, who already competitor for the world's record in the number of air­ war-fl iers, Lufbery was revered and is mourned most possesses the Distinguished Service Order, the Military craft destroyed - Captain von Richthofen.) keenly by the group of our young airmen who were Cross, the Military Medal, the General List, and Royal Capt. Albert Ball, the conqueror of Germany's star air under his tutelage in the Escadrille Lafayette, the Spad Flying Corps, for most conspicuous bravery, exception fighter, Immelmann, was himself killed in combat with 124. One of these, David E. Putnam, has already sur­ perseverence, keenness, and very high devotion to duty." Lieut. von Richthofen a year ago, after having amassed passed his chief in one day's chase, having brought down So reads a communique of recent date from the Bri­ 43 official successes, at that time the world's record. five enemy machines on June 10, according to a dispatch tish War Office. Captain McCudden has brought down Not only does the British champion, McCudden, sur­ from France. 54 enemy aeroplanes, which gives him the highest score pass all his countrymen at the front since Bishop's retire­

17 ment, but he leads the highest score in France, that of down 200 aeroplane antagonists. von Richthofen. There is not one in the corps who Georges Guynemer, who went out for the last time on I n less than fifteen months active flying, von would not gladly have killed him. But there is not one September 11, 1917, having at that time accounted for Richthofen personally brought down 70 aeroplanes and who would not equally gladly have shaken hands with 53 German aeroplanes. 10 observation balloons, mostly British. He flew the him had he been brought down without being killed or WHAT CONSTITUTES CONSPICUOUS swiftest type of aeroplanes that German constructors who would not so have shaken hands if brought down BRAVERY could build, and he mounted upon them two Spandau by him. machine-guns that fired straight ahead between the "His death is bound to have a depressing effect upon Let us see what constitutes "conspicuous bravery," in blades of the propeller. His machine he painted a bright the German Flying Service, for obviously the younger the opinion of the unemotional custodians of the Vic­ red, and for the past eight months his menacing presence and less brave pilots will argue that if a von Richthofen toria Crosses in England. thus courted identification from his enemies with a self­ cannot survive their chances must be small. Equally, his On two occasions McCudden has totally destroyed confidence and audacity truly admirable. death is an encouragement to the younger Allied pilots four two-seater machines on the same day; on the last He was shot down April 21, 1918, over the Somme who can no longer imagine that every skillful German occasion all four of such two-seaters were destroyed River, at the Amiens front, and his new Fokker triplane, who attacks them is von Richthofen himself. within one hour and 30 minutes- costing Germany some a personal gift to him from Fokker himself, fell into the "However, Manfred von Richthofen is dead. He was a $250,000, as the value of aeroplanes and trained pilots is British lines. This machine flew 140 miles per hour and brave man and a clean fighter. May he rest in peace." computed, for this hour and a half of young McCudden's climbed 15,000 feet in 17 minutes. Orders found in his Who can now say the day of chivalry is past? Our time. pockets indicated that the enemy army commanders de­ great enemy ace was buried with full military honors, in On December 23,1917, when leading his patrol, he sired this sector cleared of British aeroplanes on the French soil, on April 22, and his personal effects were attacked eight hostile aeroplanes. Two of them he shot morning of April 21 at all costs. But it is doubtful sent home to his family. down, the others he drove deep into their own lines, whether the fall of Amiens itself would have compen­ returning home himself only when his Lewis gun A MEAN AND BITTER EPILOGUE sated Germany for the cost she paid in the loss of this ammunition was exhausted and the belt of his Vickers great ace. It would be pleasanter to leave the story of von gu n had broken. Richthofen's gallant death and funeral thus; but an inter­ The citation says: "As a patrol leader he has at all GENEROUS TRIBUTE TO THE ENEMY ACE esting, though contemptible, epilogue is thrust upon our times shown the utmost gallantry and skill not only in The following generous tribute to an enemy airman is attention from the land of the fallen hero. It is penned the manner in which he has attacked and destroyed the