HELP!

The Vintage Airplane Magazine is in grave danger. The problem is lack of material. As with SPORT AVIATION and other EAA publications we are almost totally depen­ dent on the photographic generosity and writing activity of our readership. It's up to you to share with the other members of the Antique/Classic Division your experiences, memories, photographs or research . Headquarters can not do it all on its own. The supply of manuscripts is so low that unless we hear from some of you soon there may not be a happy new year. Please get involved ... now! Paul H. Poberezny, Publisher David Gustafson, Editor The VINTAGEAII1PLANE Editorial OFFICIAL MAGAZINE Staff EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC. Publisher of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Paul H. Poberezny P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130 CopyrightC> 1978 EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc., All Rights Reserved . Editor (David Gustafson Photo) OCTOBER 1978 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 10 Rya n PT-22 David Gustafson (On The Cover . .. loe Era/e 's Curtiss Robin. Photo by David Gustafson.) Associate Editors: H. Glenn Buffington, Robert G. Elliott, AI Kelch, Edward D. Williams, Byron (Fred) Fredericksen TABLE OF CONTENTS

Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Associate Editorships are assigned More O shkosh '78 by David Gustafson . . ... "., .. . , ., ...... , ' , . .. , ... , 4 to those writers who submit five or more articles .which are published in THE VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE during the current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR­ History of Flight '78 . .. ,' , . . . . , " ', . . , ., ' , ...... 9' PLANE and a free one·year membership in the Division for their efforts. POLICY-Opinions Curtiss Robin by David Gustafson ...... , . .. 12 expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting Winners ...... , ...... , .. . , , , , . , .. , . , .. . , ...... , ...... 16 rests entirely with the contributor. From The Ground Up by lois Kelch ...... 18 Directors Tom's Travelair by Kent McMakin . . , . . . . , . ... ," , .. " . . .. . , . . .. . , ...... 21 ANTIQUE/CLASSIC William J. Ehlen AI Kelch Staggerwings In Uniform by AI Gililland . , ...... 23 DIVISION Route 8 Box 506 7018 W . Bonniwell Road Restoration Tips: Radio Installations in C-170's and Tampa, Florida 33618 Mequon, Wisconsin 53092 OFFICERS Other Classi cs by Don langford .. , , , .. . . . , , , . . . , . , .. , , , . , , , . , , .. , " 25 Claude l. Gray, Jr. Morton W. Le ster Calendar of Events ...... , . , ...... , ., ' ,. ,', ...... ,.,', . ," ', .. 26 PRESIDENT 9635 Sylvia Avenue Box 3747 J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Northridge, California 91 324 Martinsville, Virginia 2411 2 P.O. BOX 2464 Dale A. Gustafson Arthur R. Morgan FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33303 7724 Shady Hill Drive 3744 N . 51 st Bourevard Indian apolis, Indiana 46274 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53216 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP VICE-PRESIDENT Richard Wagner M . C. " Kelly" Viets JACK WINTHROP P.O . Box 181 RR 1 Box 151 o NON-EAA MEMBER - $20,00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ RT. 1, BOX 111 Lyons, Wisconsin 53148 Stillwell, Kan sas 66085 Class ic Division, 12 mo nthly iss ues o f THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year m ~ m­ ALLEN, TX 75002 bership in the Experimental Aircraft Ass ociation and se parate membership ca rds. Advisors SPORT AVIATION magazine not included. SECRETARY Ronald Fritz W. BRAD THOMAS, JR. 1989 Wilson, NW o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Inc ludes one year membership in the EAA.Antique/Class ic 301 DODSON MILL ROAD Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504 Division, 12 monthly iss ues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND /MEMBERSHIP CARD. PILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041 John R. Turgyan Robert E. Kes sel (Applica nt must be current EAA m ember and must give EAA membership number.) 1530 Kuser Road 445 Oakridge Drive TREASURER Trenton, New Jersey 08619 Rochester, New York 14617 E. E. "BUCK" HILBERT Stan Gomoll Robert A . White .I ,. 8102 LEECH RD. 1042 90th Lane, NE Box 704 ...... ,~ UNION, IL 60180 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55434 Zellwood, Florida 32798 ,~,'"

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusi vely by EAA An tique/Classic DiviSion, Inc" and is published monthly at Hales Corners, Wisconsi n 53130. Second class Postag e paid at Hales Corners Post Office , Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130, and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA Anti que/ Classic Division, Inc., are $ 14.00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication of THE ~ --.."' . VINTAGE AI RP LAN E. Membersh ip is open to all who are interested in aviation. =:IIlII Page 4 Page 9 Page 23 3 MORE OSHKOSH '78

By David Guslafson, Ecl ilOr

As the song goes: " It was a very good year". Aside from a dramatic thunderstorm that tickled the north end of the field, providing a thrilling backdrop for the opening of Monday's air show, the weather this year was everything 1977 had left to be desired. Abun­ dant sunshine covered the field in the mornings, puffy clouds rolled in for lunch, out for dinner, and tem­ peratures everyone would like to see year-round com­ bined to create a pilot and photographers' dream. Like prospective parents who cross the threshold of expectancy earlier than anticipated, we were all surprised to count 377 display aircraft on the field when the sun set on the eve before the Convention 's opening. That tally included 42 Antique and 116 Classic aircraft, many 'of which had staked out a piece of the campground south of Ollie's Park . So when dawn cracked on Saturday there was already an excellent representation of vintage planes, 82 more than a year earlier, and each successive day saw another new record in attendance. At week 's end, the Antique/ Classic Division could not only boast of a bigger and better fly-in than in previous years, but it could again lay claim- if it means anything- to the largest total number of display aircraft on the field. Antiques and Classics outnumbered Homebuilts by several hundred and Warbirds by a factor of five. In aircraft registra­ tions that translates into 190 Antiques, 7 Replicas, and a whopping 604 Classics. Naturally a lot of Oshkosh regulars and intermittant With each year the stories of restorations, of what ( Photo by Ted Ko ston) types (irregulars ?) turned up again. Hours were filled the builders had in the first place, of what they had S. L. Wa llick, Jr., pilolShiS 80ein g 700 ( P+ 12 F4 8-1 ) over and quickly passed with reunions and exchanges of to find or build anew, grow ever more involved. Easy Oshko sh . the latest flying stories. What makes each day really pickin's are gone. These days, or in the last decade, exciting, however, are the arrivals of the debutantes, people have had to start with some pretty empty bas­ time; both were rebuilt by their owners. They shared the basket cases that have had the full Cinderella treat­ kets. center stage with some other outstanding newcomers ment before their "coming out" party. Like royal gold This year, the trophy for Grand Champion Antique like Jack Chastain 's rare Rawdon T-1 , Ray Stebnis' and filigree they shine in all directions; like the ancient went to Joe & Joe Erale's Curtiss Robin, a ten-year Jack Schnaube It's excellent Fa irch i Id 22, Margaret theatres of Greece, they remind us of another time project; Grand Champion Classic was Ron Wojnar's and Rick Demond 's sparkling Corben Ace (antique that's curiously grown to seem more noble and less Aeronca Champ which was also a full decade in the homebuilt). Donald Cassidy flew in a beautifully cus­ complicated than what we're locked into now. remaking. Both planes were at Oshkosh for the first tomized Spartan Executive, and S. L. Wallick arrived 4 in the world's on ly Boeing 100, while Wallace Mitchell brought in his one of a kind RPT Waco low wing. There were some exciting replica debuts: a brand new Spad, Fokker Triplane, even a Ramsey Bathtub (from Baker, Oregon!). Since there are so many Class ics , it's difficult to nail down. what's new or freshly refurbished, but the number put on the block for judging expands rapidly every year, which is indicative of the effort people are making to preserve and maintain everyth ing that flies. Among the scads of tasteful "wet-look" classic paint schemes, were a liberal sprinkling of bare 'n polished metal planes that were sometimes blinding in the sunlight. Beauty was occasionally more than skin deep with some of these Classics as found in the case of a gleaming Luscombe 8F that looked stock at first glan ce, but which harbored a 150 HP Lycoming under its cowl. Of course, there 's more to Oshkosh than fossil aircraft. For example, there are the archaeo logical discussions about the roots of early aviation. Thirty­ nine of the forty forums scheduled for tent number 3, beside the Antique/Classic field headquarters, went off on schedule, drawing some full houses and strongly appreciative responses. Ollie 's Park, between the Antique Parking and the Antique/Classic Aircraft Campgrounds provided an ideal setting for a finger­ lickin ' good picnic. It was a pleasure to see so many wives and kids present. A lot of those people recon­ vened at the same spot on Friday night following the awards show in the Main Forums Pavilion. Highlighting the week of Antique/Classic activities at Wittman Field, and driving Chairman Ron Fritz and some of the other organ izers to the brink of babble, was the airborn History of Flight. Lauded by all as an overwhelming success, the Parade sequenced nearly all the major types of aircraft developed between the 1911 Curtiss Pusher (which led the parade) through a United Airlines DC-8 jet which flew through after 104 antiques, classics and warbirds. Breaking the steady flow of fly-by 's from time to time were some barnstormers who regularly perform airshow routines with Vintage aircraft. They held the stage for a while, twisting smoke trails into delicate geometric patterns. It's safe to say that never before in the history of avia­ tion have so many people volunteered their time and airplanes to participate in such an extravaganza. The picture presented of air progress was quite com­ prehensive. Naturally, next year's will be even bigger, hopefully better and even more exciting.

