VOL. 32, No.

11

N E
2004

COVERS
FRONT COVER: For many years, Butch Walsh has

CONTENTS
2
4

10

VAA News

Reminiscing with Big Nick

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane]uly 1974
by Nick Rezich

The Vintage Instructor

Sport pilot is here!
by Doug Stewart

10

Pass It to Buck
Well, now that we have it apart ...
by Buck Hilbert

Butch Walsh: The Stinson Guru

by Budd Davisson

1S

20

EAA AirVenture 2004

Ice Creamed

been "the man" when it comes to Stinson res

torations. This particular 1082 was awarded

the EAA Grand Champion Classic Lindy award
at EM AirVenture Oshkosh 2004. EM photo by
Paul Bowen.
BACK COVER: Back Cover: " Big Bend Excursion "
is the title of EAA Master Artist George Grant's
acrylic painting of a Mexican border region
scene that features the intrepid pilot of an
Army PT3 giving a joyride to his sweetheart
along a ridge of the Chisos mountains, with
Eleph ant Tusk mountain in the background.
Big Bend Excursion is on display at the EM
AirVenture Museum , as part of the EM Sport
Avi ation Art Competition. You can reach George
A Grant at 420 S Judd Street, Fort Worth,
Texas 76108, phone 8172463239.

STAFF
Publisher
EditorinChief
Executive Director/Editor
VAA Administrator
News Editor
Photography
Production Manager
Advertisi ng Sales

by Brooks Yeilding
22

Mystery Plane
by H.G . Frautschy

24

Classified Ads

Tom Poberezny
Scott Spangler
H.G. Frautschy
Theresa Books
Ric Reynolds
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Bartel
Julie Russo
Loy Hickman
9132686646

Classified Ad Manager
Copy Editor
Graphic Design

Isabelle Wiske
Colleen Walsh
Kathleen Witman
Olivia Phillip

GEOFF ROBISON
PRES IDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCI ATION

Fall flying
It's now October here in northern
Indiana, and this is by far my favorite
time of the year to fly. For too many
years the 120's annual inspection
came due about this time, and I was
usually somewhat shortchanged on
the enjoyment of the fall colors, and
the improved performance of the air
craft at cooler temperatures. Last year
that all changed when I had an exten
sive annual performed on the old girl,
and that annual is due in January, so
I can now return to the low and slow
pleasures of fall flying without inter
ruption. It has also afforded me an ad
ditional opportunity to attend several
local fall fly-in events close to home.
It has been an amazing time for
sport and recreational flying with all
the recent aviation events in the na
tional news that included the rolling
out of the new sport pilot and light
sport aircraft rule. A number of vin
tage aircraft meet the standards set
by the FAA for light-sport aircraft.
Take a look at the list at www.spartpi
lat.arg by clicking on the Light Sport
Aircraft heading on the tan header
bar. Then click on Standard Category
Aircraft for the list.
Being eligible should add value to
those vintage aircraft. But for all the
obvious reasons, it also drives one to
seriously consider procurement of an
eligible vintage LSA. I recently told
my wife that I now have the perfect
reason for justifying owning that J-3
I always wanted . She wasn't very re
sponsive to that line of thinking, but
hey, she gave me an A for effort!
Oh well, I'll just have to get her
in my buddy's 7AC when he gets it
completed, and start in on her again.
Honey, did you notice how slowly

the fall colors go by in the Champ as

compared to the 120? Anybody got
any better ideas for me?
Yet another exciting news story
were the recent flights of Space
ShipOne in its endeavor to win the
Ansari X Prize. What other bunch of
nuts but aviation nuts would spend
$25 million to win $10 million? These
guys are awesome. I will forever re
member Mike Melvill's flight to space
when the aircraft rolled 29 times as
it rocketed through the atmosphere
to 62-plus miles above the surface of
the Earth, with Mike looking more
like Sean D. Tucker than Neil Arm
strong! Seriously though, this was a
truly historic moment in our time on
this earth. Think about it-civilian
personnel putting a manned flying
machine into space, and returning to
a safe landing. Wow! It is difficult to
imagine what may come next from
Mojave and the fine folks at Scaled
Composites. Congratulations to the
whole team on the X Prize win. We
are all extremely proud to have you
as fellow EAA members.
I spoke again in last month's col
umn about the continuing battle to
address newly proposed restrictions
on airspace, and soliciting our mem
bership to be outspoken on these is
sues as they arise. Recently we heard
of yet another proposal from a New
York State representative who had the
audacity to suggest that airline level
security should be imposed on every
GA flight in these United States. Boy,
there's a guy who had no idea what
he was proposing. The best part of
this story is that he found out pretty
quickly how outrageous his proposal
really was when all the aviation al

phabets weighed in. Hopefully, this

little lesson in humility will generate
more carefully thought-out proposals
by our other elected officials who may
also choose to propose additional re
strictions on general aviation in the
future . It was particularly trouble
some to me that this legislator chose
the anniversary of September 11 to
submit this ominous bill. Just when
will these guys get it. GA aircraft are
not the threat to be concerned about;
the Transportation Security Adminis
tration has said it, and it continues to
say it with great regularity.
Keep your ear to the rail for the
next train, as it's likely not far down
the tracks. Be mindful that speaking
out in opposition to these issues is not
our only task as responsible GA pilots.
We need to fly our aircraft with a great
deal of attention to the FARs and be
especially mindful of those pop-up
temporary flight restrictions (TFRs).
By the time you read this column the
elections will be over, and with that
the TFRs will likely be somewhat di
minished . One of the best ways for
our rights to free skies to be protected
is for each of us to remain diligent and
mindful of the possibility of the cre
ation of a TFR at the drop of a hat. If
you're planning to travel in unfamil
iar airspace, a thorough review of the
rules and restrictions may be the one
thing that keeps you in compliance.
The EAA Flight Planner, which you
can access as a member from the EAA
and VAA websites, is a great tool to
keep you advised. Have a great flight,
and be safe!
Remember, join up with us and
have it all.
A~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VAA and EAA Help Create

New Wiring Standards
On behalf of EAA's Govern
ment Programs office and EAA's
Vintage Aircraft Association, VAA
Executive Director H.G. Frautschy
joined nearly two dozen other
members of ASTM Committee
F39 for their first official meet
ing. The committee, composed of
representatives of manufacturers,
end users, aviation technicians,
and other interested aviation or
ganizations, including the EAA,
VAA, AOPA and Aircraft Electron
ics Association, has been con
vened to help create, under the
auspices of ASTM International,
a set of new standards for general
aviation electrical wiring system
design, fabrication, modification,
inspection, and maintenance pro
cedures and processes. Continued
airworthiness standards will also
be addressed, as standard F39 will
become "acceptable data" to the
FAA. It will be a manual accepted
by the FAA for use by aviation
technicians to maintain general
aviation aircraft.
Aging aircraft issues related to
aircraft wiring maintenance and
repair will be an integral part
of the new standard. Material
substitution lists will be current
and the standard will include
maintenance procedures and
standards for working with newer
technologies being incorporated in
aircraft today.
The October meeting centered
on creating the basic format of
the material to be included in
Standard F39, and to begin work
on gathering the most current data
available from original equipment
manufacturers, FAA Advisory
Circu lars, and other aviation
related wiring manuals currently
in use today.
For more on ASTM Committee F39,
visit www.astm.org/COMMIT/F39.
2

NOVEMBER 2004

Vintage Merchandise
The holidays are coming, and
the VAA has just what you need
in a unique gift for your VAA
enthusiast . Please see the ad
beginning on page 30 for a part
of the selection of VAA gifts and
apparel that are available. Don't
need a gift? Perhaps you traveled
all the way home and realized
you didn't buy that shirt or jacket
you meant to pick up. You can
still buy that special item! You
can also visit www. vintageaircra{t.
org for an even wider selection.
Give EAA Membership Services
a call at 800-843-3612 to place
your order.

EAA AirVenture Shifts to

Monday-Sunday Format in 2005
Acting on the results of member,
sponsor, exhibitor, and visitor sur
veys, EAA is moving EAA AirVen
ture Oshkosh one day forward be
ginning in 2005. EAA AirVenture
will run Monday-through-Sunday
instead of a Tuesday-through-Mon
day schedule. That means EAA Air
Venture 2005 will begin on Mon
day, July 25, and conclude on Sun
day, July 31.
"We surveyed a cross-section of
EAA members, exhibitors, sponsors,
and other participants and found
that the travel patterns of those
who attend EAA AirVenture have
changed in recent years," said EAA
President and AirVenture Chairman
Tom Poberezny. "We want to make
sure we have activities and services
for those who arrive at any time
during the event. We also knew that
scheduling the final day on Monday

had not worked as well as hoped

for attendees or exhibitors, so we
wanted to improve that situation."
Complete details regarding
specific highlights and activities
at EAA AirVenture 2005 will be
announced as they are confirmed.

FAA Finalizing Student

Sport Pilot Application
FAA Light-Sport Aircraft Branch
Manager Martin Weaver, confirmed
in early October that while the
new application form to become
a sport pilot, FAA Form 8710-11 ,
Airman Certificate and/or Rating
Application-Sport Pilot, won't
be available until January 1, 2005,
individuals can submit sport pilot
applications prior to that date.
To do so, sport pilot applicants
will use the current FAA Airman
Application, Form 8710-1. However,
Weaver added that the FAA policies
and procedures required for
deSignated pilot examiners and
inspectors to issue student pilot
certificates won't be available until
November 15, 2004, so no action
will be taken on any applications
until those policies and procedures
are available.
He explained, "We do not cur
rently have a policy explaining to
flight instructors what endorsements
are required to solo a sport pilot stu
dent, nor do we have the infrastruc
ture in place as far as the practical
test standards in order to support
the regulatory requirements. Addi
tionally, FAA field offices have not
been given the required guidance on
how to handle issuing student pilot
certificates. "
Form 8710-1 is available for
download on the FAA website at
http://forms.faa.gov/forms/faa87i 0-1.pdf

EAAers Invited to Sport Pilot

Briefings at SportAir Workshops
EAA members can learn the latest
about sport pilot/light-sport aircraft

from EAA Aviation Information

Services staff at free briefings at
EAA SportAir Workshops.
"Sport Pilot-An EAA Member
Briefing" sessions feature EAA
experts who provide the latest
information, plus answer any
questions on the new rule. To see
the schedule of workshops, visit
www.sportpiiot.org. Those interested
in attending must pre-register by
calling 800-JOIN EAA (564-6322)
and request a reservation.

