GEOFF ROBISON

PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATON

Clearing the cobwebs, and other

springtime projects
Spring has definitely sprung here in
the Midwest now, and many of you
have been busy with the spring rit
ual of operating your personal flying
machines all over this great country.
Along with the milder temperatures
that spring brings to my region is the
real pleasure of actually being able to
open the hangar door and enjoy the
fresh air and mild breezes without the
burden of utility bills dampening my
spirit and desire to be there working on
my personal flying machines. I hope
that everybody took my earlier sugges
tion and cleaned out the "cobwebs"
that will naturally collect not only on
our personal flying skills, but also on
our aircraft.
Most troubling to me has been
the seemingly increasing number of
incursions within areas of restricted
airspace. Most prominent of course
are the various tales of general avia
tion aircraft being escorted out of the
Washington air defense identification
zone by military fighter aircraft. I re
ally thought that when this particular
area of restricted airspace was modi
fied last year it would automatically
add up to be less violations, but this
does not seem to have been the case.
Now, I could be wrong about this,
since I have not undertaken any serious
study of these types of events, but what
I am again implying here is that these
events seem to become more promi
nent with the beginning of each flying
season. Is this a lack of flight prepara
tion, or is it more about just being care
less pilots? I suppose both components
are a part of the real problem, but one
thing I am certain about here is what
the results of these unfortunate events

could be. We all need to sharpen our

pencils before we even think about
engaging that engine starter. We sim
ply need to be on our best game for
all four quarters. The real fear for me
has always been that if we prove our
selves unable to properly police our
selves, then the result will certainly be
all of us experiencing more serious im-

Is this a

lack of fl ight

preparation ...

pacts upon our freedoms of flight by

even more restrictive regulatory rules
than we have today. I know none of us
would like to watch such an event un
fold right before our eyes, but I would
be personally quite disappointed in my
performance if my inappropriate ac
tions were the cause of more restrictive
regulations on recreational aviation.
Doug Stewart's column each month is
a great reminder to continually brush
up on our flying skills. We all need to
be sharp at all times when we climb in
our aircraft for a cross-country trip or
just a short half-hour flight around the
area. Stay the course!
By the time you read this column,
your Vintage Aircraft Association
board of directors will have met in
Oshkosh on the last Friday in April.
Along with the many routine agenda
items, we will report on a small ex
pansion of our headquarters building
on the AirVenture grounds at EAA.
This expansion will see an extension

of the sales area of the Red Barn head

quarters, along with a covered patio
area for our valued volunteer staff to
take a break from their daily routine .
This construction project is being
overseen by VAA Director Bob Lum
ley, in cooperation with our Volun
teer Maintenance Committee headed
by VAA Director Emeritus Bob Brauer.
This project should prove to be of real
value to our Red Barn sales area, and
I'm sure it will also be greatly appreci
ated by our Vintage volunteers.
Just as this issue was being final
ized, we learned of the passing of
Steve Pitcairn. Steve's generosity and
tireless work to ensure the legacy of
his father's rich aviation heritage
will be remembered for generations.
Our condolences to Steve's wife of
55 years, Jocelyn, and to his many
friends . For more on Steve's pass
ing, please read the obituary written
by H.G. Frautschy, with help from
Steve's good friend for many years ,
John Turgyan.
Please do us all the favor of invit
ing a friend to join the VAA, and help
keep us the strong association we have
all enjoyed for so many years now.
EM AirVenture Oshkosh 2008, the
World's Greatest Aviation Celebration,
isJuly 28 through August 3,2008.
VAA is about participation : Be a
member! Be a volunteer! Be there!
Let's all pull in the same direction
for the good of aviation. Remember,
we are better togeth e r. Join us and
have it all.