(Photo by Dick Stouffer) 5 The Antique/Classic parking area at Oshkosh. ANTIQUE AIRCRAFT IN ATTENDANCE

REGISTRATION & AIRCRAFT TYPE PILOT AND/OR OWNER

AERONCA N14632 C-3 Dale Wolford. Ashland. OH N22322 Chief John A. Moore, Escanaba. MI N22359 S-65CA Lawrence F. Diedrick, Lodi, WI N27302 Chief Jerry Ernst , Owosso , MI N33702 Chief Joseph A. Simandl, West Allis, WI N31S37 65TL Robert Decker/Scot Decker, East Peoria, IL N33757 65TC Dwayne Tucker. Concord, AR N49302 L3 Keith A. Littlefield , Tacoma, WA

AMERICAN EAGLE N7310 American Eagle 101 Ed Wegner. Plymouth. WI N54SY American Eaglet Gene Morris/Mary Morris, Hampshire. IL

BEECHCRAFT N40E D-17S Glen McNabb. Jasper. TN Nl195V Staggerwing John W. Womack. lola. KS N911 3H D-17S Donald R. Quinn, Inner Grove Heights. MN N9724H D-17S D. W. Koeppen , New Milford. CT N44562 Staggerwing Richard Hansen , Batavia , IL N5329S D-17S Richard L. Perry. Hampshire. IL N67550 D- 17S R. C. Vanausdell. Santa Paula , CA NS0305 G-17S James Gorman , Mansfield, OH C-FGWC D-17S George Lemay. N. W. Calgary, Canada

CESSNA N15462 C-34 Clyde Bourgeois, Santa Ynez. CA N20764 C- 165 Harry Menear, Palmyra, PA N20765 Airmaster John Bergeson, Mt. Pleasant. MI N254S5 C-165 Gar Williams, Naperville. IL N69072 T-50 James Kramer , Boynton Beach. FL

DE HAVILLAND N4446 Tiger Moth John Bright, Kalamazoo. MI CF-BHK Tiger Moth C. E. Rankine. Scarborough. Ont.. Canada CF-CTN Tiger Moth Frank Evans{Tom Dietrich , Kitchener, Ont ., Canada

DOUGLAS N45WT DC-3 Tom May. Un iontown , OH N1S949 DC-3 George W. Gibson. Antrim. NH N54542 DC-3 EAA Air Museum. Franklin. WI

FAIRCHILD NC1476S Fairchild 22 Ray Steinbis/Jack Schnaubelt. Elgin. IL NC3629 Fairchild 24 C. C. Mason, Mora. MN N19177 Fairchild 24 Russ Schmude. Oshkosh. WI N22032 Fairchild 24 Allen D. Henninger, Tullahoma. TN (Photo by Ted Kaston) N25323 Fairchild 24 Ed Wegner. Plymouth. WI Gene Morris of Hampshire, N27697 Fairchild 24R Don Genzmer, Mukwonago, WI Illinois flew up in this Tra­ GRUMMAN N77605 Fairchild 24 Glenn M. Kindell. Mesa. AZ NIAS Widgeon G-44 Arthur C. Slifel III . Miami Beach , FL N7760S Fairchild 24W Burton Modert. Jackson, MI vel Air 4000. N7491 Widgeon Brian Van Wagner. Clark Lake. MI NCS1263 Fairchild 24W Warren Long , Thomasville, GA N62000 Widgeon James Rogers. Middlebury, IN NS131S Fairchild 24 Neil Fuller. Midland. MI NS1333 Fairchild 24W Steve Thomas, Belvidere. IL HOWARD NCS134S Fairchild 24R H. Van Bortel/B. Moore. Palmyra. NY N14SS7 DGA-l1 John Witt . Minneapolis, MN NS1356 Fairchild . Don Mather, Huron. OH N67433 DGA 15P Clayton Graves. Santa Paula, CA N13DR PT-19 Robert M . Young/Bob Falls. McLoud. OK NC95462 DGA 15P Chub/Bette Trainor. Wayne. NJ N46395 PT-19A Gerard Carlson , East Hartford. CT N51S74 PT-19 William T . Patchett , Warrenton , VA INTERSTATE N66S13 PT-19 Donald Jensen. Albert Lea, MN N37303 Interstate Cadet S 1A H. Edward Westlake. Columbus. OH N69167 PT- 26 Jerold L. Frye. Bethalto. IL NC37334 Interstate Cadet Tim Talen/Marian Johnson . Cottage PT-26 Terry R. Chastain. Singapore 21 . Grove, OR Singapore. NC37357 Interstate Cadet S1A Richard Redell. Lake Geneva. WI 6 MEYERS N26487 OTW Charles Downey/Melbourne Schmidt, Hinsdale, IL N34311 OTW Richard Martin, Green Bay, WI

MONOCOUPE N369H Nelson Eskey/Ron Testerman, Blue Ridge, VA Nl1760 Joseph Jones, Pleasant Hill, OH N15427 Matthew B. Poelking, Wadsworth , OH N18062 90A H. Art Marsden/J. D. Slack, Argos, IN N38922 Bud Dake, Berkeley, MO