2005 VAA Calendar

Can Still Be Ordered
The very first VAA calendar,
created by the staff of the VAA and
published by Turner Publishing, can
still be ordered. Some of the aircraft
featured in the full-color, ll-by-17
inch oversize wall calendar include
the Sikorsky 5-39, Waco QDC, and
Temco (Globe) Swift. Thirteen
different airplanes, at least one
from each of the division's judging
categories, are featured in the
calendar. Each airplane photograph
was taken by EAA's award-winning
photography staff.
Due to the interest being
generated by this first-ever product,
Turner has agreed to keep the order
lines open for as long as possible
before the calendar is published in
just a few weeks. For more on the
2005 VAA Calendar, please see the ad
on page 21, and order your calendar
today! A portion of the proceeds
will be paid back to the VAA.

VAA Annual Meeting Minutes

Per the VAA bylaws, notice is
hereby given that copies of the
minutes of the annual meeting of
the Vintage Aircraft Association
held August 2, 2004, are now
available from the headquarters
office of the VAA. Contact Theresa
Books, VAA Administrative
ASSistant, vintage@eaa.org or 920
426-6110, if you desire a copy.

ALFRED KELCH

1918-2004
We're sorry to report that our 2003 inductee into the VM Hall of Fame has
.
passed away after a brief illness at the age of 86.
AI became enamored with airplanes and aviators at age 6 when hiS uncle
Percy Bricker bought a war surplus Curtiss Jenny and flew it to AI 's hometown
of Lake View, Iowa. Even Uncle Percy's crash landing of the Jenny didn't
dampen his enthusiasm, although little AI was perturbed with his uncle for
wrecking "his" Jenny.
.
.
Everything that was mechanical was fascinating to him. He loved tinkering
with wood boats, antique cars, and airplanes. Airplanes were right behind his
wife of 60 years, Lois, on AI 's priority list. A career mixing his talents in art
and mechanical engineering resulted in the founding of Kelch Manufacturing,
a company that pioneered a number of plastic innovations, including the first
plastic steering wheel for the automotive trade, and the handy gas cap with an
integral fuel gauge, still referred to as a " Kelch Type Cap."
AI (VAA lifetime No.6) and Lois were very active in the early days of the
founding of the EM Antique/ Classic Division, which became the VM. He also
created the EM Lindy trophy we all recognize today as the top award in aircraft
restoration.
He and Lois also edited Vintage Airplane magazine in the mid-1970s, and
he and his good friend the late Claude Gray created the core rules for judging
vintage airplanes that are still used to this day.
He and his friends Pat Packard and Bob Lumley, along with a small corps of
volunteers, took inspiration from the Travel Air Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee,
and added a porch to the VM Red Barn, creating one of the most relaxing spots
on the EM Convention grounds.
Until very shortly before his death, AI actively worked on his collection of
aircraft kept at the Brodhead, Wisconsin, airport. His most recent restoration
project is a Travel Air 4000 formerly owned by Robertson Aircraft and flown by
Charles Lindbergh.
Our condolences to his wife, Lois, and his many friends, as well as those he
worked with from the Sun 'n Fun, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome and Curtiss Museum
organizations. His enthusiasm for history and for life will be greatly missed.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane July 1974
by Nick Rezich

The Howard Story - Part Two

Ed itor's Not e : D u e to the
length of Part II of Th e
H oward Sto ry a s originally
p rint ed, we've h ad t o clip it
in two . Look f o r th e second
h alf of Part II i n the De cem
ber issu e of Vintage Airplane.

The DGA-8 was built under ATC

No. 612. With an empty weight of
2,330 pounds and a gross weight
of 3,800 pounds, true airspeed
at 10,000 feet was around 190
mph-187 to be correct. Rate of
climb was 2,000 feet the first min
ute. Wing section, I believe, was a
NACA 2R212 with 2-1/2-degrees
incidence and zero dihedral. Basic
price was $14,500 F.A.P.
All the material I once had on
the DGA-15 is gone. I loaned it to
a guy who was going to convert
a 15 to a tri-gear and he never re
turned any of it. (Now I know why
my brother Mike won't let me bor
row any of his material! I don't
blame him . .. I lost a very pre4

NOVEMBER 2004

cious photo collection because I

let a supposed good friend borrow
them.) Incidentally, the photo of
the original Flannigan in the last
issue was not taken on the evening
of the first test flight, but sometime
later. That particular picture is in a
locked vault in my brother's house
or bank ... and for good reason, as
it is the only one taken that eve
ning other than the ones taken by
the Howard bunch.
About this time I left Bluebird
Air Transport and went to work
for American Airways at Chicago
"MunL" I never thought much of
airline work, so I kept my regular
visits to the Howard factory on a
time clock basis and I would al
ways remind Mr. Ewing and Mr.
Purcell tha t I wanted a job with
Howard. In the meantime I got to
know the "inards" and "outwards"
of the Howard and I made friends
with all 24 employees . Then it
happened!
They sold two more airplanes
and I was hired .. .! was number 25 .
I went to work for "Red" Gross in

the finishing department (dope

and fabric) and I remained with
Howard until July of 1944 when I
(and about 20 other Howard men)
entered the armed forces . When I
left, I was plant superintendent.
Working for Howard was a fam
ily affair. Everyone had the same
goal ... to build the best-damned
airplane in the world. Pride in
workmanship just oozed all over
the plant. If ever there was an air
plane built to perfection, it was the
Howard. We had time cards and a
payroll department-but that was
on paper only. We worked over
time, Saturdays, Sundays and never
received extra pay ... and never
expected it. It was either work and
get the airplanes delivered or shut
the doors.
Everyone was capable of work
ing in all departments. If you were
needed in the wood shop, you
worked on wings, ribs, etc .-or
assembly or welding or any other
place needed . Our engineers were
mechanics . . . when they designed
a new part, they didn't send a blue

print out to the shop, they came

out and built it themselves to see
if it would work. The same for the
test flights-the chief engineer,
Gordon, or Walt or another engi
neer, would fly the airplanes them
selves or ride with the test pilot. I'll
tell you a good story about Gordon
Israel next month (actually, it will
appear in the January 2005 issue
Editor) in the Model 18 story. The
same applied to our sales people.
They flew the airplane and they
knew the mechanics of it.
Other than factory demonstra
tors, all civilian Howards were cus
tom built. The order would come
out from sales as "Mr. or Mrs. How
ard, Model 8, 9, 11" or whatever
model and would list the equip
ment, color, NC number, type of
interior, panel and promised de
livery date. From then on, we all
referred to the ship by the owner's
name. There would also be spe
cial notations, such as "soft back
seat special," or "make sure win
dows roll up and down quietly,"
or "wrap wheel half with leather
to match," or "consult with pilot
before installing radios."
Most company airplanes as well
as private ones had their pilots at
the factory from the time the fu
selage went into the jig to comple

tion. When the airplane was ready

for delivery, it was inspected by
sales, and then by Benny and if
it was O.K., the department head
of each department was on hand
when the customer arrived. If the
customer had any changes, squawks
or whatever, the department head
and his lead man would take care
of it to the customer's satisfaction.
When B.D. DeWeese became presi
dent, he was the hardest man in
the world to satisfy ... he was the
airplane inspector supreme! And
he knew where to look, BELIEVE
YOU ME!
During the early years at How
ard, we built everything in the fac
tory. The only thing we sent out
for was coffee and sandwiches.
When the fuselage left the jig
and all the clips were welded on,
Mike Babco would take a torch and
a rubber mallet and straighten all
the tubes by eyesight. The fuselage
and tail group would then go to
inspection and paint. We did not
sandblast the tubing but, instead,
cleaned and etched it by hand . We
then painted it with two coats of
zinc chromate-the second coat
being a tracer, which was silver.
After sub-assembly it was back
to the paint shop for cover. We
would bring the whole airplane up

through silver, and then it would

be moved to the sheet metal de
partment and fully assembled.
This served two purposes: first, it
aged the dope for final paint and,
second, a perfect fit of all the sheet
metal was assured . All those fancy
fairings with the double curves
were all handmade along with the
NACA cowl. Later on we bought
the wheelpants and nose cowls.
Many fairings were two- and three
piece affairs welded together to
form the fancy curve.
After the sheet metal was all fit
ted, the ship would go back to the
paint shop-this time on the gear
and with the engine in it-for final
color. Many people think of the
Staggerwing as having the best fin
ish in those days. The Staggerwing
did have an excellent finish, but
not quite as good as the Howard .
It was declared by NACA that the
Howard had the smoothest finish
in the industry.
During the construction of the
DGAs, we used contour confor
mity jigs throughout and a few se
crets that nobody else was using.
Have you ever heard of putting
nitrate dope over varnish? Can't
be done, right? Wrong! We did it.
Let's leave the airplane in the paint
shop for final color while I tell you

Shell Oil 15. Pilot: Jim Wheeler. One of two bought by Shell. The other one is in Rockford, Illinois owned by Ron Rippon.
This will be a super Howard when Ron finishes it.
VINTAGE A I RPLANE