A~

N E

VOL. 36, NO. 5

2008

MAY

CONTENTS
I Fe

Straight & Level

Clearing the cobwebs, and other springtime projects
by Geoff Robison

News

Hints for Restorers

Handy tidbits from homebuilders and restorers

Shuttleworth's Edwardians

The European pioneer era takes flight

by H.G. Frautschy and David Macready

10

One Jenny's Journey

Ninety years through time and place

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

18

The Sorge Stearman Speedmail Special

The Stearman what?

by Budd Davisson

25

Light Plane Heritage

The ugly duckling from Missouri

by Bob Whittier

30

The Vintage Instructor

Runway incursions

by Doug Stewart

32

Mystery Plane

by H.G. Frautschy

34

First Funk
A glimpse of the first powered aircraft
built by the Funk brothers
by H.G . Frautschy

36

Calendar

39

Classified Ads

COVERS
FRONT COVER The Sorge Stearman Speedmail Special is actually a heavily customized PT17
Stearman. With its beefy looks and growling 450-hp Pratt & Whi tney, it strikes an imposing pos
ture when on the flightline or in the pattern. EM photo by Bonnie Kratz.
BACK COVER: David Macready captured the Avro Triplane replica built for the 1965 movie Those
Magnificent Men in Their Rying Machines. Flown in the movie by the boorish Sir Percy Ware
Armitage (played by Terry Thomas), it proved to be an aeroplane with reasonably good flying
capabilities , so much so that it's ftown on a regular basis as part of the flying section of the
Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome in the United Kingdom. For more information,
visit their website at www.shuttleworth .org.

STAFF

EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Director/Editor
EAA Art Director
Executive Assistant
News Editor
Photography
Advertising Coordinator
Classified Ad Coordinator
Copy Editor
Director of Advertising

Tom Poberezny
David Hipschman
H.G. Frautschy
Olivia P. Trabbold
Jillian Rooker

Ric Reynolds

Jim Koepnick

Bonnie Kratz

Sue Anderson

Daphene VanHullum

Colleen Walsh

Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representatives:

Northeast and Southeast: Chester Baumga rtner
Phone 727-532-4640, FAX 7275324630, email: cballmlll @mi,ulspring.com
Central: Gary Worden
Phone 800-444-9932, FAX 8167416458, email: gary.lVordeu@Spcmag.com
Mount ain I'< Pacifi c: John Gibson
Phone 916-7849593, email : ;ollllgibsoll@Spcmag.coIII
Europe: Willi Tacke
Phone +49896934021 3, FAX +4989693402 14, email: willi@flyillg-pages.com

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

EAA AirVenture to Feature

'Affordable Flying Center'
EAA has always been about find
ing a better way to do things through
pooling and sharing knowledge and
information. That's the idea behind
the Affordable Flying Center, a new
attraction to debut at EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2008.
liThe EAA Affordable Flying Center
will focus on ways EAA members can
achieve and maintain their dream of
flight, even on a limited budget, " said
EAA's Ron Wagner, who is leading the
effort to organize the center. "EAAers
have lots of creative ways to get the most
for their aviation dollar, and the idea is
to collect those ideas and make them
available to share with each other."
Located in the former NASA build
ing (north of the old control tower,
adjacent to the Honda Forums Plaza),
the Affordable Flying Center will fea
ture a mini forum area, indoor dis
plays , and examples of standard
category aircraft like the Taylorcraft
and Piper Colt/Tri-Pacer that may
provide an economical pathway to
flight. EAA's aviation experts and vol
unteers will be on hand to answer
questions and provide information to
those seeking a less expensive way to
pursue their aviation passion.
Some of the subjects they'll be
ready to discuss include;
Partnerships and flying clubs.
Owner-maintenance
opportunities.
Plans-building, where the build
er's time and sweat equity substitute for
money to create one of the most cost
effective ways to own a low-cost aircraft.
Sport pilot/light-sport aircraft
and how this growing category can
help enthusiasts pursue their passion
for flight for less cost.
Wagner is asking for EAA members
who would like to share their story
about innovative ways to affordably
own, build, buy, maintain, or fly an
aircraft. He's also looking for aircraft
to display outside the Affordable Fly
ing Center. If you have something to
2

MAY 2008

contribute or an aircraft to display,

contact Wagner at rwagner@eaa.org.