NAVY N1 2063 N3N-3 ,Tom Ahlers, SI. Charles, MO N45222 N3N-3 Arnold W. Lindall, Marine on SI. Croix, MN

PIPER N19554 J-2 Dave Jameson, Oshkosh , WI N23200 Thomas Janusevic, Rockford, IL N24603 J-3 William T. Coleman, Portage, WI N24693 J-3 Dennis Agin, Cleveland, OH wnc30233 J-3 George Williams, Poynette, WI N30859 J-3 Tim Lyons, Lake Bluff, IL NC32S52 J-3 Peter Doblosky, Manville, NJ N33578 J-3 Robert W. Reid III , San Jose, CA N3432N J-3 Donald Jensen, Albert Lea, MN N35811 J-3 Gus Limbach, Mahtomedi, MN N38259 J-3 D. Diedrich, McHenry, IL N42028 J-3 Norman Lewis, Frederichsburg. OH N49901 John Young, Reynoldsburg, OH N51574 J-3 Norbert Okoniewski, Utica. MI N43518 L-4 Gene O'Neill, Fostoria, IA NC26716 J-4A Dan Kuhlman/Dave Coller, Coraopolis, PA N28205 J-4 Glenn D. Charles, Irwin, PA NC30340 J-4A Alan Anderson. Grosse lie, MI N41153 J-4 Roger l. Herren, Clayton , IL N35697 J-5 Ed Hedlund, South Haven , MI N38243 J-5A D. J. Rohrbaugh, Ft . Wayne, IN N59988 J-5A Leo Waiter, Riley, KS

RYAN N18911 SCW Richard McDonald, Olympia, WA NS146 STM Bobby, Friedman, Highland Park, IL N472 10 PT- 22 Don McMakin, Sarasota, FL N53148 PT-22 James G . Taylor, Sky Harbor Air Park, MN

REAR WI N N20723 Sportster Alfred Nagel, Montello, WI N25570 Sportster Kenneth Williams, Portage, WI

SPARTAN N705N C' 3 Ed Wegner, Plymouth, WI N97DC Executive Donald Cassidy, Martinsville, IN N836 Executive Norm Kleman. Hampshire. IL NC13993 Executive Robert Pond, Eden Prairie, MN (Ph OlO by Ted Koslon) N17605 Executive Donald E. Dickenson, Santa Paula, CA Ed Wegner of Plymouth, NC17615 Executive J . T. Patterson, Louisville, KY LUSCOMBE N20200 Executive William Goldman, Chandler, AZ SA R. N. Branson, Burleson, TX Wisconsin taxies his American N1972B Don D Dodge, Manhattan, KS Eagle down the flight line. STEARMAN N2514S SC Arthur R. Morgan, Milwaukee, WI N78SH YP-9 Ray Stephen/C. R. Jones, Livermore, CA N25173 David Novak . Algoma, WI N21EC Ed Colman, Genesel, NY NC25174 SA Harold Wighton, Ro slyn, WA N44JP N2S5 Robert Graves/Charlotte Parish, N25342 SA Earl W. Ellis, Westminster, CO Tullahoma, TN N28547 Gerry Sheahan , West Allis, WI N44WR W. F. Russell, Houston, TX N39083 SA Robert E. Tree, Remus, MI N16SD Susan Dacy, Harvard, I L N450PW A75Nl Bob and Pat Wagner, Miamisburg, OH N966CD Chuck Doyle , Apple Valley, MN LOCKHEED N1034 N2- S1 Norman Corsaut, Traverse City. MI NC105W Vega Dave Jameson, Oshkosh. WI Nl066N David E. Neuser, Manitowoc, WI N1 2AT 12A EAA Air Museum, Franklin. WI Nt 395V David Litchfield, Bloomfield, CT N36P 12A Paul Valentino, Bloomfield, MI N9078H F. R. Griffin, Minnetonka Beach . MN 7 (Pharo by Lee Fray) ( Photo by David Gustafson) Convention Chairman for theAntiquelClassic area, J. R. fAA Convention Director Tom Poberezny discusse s the Nielander (ieft) and Co-Chairman Robert A. White. week's activities with the press.

N9301 H Leslie A. Haley, Old Mystic, CT NC29898 Andrew T. Surratt. Medinah, Il N127Y Wallace Mitchell. Brookfield, WI N38940 William F. Bohannan, Columbus. OH N33992 Larry Grimm, Finleyville, PA N16591 EOC-6 Stan Gomoll , Blaine, MN N55626 Chuck Andreas. Neenah. WI N36256 Ralph Grebb. Sulphur Springs, TX NC29903 UPF-7 Richard Peterson/William Amundson. N55809 Michael Hall, Palatine, IL N36298 Ralph V. Jones. Suitland, MD Stoughton , WI N57947 Edward A. Pease, West Mystic. CT N36389 Dave Siler , Versailles. MO N30186 UPF-7 James J . Sorenson , Green Bay, WI N61511 Roger Koerner, Kankakee, IL N46667 James Souris. Minneapolis. MN NC30188 UPF-7 Henry Geissler. Webster. MN N63991 Marvin Sievert, MinneapolIS. MN N47026 Stanley A. York, Mansfield. OH N32084 UPF-7 Loel Crawford . Harvard, IL N75228 PT-17 Paul R. Beck, Sausalito, CA NC47301 Arch L. Howard/Harold N. Downing, NC2309 VKS-7 Kermit D. Hoffmeier, Kearney, MO Lexington , KY N31653 VKS-7F Vince Marian i. Findlay, OH N47481 Gerald Boling. Newcastle, IN N29375 RPT Wallace Mitchell. Brookfield, WI STINSON N47583 Robert J. Kuhlow, Brookfield. WI NC408Y SM-8A EAA Air Museum. Franklin, WI N50107 William Schank , St. Pau l. MN ADDITIONAL ANTIQUES NC443G Jr. S D. F. Neuman. MinneapoliS, MN NC50129 Larry Moffitt , Raytown, MO N872H Boeing 100 (P-12 F4B-1) S. L Wallick, Jr , Bellevue, WA N100JN SR -9F John T. Neumeister. Sussex. NJ N50964 William G. Baldwin . Pacifica. CA NX5148 Corben Baby Ace Richard Demond . Whitmore Lake. MI N18410 Reliant Stanley L. Kuck, Kohler, WI N91032 Dale Jorgensen, Algoma, WI N101B Culver Cadet David W Starbuck, Rudd , IA N9t 78H v·n Tallie Holland, Columbus, OH NR59H Curtiss Robm Joseph EralefBil1 Garvey. Brentwood, N22531 HW-75 Richard F. Viles. Union Lake. MI L.I .. NY N23703 HW-75 Jerry L. Ackerman, Perry , OK N20915 Dart GK-2 4 Art Bishop/F Leidig, Norton, OH TRAVEL A IR NC28961 Ercoupe Thomas Rowland. EI Paso. TX NC8115 Nick Rez ich, Rockford. IL N24137 Funk Harry Keith , Coffeyville , KS TAYLORCRAFT N9088 4000 Gene Morris. Hampshire. IL N543K Great Lakes Tom Bins. Three Lakes. WI N20407 Thomas R. Triplett, Watertown . WI CF-NXT Miles Hawk John W. MacGillivray, Ottawa South , N24341 Donald W. Berg/Harold Hamp, Alma, MI WACO ant. , Canada N26690 Jasper Janssen. Houghton , MI N6974 10 John Hatz. Gleason. WI N 12937 Pletenpol Forrest Lovely. Richfield . MN NC27486 James E, Edwards, Clearwater. FL N6930 ASO Dean Crites, Waukesha. WI N18743 Porterfield Charles E. Lebrecht . Wonder Lake. IL N27657 John Gadeikis, Burlington. WI N12453 IBA Ed Packard, So . Bend, IN Swallow Buck Hilbert/United Airlines. Union. IL N29869 A. N. Polidori, Mundelein. IL N655N Taperwing Bob Lyjak, Ann Arbor. MI NX 21 1 Sp irit of St. Louis EAA Air Museum . Franklin. WI N29885 Samuel E. Winters. Hampsire. IL NC11427 F- 2 L. E. Parsons, Carrollton, OH CG-OMD St amps SV4B R. G. Hadfield. M ilton. ant.. Canada 8