written by C. G. Grey, of London: by the notorious Count Reventlow, and appears in the enemy, but in the way he has during several fights pro­ "The greatest of our enemies in the air, Rittmeister May 1 issue of the Deutsche Tagezeitung to poison the tected the newer members of his flight, thus keeping Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen, is dead. The Royal mind of the Boche and inflame it into greater hatred their casualties down to a minimum. This officer is con­ Flying Corps, his particular foes, will hear the news with against the foe. It says: sidered by the record which he has made, by his fearless­ mixed feelings. They will rejoice that he is out of action, "These honors are nothing but the manifestation of ness, and by the great services wh ich he has rendered to but will regret sincerely the death of a gallant gentleman British self-advertisement of their 'chivalry.' We once his country, deserving of the very highest honor." who fell bravely doing his duty. heard much of the chivalrous treatment accorded by the It requires bravery truly to bring down 54 armed "Only a few days ago one of the best of our airmen English to Captain von Muller, of the Emden, but as aeroplanes. But that bravery becomes conspicuous and expressed the hope that he and von Richthofen might soon as he was able to speak we found that instead of deserving of the very highest honor when it includes survive the war, so that they might compare notes. Some chivalrous treatment he had received nothing but deli­ shielding from danger the little fellows who are de­ few months ago a dinner was given to another of our berate vileness, contempt, and torture from his captors. votedly following their daring leader. renowned fighting pilots by his squadron, in honor of his "For our part we cannot consider the honors given to THE CAREER OF CAPTAIN VON RICHTHOFEN winning the Distinguished Service Order. In returning the remains of von Richthofen as sincere. The English Manfred von Richthofen, favorite of the Kaiser, a thanks, the hero of the evening, as gallant a lad as ever press is full of them, and with characteristic blatancy brilliant fighter, a chivalrous gentleman, and the pride of flew, stood up and proposed the health of von blares about British magnanimity. But they say nothing the German army, was the celebrated commander of the Richthofen. And the fighting pilots of the squadron about the huge prizes in money that were offered to the enemy air squadron officially known as Judgstaffel No. arose and duly honored an enemy whom they respected. pilot who could kill Richthofen. In fact, these must have II, but familiar to all airmen as the Tango Circus. Of Both the proposer of the toast and h is enemy are now amounted to an enormous sum. And this explains the aristocratic birth, he was a lieutenant of Uhlans before dead. One hopes that beyond the shadows they have bitter and 'noble' controversy which raged around the the outbreak of the war. The former air champion, Cap­ met, as gallant enemies do when they have fought a good corpse of the fallen pilot, for there was cash waiting for tain Boelke, induced him to enter the Air Service in fight and peace has come to them. the one who inflicted the fatal wound and brought the 1915, and his first victory was won in September, 1916. "These two incidents indicate, one believes, the German machine to earth. The officials themselves who In seven months the flying squadron which he led shot feelings of the Royal Flying Corps toward Rittmeister buried our hero were all fortunate money-makers. Thus

18 Among living aviators he holds the world's record for victories French heroes who are at home in three elements-Earth, Air, and Water Major William A. Bishop, V.c., D.S.a., M.C., premier ace of Great Britain's After a plunge in the Somme, three French airmen and their squad physician Royal Flying Corps, is a Canadian, 23 years ofage. Seventy-two Hun planes have brave the camera. The tall officer, with the cap and cane, is Lieutenant Benois, fallen before the skill of this master airman. Major Bishop came to America on now in America attached to the French military mission. The officer on the furlough last winter and while in Washington, D.C., visited the headquarters of extreme right is Capt. jean Richard, formerly of the Storks Escadrille, but now the National Geographic Society, where he wrote "Tales of the British Air detailed to artillery and stationed in Washington temporarily. Lieutenant Ray­ Service, " published in the january, 1918, number of the National Geographic mond stands next to the physician, who wears the black bathing suit. Magazine.

