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.