7977 Curtiss Pusher, Dales Crites, Waukeshau, WI 7973 Spad VII, Carl Swanson, Aliens Crove, WI

Swallow, Ryan, Stinson - "The journeymen" 1935 Cessna C-34, Clyde Bourgeois, Santa Ynez, CA

7938 Ryan SCw, Rich McDonald, Olympia, WA 1947 Waco VKS-7F, Vince Maiani, Findlay, OH t 794 2 Cessna T-50, james Kramer, Boynton Beach, F L 7942 Piper L-4, Gene O 'Neill, Fo storia, LA

7943 PT-79, Bob Young/ Bob Fall s, M c Loud, OK 7943 Howard DGA 75 P, Chub Trainor, Wayne, N j

Navion 7953 Cessna 795, Mike Young, McLoud, OK

•

11 lime, had dabbled occasion ally with commercial mod­ Number 46 2 of the Challenger series was pulled els like the Oriole, Lark an d Carrier Pidgeon. Sensin g off the assembly line for special duty. Th ere was noth­ that the open cockpit biplane was limited to the whims ing special about 462; it was "stock " in all respeds. of climate and likely th erefore to eventually face re­ With a few additions, however, it was made ready placement in the commercial market by closed cabin for an endurance contest that would see Red Jackson airplanes, Curtiss proceeded to sketch out a three­ and Forest O 'Brine over St. Louis for a record break­ se at "enclosed " airplane. He ca lled it the Robin. It ing 420 hours or 17% days. During the course of the was distinctive because of its squared off, straight flight they were refueled by another Challenger Robin. lines look. There was more to Curtiss' thinking than Most likely, something about the flight and the record simplicity in construction; he subjected the structure contributed to the identification of #462 as " the 1st to wind tunnel tests and found it was aerodynamically Curtiss Robin ". The exact reason is lost. Working efficient. The first X-model Robin had three doors . from photographs in day-by-day account of the flight The production model was cut back to two doors on which ran in the SI. louis Dispatch and the New York the right side. Times, the Erale's have recreated the paint scheme of With a skylight and full-length side windows for the the plane as it appeared in the course of the endurance pilot, visibility was excellent. Since over-production fl ight. in the first world war had left Curtiss with a ware­ That endurance record, which changed hands house full of OX-5 engines, he naturally mounted frequently in those days, was not without its share of one on the Robin. The prototype OX-5 Robin was risks. While Jackson and O'Brine were aloft, enjoying given A .T.e. #40, but wasn 't used for production . good weather, several others were either forced Curtiss went on to develop the prototype Challenger­ down, or they crashed in IFR conditions. On the other Robin (A.T.e. #63). Then there emerged a production hand, the St . Louis duo encountered other threats, line OX-5 Robin (A.T.e. #68) and right behind it, the the major one being the need to change two spark Story and Photos by David Gu stafson, Editor Challenger version (A.T.e. # 69) . Factory produc­ plugs while flying. When they noticed the engine was tion of both models was undertaken by the Curtiss­ running rough, Jackson climbed out on a catwalk Robertson Aircraft Company at Lambert Field in St. and traced the trouble to the bottom two plugs. Louis . It was one of the OX-5 Robins (converted to They sent down word to the ground crew and en­ Beer commercials have started a trend toward accept a Wright J-5 radial) that was flown by 'Wrong­ gineers who decided the plugs should be changed in philosophizing in an existential key, usually in fifteen Way Corrigan " across the Atlantic. flight! A device was quickly developed to compress words or less: "You only go around once . .. grab all The Challenger-Robin, which is what the Erale 's the valve springs so that the pressure in the cyl inders the gusto you can." are currently flying (they also have the bones of an wou Id be rei ieved. Jackson cI imbed out again for a Recently, a sage hops merchant decreed, "When OX-5 Robin) had been developed in 1928 to uti I ize task few people will ever face or would want to. For­ it's right, you know it." The simplistic reasoning in Arthur Nutt's new engine design. Nutt was a Curtiss tunately the air was smooth. Can you imagine what this tome is that you can often wander around in the employee. it would have been like with a moderate chop? Jack­ decision making ho-hums until chance and other odd Originally rated at 165 horsepower, the six cyl inder son was successful in his efforts, but he severely ingredients suddenly touch off a flash of "there it is! " Challenger proved itself highly reliable for the period. burned his hands on the exhaust pipes in the process . or "that 's it, that's the one! " All this heavy logic is Somewhere in the next couple of years, the factory Fears of infection threatened the flight now, but meant to point up the fact that when John Garvey would go on to upgrade the engine to 170 and then medication and luck took effect and Red 's only prob­ taxied up in the Curtiss Robin that had been restored 185 horspower. According to Joseph Juptner: " The lem was the pain. by owners Joe Erale, Junior and Senior, there were a 'Challenger' engine was an air-cooled radial type of a Then the engine started missing again . gaggle of judges and other onlookers who lit up like rather odd configuration, it was a staggered twin-row This time the trouble was diagnosed as a bad mag. they were auditioning for a TV commercial. 'radial ' that was actually two banks of three cylinders A check on the right side revealed nothing, a check It was "right" and nearly everyone knew it. The each operating off of a two-throw crankshaft." on the left showed the problem . It almost seemed Robin was parked among a very large and impressive From the firewall back the two models were virtually silly: a loose safety wire was flopping about and peri­ group of immaculate restorations, yet something set identical save in the matter of empty weight and per­ odically grounding the mag. it apart. formance specs. Both had two 25-gallon gas tanks, After 420 hours Bill Robertson ordered the plane The Joseph Erale's, a father and son team, had sal­ steerable tail skids, and the options of wheel brakes back on the ground, even though O 'Brine and Jack­ vaged a notable piece of aviation history, an airplane and flying struts, which could add 41 square feet of son were eager to continue. When they 'd had time that's worth at least a partial review here. lift area to the 224 square feet already occupied by to shower and shave the record setters were driven The beginnings of the Erale 's " First Curtiss Robin " the wing. It was also possible to equip both Robin through St. Louis and Chicago in massive parades. (which reall y isn 't the first one at all-- it's got SIN 46 2) types with dual controls and man y were thus em­ Then they took " The First Robin " on a 14-city tour. rea ch back to late 1927 or earl y 1928. Curtiss, who was ployed in the network of Curtiss ' flying schools around In Syracuse, New York Forest O 'Brine lost it on a land­ most actively involved in military production at the the country. 12 ing and wiped out the right wing, tail group and en­ gine. Gulf Oil bought what was left, replaced the broken structures and hung an upgraded 185 horse­ power Challenger on the front. William Case then took the plane on a promotional tour for Gulf in 1930 that wound through every state in the Union. In 1932, Gulf donated the Robin to the Franklin Institute which put it on display from July of that year until December, 1940, when it was loaned to Roose­ velt Field. They kept it until their closing in 1951, at which time Frog Chapman bought it as junk for $350.00. He towed the deteriorating cargo home and let it sit for another 16 years. Obviously, this Curtiss Robin had seen better days. In 1967, the Erale's negotiated a purchase agree­ ment that included 'a clear title: the plane was still owned by the Gulf Oil Company, but no one at Gulf wanted to assume responsibility for signing over the title (sound familiar?) until the Erale's got in touch with the President, who took the step that launched the rebuild. Though they didn't know it at the time, Joe and Joe were facing a full decade of intermittant work. The wise. Other changes from factory specs include the of the plane had been lettered. Some simple scale slow and arduous task of tearing down, cleaning, use of some phillip head screws, the required ELT, work gave an indication of word size. building and rebuilding wasn 't anything new. Joe and a bunch of nicropress sleeves. "I didn 't want to Paint on the fabric is all butyrate and the metal Senior (now 66) runs an auto body business on Long learn cable splicing and weaving on the control lines parts are covered with lacquer. Hand rubbing pro­ Island. At one point he built up his own unique sports for this plane," says Joe Jr. "so we used the nicropress duced a gleaming surface that scatters sunlight in car. He then shifted over to airplanes, having pur­ sleeves and I faked the splicing over the sleeves." If exquisite patterns. chased a large variety of restoration projects in the he hadn't given away the secret, few people wou ld August, 1976 ... after 44'12 years of silence, the 1950's, when they were cheap. Prior to the Robin he have noticed. Challenger sputtered and roared again. The Robin restored three UPF-7's and a Cabin Waco. He also Both men were surprised when they tore down flew I ike it was fadory new. Years of effort and sweat redid an award winning 1929 Curtiss Fledgling which the engine. It had not been overhauled since it was were suddenly rewarded as the airfoil did its job. he subsequently sold to the Brazilian Government. built in 1930, and had not run since 1931, but internally Rightfully concerned about proteding such a gem Young Joe (32) had pitched in from time to time it was in near perfect condition. They honed the cyl­ from hangar rash , theft and other bad possibilities, and leaned toward the mechanical end of things. He's inders, cleaned off the pistons to check for cracks, the Erale 's were pleased to secure hangar space on now an A & P, working on his AI and seems to be shoot­ and without replacing so much as a gasket they re­ a 400 acre Long Island potato farm where they can ing for some sort of student pilot record: he 's had a assembled all of the original parts. After a modest share a 2200' grass strip with another antique lover student ticket sin ce he started flying his father's Tri­ search they located a prop in Alaska and managed to who has seven vintage planes of his own. Pacer in 1962. scrounge up the necessary inst ruments to refill the With the assistance of Pan Am Captain Bill .Garvey, What they were confronted with in 1967, was basi­ panel. young Joe Erale accompanied the plane to Oshkosh cally a complete aircraft- le ss a prop, instruments In the process of replacing original bolts with AN ' 78 where it handily earned the Grand Champion and lower cowl- which needed a total refurbishing. hardware, they stuck with castle nuts and cotter pins Trophy. Left out in the harsh New England weather for a dozen throughout. There isn 't a stopnut in the entire ma­ To come to Oshkosh Joe had to interrupt the work years, the fuselage required stripping, sandb lasing, chine. That 's a lotta cotterpins. he and his father are currently engaged in with another and a couple new chunks of tubing. The interior of the plane was completely done over, of those 1950's basket cases. It's Joe Senior's fourth Fortunately, the wings and tail groups had been and in the process they removed the doors and the UPF-7! After that they'll tackle a 1928 OX-5 Robin, a stored inside and were in decent condition. In the upholstered panels on th e doors. Apparently the Stinson Reliant , two Command-Aires, an Alexander recovering process, however, the wings and fuselage, doors had been entirely painted before the original Eaglerock with a 180 hp Hisso, and a Fairchild 24. Talk were skinned with Ceconite. The lift struts were done panels were attached. Removal therefore provided about workaholics! over with Grade A.. an unfaded paint chip that could be used to create Sure gives us a lot to look forward to though .. . Joe Jr. admits the compromise in fabric was moti­ the original base color. As mentioned earlier, pho­ vated by finances, but wishes it might have been other­ tographs from old newspapers showed how the side 13