EAA AirVenture Airline Discounts

Midwest and Northwest Airlines
offer special airfare discounts for EAA
members and others attending EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh. The discounted
fares are available courtesy of the air
lines and are subject to restrictions.
To learn about the discounts, visit
www.AirVenture.org/20081f/ying/airline_
discounts.html.

fies the spirit of research, development,

or flight-testing in the flight-testing
field. The award was first presented in
1997 by the Society of Experimental
Test Pilots and Scaled Composites.
Candidates should have flight-test
experience, and should have shared
their knowledge and experience with
fellow EAA members through presen
t.ations, written articles, or as an EAA
Flight Advisor. The award will be pre
sented at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2008. To request a nomination form,
contact the EAA Safety Programs of
fice at safetyprograms@EAA.org or call,
toll-free, 888-322-4636, ext. 6864. The
nomination deadline is June I, 2008.

Hints for Homebuilders

Videos a Hit

Get pumped for AirVenture by

watching EAA's Oshkosh: Th e Spirit
of Aviation, now available on DVD!
Narrated by Harrison Ford, The Spirit
ofAviation presents an insider's view
at the people and airplanes that
gather annually in Oshkosh to enjoy
The World's Greatest Aviation Cel
ebration. The DVD includes the 17
minute 30-second video that's been
viewed thousands of times via the
AirVenture website, along with 30
additional minutes of bonus mate
rial composed of special feature vid
eos, AirVenture flashbacks, and daily
news reports from 2007. Price for the
DVD is $14.99. Order from the EAA
Aeronautica online store or call, toll
free, 800-564-6322.

EAA's new online Hints for Home

builders videos are garnering rave
reviews from EAAers. This series of
short videos was developed by EAA
staff and member volunteers to illus
trate handy tips, tricks, and alterna
tive methods for the various methods
of aircraft construction, including
composite, tube and fabric , sheet
metal, and wood.
"EAA has always been about shar
ing knowledge among members, and
these new video tips are just another
way of doing that, taking advantage
of the opportunities the Internet pro
vides," said Charlie Becker, director of
EAA's member programs. "We're plan
ning to develop an entire catalog that
will be valuable to EAA members."
A new video "hint" is added each
week and highlighted in e-Hotlin e.
We're also asking members to suggest
tips for the series. To submit ideas, e
mail info@EAA.org and please put
"Hints" in the subject line. Meanwhile,
visit www.EAA.org/video/homebuilders.
html to view the videos.

Nominations Sought for 2008

Spirit of Flight Award

EAA Critical of FAA's

ADS-B Proposal

EAA is seeking nominations for the

2008 Spirit of Flight Award, which hon
ors an EAA member who best exempli

EAA recently submitted comments

that were highly critical of the FAA's

Oshkosh: The Spirit of Aviation

Now Available on DVD

continued on page 4

Stephen Pitcairn
(19242008)

Tom Poberezny and Stephen Pitcairn

Stephen Pitcairn, EM 109260, VM

4080, passed away Saturday, March 29,
at the age of 83.
Steve was the son of Harold Pitcairn,
the founder of Pitcairn Aircraft and the
original license holder to build auto
giro aircraft based on the designs of
inventor Juan de la Cierva. A subsid
iary, Pitcairn Airways, was the founding
company for what later became Eastern
Air Lines.
Building upon the Pitcairn legacy,
Steve Pitcairn was a successful business
man in his own right and an aviation
enthusiast in the broadest sense. As his
resources allowed, he began to collect
and have restored many of the aircraft
built by his father's company. An active
participant in both the research and
restoration of his aircraft, he worked
tirelessly to ensure that the contribu
tions of his family to aviation history
would not fade from existence. The first
to be restored was a PA-S Mailwing.
Three of the aircraft built by his fa
ther's company, a Pitcairn PCA-2 Auto
giro called Miss Champion, a PA-7S Sport
Mailwing, and a PA-39 Autogiro built
for the Royal Air Force, are now part
of the EAA collection. The Mailwing,
NC9SW, is a movie celebrity, having
been used in a number of Hollywood
movies, including Blaze ofNoon starring
William Bendix and Claudette Colbert.