air began, and it is officially correct up to the date of this spectacle takes on a thoroughly disgusting aspect." Subsequently the Toronto Globe announced that von June 15, 1918, with the exception of the list of British To which Marc Antony might well have said: "Oh Richthofen's conqueror was Capt. Roy Brown, of Carle­ aces, whose records are not made public until His Judgment! Thou hast fled to brutish beasts, and men ton Place, Ontario, who was one of the fighting pilots Maj esty is graciously pleased to con fer upon them the have lost their reason!" participating in the combat. Victoria Cross or the Distinguished Service Order for In truth, the official reports have indicated that it is some extraordinary and brilliant performance of duty. in doubt as to whether von Richthofen fell from a shot THE ROLL OF ACES OF ALL BELLIGERENTS from the air or from the ground. Many aeroplanes were Having described their methods and peculiarities and Many British aces must, therefore, be omitted from the following table. engaged in a "dog fight" at very low levels at the time studied their characteristics, which account for their and machine-guns from the British lines took part in the proved superiority both over their enemies and in com­ THE SCORE OF THE LIVING ACES OF FRANCE fray. Suddenly Richthofen's gaudily painted triplane parison with their comrades, let us look at the complete Fifty-five French aces, living, have brought down 547 darted into the ground and smashed. Investigation dis­ score of the aces of aviation of all the belligerent enemy aeroplanes, as follows: closed a bullet through his heaf t, but from whence it countries. Lieut. Rene Fonck ...... 45 came could not be ascertained. This score I have been tabulating since the war in the Lieut. Charles Nungresser ...... 36

19 Lieut. George Madon ...... 34 Sergt. Quette (missing May 16, 1918) ...... 5 (last victory unofficial) ...... 5 Capt. Albert Heurteaux ...... 21 Sergt. Bouyer ...... 5 Lieut. Edward Richenbacker, New York ...... 5 Adjt. Gu erin ...... 21 Adjt. Casenove de Pradines ...... 5 Eleven American aces have a total of 83 enemy planes Li eut. Deullin ...... 19 Sergt. Pierre Marinovitch ...... 5 brought down. Several of the British aces are Americans Capt. Armand Pinsard ...... 18 Lieut. Nogues ...... 5 who enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. Lieut. Maurice Boyau ...... 18 RECORD OF FRANCE'S HERO DEAD Lieut. de Meuldre ...... 13 THE BRITISH LIST Lieut. Marcel Hughes ...... 12 Nineteen French aces, dead or retired, have brought Major William A. Bishop ...... 72 Adjt. J ailler ...... 12 down 208 enemy aeroplanes. Capt. James McCudden ...... 54 Lieut. Sard ier ...... 11 (The date of the termination of the ace's activities is Capt. Philip F. Fullard ...... 48 Lieut. Tarascon ...... 11 indicated in parentheses.) Capt. Henry W. Wollett (13 in one day) ...... 28 Lieut. Ortoli ...... 11 Capt. Georges Guynemer (September 11, 1917) ... 53 Lieut. John J. Malone ...... 20 Adjt. Andre Herbelin ...... 10 Lieut. Rene Dorme (May 15, 1917) ...... 23 Lieut. Allan Wilkenson ...... 19 Lieut. Garaud ...... 10 Lieut. Jean Chaput (May 18, 1918) ...... 16 Lieut. Stanley Rosevear ...... 18 Lieut. de Turrenne ...... 10 Lieut. Navarre (retired April 10, 1917) ...... 12 Lieut. Robert A. Little ...... 17 Adjt. Chainat ...... 9 Lieut. de la Tour (December 21, 1917) ...... 11 Lieut. Clive Warman ...... 15 Adjt. Casale ...... 9 Adjt. Maxime Lenoire (October 25,1916) ...... 11 Lieut. Fred Libby ...... 14 Adjt. Dauchy ...... 9 Capt. Georges Matton (September 10, 1916) ...... 9 Capt. W. C. Campbell ...... 