2

5

3

(David Gustafson Photo) Champion Silver Age - 7929 Boeing 700 - S. L. Wallick (Ted Koston Photo) Champion Golden Age - 7926 Swallow 7. Champion Replica Aircraft - - Buck Hilbert Dale Crites (David Gustafson Photo) (David Gustafson Photo) Champion Antique Homebuilt - 7932 Cor­ 2. Champion Contemporary Age - Waco UPF-7 - Richard . ben Baby Ace - Richard Demond Anderson, Wm. Amundson (David Gustafson Photo) 3. Champion Customized Aircraft - 7937 QCF-2 - Lee 17 Parsons 1945 J-3 CUB CLIP-WING NC33578

Two very young men from California are venture­ FROM THE GROUND UP some and enthusiastic about aviation. They are on a tour for the summer flying a 1945 J-3 Cub Clip-Wing vignettes and photos by Lois Kelch airplane. Their first stop was the EAA Oshkosh Con­ vention, and it took them 4 days. W. 66 N. 622 Madi son Ave. The pilot is 19 year old Robin Reid of San Jose who Cedarburg, WI 53012 was accompanied by 14 year old Wesley Ingalls of Cambell, Califomia. After soaking up all the excitement of the Conven­ tion, they are heading to Washington, D.C. and points north until time to return home and back to school. Their parting words were- ' We're having a blast!" Charle s " Moose" Aute n of Belmont, California.

CHARLES W. AUTEN"MOOSE"