how we built up to a perfect finish. we received the plywood, we as a sanding block can't feel sharp
The wings, as many of you know, would check it for proper moisture edges, tapes, rib stitching, etc. As
were all wood with plywood cover content, then store it in a home a result, the skin on a sander's fin
ing plus balloon cloth. Before the made moisture control room. It gers wou ld become so thin they
wing was covered it was checked was checked again before appli wo uld bleed. BELIEVE-YOU-ME,
for conformity with a wing section cation to the wing. I have forgot I know-many a Howard has my
jig, then the top layers of skin were ten the moisture content we used blood in it! We would repeat this
attached. We did not use
process after the final
nailing strips but, in
coat.
stead, drove the nails into
Now came the "finis
the plywood, itself. We
perfection." From 1936
would have all the pan
through' 37 we hand
els laid out with the nails
rubbed our surfaces to a
started only through the
su per gloss, but from late
tip. Then they (the skins)
'37/early '38 we buffed
were positioned on the
them with a 2-speed buf
wing with the glue hold
fer. Th is was a tricky op
ing them in place. Now
eration as it was really
the Wood Butcher's Sym
easy to burn the finish
phony would begin! Six
wh en you used the high
wood butchers armed
gear. Brother, you had
with their hammers
be tt er know your busi
would start the nailing
ness or you bought your
procedure, which was the
self an airplane. We also
secret in making a two
applied the wax with the
way curve with wood
buffer. The master buf
with no wrinkles. They
fer was Eddie Brooks.
would strike each only
He was the one who
once and each man knew
checked me out on the
the sequence of driv
buffer even though I was
ing each nail. This same
the foreman . Eddie and I
procedure applied to the
put the final finish on all
flaps and ailerons. After
the Howards up to late
the trimming and after
1940 when we checked
the glue had set up, the This company publicity photo depicts Benny Howard's last
out a couple more men.
wings went to the paint delivery of an aircraft as president of the company.
This bu ffing operation
shop for 3 spray coats
was not only tricky, but
of full strength varnish.
somewhat dangerous .
The first coat was sprayed at 8:00 and myoId factory records were In th e high-speed mode it gener
a.m., the second at noon and the destroyed by an over-ambitious ated a vacuum between the surface
third at 5:00 p.m. The masked-off housekeeper.. .who shall remain and the pad. You had to make sure
bottom panels were also sprayed at nameless here.
there was nothing in the path of
this time. After the bottom panels
After the varnish dried, we this vacuum.
were nailed in place and trimmed, sprayed 2 cross. coats of clear dope
I learned the hard way .. .1 was a
the wings went back to the dope on the wood surfaces for bond cocky young show-off. I had just
shop for covering and final paint.
ing of the balloon cloth. After the finished buffing a fuselage and was
The dope "sloberers" would use wings were brought up through standing back admiring my work
a power sander to grind all the nail silver, we let them age or dry along and decided to put just a little
heads down flush and shape the with the fuselage and tail group more gloss at the tail end of the
wing to a perfect contour. Next for 2 weeks or more, depending fuselage. I sprinkled the fuselage
came the varnish. We would cut on schedule . Now, the hard work with the compound and started in
the varnish 50-50 with Toluol and started. We would sand the whole with quick sweeps ... then it hap
rub it into the wing to act as a airplane down "flat" so all the pened!
sealer. This was the secret to per tapes were hidden. We had a hard
I sucked in the nav light wire
time training and keeping sand hanging out the back of the fuse
fectly formed wings.
Let me back track here ... when ers. We did not use sanding blocks lage. I tore hell out of everything
6

NOVEMBER 2004

fabric, wire and metal bulkhead.

Well, needless to say, that took
care of my cockiness! I shook for
two days after that, but my first
thought was that of getting fired .
Cutting off my arms would have
been less painful than being fired
from Howard Aircraft. To make a
long story short, I stayed at the
plant all night and repaired my
damage so the airplane could go
into final assembly by morning.
There was no Watergate cover
up ... the whole plant knew it and I
got ribbed about it for a long time.
That buffer was dangerous and
that's why we didn't check any
body else out for a long time.
We built the production air
planes just like Benny built the
Flannigan. We would assemble ev
erything but the wings at the fac
tory, then truck the wings and tow
the fuselage to the final assembly
and flight test.
The hangar we used for final
assembly was myoid alma mater,
Bluebird Air Transport, which, in
turn, had taken over the Texaco
hangar. In the early days only a
couple of men went with the air
plane for flight test, but as we built
more airplanes, the hangar became
a full-size department. My younger
brother, Frank, worked on final as
sembly as a foreman at the plant
and the hangar.
We had our ups and downs, fi
nancially, from the day the plant
opened until the day it closed.
The year of 1939 was bad, so bad
that it looked like it was going
to close. One day the word came
down that we were shutting down
until 3 or 4 orders were received. I
knew some people at Beechcraft,
so 4 other guys and myself took
off for Wichita in my new Dodge ...
only to find that Beech and Cessna
were in the same shape as How
ard Aircraft. Cessna was building
manure spreaders to stay open! We
went to Stearman and here I got
hired, but not my buddies. I had
a couple of days to get moved so I
drove back to Chicago that night.

During the drive, we talked about

Howard, Beech, etc., and we de
cided th'hell with Wichita, we
were sticking with Howard. When
we arrived back home, my mother
said, "Howard is looking for you to
come back to work."
When I arrived at the plant, it
was all hustle and bustle. "Slim"
Freitag and J.D. Reed of Houston,
Texas, had come in with a fistful
of orders. J.D. has sold just about
every oil company in Texas a How
ard! This was the break Howard
needed. From then on, Howard
was on sound footing. B.D. De
Weese left Stinson and came on as
manager and later became presi
dent. He was responsible for con
verting many Stinson customers to
Howards.
We expanded the plant and pro
duction went from one a month to
one a week. I was promoted to as
sistant plant superintendent at this
time and George Lyons became
plant superintendent. Mr. Earl
Ewing, the original plant superin
tendent went with Bell Aircraft in
Buffalo, New York. Then came the
nightmare, the Model 18, the low
wing trainer. I will devote a sepa
rate chapter to the "18" story.
Working for Howard Aircraft
was rewarding in many ways .
Most rewarding was the privilege
of working with the super star
craftsmen of the industry. I met
all of the top people in the aircraft
manufacturing business, famous
people in government, movie stars
and many of the country's leading
businessmen. I'll never forget the
day I met Walla'ce Beery. Mr. Beery
was en route to Detroit to purchase
a new Stinson Reliant and as he
was changing planes in Chicago,
he saw Walt Diaber taking off on
a test flight with a new Howard.
Beery turned to one of the airport
employees and asked, "What's
that?" The fellow replied, "That's
a Howard."
What attracted Beery's attention
was the angle of climb. Diaber, like
Benny Howard, had a pattern for

every takeoff. With Walt it was

break ground and climb at about a
45-degree or SO-degree angle up to
about 3,000 or 4,000 feet.
Beery watched the Howard go
out of sight, then went in and can
celled his flight to Detroit. In a few
minutes he arrived at the factory
and just walked into the sub assem
bly department and started looking
around. Before the day was out, Mr.
Wallace ordered a Wasp-powered
Model 11... and Stinson had lost
another sale, thanks largely to the
performance of a Howard. A short
time later Beery's pilot arrived at
the plant to follow the building
of his new airplane. Wallace Beery
was an excellent pilot but his
movie contracts required that he
have a professional pilot on board.
When he took delivery of his new
11, he threw a huge party for the
whole plant. He really loved the
Howard and when the new Model
15 was available, he traded the 11
for a 15. His 15 was a special air
plane that later helped up secure
the Navy contract.
Beery loved to hunt. He wanted
an airplane that he could camp in
and with room enough to fly home
his catch. This meant some kind of
fold-down seat that could be con
verted into a bed. The final version
was a fold back seat, which was
later used as a stretcher in the am
bulance Navy Howards. When the
new airplane was completed, Beery
came to the factory for a checkout
and he and Benny went riding in
his new 15.
That was the last airplane Benny
Howard delivered as president of
the company. Mr. B. D. DeWesse be
came president after that delivery.
Benny never recovered finanCially
after the Mulligan accident. As I
said earlier, the plant was running
on borrowed money right from the
beginning. It started out as Ben O.
Howard and Associates, then the
Paul H. Davis group got involved
and it became Howard Aircraft
Company. One of the early inves
continued on page 32
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

DOUG STEWART

Sport pilot is here!

Well, it finally happened . The
moment that so many pilots had been
waiting for arrived a few days before
the opening of EAA AirVenture Osh
kosh 2004. It had been in the works
for several years, undergoing a variety
of revisions and changes. Many of us
in the pilot community had given up
hope that it would ever happen at all.
But a few short days before the begin
ning of that wonderful gathering of
pilots and airplanes in Oshkosh, the
FAA announced that the final ruling
for the new sport pilot/light-sport air
craft had been Signed. The sounds of
jubilant cheering could be heard in
hangars, in airport lounges, in EAA
Chapte r rooms all across this great
land of ours.
I, too, joined in that cheering. I
know many folks who would now be
able to fly once again, or for that mat
ter for the first time ever, as certificated
pilots. However, I did have some res
ervations. During the run of EAA Air
Venture I had many opportunities to
meet with the movers and shakers of
the sport pilot rule to answer my grow
ing list of questions, but one nagging
problem still remained. I'll get to that
problem in a moment, but first let 's
look at the rule as I understand it.
The new ruling became effective
September 1, 2004. On that day any
certificated pilot who had a current
flight review (a flight review signed
off within the previous 24 calendar
months) could now fly an aircraft that
qualified under the rules as a light
sport aircraft, without a medical cer
tificate, provided that the pilot held a
current driver's license, and also that
the pilot had not had his or her last
8

NOVEMBER 2004

application for an FAA medical cer

tificate denied or revoked. This meant
that any pilot who had let his or her
medical certificate expire, without re
newing it, could once again take wing.
If the pilot was not current, he or she
could fly once again as soon as a flight
review had been completed.
The ruling, as finally published,
also increased the maximum gross
weight limit from 1,230 pounds, to
1,320 . With that increase of 900
pounds to the weight limit, several
more Vintage aircraft entered the fold
of the light-sport aircraft envelope.
The rule now allows pilots to fly, with
out a medical certificate, the following
certificated airplanes: (This list is not
100 percent all inclusive, but it does
include almost all of the vintage air
craft I am aware of that can be flown
as light-sport.)
Aeronca: everything from the
C up to and including the Champs
(7 AC, BCM, CCM, and DC), the L3s,
and the Chiefs (llAC & BC); Ercoupe:
415 C and CD; Piper: J-2 and all the
J-3 variants, the L-4s, J-4 and J4F, the
PA-ll, -15, and -17, and the NE-1 and
2; Taylorcraft: virtually all of them ex
cept the F series (19 and up); Porter
field: CP35, 35 - 70, 35V, CP 40, 50,
55 and LP - 65; and Interstate: S-lA,
S-lA-65F, 85F, 90F, and the S-l Cadet.
This is a rather substantial list,
and whereas it does leave out some
wonderful aircraft that we would all
have loved to see included, like the
Cessna 120, 140, and 150 and theJ-5
(not only because it is too heavy, but
also because it seats three people), it
certainly allows pilots with a sport
pilot certificate (or the private pilot

with a "driver's license" medical) to

take to the sky in some of the neatest
and available aircraft in our aviation
heritage. And all of them, save for
the Ercoupes, have the little wheel
in the back.
Now to get to the nagging prob
lem that I have. I know that some of
the aircraft that can now be flown
might have been sitting idle for a
while, in some cases quite a while.
And we all know that one of the worst
things we can do to an airplane is to
let it sit idle (never mind what sitting
idle does to pilots). But that is not the
problem. I know that there are some
mechanics out there who might pa
per whip an annual inspection, but
when it comes to tube and fabric I re
ally don't think there are any mechan
ics who would risk their livelihood
by signing off a vintage airplane that
wasn't airworthy.
Here's where my problem lies:
many of the pilots that are eager to
take to the air once again might have
accrued more rust than those longeron
tubes hidden by some resilient Ceco
nite. The skills a pilot needs to keep
a light aircraft going straight on th e
ground, when the wind is blowing
from the side, and the little wheel is
in the back of the airplane, might have
atrophied, not to mention that there
has probably been an increase in the
reaction times of many of these pilots.
All pilots need, to fly, is a current
flight review (still referred to by most
as a BFR). The review, as mandated by
the FAA, is merely one hour of flight,
and one hour of ground. While there are
some instructors who might sign some
continued on page 24

E.E. " BU CK" HILBERT

Well, now that we have it apart ...