The PCA-2 is one of only two remain

ing examples of this unique aviation
artifact. Formerly owned by the Cham
pion Spark Plug Company, and used
for promotional purposes, it was later
placed on display in Chicago's Museum
of Science and Industry. From there it
went to a small museum and then a
storage area in Vermont, where it was
discovered by Stephen Pitcairn and re
stored with the help of George Town
son, one of the pioneers of the autogiro
era. When Pitcairn flew it to EM Osh
kosh 1986, it was the hit of the event.
Steve Pitcairn was an active contrib
utor to the EAA Aviation Foundation,
on which he served as a director, and
he continued to be an important and
valued advisor and contributor to EM's
programs. His generous underwriting
of the construction of the Pitcairn Avia
tion hangar at EAA's Pioneer Airport,
which was dedicated in 1993, will long
serve as a reminder of the legacY,of the
Pitcairn family, and of the generous
spirit of Stephen Pitcairn.
After a childhood illness prevented
him from serving in the military, Steve

flew patrols for the Civil Air Patrol dur

ing World War II. Later, he built time
in his Pitcairn Mailwing so he'd have
enough high-powered experience to
apply to the airlines. Flying as a DC-3
copilot for Eastern Air Lines, he'd some
times fly by the family home in Bryn
Athyn so he could wave to his mom.
After graduating from the University
of Pittsburgh (he used to commute to
school with a Bellanca Cruisair), he
worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass, and
he married his hometown sweetheart,
Jocelyn. He was a generous supporter of
his local community and church.
"Steve was a dedicated aviation his
torian, and he exhibited a quiet passion
for aviation," said EAA President Tom
Poberezny. "He enjoyed sharing his
passion with his fellow EAA members
through his activities and when demon
strating the Pitcairn aircraft he brought
to our convention. His contributions to
aviation history and his willingness to
share his expertise will be missed."
Thanks to Mike Posey, Steve's me
chanic for many years, for his contribu
tions to this remembrance of Steve.

VAA's 2008 Friends of the Red Bam Campaign

First and foremost, our thanks to each of
you who has already made your contribution
for this year's VAA Friends of the Red Barn
campaign! The Vintage Aircraft Association
has , by necessity, elected to underwrite a
portion of its yearlong activities with funds
other than members' dues . The proceeds
from this fund pay for all sorts of volunteer
activities and improvements to the VAA area, as well as supporting VAA advo
cacy efforts and educational endeavors. Your annual contribution made in the
first half of 2008 will directly benefit this year's AirVenture activities and VAA pro
grams throughout the year.
By now most of you will have received your mailing regarding our annual fund
raising campaign, and we ask that you consider actively partiCipating in the
2008 VAA Friends of the Red Barn campaign . Your donation may be tax-deductible
to the extent allowed by law, and you can enhance your participation if you work
for a matChing-gift company. You can do so by filling out, and then sending in the
form included in the mailing that arrived in your mailbox; or by donating online at
www.VintageAircraft.org/ programs/ redbarn.html. If you desire more information
concerning the VAA's Friends of the Red Barn campaign, feel free to give us a
call at 920-426-6110 . We'd be happy to speak with you!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Upcoming Major Fly-Ins

Golden West Regional Fly-In

Yuba County Airport (MYV),

Marysville, California

June 6-8, 2008

www.GoldenWestFlyln.org

Virginia Regional Fly-In

Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ),

Suffolk, Virginia

June 14-1 5, 2008

www. VAEAA.org
Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In

Front Range Airport (FTG),

Watkins, Colorado

June 27-29, 2008

www.RMRFI.org
Arlington Northwest Fly-In

Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO),

Arlington, Washington

July 9-13, 2008

www.NWEAA.org
EM AirVenture Oshkosh

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH),

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

July 28-August 3, 2008

www.AirVenture.org
Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD),
Mansfield, Ohio

TBD
www.MERFI.info

Southeast Regional Fly-In

Middleton Field Airport (GZH),

Evergreen, Alabama

TBD

www. SERFJ.org

Copperstate Regional Fly-In

Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ),
Casa Grande, Arizona
October 23-26, 2008
www.Copperstate.org
U.S. Sport Aviation Expo

Sebring Regional Airport (SEF),

Sebring, Florida

January 22-25, 2009

www.Sport-Aviation-Expo.com
Aero Friedrichshafen

Messe Friedrichshafen (EDNY),

Friedrichshafen, Germany

April 2-5, 2009

www.Aero-Friedrichshafen.comlhtmllen
Sun 'n Fun Fly-In
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL),
Lakeland , Florida
April 21-26, 2009
www.Sun-N-Fun.org
For details on EAA chapter fly-ins and
other local aviation events, visit
www.EAA.org/calendar.