As you walk among the thousands of airplanes on display, and watch people looking at them with smiles and much interest, you wonder just what brought about that interest. Not all the people on the flight line flew airplanes in, but all have a common interest - aviation! One such man is Charles Windsor " Moose" Auten, of Belmont, California. He is 70 y ears young, and has been flying since 1929 when he soloed in an OX5 Waco 10 after only 4V2 hours instruction. That made him an expert and he in turn was instructing and haul­ ing passengers with less than 10 hours solo time. His early aviation history started in Grinnell, Iowa where he practiced his take-offs and landings from a pasture. He once took his grandfather for a ride in an Aristo­ craft for his first and only airplane ride. As the grand­ father was climbing out of the cockpit, he smiled and said "I wasn't scared even a penny's worth! " Charles loved to give people their first rides, being sure not to do any sharp turns or rolls to frighten them . He must have succeeded, for they all came back for more. He has worked for American Airlines as a mainte­ nance man for 41 years. He notes with pride that he worked 38V2 years without a sick day off. Charlie is the guest of Gene and Mary Morris- nice guest to have when you own an American Eaglet and a Travel Air. Charles married his childhood sweetheart and they have been flying together for 51 years. They have two sons- Charles flies for Braniff and Carl Richard 19 year old Robin Reid and flies for TWA. He even has a granddaughter with the his navigator 14 year old Wes ­ initials E.A.A. (Elizabeth Ann Austen)- how's that ley Ingalls at Oshkosh. for carrying on tradition? 18 Lois and AI Kelch. The JAA RS Courier. ferent aircraft in the'ir work supplying people who are out in the tribal areas with transportation and supplies, John La Mascus and his 7945 J3 Piper Cub. and last but not least, God's holy word. The pilot of the Courier who flew it to the EM Con­ 1945 )3 PIPER CUB #NC 42478 vention is Skip Holmberg of Arizona, who has spent the last five years in Brazil with his family, but who As with so many of today's flying enthusiasts, John has now been reassigned to the U.s. as a public rela­ La Mascus' dreams of flying started as a small boy when tions spokesman for JAARS. he saw airplanes flying over the cotton fields of Madera, Seeing this STOL Courier flying a demonstration California- he vowed he would be an airplane pilot Wednesday afternoon, holding at what looked like some day too. 15 miles indicated, showing its ability to land in the His dream of owning and flying his own airplane jungle, was deftly flown by Skip, held the crowd's Greg and his beautiful shiney Luscombe. was realized 11 years ago when he found this 1945 attention. Piper J3 Cub in a field, sitting among the weeds in Delano, California, with a homemade cardboard "For 1932 CORBEN BABY ACE NX5148 1947 LUSCOMBE 8E "SILVAIRE" Sale" sign. He bought it, learned to fly, and flew it for only one year, because it needed new fabric and a re­ Serial #72, Continental A65 N2424K build job. Since he had a growing family, he left the plane in storage until 1975 when he started his restor­ Richard Demond of Whitemore Lake, Michigan Seeing th.is beautiful shiny Luscombe reflecting ing job, which took him 2'12 years of long hard work acquired his Corben Baby Ace from the late Dewey the morning Oshkosh sun, I walked up and found 21 to bring it back to new condition. Bryan, in 1972. year old pilot, Gregg Beitel, using lots of elbow grease John is from Pacific Grove, California and he flew It has been a family restoration job; his wife built and polish to get that mirror finish . his Piper to Oshkosh, accompanied by Arlene Eide, the ribs, and 9 year old Lee and infant Amy were on It is Gregg's first time at Oshkosh, and he flew the which took them 36 hours flying time, but actually 9 hand for polishing and light construction. Luscombe here from Gastonia, North Carolina, in days, due to some 1 and 2 day delays because of un­ The restoration took 5 years and was accomplished formation with Richard Pettyjohn in his Cessna 120, favorable weather conditions. His highest altitude on their 9 x 14 sun porch at a cost of $1775.00. and Jerry Heik in his Cessna 140. They got a thrill when over the mountain passes was 10,500' and that 65 hp The trip from Brighton, Michigan to Oshkosh took Weir Cook International Airport at Indianapolis in­ Continental purred on, high or low, hot or cold. The 6V2 hours. He flew in formation with a Taylorcraft and vited them to fly over the airport for them to observe Cub is absolute perfection, and I found out how he a Cessna 150. the interesting formation. The trip took them 8 hours flying time, which was a little longer than anticipated, keeps that beautiful unscratched varnish on the floor­ Dick Demond and his Corben Ace. boards- flies in his "tennies". due to dodging some thunderstorms in Kentucky and Tennessee. Bob Beitel, an airplane pilot for Eastern, taught his two sons to fly at an early age. The three of them have 1954 HEllO COURIER N242B a "hobby business" of restoring antique airplanes. They found the Luscombe in Chapel Hill, North An intriging sleek looking airplane caught my eye, Ca rol ina in "sad shape" and restored it to its present and it turned out to be the first production model beautifu I condition. Helio Courier. It was donated to JAARS (Jungle Avia­ Gregg will graduate from Purdue University in May tion and Radio Service, Inc.) by a man in Philadelphia, 1979, as an Aeronautical Engineer, and his ultimate to be used in their work around the world, currently dream is to go to work for NASA. With his drive and in 35 countries. They use their 23 Couriers and 65 dif- enthusiasm, I'm sure he will make it. 19 (Photo by Lee Fray) ANTIQUE JUDGES " ,. Back row, left to right - John R. Turgyon, Dale ­ Gustafson, Ed Wegner, Dick Martin, Gene Mor­ ris, Ken Williams, Doug Rounds. Front row, left to right - Don Coleman, Pete Covington, H. N. Dusty Rhodes, Claude Gray.

(Photo by Lee Fray) Ja ck Winthrop (left) Manpower Chairman and Jack Cope­ land the Manpower Co-Chairman.

(Photo by Lee Fra y) Seated, Phil Coulson and Ron Fritz. Standing, Donna Benedict, Willard Benedict Antique/Classic Fl y-By Com­ mittee. 20 •

Article and Photos by Kent McMakin 622 Salem Street Apartment 7 Rockton, Illinoi s 6 70 72

Have you ever heard a restorer exclaim in disgust, " Those damn duster pilots sure did butcher up a lot of nice old airplanes. " Sure, it is too bad that they were modified in such a way years ago. It makes for a lot of work to put them back into stock configuration . But, even though the AG business modified and cut up a lot of airplanes, if it weren 't for them, there would be a whole lot fewer airplanes around for us to restore. Back in the late 30's, 40's and 50's, a WACO 10 or Travelair wasn 't worth a bucket of prop wash to the average Cub pilot. A considerable number of aircraft, which only a few years earlier were somebody's brand new pride and joy, went down the tubes due to their obsolesence. Obsolete, that is, to just about everybody but the AG pilot. He clung to these early birds for years after almost everyone else discarded them. They kept them going, working and flying up into the ' 70 's in some cases until replacing them with newer equipment. So, thanks to the AG business, many old machines were "saved". I, for one, have one of these ex-dusters under restoration. And so does Tom Hegy of Hart­ ford, Wisconsin. Tom is the resuredor of a 1928 Trav­ elair 2000. He has put a considerable amount of time, work and bucks in his ex-duster, but he really doesn 't curse the previous owners due to the fact that he is an AG pilot himself. Tom purchased his prize from John Thurmon in Arizona way back in 1964. Not much was accomplished on the Travelair until recent years. When obtained, the Travelair was a typical basket case. A rusty jake hung on the nose, four decomposed wings, and a highly modified forward fuselage. The firewall section of the frame had been complete ly changed to accomodate the jacobs and much cutting and welding was needed to bring it up to snuff. The huge air wheels were replaced with original looking Bendix N3N wheels with hydraulic brakes, the heavy T -6 tailwheel assembly was discarded in favor of an ingenious Cessna 180 set-up. All of the wOQd in the fuselage and tail section were replaced. Only the fittings and a few drag wires are of 1928 vintage. Instead of using the old OX-S, Tom opted for the dependable 220 hp Continental with a Hamilton stan­ dard ground adjustable prop. The air filter carb heat box are from a Timm N2T and makes for a neat, un­ cluttered installation. It 's just too bad these Timm carb heat boxes are so scarce. The exhaust and cut down accessory cowling is Stearman. All cockpit cowljj ing is new, as is the aluminum wing leading edges. As you can see by the pictures, the workmanship is beautiful. By the time you read this, Tom will proba­ bly be covering his creation (or recreation) with STITS and in original colors, Travelair blue and silver.