14 Li eut. Viall et ...... 8 Sergt. Sauvage ...... 8 Lieut. R. T. C. Hoidge ...... 14 Capt. Derode ...... 7 Capt. Rene Doumer (April 26, 1917) ...... 7 Capt. Murray Galbraith ...... 13 Lieut. de Sevin ...... 7 Lieut. de Rochefort ...... 7 Lieut. Joseph Stewart Fall ...... 13 Li eut. de Slad e ...... 7 Capt. Alfred Auger (j uly 28, 1917) ...... 7 Lieut. A. K. Cowper ...... 12 Adjt. Leon Vitalis ...... 7 Lieut. Henri Languedoc ...... 7 Capt. Whitaker ...... : ...... 12 Lieut. Lachmann ...... 7 Lieut. de Mortemart (March 20, 1918) ...... 6 Capt. Robert Dodds ...... 11 Li eut. Flachaire ...... 7 Lieut. Adolph Pegoud (August 31, 1915) ...... 6 Lieut. M. D. G. Scott ...... 11 Adjt. Victor Sayaret ...... 7 Lieut. Andre Delorme ...... 5 Li eut. Raymond Collinshaw ...... 10 Lieut. Jean L'hoste ...... 7 Sergt. Marcel Hauss ...... 5 Li eu t. R. A. Mayberry ...... 9 Sergt. Rene Montrion ...... 7 Capt. Lecour-Grandmaison (May 10, 1917) ...... 5 Lieut. John Andrews ...... 9 Sergt. du Bois d'Aische ...... 6 Lieut. George Baillot (May 20, 1916) ...... 5 Capt. Gilbert Ware Green ...... 9 Lieut. Covin ...... 6 Adjt. Pierre Violet (December 27, 1916) ...... 5 Lieut. K. R. Park ...... 9 Lieut. Bonnefoy ...... 6 The total of 74 French aces, living and dead, is 755 Lieut. M. B. Frew ...... 8 Sergt. Soulier ...... 6 enemy aeroplanes shot down to June 15, 1918. Sergt. Dean I. Lamb ...... 8 Lieut. Gond ...... 6 Lieut. Boyd Samuel Bread ner ...... 8 Sergt. Boyau ...... 6 WHAT UNITED STATES ACES HAVE DONE Lieut. Andrew McKeever ...... 8 Adjt. Dhome ...... 6 Maj. Raoul Lufbery (killed May 19, 1918) ...... 18 Lieut. J. H. T. Letts ...... • ...... 8 Adjt. Peronneau ...... 6 Sergt. David E. Putnam, Brookline, Mass...... 13 Lieut. Lionel B. Jones ...... 7 Sergt. Rosseau ...... 6 Lieut. Frank L. Baylies, New Bedford, Mass. Lieut. A. S. Shepherd ...... 7 Soldat Louis Martin ...... 6 (missing June 20, 1918) ...... 12 Lieut. J ames Dennis Payne ...... 7 Li eut. Leps ...... 6 Maj. William Thaw, Pittsburgh, Pa...... 5 Li eut. G. E. H. McElroy ...... 7 Lieut. Raymond ...... 6 Lieut. Robert Magoun, Boston, Mass. Capt. C. A. Brewster-J oske ...... 7 Lieut. Alex Borzecky ...... 5 (wounded April 8, 1918) ...... 5 Capt. Wagour ...... 7 Adjt. Bloch ...... 5 Lieut. Douglass Campbell, Pasadena, Cal...... 5 Capt. Frank G. Quigley (all in one day) ...... 6 Lie ut. Paul Gastin ...... 5 Adjt. Edwin C. Parsons, Springfield, Mass...... 5 Capt. G. E. Thomson ...... 6 Lieut. Regni er ...... 5 Lieut. H. Clay Ferguson Capt. Lancelot L. Richardson ...... 6 Comdr. de Ma~ancourt ...... 5 (wounded March 12, 1918) ...... 5 Lieut. Cecil Roy Richards ...... 6 Adjt. Herrison ...... 5 Lieut. Paul Frank Baer, Mobile, Ala. Lieut. Howard Saint ...... 6 Lieut. Marty ...... 5 (missing May 22, 1918) ...... 5 Lieut. Fred John Gibbs ...... 6 Adj t. Bl anc ...... 5 Corp. Dav id McK . Peterson, Honesdale, Pa. Lieut. C. W. Cuddemore ...... 6

20 A type ofnight-flying airplane now in use Aces among Aces: Some of the most famous airmen who have flown Note the four rockets on each side and the machine-gun protruding over the for France and humanity bow of the boat-shaped fuselage. The radiators for the motor are on each side of From right to left: Capt. Albert Heurteaux, Capt. Alfred Auger, Commander the fuselage. Below the lower plane of the machine is a battery of three search­ Hogrel, Capt. Georges Guynemer, Lieut. Albert Deullin, Lieutenant Andre, lights controlled, of course, by wired levers within reach of the pilot. A touch of Lieut. Rene Dorme, and Lieutenant Raymond. humor is supplied in the manikin figurehead at the bow.

