~--"'~~ ¥i¥­ THE RESTORER'S CORNER • by J. R. NIELANDER, JR. There will be a Division Board of Directors meeting at EAA Head­ Much has transpired here at headquarters since the last issue of quarters at 9:30 a.m. , Thursday, February 5th. All members of the Divi­ The Vintage Airplane went to press. Your President, E. E. " Buck" Hil­ sion are cordially invited to attend. One of the items on the agenda for bert, has found it necessary to resign his office due to the extremely the meeting is the appointment of a Vice-President to fill the unexpired tight schedule imposed upon him for this year by his employer, United term of yours truly who is filling the unexpired term of President. The Air Lines. Board members have indicated that they plan to fill the Vice-Presi­ Buck, we all wish you complete success with the United Air Lines dential vacancy from within the ranks of the Board itself. This will leave a 50th Anniversary celebration, and we look forward to seeing you and the vacancy on the Board of Directors. Any members of the Division who Swallow at Oshkosh this summer. He has agreed to be Division Conven­ are interested in serving on the Board should communicate their desires tion Co-Chairman. to headquarters submitting a short resume of their experience and Your Division begins the New Year with a lot more new than a new qualifications and stating their availablity with reference to journeying President. (Just like the big boys in Washington, when the President to Hales Corners several times each year for Board meetings and putting resigns the Vice-President becomes President.) Your officers and direc­ in ten days to two weeks at Oshkosh each summer at convention time. tors have taken over full responsibility for the writing, editing and pub­ The Board will fill its vacancy with the applicant considered best lishing of The Vintage Airplane effective with this issue, and we expect qualified. All applicants are, of course, invited to be present at the to get back on a monthly publishing schedule immediately. Director Al meeting, but attendance will not necessarily be a requirement for ap­ Kelch has very kindly consented to assume the duties of Editor. Al has pointment. had extensive previous experience in the publication field, and we are sure that you all join with us in wishing Al his greatest journalistic EDITOR'S NOTE: triumph with our magazine. However, to make it a success we need pictures and stories from you, our members. If you don't feed us enough With a New Year, I have taken on a new task - that of Editor of your material the magazine degenerates into "AI's Almanac" or "J. R.'s magazine. I have in the past, helped some with the magazine, and Journal", and this is the last thing that any of us want to happen. While will work closely with the main office in Hales Corners. I am close most of the officers and directors have written some stories in the past, and enough to both the printer and the EAA office to keep in close touch. will continue to write some more in the future, we want the major input to It is my New Year's resolution to dedicate a year to the magazine and come from you, the members. Particularly, we would like to have stories sincerely hope that my efforts will please the majority. Our prime and pictures of your restorations, ei.ther in process or completed, stories of need is more material to work with. It is necessary in publishing, to your experiences with antique or Classic airplanes, and interviews with old­ work ahead and preferably have four issues fairly well laid-out. In timers of aviation in your area. If the old-timers have some pictures to go order to do this, I am in need of one Contributing Editor in each geo­ with their stories, so much the better. We will copy the pictures and return graphic area of antique activity. I have started to send out letters ask­ them. Also, we would appreciate receiving all type club newsletters. We are ing for this help. If you would like to volunteer, please do - WE planning a Type Club News page in future issues, and we need your news­ NEED YOUR HELP. It is your magazine, the stories are about your letters as the source of material for it. Please send all articles directly to friends. Contribute the stories you see and hear, and we will have a The Vintage Airplane, c/o Experimental Aircraft Association, P.O. Box great magazine. 229, Hales Corners, Wis. 53130. OFFICIAL MAGAZINE EDITORIAL STAFF ANTIQUE & CLASSIC AIRCRAFT INC. A DIVISION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION JANUARY 1976 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1 Publisher Editor Contributing Editors Paul H. Poberezny AI Kelch H. N. " Dusty" Rhodes Evander Britt The Restorer's Corner . .. by J. R, Nielander, Jr, . ,", . ... " ' . , .. .... , 2 Jim Barton 50th Anniversary Conunercial Air Transportation . by Edward D, Williams 3 ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS Claud Gray National Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-In Antiques at Rockford 1961 9 Ed Escallon PRESIDENT Rod Spanier The Golden Eagle Story . , by Ed Escallion and Glenn Buffington . : 13 J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Dale Custafson Whistling In The Rigging , , ,by Paul H, Poberezny ... ,., ' , . ... ,', . .. 