22 STAGGER UNIFOR

By AI G 4055 Elmwood Rd. South Euclid, OH 441 2 1

(Photos by David Gustafson) We're all aware that people who can afford them purchase former warbirds which have outlived their military usefulness- and convert them to civil avia­ tion birds. That 's why there are organizations like Warbirds of America, the Confederate Air Force, and other groups dedicated to preserving and flying former military types. Just before America entered World War Two there was a switch, which saw the U .S. military services buying civil aircraft to convert to war birds. One of the civil aircraft types drafted into military service was the four-place Beechcraft Model 17, a Single-engine tail-dragger biplane, called the "Stagger­ wing" because of the negative stagger of its wings. Glen McNabb's 0-77 from Jasper, Tennessee, provides a good example of a Slaggerwing in warpainl. The Staggerwing first flew in 1932. When produc­ tion ceased in 1948, well over 400 had been built. Most of the variants in the Staggerwing Model 17 had to do with engine changes. The airframe remained virtually the same in all versions, until 1945 when the G17S five-place model was put into produdion. Initial produdion versions were the 17R powered with a 420 hp Whirlwind, and the A 17F powered with a 700 hp Cyclone. Both models had a fixed under­ carriage and wheel pants. First version with retradable landing gear was the B17L, powered with a 225 hp Jacobs. Later versions, all equipped with 285 hp Jacobs power plants, were the B17B, C17B, C17L, CI7R, E17B and E17L. Other variants were the F17D with a 330 hp Jacobs, D17A with a 350 hp Whirlwind, D17R with a 450 hp Whirlwind, and D17S with a 450 hp Wasp Junior en ­ gine. First Staggerwing to go " into uniform" was a C17R model. In 1936 the U.S. Navy bought one for use as a They were used in the military for liaison, trans­ Many former military transport aircraft- the Stag­ personnel transport. port and communications. A total of 207 went to the gerwings among them - were turned over to the In 1939; Beech entered a D17S in an Army competi­ U.S. Army Air Force as UC-43's, and 63 went to the (then) Civil Aeronautics Administration, which later tion for a light personnel transport. It won, and a con­ Navy as GB's. sold them as surplus. tract was issued for constru ction of three prototypes, While some of these went to England, China, Brazil Beginning in '1945, Beechcraft went into produc­ to be designated YC-43; (Y for evaluation testing). and other countries under lend-lease, most of them tion of a five-place c ivil version, the G17S. Before These aircraft subsequently were deSignated UC-43 remained in the U.S. Army and Navy service during Staggerwing production ended in 1948, some 90 of (U for utility) and assigned to Air Attache offices. That the war. these G17S models were built. same year, the U.S. Navy purchased seven D17S Beech­ At the end of the war in 1945, most of the USAAF About 250 Staggerwings are on the U.s. Civil Reg­ crafts and designated them GB-l 'so They were assigned UC-43's were sold as surplus. The Navy kept their ister today, nearly half of them in current license. to Naval Air Stations as utility personnel transports. GB's in service until as late as 1948. Most of them are D17S models with 450 hp Pratt & Also in 1939, one model D17Awent to the Brazilian The Staggerwing had a maximum speed of 205 Whitney engines. Most of them were in uniform in navy. The records do not indicate whether this was mph, a maximum cruising speed of 198 mph at 10,000 WWIL an outright purchase by Brazil, or was an early lend­ feet, and an initial climb rate of 1400 fpm. Other civil aircrdt drafted into military service lease airplane. Range was 1400 miles. Empty weight was 2800 during the war, to name a few, were the L-type (liaison) Serious production of Beechcrafts for the U.S. pounds, loaded weight 4250 pounds. Wingspan was Cubs, large transports, and big flying boats. Army and Navy began in 1941 . Mostly, the Model 17's 32 feet, length 25 feet nine inches. Height from the which went into uniform were the D17S version. deck was nine feet. 24 Restoration Tips: stopped, key a transmitter and check the ammeter for current drain. Add 10% to the reading and divide by Radio Installations in C-170's and your generator's rated output. Also check the part Other Classics numbers of your voltage regulator to make sure it is the proper one for your generator. (reprinted from The 170 News) The next step is your master switch, radio switch and radio fuse. If any corrosion has bu i It up over the By D o n Lan gford years, resistance is being added between our magic 391 5 Booklin e Circle 13.75 volts and the radio. As lit1le as one ohm in the Hunt sville, Alabam a 35810 line can cause a radio drawing one amp of current to drop one volt. We know the output of the regulator, Most 170's have had a radio change since that day now check the voltage at the input to the radio. If a long ago when they rolled off Clyde Cessna's pro­ noticeable difference occurs start cleaning those con­ tacts. duction line. If the radio installation was done well, Thi s clean 170 Bbelon gs lO JohnW. Reeves of Liberty­ O lder radios were grounded to the airframe by many years shou Id pass before the installation needs ville, '"inoi s. to be looked at again. For those 170's with original the case. Newer, transister models usually have a gear, it's about time to take a serious look at the wir­ separate ground wire from the connector and should The Communications antennas are vertically ing, antennas and switches hooked to that radio, and be fastened securely to the case or other so lid air­ mounted and depend on the airframe for a ground it may be that trusty old coffee grinder is not going frame point. plane. A good ground at the antenna base is impera­ to pot after all. Next stop is the mike and phone jacks. It's a sure tive. The newer blade antennas can be coated at the Good radio shops will tell you about 70% of all bet there is a coating of corrosion and dirt film on the base with an alodine solution (your radio shop should radio problems are actua lly installation problems and contacts. Frequent insertion of the plugs tends to have some) to improve and retain surface conductivity cause many hours of unnecessary hunting for grem­ wipe these points clean but a visual check and clean­ of the antenna base to airplane skin. Antennas shou ld lins on the bench. Poor installation jobs can account ing is well worth the trouble. TV tuner cleaner or a be no closer than 15" to each other to prevent any for poor performance and many of the new popular rubber eraser work well. Make sure the contacts have interaction. Never paint or wax an antenna. general aviation radios have gained a bad reputation good pressure on the jack. D.M.E. and transponder antennas are mounted on which is not really the radio's fault. One guy will claim Speakers deteriorate over the years . Ten years is the underside as they are very sens itive to anything excellent results with a radio and his buddy with the a good replacement time. Look for a replacement in their path to the ground station (i.e.; gear legs, same model claims a real lemon. speaker with a good, heavy magnet. Hi-fi speakers steps). These two antennas must be kept very clean, Let's start with the voltage regulator. Our aircraft are not good. We are looking for good voice intelli­ which should be part of every preflight. Glideslope rad ios operate off 13.75 volts. A one volt drop can gibility in a noisy cabin. Mobile radio shops some­ antennas on a 170 are usually the type that mounts cause an older tube transmitter to put out only half times have a good