Lieut. W. C. Canbray ...... Lieut. William Lewis Wells ...... 5 Capt. George Thomson ...... 21 Lieut. H. T. Beamish ...... Lieut. E. D. Clarke ...... 5 Capt.J.L.Trollope{sixinoneday) ...... 18 Lieut. E. T. Hayne ...... Capt. Fred Hope Lawrence ...... 5 Lieut. Leonard M. Barlow ...... 17 Lieut. G. W. Hemming ...... Lieut. Edward R. Grange ...... 5 Lieut. CI ive F. Collett ...... 15 Lieut. J. E. L. Hunter ...... Lieut. W. G. Miggitt ...... 5 Capt. H. G. Reeves ...... 13 Lieut. W. A. Curtiss ...... Lieut. Lawrence W. Allen ...... 5 Capt. Noel W. W. Webb ...... 12 Capt. H. T. Mellings (wounded May 18, 1918 . .. Lieut. William De. Matheson ...... 5 Lieut, Rhys-David ...... 9 Lieut. Gerard B. Crole ...... Lieut. Stanley J. Coble ...... 5 Capt. Henry G. Luchford ...... 7 Lieut. Robert N. Hall ...... Capt. G. H. Boarman ...... 5 Estimating "many" as at least five, the known list of Lieut. David Sidney Hall ...... Lieut. F. T. S. Menendez ...... 5 the British aces accounts for at least 950 enemy aero­ Lieut. M. J. G. Day ...... Capt. K. C. Patrick ...... 5 planes with the above named 86 members. Undoubtedly Lieut. E. G. Johnston ...... Sergt. T. F. Stephenson ...... 5 the complete list will disclose another score of British Lieut. W. L. Jordan ...... Comdr. F. C. Armstrong ...... Many aces. Lieut. M. H. Findley ...... Comdr. R. F. Minifie ...... RECORD OF ITALIAN ACES Lieut. C. B. Ridley ...... Comdr. E. L. N. Clarke ...... Maj. Baracca (killed June 21, 1918) ...... 36 Comdr. R. B. Munday ...... BRITISH DEAD OR RETI RED Lieut. Barachini ...... 31 Comdr. G. W. Price ...... Capt. Albert Ball ...... 43 Lieut. Ancilotti ...... 19 Comdr. R. J. O. Compston ...... Capt. Brunwin Hales ...... 27 Col. Piccio ...... 17 Lieut. V. R. Stokes ...... Capt. Francis McCubbon ...... 23 Capt. Duke Calabria ...... 16

21 Lieut. Scaroni ...... 13 Lieut. Windisch ...... 21 Lieut. Frankel ...... 17 Lieut. Olivari (killed) ...... 12 Lieut. Adam ...... 21 Lieut. Geigel (May 13, 1918) ...... 15 Lieut. Hanza ...... 11 Lieut. Veltgens ...... 21 Lieut. Schneider ...... 15 Sergt. Maisero ...... 8 Lieut. Thuy ...... 20 Lieut. Immelmann ...... 15 Lieut. Parnis ...... 7 Lieut. Reinhardt ...... 20 Lieut. Nathanall ...... 14 Sergt. Poli ...... 6 Lieut. Kissenberth ...... 17 Lieut. Dassenbach ...... 14 Lieut. Lu igi 01 ivi ...... 6 Lieut. Schmidt ...... 15 Lieut. Festner ...... 12 Lieut. Stophanni ...... 6 Lieut. Hess ...... 13 Lieut. Pfeiffer ...... 12 Lieut. Arrigoni ...... 5 Lieut. Muller ...... 13 Lieut. Manschatt ...... 12 Fourteen Italian aces have totalled 193 victories. Lieut. Goettsch ...... 13 Lieut. Hohndorf (October 13, 1917) ...... 12 Lieut. Goering ...... 10 Lieut. Mutschaat ...... 12 EIGHT BELGIAN ACES, 60 VICTORIES Lieut. Banfield, Austria ...... 9 Lieut. Buddecke ...... 12 Adjt. Coppens ...... 13 Sergt. F rickart ...... 9 Lieut. von Kendall ...... 11 Lieut. Thieffry (killed February 23, 1918) ...... 10 Lieut. von Althaus ...... 8 Lieut. Kirmaier ...... 11 Lieut. de Meulemeester ...... 10 Lieut. Esswein ...... 6 Lieut. Theiller ...... 11 Lieut. Jan 01 ieslagers ...... 6 Lieut. Walz ...... 6 Lieut. Herman Serfert ...... 11 Adjt. Beulemest ...... 6 Lieut. Hehn ...... 6 Lieut. Mulzer ...... 10 Capt. J aquette ...... 5 Li~ut. Koenig ...... 6 Lieut. Leffers ...... 9 Lieut. Robin ...... 5 Capt. Zauder ...... 5 Lieut. Schulte . "...... 9 Adjt. Medaets ...... 5 Lieut. Brauneck ...... 5 Lieut. Parschau ...... 8 Lieut. Ullmer ...... 5 Lieut. Schilling ...... 8 RUSSIAN ACES Lieut. Roth ...... 5 Lieut. Immelmann ...... 6 Capt. Kosakoff ...... 17 Forty-eight German aces, dead or retired, have Lieut. Fahlbusch ...... 5 Capt. Kroutenn (killed June 22, 1917) ...... 6 brought down 923 aeroplanes. Lieut. von Siedlitz ...... 5 Lieut. Pachtchenko ...... 5 (Date 'when activities ceased is indicated in paren­ Lieut. Rosenkranz ...... 5 theses.) Lieut. Habor ...... 5 LIVING HUN ACES TOTAL 747 PLANES Capt. von Richthofen (killed April 21, 1918) 80 Lieut. Reimann ...... 5 Thirty-six German and four Austrian aces, living, Lieut. Werner-Voss-Crefeld (killed Oct. 8,1917) ... 49 Thus, 88 German aces have shot down 1,670 aero­ total 747 aeroplanes. Capt. Boelke ...... 40 planes of the Allies. On July 26, 1917, Germany claimed Lieut. Max Buckler ...... 33 Lieut. Gontermann (November 3, 1917) ...... 39 a total of 2,387 enemy aircraft destroyed since the be­ Capt. Berthold ...... 33 Lieut. Max Muller (J anuary 15, 1918) ...... 