MAY 2008

AirVenture Large-Fonnation Arrivals Scheduled

One annual AirVenture highlight actually occurs before opening day as large
groups of similar aircraft arrive at Wittman Regional Airport in rapid succession
and camp together in the North 40. Watching these group arrivals is one of
many attractions for visitors who come early to AirVenture .
The FAA pre-authorizes these formation arrival groups based on proven abil
ity to increase overall landing efficiency and safety. Good planning and training
are required, allowing these aircraft groups to arrive together in much less time
than would be needed for separate approaches and landings. The groups stage
at other airports so they can arrive in Oshkosh on a predetermined schedule.
Some group arrivals require a pause in the normal flow of aircraft on the Ripon
Fisk VFR arrival, but those holding times are generally brief.
For EAA AirVenture 2008, six groups of aircraft have received the required FAA
approval. Groups of Bonanzas (B20sh), Cessnas (C20), and Mooneys (Mooney Car
avan) are scheduled to arrive at Oshkosh on Saturday afternoon, July 26. A group of
Comanches is planning a late-morning arrival on Sunday, followed by Van 's RVs in
the early afternoon and the AirVenture Cup racers in the late afternoon.
Large-formation arrival groups do not have reserved camping spaces in the
North 40. They camp together because they arrive together. If you want to camp
with one of these groups, you need to register with the group organizer and par
ticipate in its arrival. If you would like to form your own group, now is the time
to start planning for AirVenture 2009. Groups must have at least 30 aircraft, a
safety officer, a training officer, a practice plan, and a written Letter of Agree
ment from the FAA. Call EAA Aviation Services at 888-322-4636 or e-mail info@
eaa.org for the proper FAA contacts.
plan to i mplem ent autom atic depen
dent surveillan ce-broa dcast (AD S-B)
as the central compon ent of the n ext
gen eration (n ext-gen ) air tra ffic con
t rol system.
" Most of the b en efits cited i n the
NPRM (notice of prop osed rul emak
i ng) either do n o t apply t o gen eral
avi ati on at all or ar e d eri ved f rom
technologi es already bein g embraced
and fi elded b y gen er al avi ati on p i
lot s an d aircraft own ers on their own,
su ch as GPS and mOVing-map tech
nol ogies/' wrote D oug Macn air, EAA

v i ce pr esid ent of go v ernment r el a

tions. " FAA did not consult with the
general av iation indu stry in devel
oping this implementation proposal,
and it shows. II
According to the NPRM, all aircraft
operating in Cla ss A, B, and C air
space, plus in airspace above 10,000
f eet MSL, would b e r equired to in
stall ADS-B datalink equipm ent, or
ADS-B Out, by 2020. This ex pensive
equipment would transmit ai rcraft
identification i nformati on as w ell as
continued on page 38

HINTS FOR RESTORERS

Handy tidbits from homebuilders and restorers

An Important Safety Tip

Flammable fluid lines leading to
cockpit gauges should have restric
tions incorporated into the lines
so that line failure will not permit
large quantities of the fluid to be
dumped into the engine compart
ment or the cockpit. These restric
tions should be installed as near the
source of pressure as pOSSible, and
the orifice should not be larger than
about .040 inches.
This may seem a little elementary to
the old pros, but we have a few mem
bers who may not know that ... cylinder
nuts or studs should not be used for
mounting baffles, braces, etc. unless
the piece being secured is made of the
same material as the washers employed
by the engine manufacturer. Other ma
terials may cause cylinder failures due
to the loosening of studs because of the
baffle mounting material squeezing out
from under the nut. In short, don't put
an aluminum bracket under a cylinder
hold-down nut.
A.D. McLarty