selection. Connecting radio speaker in the upper windshield area, or a sp litter that makes as much power as it shou ld. If power is similar to the outputs together can cause a degradation to the speak­ use of the VOR antenna. Both types are quite ade­ airspeed versus horsepower theorem, you have to er output. Some radios just don't mix well. See your qu ate. Propeller R.P.M. ca n cause a fluctuation of square the power to double the range of a transmitter, trusty radio shop if you suspect this. the glideslope needle, just change the R.P.M. slightly. therefore half power drops the range to 'l4 what you Antennas cou ld fill a book. First, the VOR antenna, ADF antennas are not as susceptible to dirt and shou ld have. The receiver is affected similarl y but two rods shaped in a vee, or the popular flying wing oil but interact greatly with the aircraft skin and electri­ not as bad since the receiver draws much less amper­ style need a balun, an odd conglomeration of coaxial cal wiring. Have ADF problems? Try various combina­ age than the transmitter. Check the voltage output cable. Check the connections for signs of fraying, tions of electrical loads and R.P.M. settings to track of the regulator with varying loads and R.P.M. settings broken strands, corrosion or swelling of the insula­ down installation problems. to see where your voltage starts to drop and expect tion which indicates water has gotten into the cable. Noise can be a real headache. Two sources are poorer rad io performance when the voltage is less The tail mounted antenna is especially susceptible most common; the antenna system and the power than 13.75 volts. to vibration and water. Most tail mounted antennas supply lines. Fi Iters and sh ielded power wires can The generator supplies us with that ad ditional have a bulkhead connector at the base of the stabi­ help. The RF noise shows up as wavy VOR and ADF voltage and current needed so its the next item to lizers where the coax enters the fuse lage. Check for needles, odd squelch settings. It's time for an expert look at. Most of our 170's have 25 amp or 35 amp gen­ the same symptoms as above. when dealing with RF noise. erators (rated 20 and 30 amps), hardly enough to han­ Better quality coax is available now than in the The one thing that can help a repairman most is dle lights and a couple of tube type radios. Check 50's so consider replacing runs that look especially detailed symptoms. Make notes of anything that might into the possibility of going to a 50 amp generator if bad. Sharp bends and kinks are a no-no. Heat can be a clue when a problem arises in a piece of gear. the sum total of your electrical load is more than 80% cause the center conductor to move closer to the There's a good possibility it's not in the radio at all of the output of your generator. For an approximate shield in spots causing symptoms a technician will but some completely unsuspecting part of the instal­ load rating, tum on all electrical gear with the engine pull h is hair out trying to find. lation. Good radioing, and see you at the convention. 25 Calendar of Events OCTOBER 5-8 - HARLINGEN, TEXAS- Confederate Air Force Air Show '78. Contact CAF Public Affairs, Box 2443, Harlingen, Texas. 5121428-45%. FOR THE COMPLETE OCTOBER 7-8 - REDDING, CALIFORNIA- Oktoberfest at Redding Sky Ranch, sponsored by EAA Chapter 157. Contact Curly Medina 916/241-7737. AVIATION LIBRARY OCTOBER 13-1 5 - Tulsa EAA-AAA-IAC Fly-In, Tahlequah, Okla­ homa. Contact Larry Brown, Brown Aviation, P.O . Box 51206, Tulsa, OK 74151.918/835-7663. O CTOBER 21-22 - MARANA, ARIZONA- Seventh annual Copper­ THE state EAA Fly-In at Marana Air Park . Awards for homebuilts, antiques, classics and warbirds. Contact Fred Feemster, Box 12307, Tucson, Arizona 85732. 602/299'2723. FLYING AND GLIDER MANUAL O CTOBER 28 - His and Hers Air Race, Salinas, California, entry kits FOR: 1929 available for $2 starting July 15. Contact Salinas His and Hers Air Race, clo Rosemary Rice, 1158 San Fernando Drive, Salinas, CA 1930 93901 . 1931 NOVEMBER 18-19' -M IAMI, FLORIDA- Antique, Classic and Cus­ EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC tom Built Fly-In at the third annual Harvest- A Country Fair, 1932 sponsored by the Historical Association of Southern Florida, at the Dade County Youth Fairground, Coral Way at 112th Avenue. DIVISION 1933 Awards given for antique, classic and custom built aircraft. Con­ tact Capt. Ken Ufland of the Civil Air Patrol, office (305) 552-3106, MEMBERSHIP DRIVE 1929-1933 MISCELLANY home after 6: 00 p.m. (305) 251-5927, or Mary Dodd Russell, Har­ $2.50 Each Post Paid vest Coordinator, at the Historical Museum, 3280 S. Miami Ave­ nue, Building B., Miami, FL 33129: JANUARY 21 -27 - Sun 'N Fun, the biggest fly-in in the southeast­ WIN and the second biggest in the nation. It's a full week of southern hospitality and flying fun: daily aerial demonstrations; fly-bys of A pai r of Antique Goggles antique, classic, homebuilt and warbird aircraft; forums, exhibits ORDER FIVE and static displays; parties and corn roasts; big new food conces­ by persuading 5 people to sion; country store for campers in our shady campsites. Make motel reservations early- our free information booklet has a JOin . AND GET THE complete list of accommodations. Write to Sun ' N Fun , P.O. Box * 3538, Lakeland, Florida 33802. A Leather Flying Helmet SIXTH ONE Do you know of a Beechcraft staggerwing that is fl ying, er being restored, or in a basket? If so then get in touch with when you get 10 people to Tom Lempicke of Route 1, Box 5190, St. Cloud, Florida FREE 32769. Under the direction of the staggerwing Museum sign up. Total Cost For All Six Foundation he is revising the book STAGGERWING, and $12.50 would like to have ANY information on ANY stagger­- then start over and win again ­ wing, ANYwhere. The book should be published in 1979 and 'will feature information on ownership, condition and ~ A free five year member­ loca tion of each aircraft built. ship in the Antique/Classic Division if you sponsor the CLASSIFIED ADS most new members in 1978. Order From: Wanted to replace fire loss one 1973 Oshkosh patch. I. W . To Qualify: Write your name and member­ Stephenson, EAA 82203, P. O. Box 202, Menominee, Michi­ EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATION gan 49858 USA. ship number on the back of the member­ BOX 469 ship 'blanks we've been providing in THE HALES CORNERS, WI 53130 1918 Standard JI-Hisso Powered, trophy winner. Niels Soren­ VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Headq uarters will sen, 389& Idaho Circle No., Minneapolis, MN 55427. 612­ 537-0448. keep sco re_ 26 Are you restoring a Classic?

,q~ CUSHION UPHOLSTERY SETS UPHOLSTERED FOAM CUSHION SETS ~o.n't WALL PANEL SETS • HEADLINERS· CARPETS q.~~~ Airtex interior upholstery items are all made up into complete assemblies, ready for you to install. Your choice of three fabric styles and twenty colors. Luxurious I/~, cut pile carpets in seven colors, wrinkle­ free Duraliner headliners, baggage compart­ ments, seat slings and fire wall covers are also available for Classic planes. RE-COVER ENVELOPES Available for all Classics andsomeAntique models, in Ceconite #101, #102 and cotton. \ JJ Airtex makes the world's finest envelopes!

riondolpl£ AIRCRAFT FINISHES FINISH IT RIGHT WITH AN Nitrate & butyrate dope, enamel, tirethane, thinners, reducer, retarder and primers . .,Q~ Complete stock of re-covering supplies. Send $1.00 for Catalog and Our INTERIOR Fabrics Selection Guide ,4~p~, Jnc. All Items Designed for Easy DEPT "R", LOWER MORRISVILLE ROAD FALLSINGTON, PA. 19054 DO-IT-YOURSELF INSTALLATION (2 15) 295-4 115

27