38 ginning of the war. Since that time more than 1,000 Lieut. Menckhof ...... 33 Lieut. Bongartz (wounded March 3, 1918) ...... 36 have been added to this list. Lieut. Loerzer (wounded June 15, 1918) ...... 33 Lieut. Cort Wolf ...... 33 Lieut. Schaeffer ...... 30 Lieut. Schleich ...... 30 TURKISH ACE Capt. Brunowsky, Austria ...... 29 Lieut. Almenroeder ...... 30 Lieut. von Bulow ...... 28 Lieut. von Richthofen, wounded ...... 29 Capt. Schetz ...... 8 successes Lieut. Kroll ...... 28 Capt. von Tutscheck (March 17, 1918) ...... 27 Lieut. Wuesthoff ...... 27 Lieut. Barnet (October 13, 1917) ...... 27 ALLIES' LIVING ACES, 157; HUNS, 40 Lieut. Udet ...... 27 Lieut. Dosier (j anuary 1, 1918) ...... 26 Summarizing the foregoing table of the aces and their Lieut. Lowenhardt ...... 27 Lieut. Erwin Boehm (December 1, 1917) ...... 24 victories, we find that 88 Germans have brought down Lieut. Arigi, Austria ...... 26 Lieut. von Tschwibon (November 22, 1917) ...... 20 1,670 hostile aircraft since the beginning of the war, Lieut. Peutter ...... 25 Lieut. von Eschwege ...... 20 wh ile 193 Allied aces have considerably exceeded th is Lieut. Link Crawford, Austria ...... 23 Lieut. Bethge{March 17, 1918) ...... 20 score, with 2,041 enemy aircraft shot down. The Capt. Baumer ...... 23 Capt. Behr ...... 19 startling feature in this comparison is the disclosure that Lieut. Kirstein ...... 23 Lieut. Thulzer ...... 19 German tactics in the air have permitted our enemy to Corp. Rumey ...... 23 Lieut. Baldamus ...... 18 destroy four-fifths as many aeroplanes with one-half the Lieut. Klein ...... _...... 22 Lieut. Wintgens ...... 18 number of aces. (Continued on page 23)

22 Aeroplane struck in mid-air by a shell which carried away one cylinder of the rotary motor without destroying the machine. Cowardly as those tactics are, unsportsmanlike as the enemy pilots must admit themselves to be, the German method of air fighting has proved its superiority over the more daring and generous tactics of the Allies, both in economy in the use of man power and machines and in efficiency. But another conclusion can also be drawn from these figures. Our enemy has but 40 pilots of the ace class remaining, while the Allies have 157. The dead or retired in the enemy list number 48, with 923 victories, as against the 40 still fighting, with 747 victories. So, not only have our aerial duel ists put hors de com­ bat the majority of the enemy's star fighters, but in accomplishing this feat we have increased rather than lessened our own supply of expert duelists. Add to this indication of ultimate supremacy the fact R707. The government project airship crashed in northern France in Oct. 7930 when on a test that the allied nations are now producing three or four flight to India. The disaster ended all development of airships in England. times as many aeroplanes as Germany, and that the flying schools of the United States are crowded with eager lads impatiently waiting for their fighting mounts, and we begin to feel that the dueling days of Germany's 40 aces will soon be over. Nevil Shute THE TASK OF THE ALLIED ACES By: Dorr B. Carpenter All picture credits; 225 Saunders Road Flight International's Picture Library, London And this 40 must be swept from the skies before our Lake Forest, I L 60045 machines of reconnaissance and photographing can operate to perfection. Until the fighting planes of the One of the better known aviation pioneers in England ten primarily concern aViation, the subject he most enemy are suppressed our bombing machines are con­ was Nevil Shute Norway. He is almost unknown in certainly knew the best. Mostly written for his own stantly menaced in their raids over enemy lines. One America as an engineer, but at the same time his written relaxation, the first two were never published during his week's freedom from this menace would permit our works are known and loved the world over. He has for lifetime and the next, Marazan sold only a few copies bombing squadrons so to destroy the enemy's railroads more than twenty-five years been my favorite author. when it first appeared, but was quite popular when and highways that the German forces at the front would Nevil Shute, a pen name taken up in the early 1920's, re-issued twenty-five years later. His autobiography Slide be wholly deprived of food, ammunition, supplies, and was used throughout his long writing career, which Rule, and engrossing story of his early life, reads more reinforcements. Either retirement or surrender must en­ extended until 1960 at the time of his death. like a novel than a biography. Although not a dare devil sue. ~ , He wrote a total of twenty adventure novels of which pilot, he held interesting jobs entailing much