Jacksonville, Florida

Propeller
Precautions
Many persons have
been fatally injured by
walking into whirling pro
pellers. Painting a warning
strip on the propeller serves
to reduce the chances of such
injuries. Approximately 4 inches of
the propeller tips should be covered
on both sides with an orange-yellow
non-reflecting paint or lacquer. The
drain holes in the metal tipping of

wood blades should be opened up

after the tips have been painted .
Wood propellers are especially
susceptib le to damage from im
proper handling. When moving an
airplane, special care should be ex
ercised to avoid bumping the pro
peller. The practice of pushing or
pulling on a propeller blade to move
an airplane should be avoided; it is
extremely easy to impose forces on
a blade in excess of those for which
the blade is designed. It is continu
ally necessary to ascertain that the
glue joints are in good condition and
that the finish on the entire propel
ler will protect the propeller from
absorbing moisture. Two-bladed
wood propellers should always be
left or stored, whether on or off an
airplane, in a horizontal position to
prevent unbalance from moisture
absorption. A good precaution is to
cover the propeller with a well-fitting
waterproof cover when not in use.
It is very important to protect the
shank section of wood blades from
moisture changes to prevent swell
ing and subsequent loosening in
the metal sleeve. In the case of var
nished blades, it is advisable to oc
casionally apply varnish around the
shank at the junction of wood and
metal. In the case of the plastic-cov
ered blade, repair cement may be
applied around the same joint.
In certain cases where the blade
has been man u factured from lami
nated planks of composition mate
rial, longitudina l cracks or splitting
between laminations have been ob
served after several hundred hours
of operation. These cracks dare not
progress beyond definite limits as
covered by the manufacturer's ser
vice bulletin.
FAA CAM 18

Keep That Tail Wheel Dry

A good solution to tying down an

all-metal classic at the local airport.

A persistent problem has been the
sinking into the ground of the tail
wheel-and the threat of rust freez
ing up the assembly as a result of
the wheel being immersed in water
during periods of rain.
This contributor solved the prob
lem by purchasing one of the con
crete drain blocks for house gutter
drain outlets. Just remember to tilt
the block slightly so it will drain.
Ralph S. Ballard
Saint Ann, Missouri

Keeping an Oil Spout Clean

On the way back from Great Ma
rana Raid, we stopped in Wicken
burg, Arizona, for fuel. I needed oil
and a spout to pour with. I found
it in a very unusual container. For
you guys that like Pringles potato
chips-you've got it made. The rest
will have to switch. Yep, the spout
was kept in a Pringles can. It has a
plastic lid to keep the spout clean
(which also keeps the plane clean).
You could even keep it in the trunk
of your car, free from dust and dirt.
This tip is courtesy of the fixed base
operator at Wickenburg.
EAA Chapter 163 Newsletter
Las Vegas, Nevada
~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Shuttleworth's Edwardians

The European pioneer era takes flight

BY

H.G.

FRAUTSCHY

PHOTOS BY D AV ID M AC READY

The Shuttleworth Collection contains one of the world's greatest flocks of flying pio
neer era aircraft, those amazing aeroplanes flown prior to World War I. Thanks to the
foresight of Richard Shuttleworth, some of the aircraft were preserved prior to World War
II; still others are replicas built for the 1965 film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Ma
chines. Here are a few of them as seen through the lens of VAA member David Macready.
Blackburn Monoplane Type 0

MAY 2008

...... 1911 Avro triplane (replica)

Look out, it's that nasty, boorish Sir Percy Ware-Armitage! Okay, not quite, but thanks to
the work done in 1964-1965 to re-create the pioneer era aeroplanes for the movie Those
Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, we have this sharp-looking replica of the Avro
Triplane. Powered by a Cirrus four-cylinder engine, it comes complete with a bungee
corded tailskid and quad-wheeled landing gear. You can clearly see the thin, undercam
bered airfoil used by the replica builders, the Hampshire Aeroplane Club at Eastleigh,
Southampton, who did their best to maintain the characteristics of the original aircraft
while still building an aeroplane that proved to be flyable on a regular basis. When com
pletely stripped down and rebuilt during the winter of 2000-2001, it was re-covered and
painted in the markings it wore for the movie.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Bleriot XI
A late afternoon in early October in England is the setting for this hop down the runway for a Bleriot XI. On July
25, 1909, when Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel from France to Dover with his Bleriot monoplane, he
needed a brief rain shower to cool the
three-cylinder Anzani. This particular
example, which is an original machine
(constructor's No. 14), utilizes wing
warping for roll control , just as the
original did in 1909. Built in 1910,
it is the world's oldest flying aircraft
still equipped with its original engine.
While now restricted to hops down the
runway, it was flown by Richard Shut
tleworth each year in the three years
leading up to World War II.

