MARCH 2001 The Magazine ofthe EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION STRAIGHT AND LEVEUButch]oyce 2 VAA NEWS 4 AEROMAIU HG. Frautschy - 5 SPORT PILOT/ Scott Spangler ~ ~ 6 FROM THE ARCHIVES/ HG. Frautschy 7 AIR MAIL FOR SMALL TOWNS/ Earl Stahl 13 THE WAY TO OSHKOSH/ Bill & Katherine Smith 20 MTO LUSCOMBE FLY-IN/ Gene Horsman 22 VINTAGE PRODUCTS 24 TYPE CLUB NOTES/ HG. Frautschy 25 PASS IT TO BUCK! Buck Hilbert 27 MYSTERY PLANE 28 NEW MEMBERS 29 CALENDAR 30 CLASSIFIEDS www.vintageaircraft.org Publisher TOM POBEREZNY Editor-in-Chief SCOTT SPANGLER Executive Director, Editor HENRY G. FRAUTSCHY VAA Admillistrative Assistallt THERESA BOOKS EXe{:lIlive Editor MIKE DIFRISCO COlltributillg Editors JOHN UNDERWOOD BUDD DAVISSON Art/Photo Layout BETH BLANCK Photography Staff JIM KOEPNICK LEEANN ABRAMS MARK SCHAIBLE Advertising/ Editorial Assistant ISABELLE WISKE SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION EL by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE PRESIDENT, VI NTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Are you headed to you, the builder, by the FAA. This freedom is a direct re­ Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, sult of the effort put forth on your behalf by Paul Florida next month? As Poberezny, EAA staff and volunteers. EAA's continued the kick-off of the fly­ work with the FAA over a 40-year span has established a in season, it really gets the cobwebs swept away. Are you great deal of credibility with the agency. prepared? Is your plane as ready? Perhaps an hour with Now when it comes to the restoration of an airplane, an instructor brushing up on your skills might be a good one built by a manufacturer and issued a standard air­ idea, and making one last inspection well in advance of worthiness certificate, a different set of rules and your journey should be included in your plans. What? regulations have been in place for a long time. It can be a You haven't had a chance to get down to Lakeland and daunting task for any individual. If you want to restore a enjoy the first major fly-in of the season? See if you can't type-certificated airplane, you have several choices. You clear off a few days in your schedule, and get to Florida can go to A&P school and get your licenses, which will for the fun - you won't regret it. See VAA News on page allow you to do all the work yourself (except for the final 2 for more information on Sun 'n Fun. sign off by a A&P with an Inspection Authorization). Or The guys and gals in the Vintage Aircraft area have al­ you can find a person "with the proper license" who is ways been great hosts. A great source of enjoyment each willing to allow you to work on the restoration while year is seeing the new restorations that have been com­ they monitor the restoration to make sure it is being pleted over the winter. done correctly. Occasionally I receive a comment regarding the differ­ Finally, you can take your project to a professional ent ways a restoration is accomplished. A few of our shop and pay them to hand it back to you as a com­ members feel that restorations which are accomplished pleted restoration, ready to flyaway. You can also use by professional restorers should not be given the same any combination of the above to reach the desired re­ recognition as those rebuilt by restorers who turn every sults. When we choose to feature an airplane here in the nut and bolt on their own airplanes. We've discussed pages of Vintage Airplane, we're careful to clearly depict this subject in the past, and for the benefit of our newer how the restoration was accomplished. We feel it is our members, please allow me to explain our position on responsibility to encourage the high-quality restoration this matter. of all aircraft, especially those in our judging categories. The aircraft is judged and scored on a standard lf that means we show the excellent work done by a pro­ form using a pOint system. The score is based solely fessional restorer for a wealthy individual, then we'll on the quality of the restoration. In this way, the highlight the fact the airplane was done in that fashion. owner, or person who did the restoration, and any The creation of the Sikorsky S-38 replica is a great exam­ possible political factors are not included in these fac­ ple of what can be accomplished when a great deal of tors. It's the airplane's fidelity to originality and money can be dedicated to re-creating an historic air­ workmanship that matter. At Oshkosh we take great craft. Highlighting that airplane certainly does not care to assure that political and personality factors do detract from featuring a restoration by someone like not affect the final