23 AS-3~ Queen Wasp, designed and built in 7936 as a radio controlled pilotless AS-5 Courier and some of the directors of Air Speed Ltd. Right to left they drone in both land and sea versions for live gunnery practice. Powered by a are Lord Grimthorpe (chairman), A. Hessel! Tiltman and Nevil Shute Norway, 350 hp Cheetah IX engine she was much too good looking to be shot out of others are unknown. The Courier was the first English civil machine with the sky. Mainly constructed of wood she had folding wings and was tested retractable under carriage - the date 7933. and ultimately used for many varied purposes. (Shown here flying pilotless) responsibility and wrote about them in a most dramatic The books are so immediately engrossing that it is wrote. One particularly disappointing situation occurred manner. hard to put one down after reading o nly a few pages. I when I purchased a book with an unfamiliar title, only All of h is stories are excellent and I recommend on think you will want to read them all, eventually. The to start reading it and finding that I had already read it reading his books to read Slide Rule first. He repeatedly later books do not interlock and range in subject from under another name. Some of his books published in the calls attention to incidents and people that gave rise to Air Line stories (The Rainbow and the Rose, No United States have different titles than in England; an stories and characters in his novels. Many of the stories Highway and Round the Bend) to military flying in the example is Marazan, the English title, published here it is run together with the main characters in one book Second World War (Pastoral and Landfall). The last The Mysterious Aviator. becoming a minor entry in the next. I have the feeling of aviation story, An Old Captivity, is a truly imaginative These books are still generally available through local welcoming back old friends when meeting them again in sea plane flight to Greenland told by a swift paced book stores and most are in print by William as many as three books. This brings up the subject of narrative. Heinemann, London. the order in which to read these adventures. You will Of a ll of his aviation books, I consider The Rainbow As for Shute's life; he was born in 1900. His father was Ii ke them in any sequence but the logical order is not as and the Rose to be the best. I t was written after he had a post office employee of rather high rank. One of his they are published chronologically. The first should be achieved a full mastery of suspense and story telling, first recollections of aviation was an event in 1911: a Marazan, followed by So Disdained, Stephen Morris and and incorporates some unexpected twists that hold one's notation in h is diary concerned the first Air Race around Pilotage. These offer an almost continuous narrative of interest throughout the narrative. The remaining novels Britain which passed directly over his house on its first barnstorming aViation adventure with even an are varied in subject matter fro m shipbuilding, sailing, lap from Brooklands and Hendon. Even as a very young occassional spy thrown in, in the setting of England in the Second World War, and Australia to the British Navy. boy, he knew all the aeroplanes by sight, names mostly the 1920's. Over the years I have collected every book he ever forgotten now such as the Etrich monoplane, the

24 Deperdussin and the Valkyrie. With the coming of the First World War, he was a fifteen year old student and saw some fighting in Ireland and became involved in driving an ambulance in the rebel! ion that started on Easter Monday, 1916. After considerable military training at Woolwich, he failed to be commissioned because he stammered very badly. He then served for a little over a year in the ranks. Immediately following the Army he entered Oxford as a mathamatics and engineering student in 1919, spending his first summer vacation crewing a yacht. --"" ~\ These sailing experiences recur often in his novels. ~~ " ) In order to gain experience in the aeronautical field, he worked during his later Oxford vacations