Gee whiz! November is here! I

know I did a fall color tour of upstate
New York and the Finger Lakes area,
but what happened to summer?
Oh yeah, there was EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2004. That
was a good one. Then there was
Brodhead, Wisconsin, with lots of
antiques and the Old-Fashioned
EAA Fly-In at Rock Falls, Illinois.
Other than that it seems like all I
did was work on that Cessna
120 of ours!
When we went to put
the lifting eyes in the spar
carry-through, we found
cracks. Big ones! And that
necessitated immediate
action. Had we continued to
fly, who knows? We might
have been the first to arrive
at the scene of the accident.
So we fixed it.
I had never encountered this
before in a Cessna, although I've
since had people tell me it has been a
problem in the past. It couldn't have
been too much of a problem; Cessna
didn 't have a replacement part in
stock and hadn't had an order or
sold one in some time.
Well, while we had the airplane
just about completely disassembled,
we decided to install a few
improvements. Things like a primer,
Cessna 150 seats, a tail pull handle, a
new tail wheel bracket, new skylights
and side windows, and then give it a
general good look-over.
We were pretty busy and it seemed
like this was turning into a full-time
job. I spent some 280 hours doing
all these projects. Of course the
usual "Funny Farm" visitors kept

popping in. See the photo below

of Mark Heusdens' highly modified
Ercoupe, with the big fuel tanks and
the 0-235 engine installation. He has
promised us an article on this eight
year project along with his jousting
with the FAA for certification . Plus
the usual "hangars-on" who stopped
by to kibitz.
There never seems to be a dull
moment around here.

Then too, EAA restoration staff

members Gary Buettner and Colin
Hildebrandt finished up the Varney
Airlines Air Mail Swallow replica and
since the United Airlines Historical
Foundation, of which I am a founding
member, had underwritten part of
that restoration, and had restored a
similar Swallow many moons ago, I
was asked to do the FAA flight test
program. This consisted of fifteen
hours in a deSignated area.
For you uninitiated ones, Varney
started the first permanently
scheduled Contract Airmail Service
in the United States and later merged
it with Pacific, Boeing, and National
Air Transports to become United
Airlines.
It is always a thrill to fly "first" in a
new airplane. "We" did the first half
hour, checked everything over, let it

cool, and then did another half hour.

After about two and a half hours in
the pattern we ventured a couple
of miles away and then gradually
explored the flight envelope.
Takeoff performance, climb ,
airwork, all the stalls and spin entries,
but no spins. The FAA placarded it
against spins, so we did more glides
and landings on pavement, grass,
and more landings.
We even did CG limits
flight checks, both full
forward and full aft, to see
how that went. All went
very well, and it brought
back memories and
sensations of my time in
the United Airlines Swallow
some 28 years ago. This one
flies just like that one, now
in the Museum of Flight in
Seattle, and maybe even a tad better.
Fifteen hours in an open cockpit is
a long time. But we got it done. The
FAA signed it off, and we now have
another airplane to fly from the EAA
AirVenture Museum's Pioneer Airport.
This one is meant to specifically honor
those airmail pilots who started the
whole airline industry.
If those wonderfully dedicated
airmen were alive, I wonder what
they would say about the state of
affairs the airlines find themselves
in today.
Well, tell you what, all summer
long the aviation books have been
piling up. I'm gonna sit in front of
the radiator in my sox and slippers
and do some catching up. If I fall
asleep so much the better!
Over to you,

78/J.cJ.,

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

utch and Carol Walsh

have been around
Stinsons for a long
time. A very long time.
In fact, Butch says he
can trace his interest in Stinsons
clear back to his childhood.
"My second airplane ride was
in a 108-2 (N389C) and, at the
time, it just seemed as if it was
the perfect airplane and the more
r was around it, the more I liked
it," he says.
Apparen tl y nothing has
changed in the intervening years
because by his own estimates he
10

NOVEMBER 2004

has owned at least 15 Stinson 108s

of various models and rebuilt at
least 10. In fact, Butch spends so
much of his time working on Stin
sons and communicating with
others who either need his advice
or want to purchase his services,
that many in the field have el
evated him to the exalted status
of "guru." He is the Papa Smurf
of 108 Stinsons and the go-to guy
for all things having to do with
restoring and flying the breed.
The attachment many people
feel for specific types of airplanes
is sometimes difficult to explain

although it always seems per

fectly clear to them. In the case
of the postwar, 4-place 108, cer
tainly part of the attraction has
to be a combination of a number
of factors. For one thing, the price
on the airplanes has lagged be
hind some of the more popular
airplanes, but the ability of the
108 to carry four people in luxury
and style is unquestioned. Plus,
the Stinsons are legendary in the
smooth feeling of their controls,
a benefit of ball or needle bear
ings being used everywhere that
might generate friction.

The Grand

Champion Classic

ofEAA AirVenture

Oshkosh 2004,

Butch Walsh's

Stinson 108-2.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

Butch at the controls of his favorite

airplane.
Butch says, "I bought my first
Stinson, a 108-2, in the early 1970s
and we still have it today. My
daughter Terri learned to fly and
got her certificate in it and her two
daughters, Mikayla and Ann-Clair,
ages 7 and 5, are logging time in a
booster seat on the right side and
Papa works the pedals. So, we al
ready have three generations flying
the same airplane. It is an absolute
part of the family."
Butch showed up at Sun ' n Fun
12

NOVEMBER 2004

2004 with a 108-2 that was new to

many of his Stinson friends.
"This airplane is the result of one
of those chance encounters that
happen to all of us," he explains.
"We were at Oshkosh about four
years ago with a -3 and were stay
ing in the dorms. I was involved
in a conversation about Stinsons
when one of the fellows looked me
in the face and said, 'Do you want
to buy a Stinson?' I was a little sur
prised but followed up on it.
"The airplane was a project lo
cated in Florida. I went down and
looked at it and it really wasn't a
very good project. It was totally dis
assembled and had been apart long
enough and moved around enough
times that it had accumulated a fair
amount of moving damage. It's very
hard to move an airplane without
inflicting some kind of damage on
it and the more you move it, the
more damage it will accumulate."
Butch decided to buy the air
plane and trucked it up to his base
in Arrington, Virginia.
"Every project has its good and

bad pOints and one of the good

points of this airplane was that it
was fairly stock. One of the bad
points was the engine, which was
mostly junk. I trashed the case and
crank and basically came out with a
cam and a carburetor.
"The panel wasn't too bad and,
amazingly enough, the glove com
partment area hadn't been butch
ered to put radios in it. The original
glove compartment doors are really
hard to find. There is a really good
reproduction door available, but,
well, it's just not original so I don't
like to use them.
"When I rebuilt the panel, I put
the top part back as close to origi
nal as I could including matching
original instruments, where pos
sible. I did the rest of the interior
in original fabric, which is available
from a company that has some of
the original material and keeps it
in an environmentally controlled
storage area so it doesn't change
color or deteriorate."
As is usually the case with an air
plane that has spent a lot of time on

is second to none,
as this beautifully
rebuilt wheelpant and
carefully straightened
out elevator and trim
tab will testify.

liThe surfaces are also trouble be

cause no one has stepped forward
and successfully manufactured
accurate skins for the control sur
faces. They were probably formed
in a male/female die that stretch(/)~ formed the concave stiffeners with
~ out distorting the skin. This is a real
~ problem, if you want to do a perfect
:2
~ restoration, because so many of the
;:cr control surface skins have been beat
~ up through the years. This is espe
cially true on elevators and rudders.
"This last [location], the rudder
trim tab area on a 108-3, is really a
toughie because it's n early impos
sible to repair cracks in that area
and hide the repair. The trailing
edge always requires a little dou
bler and you can spend a lot of time
making that area look right. This is
especially true now because most
Stinsons have already been repaired
right there and you're working hard
to repair the repair.
II

trailers, everything made of sheet

metal was beat up and good only for
patterns or needed extensive rebuilding.
liThe boot cowl and cowling were
areas where I had most of the parts
but couldn't use any of them. They
were just too bent up. The nose bowl
was too far gone too. The nosebowls
were made from soft aluminum and
it doesn't take much careless han
dling to make a mess of them. For
tunately, Univair has new nosebowls
available. I made the top hood pieces
myself, to be certain of getting a per
fect fit. Stinson spot-welded a lot of
their aluminum components, so I
bought a spot welder. Now, it's hard
to see a repair once I've done it with
the spot welder. "
Butch has seen so many Stinsons
in his day that he knows almost ex
actly what to look for and what to
advise other people to inspect when
buying an airplane. The airplane he
had at Sun 'n Fun is a case study in
things to be considered when prepar
ing to buy or restore a 108 Stinson.
"I was lucky on this airplane be
cause it's never had any gear damage,
which generally comes from a hard
ground loop. That usually makes a

Butch scoured
aviation flea
markets for these
old-style inspection
hole covers. Each
one was cleaned up
and smoothed out so
they'd look like this
when done.

mess out of the left gear, the gear at

tach pOints, left wing, and aileron.
liThe airplane has the same corro
sion and/or rust problems all old tail
draggers have in that the longerons
at the rear of the fuselage have to be
looked at carefully. This airplane was
really pretty good in that area, but I
checked it carefully anyway.
liThe control surfaces are one of
the Stinson's real problem areas. First,
there 's no way you can get in and
inspect them. So you have to take
them apart to inspect them and that
requires drilling out a bunch of spot
welds and replacing them with flush
rivets. Keeping them straight while
you're doing that is a constant worry.