score. Harold Armstrong, one of vintage aviation's most ac­ Restoration of an aircraft is a different ball game than complished restorers, who does so for his own personal constructing a homebuilt aircraft. EAA has done a great satisfaction. It simply means that we must look at each job assisting the individual builder. The Technical Coun­ project from different perspectives. I hope you'll join us selor program, EAA's great Information Services and in enjoying all of the many ways these wonderful air­ Government Services .offices and now the SportAir Work­ planes are kept in the air. shops help to educate members who want to learn VAA is aware that we have fallen short assisting mem­ different building skills. You have the freedom to build bers in learning more about restoring airplanes. Rest and mOdify your homebuilt aircraft, as you would like, assured we're working on solutions. We're discussing the as long as the ideas will pass the final inspection. Then scope and concepts involved in have a dedicated vintage you will be issued a repairman's certificate, making it le­ airplane restoration class. If you have any thoughts gal for you to continue to do your own work and along that line, we'd love to hear from you. Let's all pull inspections on your airplane. in the same direction for the good of aviation. Remem­ That is a heck of a lot of freedom and trust given to ber we are better together. Join us and have it all. ...... VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1 VAANEWS compiled by H.G. Frautschy SU N ' N FUN of the NOTAM, and handy 3x5" The 27th Sun 'n Fun Fly-In will be booklet containing key information COVERS held April 8-14, 2001, at Lakeland in a cockpit friendly smaller size. Linder Airport in Lakeland, Florida. You can also view still shots from Sun 'n Fun traditionally "kicks off" the video at http://asy.faa.gov. Front Cover ... Family ties can be the the international fly-in and air show If you're planning on flying into strongest, even when it's related to abeautiful season. Last year, more than 650,000 the event, please prepare a sign, piece of machinery.The father and son team of people and 8,000 aircraft partici­ readable from outside your airplane Bill and Steve Scott searched for this particular pated. so the volunteers directing you to a Stinson 108, which had been flown many Education remains the focus of parking spot will know where to years ago by Bill. Now fully restored , they've Sun 'n Fun's weeklong activities. Fo­ send you. Vintage Parking and Vin­ flown the airplane to Florida and Wisconsin rums covering topics that range tage Camping would be good for the two major EM Fly-Ins. Roscoe Butch , from aircraft construction, mainte­ choices to let them know you want alongtime friend of Bil l's, accompanied him nance and restoration to buying to park with your fellow Vintage air­ during our photo mission during Sun 'n Fun insurance and hundreds of topics in plane enthusiasts. 2000. EM photo by Mark Schaible, shot with between will be presented by avia­ We'll see you there! aCanon EOS1n equipped with an 80-200 mm tion experts from around the world. lens on 100 ASA Fuji slide film. EM Cessna Workshops, sharing a wide range of EAA SPORTAIR TIG 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore. hands-on instructions with builders, WELDING WORKSHOPS will run continuously from Sunday Aircraft builders and restorers Back Cover ...Aviation 's Golden Spike is through Saturday. Additional areas seeking to develop or refine their the title of John Sarsfield's acrylic painting, will be offered in a discussion and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding which depicts the first non-stop transconti­ demonstration format. skills now have an outstanding op­ nental flight across the United States. The Aircraft of every size, shape and portunity to learn more abut TIG painting was awarded aPar Excellence ribbon . description can be found along Sun welding at EAA SportAir Workshops Flown by Us. O. G. Kelly and J. A. Macready, 'n Fun's fl ightline, including vin­ to be held throughout 2001. The US Air Service, they used aFokker T-2 (F. IV) tage, aerobatic, ultralight, Warbird, workshops are provided by EAA, The monoplane powered by a420 hp Liberty en­ rotorcraft, experimental-category Leader in Recreational Aviation, in gine. Two previous attempts had failed , but on and everything in between. Activi­ association with Lincoln Electric. the third try, acomplete flight was made over ties include a superb daily air show These workshops, held at the the 2-3 May 1923. Taking off from Roosevelt featuring the world's top performers Alexander Technical Center's state­ Field , Long Island, at 12.36 p.m.