16 P.O. BOX 2464 Henry Wheeler FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. 33303 Letters " ""'.",. """., .,.""" , .",. " ". , ... "" , .. " .. ". , ., 17 Morton Lester Kelly Viets SECRETARY TREASURER RICHARD WAGNER GAR W. WILLIAMS, JR. BOX 181 9 S 135 AERO DR ., RT. 1 LYONS, WIS. 53148 NAPERVILLE, ILL. 60540 DIRECTORS EVANDER BRITT AL KELCH KE LLY VIETS P.O. Box 458 7018 W. Bonniwell Rd. RR 1, Box 151 Lumberton, N.C. 28358 Mequon. WI 53092 Stilwell, KS 66085 CLAUDE L. GRAY, JR. MORTON LESTER JACK WIN THROP 9635 Sylvia Ave. P.O. Box 3747 3536 Whitehall Dr. Northridge, CA 91324 Martinsville, VA 241 12 Dallas, TX 75229 JIM HORN E GEORGE STUBBS 3850 Coronation Rd . RR 18, Box 127 Eagan, MN 55 122 Indianapolis, 'IN 46234 DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DOROTHY CHASE, EAA HEADQUARTERS T HE VINTAGE AIRP~ A NE is owned exclusively by Antique Cla.ss ic Ai rcraft, Inc. and is pub.lished monthly at Hales Corners, Wisconsi n 53 130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Offi ce, Hales Cor­ ners. Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Post Office. Random Lake, Wisconsin 53075. Membership rates for Antique Classic aircraft , Inc. at $ 10.00 per 12 month period of which $7.00 is for the publication to FRONT COVER PICTURE BOX T HE VINTAGE AIRP LA NE . Mem bersh ip is o pen to all w ho are interested in aviation. An Eagle and an Eaglet, a hen and her (Back Cover) chick. Eagle as you al/ know is Ed Wegner's A typical picture of an early stunt flyer. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229, Grand Champion. Eaglet is Gene Morris'. Mark Campbell also has a history of Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 We should be seeing more family groups at achievement having designed the Golden future fly·ins. Eagle. See story on page 13. Co pyright c 1976 Antiq ue Classic Aircraft. In c . All Rights Reserved. 2 50th Anniversary Commercial Air Transportation By Edward D. Williams EAA 51 010 713 Eastman Drive Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056 When a restored Swallow biplane flies between Pasco, Wash­ ington and Boise, Idaho on April 6, 1976, it will re-enact one of the most significant flights in commercial aviation history, Exactly 50 years before, when the first Swallow flight was made, commercial air transportation was born. The U. S. Postal Service in 1976 will issue a special stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of commercial air transportation, and a picture of a Swallow will be on it. The restored Swallow will be flown by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert, for­ mer president of the AntiquelCiassic division of the Experimental Aircraft Association and a DC-8 captain for United Airlines, who found it as a disassembled, bare-bones plane in a ceiling loft of a Chicago commercial garage (see SPORT AVIATION , August, T"" ,.~" .'1 '" I" " "'~ ,r" h, ,-~,~, ",.." ,...." r> r,,~~., .. ,~ TO ~, h..1 1974). .....,•• ," .. ", l' ,.,',. ., ,. ,,, . " ~ T ....'.r n""",'" , .,1 " .....u,..." . " .".11 _"K' '" ,'". ,.. "'" L·, '··, ~';,.,"., ..,.' ,. _,"" •• •,,.,,". "" tI•• pl .,~ " ~ ,•• ,••, " _,,, ...., " "., ••• " .. II,' ...",,' '. ,p. h. n," "r " ~..,no., ., ,. ,: Th . ,",,', .". ,...,,","•• "".~~~ .", ," ,," ~ ,............. On April 6, 1926, the Swallow was operated by Varney Air • • ,'.... I·" 1'<._", .", , .", . "'~,, ,-. '''...."..., L·, ,~ . ..,,, , n••• • ,V'" "I ,..... .,",... " .. .. ,.,_".•.·,L ,,,,. , .,.... " .. '.'''.L " ... ... Th" ~ I """", . ,'L. ~. _ '""" ,..... , "" ..." ,;,••,,1 ••1hi ,~~ . " ' ,"'~ . Lines, which had been granted Contract Air Mail route No.5. It DAMISu,P UI~ .:; ;~: . ",: ,;' .:;", flew the first privately contracted air mail from Pasco. Washing­ IIFEAn M 11M I····' ",-".,•••,,' - --_ ." ,'-' I . ,."// i - -:2~i:~~'t::::::~1~~ -.. ~ ton for Elko, Nevada with a stop at Boise, Idaho. The plane was ~' = ' I' BEENSUFFERED BY 1 : !7.: · ~;,.":::i.:'::":':.~ ... .".,,-,. piloted by Leon D. Cuddeback, chief pilot for Varney, who did MISSING MAI L AIRPlANE AlASKAN ~;~~ :,~~~~~.;~ I :~C~: ;~ ~;.~;;t~ ' not agree with some other veteran pilots - but not Varney pilots ..:1'N"'" . 1,-,,-, .....N'.......~." . I FLYER FOUND ' I'.! . ~M ' . ; .• .; . ; ~:-Ar"' . _ ~' ~· t ~ •••,...., . ,._._... ...... - that the trip was impossible in the small Swallow. FORCED DOWN ;~:::~~:::;:.:,:~':2"~~~ :·;;-~~~: I :::':;S'::;:::';;::::·::~;:::: I WEATHER I ::~:;,:,:· 1~:.':::~~':;::~'·:~:~~ i ~;;1;'~7:E~~: : ~- :':~ . ,:' :: : A'~;:;' ~ ~'':I · ~ ~;·I ~~~";, s,,~~ ;[o:"n Cuddeback successfully completed the flight in 51/2 hours, at BY BLIZZARD ::::.,".~ ;. ~~~,~'~ .~".~ ; ~:': 1~~.::.t ~-; : ~;. ":.",;:""',,:~·.~I00~":'..h~:;:,:: i:~~~:'~\;;~I~ I1 ;' l:D:< "IV" T' The eU,', ueopltloa of ,II••poclla! 1".0' ......".d for ahemoon and c" ~n'nr. an average speed of less than 90 miles an hour. The historic flight showed that the Swallow, with its 150 horse­ ROS'~,;~,1:~:£;;~i;~: i n ;!:;;f~J~~:~f~l~~~~~ il ~f~~}f:0.:~?: ~;.;~~~:~~;;: :;~~: ~; I' ~I::f~~~~::;~~7~7@;~0~~~~;~~~~~;'~:;:; " "i"": «o.d.