As with all machines that are

approaching 60 years of age, there
are certain parts, often minor ones
once deemed unimportant, that
loom large in the mind of anyone
seeking to do a 100 percent restora
tion of a Stinson 108.
"Right around the inside edges of
the doorjambs the original interior
had a little stainless steel strip about
3/8-inches wide that covered the edge
of the upholstery. These days you'll
find longtime Stinson owners who
have never even seen one of those
strips because they were so fragile
and easy to lose over the years. It's an
impossible piece to make by hand, so
I just make new doorjambs and run
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

Those who notice such things

would have noticed that Butch and
Carol haven't been seen much at
fly-ins for about 3 years and there's a
reason for that, which both of them
seem very willing to talk about.
"I was diagnosed with lym
phoma 3 years ago right after I'd
put the fabric on this airplane. That
pretty much occupied all of our
thoughts while we tried to figure
out how to handle it. Thank good
ness we found our way to the M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Hous
ton. They were exactly what we
needed and at my last check up, I
was found to be cancer-free.
"I got back into the Stinsons
about a year ago and it turned out
to be the best thing I could have
done for myself. It gets your mind
into things that you can actually do
something about and keeps your
spirits up," Butch says.
Carol says, "I was worried about
him because he was putting in 14
hour days working on Stinsons and
helping other people. His doctor
had an interest in airplanes and I
asked him if Butch was working
too hard and the doctor said, Ab
z
'i: solutely not. It's the best thing for
~
I
him.' We consider the Stinsons to
>
a::
a:: be part of the reason Butch has re
:s
features as many original instruments covered so well."
When you're speaking with the
Walshes about Stinsons in general,
of experience there.
and their Stinsons in particular, you
"First of all, the Franklin is as get an immediate sense that they
smooth an engine as you'll ever aren't speaking about machines
ride behind. Its only real problems or inanimate objects. They speak
include age and disappearing parts. about the airplanes in the same tone
The 108 and 108-1 used the earlier of voice they would in describing
lS0-hp light case engine, which is a family member, and the reason
more prone to problems than the for that is obvious: To Butch and
later 16S-hp version used in the Carol, the old airplanes are family.
108-2 and -3. Still, parts are so hard They have raised their family in and
to come by that A.I. Service in Jew around the airplanes. They had joy
ett, Texas, (www.franklinparts.com) ful times and sad times, but the air
has started having some of the parts planes have always been there, and
made. They already have PMA'd this means the Walsh family and
pistons rings, cylinder liners, and their descendants will always have a
bearings and are working on new Stinson or two around. In fact, one
crankshafts and cases. There are of his next projects is rebuilding his
enough of the old engines still run original 108-2, N389C, one more
ning around out there to make it time before he turns it over to his
worth it for them."
grandchildren.
......
if)

The panel ofButch's latest restoration

as possible.
the jamb over the edge of the uphol
stery. It looks good, but it drives me
nuts because I know it's not original.
"I've already mentioned the glove
box doors. An original is like look
ing for hen dentures. Another item
that only Stinson used are the in
spection covers. They are very iden
tifiable by their four locating-ridges
and, although you could use normal
inspection covers, it wouldn't be
right. These covers are flea market
items and don't usually cost much
because no one knows what they
are. I picked up 10 of them at Sun 'n
Fun for 2 bucks a piece."
The Franklin engine is always
a subject of some discussion for
those thinking about a Stinson
and Butch has more than his share
14

NOVEMBER 2004

EAA

AirVenture 2004

by H.G. Frautschy, Budd Davisson and Jack Cox

There's just so much going on during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh that it's hard to get it all
in one issue of Vintage Airplane. Here's more on the amazing airplanes and people who
came to Oshkosh this summer.

The Antique parking and the start

ofaircraft camping were chock
full ofgreat airplanes. This year,
the homebuilt area hosted their
first campers up in the homebuilt
parking area, freeing up nearly
120 camping spots in what is now
Vintage camping.
Tom Dietrich and Steve Gray, both
ofKitchener, Ontario, had everyone
guessing with their Thruxton
Jackaroo. Was it a Tiger Moth or
not? The answer is yes and no: As
a Tiger Moth it is a veteran of the
Dunkirk evacuation, then was one
of 16 converted to a certified four
place in the late '50s.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

The Grand Champion Antique ofEAA AirVenture 2004 is Frank

Schelling's Curtiss Jenny, a restoration project that has taken nearly two
thirds ofFrank's lifetime to complete. His ground crew at the Brodhead,
Wisconsin, airport and at the convention consisted ofRon Price, Paul
Seibert, Frank Schilling, pilot Eric Presten, and Jerry Impellezzeri.

Get Mugged! When they weren't

busy popping popcorn in the VAA
Hospitality center, volunteers
Sarah Books (right) and her friend
Courtney Wright checked your name
in the computer and issued you a
participant's mug if you registered
your vintage aircraft during AirVenture
2004. Fellow popcorn popper Kathrine
Lein (not pictured) was crewing the
popper when this shot was taken.
16

NOVEMBER 2004

I know what you're thinking. It sure looks familiar, but what is it?
It's a Sopwith Pup replica, with a few twists thrown in. Steve Culp, ofShreveport Louisiana, wanted an
air show-capable Sopwith Pup, so he built one, powered by the Russian 360-hp (!) M14P radial instead
of the original BO-hp LeRhone rotary engine. The fuselage is steel tube, and the rest of the structure is
Pup beefed up as well to take the stresses of high-power aerobatics.
III intend to use my Sopwith Pup to fly air show aerobatics, II says Culp. IIA World War I plane with
horsepower to spare is going to be an amazing sight to see." With its eye-popping color scheme and
snarling M14, it should attract a lot ofattention! For more information, visit www.culpsspecialties.com.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

One of the most beautiful and interesting antique airplanes displayed at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2004 was Jim Younkin's Howard DGA-ll. Completed by the Howard factory in Chicago in
February of 1938 as a 285-hp Jacobs powered DGA-9, it was converted to a DGA-11 in March
of 1946 with the firewall forward installation of a 450-hp P&W R-985-AN-1 intended for a
military DGA-lSP. The DGA-15P cowling always offended Jim's aesthetic sensibilities, however,
so he recently replaced it with a more rounded DGA-9 style cowling, as well as smaller DGA
8/9 wheelpants. In that configuration, he considers NC18207 to be one of the most beautiful
airplanes ever conceived...and, indeed, it was voted the Outstanding Closed-Cockpit Monoplane
at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004.
Meyers 200 airplanes

are very popular choices

for those who like

high-horsepower, high

performance vintage

airplanes. Ben Morphew

of McKinney, Texas, took

home the Outstanding

Limited Production

Contemporary trophy for

his 1964 Meyers 200-C.

Dan McNeill flew Craig

and Teresa Bair's ultra
rare Wings Cub up from
its home in York, Ne
braska. This particular
airplane was given away
by the Wings Cigarette
Company the morning
ofDecember 7, 1941.

18

NOVEMBER 2004

John Drews ofLake Mills, WI took said his boat building experience came in handy when doing the
many-layered laminations required for the fuselage repairs on his Timm. Only three Timms are known to
be flying because they deteriorated so quickly.

The Falco is usually seen as a

homebuilt but Mark Stamsta,
Hartland, WI, brought his factory
built and fully certified example
to remind us that 75 of them were
factory built, with production
ending in 1960. His is the only
Falco with a standard airworthiness
certificate this side of the Atlantic.
Larry Bartell (left), host at the OX-5
Aviation Pioneers and Historians tent,
listens to Jim Beisner (center) speak
about the operation of the Curtiss OX
5 engine. The OX-5 tent is located
just west of the VAA Red Barn.

.......

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

19

Ice Creamed

BROOKS Y EILDI NG

y 1975 Cessna 180J not only

is a joy to fly and show off,
but also is my ride to work. I
am a Boeing heavy equipment
operator and often use the Skywagon to
get from my home in Spicewood , Texas , to
my base at George Bush Intercontinental
Airport (IAH ).
During June 2003 my airplane was
parked on the IAH ramp for three days while
I was flying a trip to Japan. Unfortunately,
Mother Nature chose that time to exhibit
one of her summertime displays. A
thunderstorm moved across the field and
threw out innumerable frozen dive bombs
in the form of marble-sized hail. Though
these little ice stones don't weigh much ,
their free fall from jet altitudes will leave
an undesirable impression on aircraft
aluminum. It was disheartening to have
my pride and joy pummeled in an unfair
fight, when I wasn 't there to protect it.
In my case the damage was
approximately three hundred dents, on
all upper surfaces of the aircraft. The
dents were uniform in size and varied in
depth and number with the thickness of
the skin. The control surfaces and the
wing-to-flap interface panel suffered the
most damage . The wings themselves
and the fuselage had fewer due to their
increased thickness .
Now what do you do? The prevailing
thought was that the control surfaces
could be removed and re-skinned. The
wing and fuselage dents could be filled
and then the entire aircraft repainted. My
airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic
prepared an estimate , and the insurance
company sent out an adjuster to inspect
the airplane and develop a loss figure . We
came to terms, and I received a check in
the mail for the damage.
I shrieked at the thought of having
Bondo on my airplane. Even if I had the
work expertly done as estimated , my
airplane would still never be the same .
The new paint job would make the airplane
look good out of the shop, but what about
after some thermal changes and in-flight
fle xing? There had to be a better way. I

20

NOVEMBER 2004

started asking around

Depth
to see if there were any
(inches)
alternatives other than
0.04
what my A&P and the
0.03
insurance company had
0.02
offered.
0.01
I heard that Boeing
< 0.01
had a machine that
would electrostatically
reverse the damage, but I didn't think they
would be too inclined to make it available
for my 180. I also heard that it did not
necessarily bring the dent back to perfectly
flush. How could it know? I was told that
some success could be had in the hot
Texas sun with proper application of dry
ice pellets. Once again, what guarantee
was there that the stretched aluminum
would return to its original factory shape?
After more research I came across
Aviation Dent Repair, 4901 Chestnut Street,
Springfield, Missouri , 417 / 860-3740. With
14 years' experience in "paintless " dent
repair with automobiles, Greg Lacey and
Tony Petty decided to apply their expertise
to aircraft. They began working on airplanes
in 1998. They proved their procedure to
the FAA by repairing several samples the
FAA had provided and received Repair of
Skin Deformities Specification ADRS.001
in January 2002.
Paintless dent repair primarily uses
pointed leveraging tools to work the
metal from the backside into its original
shape . Adhesive techniques can be used

Minimum
Diameter

Deformity Density
(deformities per sq ft)

3
2.25
1.5
.75
.5

7
7
8
10
unlimited

on the topside surface but they are not

as efficient or effective. Not all aircraft
are repairable. Aviation Dent Repair's
certification is for dents up to 3 inches
in diameter depending on depth and
deformations per square foot (see chart).
Beyond these limits, the alum inum
is stretched too far to be renewed.
Thousands of hail dents will most likely
lead to a total loss of the aircraft, since
re-skinning the entire airplane would be
the only option . The age and condition of
the paint will also affect the appearance
of the repaired airplane . I sent Greg
some photographs and a drawing with an
approximate dent count. He determined
that my plane was repairable under his
authorization and sent me a repair quote.
Aviation Dent Repair does have mobile
service; however, on-site services of an
A&P mechanic are required to gain internal
access to the damaged areas. I elected to
fly the airplane to Springfield (SGF) where
Aviation Dent Repair uses the excellent
facilities of Worldwide Aircraft Services.
continued on page 25

FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

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BY H.G . FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE

COMES TO US FROM THE COLLECTION OF VAA

MEMBER ANNA PENNINGTON.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than December 10
for inclusion in the February 2005 issue of Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail. Don't forget, we've got a
new e-mail address for you to use when sending in your response. Send
your answer to mysteryplane@eaa.org. Be sure to include your name plus
your city and state in the body of your note and put "(Month) Mystery
Plane" in the subject line.