as an unpaid ,\[ i<.j\ . employee of the Aircraft Manufacturing Company at Hendon, known as Airco. His immediate superior was \ Captain Geoffrey de Havilland. The English Government in 1925 started building an airsh ip (R-101) and at the same time let contracts for a private concern to work on a similar project (R-1 00). Shute was the Deputy Chief Engineer in charge of the R-100 project at Hawden from its inception through and including a successful test flight in 1930 from England to Canada and back. Shute's autobiography Slide Rule devotes 79 pages to this extraordinary story, telling not only of behind the scenes in his endeavor, but also of the ins and outs of the government project. Above: AS-4 Ferry, three were built in 7932. An In March 1931, he organized a company in York to equal-span biplane with two upright 720 hp de build small aircraft under the name Airspeed Ltd. He Havilland Gipsy /I engines and one inverted 720 Below: AS-8 Viceroy was a modified Envoy fitted was still a very young man. As he was used to bei ng in a hp DH Gipsy III. It could take-off and land in a with Cheetah VI supercharged engines and spe­ position of authority, it was only natural that he would very short distance and was used primarily for cially built for the England-Australia race of 7934. turn to some endeavor in which his aviation knowledge joy-rides. Two of these aircraft in one summer sea­ It did not win and was ultimatly sold to Spain in would be of use. son's operations made 9,700 landings and carried 7935. He and the other directors put up very little money 92,000 passengers. and the company suffered from under capitalization until the war orders started to flow in. His books were becoming popular, but he kept this side of his life separate from his work in aviation and in fact wrote very little during this period, as he felt an obligation to his stock holders and employees. It was the AS-5 Courier that brought some attention to Airspeed Ltd. for the first time. The earlier records of the AS-1 Tern (Sailplane) went unnoticed in a country not interested in gliders. The excellently designed AS-4 had a short production run of three aircraft, because the de Havilland Dragon was cheaper and faster. Few cared that the Ferry could carry more and land and take off in a much shorter space.

25 Shute was working in the capacity of Joint Managing Director of Airspeed with A. H. Tiltman. Tiltman concentrated on the technical and design aspects, while Shute was concerned with stress calculations and with the commercial sales and general management of the firm. There is a very good book written about the Airspeed Company history that is still in print. It is called Air­ speed Aircraft since 1931 by H. A. Taylor, published by Putnam and Co. Ltd., London. The author, as a former employee of Airspeed, was in a position to know the subject well and presents an excellent, well illustrated, complete history. Nevil Shute's Slide Rule covers this history from an entirely different point of view and then only up until 1938 when he left the company to pursue writing as a full time endeavor. The major accomplishments of Airspeed were during the war years with the build ing of thousands of Oxford train ers (AS-10) and Horsa troop gliders (AS-51). There were a total of 62 Airspeed projects. Most were experimental and some were modifications of aircraft burlt by other firms. It .was during the war that the de Havilland Company gained control and Airspeed became only a division of that giant firm. With the advent of the war Shute again entered the service, th is time as a Lt. Commander in a Naval Technical unit. After the war he emigrated to Australia, where he wrote most of his books. Above: AS-57 Ambassador, first flown in July 7947 and designed as a DC-3 replacement. When Shute's books, reflecting his interesting life in several used by BEA they were called the Elizabethan. This was the last de Havilland model to carry the areas, are well worth reading from a number of points of Air Speed name. view.~ Below: AS-6 Convertible Envoy III. One of three aircraft sold to the South African Air Force in 7939. Four others were ordered for use Below: AS-5 Courier with Napier Rapier engine for test purposes. by the South African Airways and were capable ofquick conversion Reengined with Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine and used on the to military variant. Solent Ferry. ,..---

26