AUGUST ' S
Wayne Van Valkenburgh,
Jasper, Georgia, wrote this short
note to identify our August
Mystery Plane:
The Mystery Plane shown in the
AI/gust 2004 issue o(the Vintage
Airplane is a Hess Bluebird. It was
a three-place airplane powered by
a 180-hp Hisso engine. It sold for
$2,675 flyaway at Wyandotte,
M ichigan. It was built, as you
might imagine, by the Hess Aircraft
Company, Wyandotte, Michigan.

Another correct answer was

received from Bill Koelling,
Great Bend, Kansas.
22

NOVEMBER 2004

MYSTERY

ANSWER

"I saved enough on my new

to pay for a lifetime EAA
Membership and a new GPS!"
R.G., EAA Member
New Jersey

er.

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In more ways than one, it pays to be an EM member. Take advantage of the Ford Partner Recognition
Vehicle Discount Plan. The simple way to save money on your next vehicle purchase.
Get your personal identification number (PIN) from the EAA website (www.eaa.org) by clicking on the EAA/Ford

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VINTAGE INSTRUCTOR
continued from page 8

of these pilots off with just that mini

mum required amoun t of review, the
vast majority of flight instructors, partic
ularly those who specialize in tailwheel
instruction, will be sure the student is
truly ready, even though it may require
more time-this is what you want as a
soon-to-be pilot in command .
So if you are one of those pilots that
has been longing to stretch your wings,
after time spent ground-bound as a result
of an expired medical certificate, if you
are one of those pilots eager to return to
the air, remember that those finely honed
skills you once had might not have their
sharp edge any more. I know that we
all love to use the proverbial "bicycle
analogy when it comes to flying, and in
many cases it is true, but there is also the
saying "use it or lose it," and in just as
many cases this is true as well.
So when you choose an instruc
tor to conduct your flight review, don't
expect that instructor to be content to
just log the minimum required time,
rather, be glad that the instructor yo u
have is being sure yo u h ave refreshed
the knowledge and skills you need to
safely take flight.
Pick one that will make it a little
tougher. Don't choose a calm day to con
duct your review, but wait for a windy,
gusty day. Hopefully yo u will spend a
bit more time than just th e required
two hours. Pick an instructor who will
sharpen your skills back to where they
once were, or perhaps even beyond. Pick
an instructor who will ensure that there
is no corrosion left in your ski lls. Pick
one who will use a "punch test over
every inch of the fabric covering yo ur
airmanship . It will definitely be worth
every extra minute spent in the train
ing, as well as every extra penny.
And now I can get back to the
cheering. Hooray! To those of you who
are getting back into the cockpit to
fly as pilot in command after a forced
hiatus due to an expired medical, wel
come back! We have missed you.
Doug flies a 1947 PA-12. He is
the 2004 National Certifi cated Fligh t
Instructor of the Year. Visit his web
site: www.dsflight.com.
....

The following list of coming events is

furnished to our readers as a matter of
information on ly and does not consti
tute approval, sponsorship, involvement,
control or direction of any event (fly-in,
seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. To
r :'.;,,
' ....s~~~...-.c.-. J,,,,/U_
subm it an event, send the information
". via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box
3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or e-mail the information to: vintage@eaa.org. Infor
mation should be received four months prior to the event date.
NOVEMBER 4-Madison, WI-Blackhawk Airport (87Y). EAA Chapter 93 Annual

Chili Fly-In. 11 am - 2:00 pm. Info: Jim zflier@aol. com

JULY 25-31, 200S-0shkosh, WI-EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2005, Note
date change! www.airventure.org

II

II

24

NOVEMBER 2004

Something to

buy,

sell

or trade?

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead
in on first line.
Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at
$20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts.
Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e.,
January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VM reserves the right to reject any
advertising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classified
ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be
sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using credit card payment
(all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of card, card
number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EM. Address advertising
correspondence to EM Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086
BABBITT BEARING SERVICE - rod
bearings, main bearings, bushings ,
master rods, valves, piston rings.
Call us Toll Free 1-800-233-6934,
e-mail ramremfg@aol.com Website
www.ramengine.com VINTAGE
ENGINE MACHINE WORKS, N. 604
FREYA ST., SPOKANE, WA 99202

Warner engines. Two 165s, one fresh

O.H. , one low time on Fairch ild 24
mount with all accessories. Also
Helton Lark and Aeronca C-3 project.
Find my name and address in the
Officers and Directors listing and call
evenings. E. E. "Buck" Hilbert.

Airplane T-Shirts

150 Different Airplanes Available

WE PROBABLY HAVE YOUR

AIRPLANE!
www.airplanetshirts.com
1-800-645-7739

Flying wires available. 1994 pricing.

Visit www.flyingwires.com or call
800-517 -9278.
For Sale - 1939 Spartan Executive,
3500TT, 10 SMOH. 214-354-6418.

THERE'S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT

ON THE WEB!!

www.aviation-giftshop.com
A Website with the Pilot in Mind
(and those who love airplanes)

1993 Geodesic Quonset manual,

cheap, 27 ft. x 15.5 ft., 1" x 4" wood.
Also math notes, physics, topology,
seismology, www.chalkns/ate.org

Ice Creamed continued from page 20

Upon arrival in snowy SGF, I was greeted by Bart Nelson, the shop
manager at Worldwide Aircraft Services. He helped stow the aircraft
in the heated hangar and then put Kenny Meier to work removing
all the control surfaces and inspection panels. This is required to
get access to the underside of the surfaces of the wings and the
stabilizer. Depending on the aircraft, and as in my case with the
Cessna, some rivets may have to be removed to gain access to any
dents in the trailing edges of the elevators. Simple rivet touch-up
painting is all that is required at the end of the work.
After the control surfaces were removed , Greg, his son Jason ,
Tony Petty, and Brent Martin went to work, dent by dent, returning
the Skywagon to its former glory. All aircraft are different, and each
one has its own unique internal structure. If a particular dent could
not be reached with any of the approximately 75 tools that Aviation
Dent Repair had, Greg would go back to his shop and make one.
I spent an enjoyable two days in nearby Branson, Missouri,
while the boys applied their artistry to my airplane 's al uminum.
Although the logbook shows that my airplane has had some light
hail damage that has been repaired, you wo uld never know by
looking at it. My recent paint job is intact, and nothing has been
added to the airframe. In fact, she even lost a little weight from
the side effect of having some of those pesky Texas mud dauber
nests removed from unseen areas. I th ink the airspeed indicator
showed that it's a knot faster without the dents, or perhaps it was
just wishful thinking on my part. It sure looked and felt sleeker. I
flew home with a renewed grin, even though it was the aircraft that
......
just had the face-lift.

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Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from
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~~
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VIN TAGE AIRP L ANE

25

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-'

Nov. 6-7

. ~

[
._.

EAA VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT
ASSOCIATION

Griffin, GA

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(Atlanta Area)

Electrical Systems and Avionics

Finishing and Spray Painting

Dec. 3-5

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jan.21-23

Griffin, GA

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jan. 29-30

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AND RECEIVE 12 COLORFUL AND INFORMA
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26

N OVEMBER 2004

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(Atlanta Area)

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YOU CAN BUILD IT! LET EAA TEACH YOU HOW.

Former US Navy
flight surgeon
Retired from private
neurosurgery practice
in 1988

Spent seven years restoring

Waco EGC8 cabin bi-plane
Won Grand Champion at
Coso Grande Antique
Fly-In 2000

/I

My Waco EGC8 cabin bi-plane has been

covered by AUA since its first flight./1

- William Nelson, M.D.

, AUA i~' Vintag~ Airc;ah Ass~ci~ti~n app'; oved. To become a member of VAA call 8oo84336J2.

AUA's Exclusive EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Insurance Program

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The best is affordable. Give AUA a call - it's FREE!

800-727-3823
Fly with the pros... fly with AUA Inc.
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Dennis E. Green . .. .. ..... . .. .... . ...... . . Union vill e, ON, Canada

Craig Packham . ........ ........... ....Caistor Centre, ON, Canada

Haluk Taysi . .. .... . .. . . . .. .. ....... . .. ....... . Weyhe, Germany

Martin Jones ......... . .. .... . . . ....... .. Derby, UK, Great Britain

Simon Brenchley . . ....... . .. .. . .. . . . ....... . Saikung, Hong Kong

Doug Bullmore ......... . ..... ... .. . ..... Southland, New Zealand

John B. Isbe ll ... . ...... ..... ..... . .... .. ..... . .. Fort Payne, AL

Wayne Fletcher .. . . . .. .. . . . ........ . . .. . . . ... ...... Salome, AZ

Glen E. Lipinski . ... .. .. . .. ... .. ........ ... . ....... Phoenix, AZ

James Cummiskey .. .. . . . . .... .. ..... .. .. .... Laguna Niguel, CA

Bill Dalo .. .... ............................ . ..... ... Irvine, CA

Dennis Dow .. . . . ............ ..... ............. Sacramento, CA

Nancy Ginesi ... .... . .. . ... .. . . . .... . .... .... .....Fair Oaks, CA

Donna Hase low ..... .......................... . . .. Martinez, CA

Jim Jordan ............... ...... .... . .... ... ... . ... Folsom, CA

George McDaniel ....... ... .. . . . ..... ... . . . ... Mission Viejo, CA

Arthur Wallace McDonnell . .......... ..... . . . ..... Santa Rosa, CA

Wm Mark Meiggs .. .. ........ . .. . .. . .. .... .. ....... Oakdale, CA

Donald V. Myhra ... .. ............... ......... Mission Viejo, CA

Carl- Erik Olsen ....... .. . . .... .. . .. .. . . ... .......... Orinda, CA

Alan Preston .......... . .............. ..... . Pacific Palisades, CA

Bruce Stewart ......... .. . ... ... .............. . .. Elk Grove, CA

D. Wayne Woollard ..... ... ......... . . ....... ..... Kingsburg, CA

Douglas H. Hawkins ........ ... . ..... .. . . . . ......... Denver, CO

Jay D. Jones .............. . ..... . . .. .. ........ Buena Vista, CO

Gilbert B. Wilcox .. .... .. . . .. . ..... . ... .... .. . ..... Somers, CT

Stephen Champa . .. .... .. ... .. ... . ....... ... ...... Plantation , FL

Paul C. Halstead . . . . .. . . ..... . . .. . . . ..... .. ... . Winter Haven, FL

James Kashou ............... . ........... .. .... St Augustine, FL

Howard R. Kaufman ........ . . . ... ..... . ... .... Bonita Springs, FL

Christopher Ulch ........... . . . . . .. . . ..... . . .... .. Edgewater, FL

Sidney E. Van Land ingham ... . . ....... ... .. . Howey in the Hills, FL

Robert F. Burson .. . ............ . . .. . ..... .......... Forsyth, GA

Brian D. Emmerling ... .. .......... .. .... .. .. . ...... Atlanta, GA

Dav id Huff ...... . ... . . . . . . . . . ... . . .. . . .. .. .. .. ... Atlanta, GA

Stewart K. Smith . . . .. . . .... ........ . .. . ........ McDonough, GA

Michael J. Lauro ... . ... . . ... .. .... ... . ....... ... Kailua Kona, HI

Jeremy Benson .. . . . .................. ...... ...... Davenport, IA

Rick Gleason ...... . . ...... . . . . .. .. . . .. ... ........ Indianola, IA

Shannon Gomes ......... ... .. .... . .... . ... ....... Waverly, IA

Rex D. Hansen ...... .. ...... . .. .... .. .... . ...... Cedar Falls, IA

James E. Higham .. .. .. . .... ........ . ... .. ..... Cedar Rapids, IA

Charles J. Bokman .. . . ..... . .. .... .. ................. Athol, ID

Albert G. Biliskis ... . . ............ . .... ...... . .... Villa Park, IL

Burton Bucher ....... . .................... .... . ...N Chicago, IL

Andrew J. Clark .. .. ............. . ....... ... . ... . Glen Ellyn, IL

Deanne M. Drozdz ... . .. ... . ... .. . ...... ...... .... Wheeling, IL

James H. Lyon .... ..... ......... ... .... .. ...... . .. .. Sterling, IL

David Mac Allister ...... .. .. ........... . ... .........Chicago, IL

Terri Martin ............ .. .. . ..... . ..... .... . . .. .. . . Moline, IL

Norbert J. McLuckie ...... . . . .... ..... .. .. . .. . . .. ... Coal City, IL

Kenneth W. Miles ....... . .. ..... . ..... . . . ... .... ... Marengo, IL

Corey Pelland ... . ......... .. . . .. .... .. .. .... .. ..... Gurnee,IL

Robert A. Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Hampshire, IL

Kenneth R. Rentmeester ... ... . .... . .. .... ... . .. . ... Belvidere,IL

Dana G. Tennert .. ....... ...... . .... .. . .......... Burr Ridge, IL

Dennis E. Wisnosky ...... ..... .. .. . . .. ............ Naperville, IL

Joseph P. Ferraro ...... .... .. . . . ... .. . .. . . . .... . ..... Carmel, TN

Dani el J. Hanson ..... .. ...... ..... ... ...... ...... Huntington, TN

Jack Hildreth ............. ... .. .... ... ... . . . ....... Seymour, IN

Dale K. Kovas .... ... ........ .. ...... ..... . .. . . New Carli sle, IN

David B. Ton . .. .. . . .. . ......... . ......... ... ....... Bremen, TN

Richard McClure ........ .... . ... ... .... . .... . . .. ... Basehor, KS

John F. Mcmaster . .... ........ . ...... . ............. Wichita, KS

Chuck E. Powell ....... ... ..... .. ... . .. .... . .. .. .. .. Benton, KS

Charles R. Patterson .... . . .... .............. .. Shepherdsville, KY

Larry D. Kelley .. . ............. .. .... .. . .. . .. ..... Barstow, MD

Larry W. Bell. . .. . . .. . . . . . . ...... . .. ... . . .. . ...... Escanaba, MI

Lesllie Brown . ......... . ..... .... ........ . . .. .. ... Norway, MI

David R. Galati ................ . .. .. . ... . . . .. .. . . Dowagiac, MI

28

NOVEMBER 2004

Nathaniel Perlman . .... ..... ....... .. .. ......... .. Kingsford, MI

Clinton R. Ray ... .. .. ..... .. ... ... . . ... .. . .... . .. Brighton, MI

Walter J. Reinbold . . ...... .. . ........ .. . ........ .... Saginaw, MI

Al Todd .. . ........... . . . .... . .. . .. . .... .. ..... Stevensville, MI

Michael Woodley .. .. ... . ................ . ....... Port Huron , MI

Jack Wyman ............. . .. .. . . ... .... . . .. .... Manchester, MI

Randall C. Aarestad . ... .. . ......... ... .. . ... ....... Halstad, MN

Suzanne Fedoruk ....... ... .. .. .. ... .. . ... .. .... Minneapolis, MN

Craig Johnson ........... ...... . . ...... .. . . .... Maplewood, MN

John Ritzen ........ ... . . ... . ... .... .... .. .... . Eden Prairie, MN

Michael G. Thern .. .. ... . ... . . .... . . ............... Winona, MN

Alan C. Thiel. ......... .... .. . ... ........ . ..... Minneapolis, MN

Ri chard E. Case........ .. .... ... ........ . ......... Kearney, MO

Milo M. Farnham .. .. ... . .... . . .. .. . .. ... . .. .. Independence, MO

Richard S. Miller. . . .... ....... .. . . .... ......... Grain Valley, MO

Kem Wesley Wallace ... . .. . ... .... . . . ... . ........... Ozark, MO

Cantrell Wilson ..... ... . ..... .. ......... . ....... Yazoo City, MS

Jeffrey Deaton ............ . ... .. ......... ... . Morehead City, NC

Thomas Gahagan .. . ..................... .... . .. Hot Springs, NC

Bernie M. Ness ......... . .. . . .. . ..... .. .......... ... Fargo, ND

Jerry J. Adams . ....... . .. ....... .. .............. . .... Blai r, NE

Robert J. Hirschfield ....... . . . . ......... . . . . .... ... Meredith, NH

Joseph Tesauro . ........ .... ......... . . . . .. . ...... Pittstown, NJ

Michael J. Hoke ... . .... . .... ... . . . . . .. . .. . .. . ....... Reno, NV

Daniel Nezgoda ........ . .... . ...... . .. .. .. ..... .. Las Vegas, NV

Brian Blazey . . . .. . ....... ... . ... .... ... ..... ... . .. Palmyra, NY

Guy Matthews ... . .... .... ............. . ........... Fairpot, NY

Gary Pasco ........... ...... .......... ... ....... Brockport, NY

Robert C. Sterling ........ . .. .. .... . ............. Champlain, NY

Henry N. Talmage .... . . ...... . . . . ...... ...... Baiting Hollow, NY

Raymond L. Wallman ... ...... . . ... ... . .. . ..... Ronkonkoma, NY

Richard H. Ward ....... . .... . ........ . . .... Chenango Forks, NY

Benjamin Bagna ll ....... .. . . .. . ... .. ... . .. ...... Portsmouth , OH

John J. Black . ....... .. . ........ . ...... . ..... . . . Springboro, OH

James L. Calvin ......... . .. .. .... .. . ... . .. .. ... .. Hicksville, OH

Douglas J. Cartledge .... .. ..... . ....... .. ......... ... Seville, OH

Ronald A. Schmitt. ..... . . .. . .......... . . .. .... .. . Brookville, OH

Walt Wyvill .......... . ... .. ...... . .... . . .. . . .. ... Amherst, OH

Joseph C. Brevetti ..... . ........................... Edmond, OK

Robert Crai g ... .. .. .. . .... ..... . ... ........ ....... Arcadia, OK

Michael L. Jacobs ..... .... ......... . .. .. ...... .. ... .. . .Jay, OK

Allen K. Harstine .. .. .. . . .. . . . ... .. . . ... . . .... .. Clackamas, OR

Glenn E. Allen .. . . ... .......... . ...... .. ..... . .... Avondale, PA

Phillip Kriley . . . . . ... . . . ..... .. .. . . . .... ........... fenfrew, PA

Paul J. Patterson . ... .............. .. . . .... . .. . ... Pittsburgh, PA

Don Robbins .. ....... ... . .. .... .. .... . .... . .... Charlestown, RJ

W. Edward King ...... . .... . .... .... .. ... .. ..... . . Anderson, SC

James Baxter .... . .... . .... .. ... .. . ...... . . ... ..... . Selmer, TN

Kerry Brasher .. .......... . .... . ..... ... ......... Scotts Hill, TN

J. A. Rollow ........... .. . .... . ... .. . ... . . . ....... Clinton, TN

Ronald G. Carson ... ....... .... . .. . .. ..... . .. .. San Antonio, TX

Larry Kelley ........ . ............... . .. . . . ......... Winnie, TX

Richard Nelson ...... . . . ............... . ... . .... . .... Plano, TX

Philip Perez ............ .. .. ... . . .... .... . . .. . .. . Fort Worth, TX

Charles B. Roberts .............................. Richardson, TX

Arnold Vasenden .......... .. . .. .. . .. . . ... .... . .. Midlothian, TX

Raymond A. King . ............. . ..... . .. .. .. West Valley City, UT

Alan M. Legas................. .. ... . .... . .... ... Midlothian, VA

Mark Bailey ....... . .... . . . .... .... . .. .... . ......... Kent, WA

Neil A. Logerwell . .................. .. . . . ... ........ Kent, WA

Rod Magner ............ .. ..... . ... .. ........... Eastsound, WA

John T. O' Keefe ... . ..... ..... .. ... .. .... ... ... . . Winthrop, WA

Brian R. Ernst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Park Falls, WI

Lindsey Luker ..... .. .............. . ... . .......... Oshkosh, WI

Wayne Poppy ..... .. ... .. . . ............. . ..... New London, WI

David Stamsta .. . ........ ....... . .... .... .. . . .... Waunakee, WI

William E. Steinbrenner .. . ........ . ...... . . ..... Fond du Lac, WI

Robert J. Triplett .... . .... . ... . ... .. . .............. Cameron, WI

Don Rathe . . . . . .
. ........ .. ... . .. .. . . ... . Rock Springs, WY

.,...

VINTAGE

Membershi~ Services
AIRCRAFT

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

ASSOCIATION
THE EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President
Geoff Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
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260-493-4724

Vice President
George Daubner
2448 Lough Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-673-5885

cilie{702S@aol.com

vaa{1yboy@msn.com

Secre tary

Treasure r

Cha rles W. Harris

72 15 East 46th 51.

Tulsa, OK 74147

918-622-8400

cwh@hvsll.com

Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, M N 56007
507-373-1674

stnes@desk'l1edia.com

DIRECTORS
Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-653-7557

Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hills Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
3 17-293-4 430

sst JO@comcast.net

dalefaye@mslJ.com

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P.O. Box Jl88
Roseville, CA 95678
916-645-8370

Jea nnie Hill

P.O. Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033-0328
81 S-943-7205

Phone (920) 426-4800

EAA and Division Membership Services
800-843-3612 ...... . . FAX 920-426-6761
Monday-Friday CST)
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
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sions (Vintage Aircraft Associati on, lAC,
Warbirds), National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI)
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Programs and Activities

EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
.... . .................. . 732-885-6711
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EAA Air Academy

EAA Scholarships

dingilao@owc. net
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704 N. Regional Rd.
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336-668-3650

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93 45 S. Hoyne
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773-779-2105

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1002 Heather Ln .
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pllOtopilot@aol.com

sskrog@aol.com

EAA

Dave Cla rk
635 Vestal Lane
Plainfield, IN 461 68
317-839-4500

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley

1265 South 124th St.
Brookfi eld, WI 53005
262-782-2633

da vecpd@;q lles t.llel

illmper@execpc.com

john S. Copeland
lA Deaco n Street
Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4775

Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
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8 17-49 1-9110

copeland l @jIUlo.com

gellemorris@evJ.llet

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft

Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Fam ily
m embership is an additional $10 annually.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is available at $23 annually. All major credit
cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for
Foreign Postage.)

Phil Coulson
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dur@aprilaire.com

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8891 Airport Rd, Box C2
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EMERITUS

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P.O. Box 424
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GRCHA @cilarter.I1et

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rcou/son516@(s .com

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

ontiquer@;tlreach.(om

willcisock@aoi.com

Directory

Flight Advisors information ..

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Benefits
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MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

EAA SPORT PILOT

Current EAA members may add EAA
SPORT PILOT magazine for an additional
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EAA Membership and EAA SPORT
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cluded). (Add $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Current EAA members may join the
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an ad
dition al $36 per year.
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE
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per year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine not in
cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.)

lAC

Curre nt EAA m embe rs m ay join the

International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi
sio n a nd receive SPORT AEROBATICS
m agazine for an additional $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBAT
ICS magaZine and o ne year membership
in the lAC Division is available for $55
per year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine
not included). (Add $15 for Fore ig n
Postage.)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join the EAA
Warbirds of America Division and receive
WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $40
per year.
EAA Membership, WARBIRDS maga
zine and one year membership in the
Warbirds Division is available for $50 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded). (A dd $7 for Foreign Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a
check or draft drawn on a United States
bank payable in United States dollars. Add
required Foreign Postage amount for each
membership.

rFritz @pathwayt1et.com

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyright 2004 by the EM Vintage Aircratt Association
All rights reserved.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IPM 40032445 is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircratt Association of the EXperimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Aviation
Center. 3000 Poberezny Rd .. P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM
Vintage Aircratt Association, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086. Return Canadian issues to Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months
for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircratt Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite
constructive criticism and w~ome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.
EDITORIAL POLICY: Readers are encouraged to subm~ stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely w~h
the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPlANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920/426-4800.
EM and SPORT AViATION. the EM Logo and Aeronautica' are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the EXperimental Aircratt Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service
marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircratt Association. Inc. is strictly prohib~ed.
The EM AVIATION FOUNDATION Logo is a trademark of the EM Aviation Foundation. Inc. The use of this trademark without the permissioo of the EM Aviation Foundation, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

Brass Logo Caps

a distinctive VAA look, these caps will
stand out in the crowd. The VAA logo is dis
played beautifully in brass on your favorite
color. Also available in a two tone cap.
Navy ................ V03530
$14.99

Stone .............. V03521

$14.99

Forest Green .......... V03526 $14.99

Burgundy ........... V03528

$14.99

Khaki with Navy bill ..... V03524

$14.99

VAA Tote Bag

This roomy red tote is the best
bag you ' ll find to carry just about
anything. From grocery shopping to a
day at the beach this tote will carry
all the necessities.
Red .......... VOO100

Denim Jacket
This is the most unique denim jacket
you'll find with embossed planes and
logo on the back. You 'll never get tired
of this casual classic that is a "must
have " for all your fun fall activities.
Small ............VOO508
$57.99
Medium...........VOO241
$57.99
Extra Large ........VOO243
$57.99
2X VOO244
$57.99

VAA Logo Blankets

During these cool fall / winter days, wrap yourself in
a sweatshirt-soft blanket that sports our VAA logo.
Take it to the football game, lounge at home with
a good book or bring it with you in the plane for a
little warmth .
Hunter Green................ V02213
$27.95

Gold ...................... V00933

$27.95

$27.95

................. V02214

ORDER NOW!

1-800-843-3612

us
from
and Canada

All others 920-426-5912

or http://shop.eaa.org

"Flyer" Youth T-Shirt

Lime green t-shirt sketches
a Wright Flyer with raised
ink accents. A fun aviation
shirt for children.
Please state size.
Size 6/8 or 10/12 V02844
$14.99

Whimsical Blue Youth T-Shirt

This royal blue children's t-shirt de
picts a colorful biplane drawing with
youthful excitement. 100% cotton.
Size 214 ....... V03561
$14.99
Size 6/8 ....... V03562
$14.99
Size 10/12 ..... V03563
$14.99

Choose one or more of these ador

able teddy bears wearing a VAA
logo t-shirt to keep you company
Approximately 8 " in length.
White . ........ V03499 $11.95
Tan . .......... V03498 $11.95
Black ......... V03497
$11.95

Biplane Pins
Accent any outfit with one or more of these
stylish biplane pins. Available in silver or
gold tone. Has a 1 inch wing span.
Silver .. ....... V02844
$11.99
Gold .......... V02845
$11.99

Elite Light

Travel Mug
Copper and black
create a striking mug
for "on the go" flyers.
A real class act for
enjoying your favorite refreshment .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . V03496
$9.99

Multi-Tool with Flashlight

Fits in your pocket for any quick maintenance job
that happens on the go. You'll wonder how you got
along without it. Approx size folder is 2
inches.
..................... V03517

This programmable companion

emits a high efficiency solid state
beam. A switch activates soft
illumination that is visible over
one mile. 2 5/8 inch in length it
easily clips to any strap.
Red (wired light) .. . V03558 $17.95
Blue (w/blue light) ..V03549 $17.95

VAA Logo Pillows

These are th
pillows you will ever find sporting our VAA logo. A great accent to any room! 18x18"
Grey . ..... V01027 ~
Forest Green . ..... V01029 ~
Light Blue . ..... V01028 jJ.9.99"

Reminiscing continued from page 4

The economy 12. Note the Curtis-Reed prop and the long motor mount.

tors and good friend of Benny's was

Mr. Dan Peterkin Jr., president and
then chairman of the board of Mor
ton Salt. Dan bought one of the
early 8s and it was fancy-special
paint, a flocked instrument panel,
etc., the works. We later used this
same airplane to develop the 11.
Howard Aircraft was slow getting
off the ground and we made some
marketing mistakes.
We built a bunch of airplanes that
many people are not aware of. The
15P was the most popular and the
one we built the most. We also built
a 15 with a 330 Jake. We built the
8, 9, 11, 12, and 15 as civilian air
planes. The 12 was a Jake-powered
ll-we built two of them. We built
an economy 9 with a 225 Jake and
a Curtiss-Reed prop. We were trying
to keep the price down and be com
petitive with Beech and Waco and I
believe that was our mistake.
The Howard had a reputation
as being a super performance air
plane-which they were with the
Wright or the Wasp. When these
economy models hit the market,
32

NOVEMBER 2004

they changed our image . Those 300

jakes almost put us out of business
by reputation. The engines were
junk. We had problems with them
even in test.
The airplanes that sold were the
Wasp 11 and 15 and they were the
most expensive. Every time we
built an economy model we were
eating up Benny's precious money
with an airplane that would not
sell. As a result, we had more fac
tory demonstrators than Beech.
Mistake number two was that
we didn't put fancy paint jobs on
some of the economy jobs and this
hurt because we had the reputa
tion of having the best finish in
the industry. But all that changed
with the IS-when we went 100
percent Wasp, deluxe finish inside
and out and a wide gear.
The first 8, or "Flannigan," had
a typical Howard gear-high and
narrow. This was a throw-back
from the racers . If you are an old
test pilot, you will understand the
reasoning behind this type of gear,
that is, to be able to rotate the

wing to the max angle of attack for

short takeoffs and landings. Flaps
were new to most pilots and the
Howard flaps were drag flaps (even
though the Fowler flap was around
then). When Walter Brownell
came on as chief engineer, the first
thing he did was to lower the gear
and add steering to the tail wheel.
He also designed a new set of flip
pers for better control and lighter
feel. This was soon followed by
even lower and wider gear and still
later the 15 had completely new
gear. The biggest mistake-and the
most frequent-in flying a How
ard is trying to do wheel land
ings-whoops! The landing gear
was designed and built with a set
of taxi springs and an oleo shock
strut .. . the shock strut for land
ing and the springs for taxiing. So
when you put it on the springs for
landing, you just set up a booby
trap that might just bite you! Land
them 3-point and you won't have
any problem-crosswind, up wind,
downwind, or no wind.
Continued Next Month. .......