MAY 2008

..... Bristol Boxkite

This replica built by F.G. Miles Ltd. for the movie is of the No. 12A
Bristol; not surprisingly, it's commonly referred to as the Boxkite. Like
the Avro Triplane, it has four main wheels and a pair of skids. With the
wheels located so close to the center of gravity, each landing would re
sult in a nose-over. The Bristol uses a pair of horizontal stabilizers, with
only the top half equipped with a hinged elevator. A pair of hinged rud
ders mounted outboard of the vertical stabilizer give yaw control, with
roll control on this replica being effected by ailerons rather than the orig
inal wing warping. On some of the replica aircraft, it was found that wing
warping gave only marginal roll control. Since the movie replicas would
be flown in varying conditions, and sometimes in close proximity to one
another, it was deemed necessary to modify the original designs on a
few of the movie airplanes, including the Vickers-Bleriot, Demoiselle,
Avro Triplane, and the Boxkite. Rather than the original 50-hp Gnome
rotary, this replica is powered by a Continental C-90.

WHAT OUR MEMBERS

ARE RESTORING

~~

':i:.:';'

~~'M
~

..

21

_-.:::.

REARWIN SKYRANGER

1948 L USCOMBE 88

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done
and you 're busy flying and showing it off? If so, we'd like to
hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial
source (no home printers, please-those prints just don't
scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from
. your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can
burn photos to a CD, or if you ' re on a high-speed Internet
connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word
document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks
if you 'd like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For more tips
on creating photos we can publish, visit VAA's website at www.
vintageaircraft.org. Check the News page for a hyperlink to
Want To Send Us A Photograph?
For more information, you can also e-mail us at
vintageaircraft@eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

f your travels take you near the Kickapoo

Downtown Airport in Wichita Falls, Texas, be
sure to look up-for you just might see and
hear an OX-5 powered Jenny flying overhead.
The Curtiss IN-4D, historically significant in
and of itself, is also entwined in Wichita Fall's own histo
ry-and that's why the city council voted unanimously to
appropriate a generous portion of its 4B Tax Board Funds
to purchase the biplane in 2007. Let's journey back in
time with this particular Jenny to learn how its 90-year
flight plan was routed from Iowa to Oklahoma, Wiscon
sin, England, and finally Texas.

Barnstonning Days
The Jenny was built by the thousands during World War
I (WWI), and many an aviation student learned to fly in
10

MAY 2008

these biplanes. Iowan Ray McWhorter soloed a IN-4D Cur

tissJenny in 1918, and upon his return home from the war
in July 1919, he and his brother pooled together their mus
tering-out pay and purchased a 1917 IN-4D for $4,650 from
Herring Motor Company. Together they formed McWhorter
Bros. Aero. Co. and commenced barnstorming for several
years. They promised their paying customers that they
would do Anything to Please You-Straight, Smooth Plea
sure Flights; Thrilling Stunt Flights with Loops, Spins and
Turns; and Trips to Any Place You Want to Go."
Their flying operation went along pretty well until they
encountered competition from numerous barnstorm
ers, which compelled them to create an air show act to
draw more business. Their plan was to have a man trans
fer from the wing of one Jenny to another, in flight, via a
homemade suspended ladder. So they teamed up with a
II

"There is no
s"W'eeter sound
in the "W'orld
to a veteran
aviator than
the sound of a
Curtiss OX-5
engine chuckling
a"W'ay as it 1lVings
by in an old
biplane...."
-ChetPeek

local barnstormer to practice this new act-but tragically,

the maneuver went awry and both Jennys crashed. In
credibly, Ray McWhorter, although badly injured, was the
sole survivor of that August 11, 1921, crash. The twisted,
tangled remains of his Jenny were hauled back to the fam
ily farm near Burt, Iowa, where they were stored for nearly
half a century.

Restoration Begins
In November 1970, fellow Iowan Dean Gilmore visited
Ray McWhorter, and together they looked over the Jen
ny's remains. Then McWhorter made the bold decision
to simply give the project to Gilmore, who was an expe
rienced pilot and aircraft mechanic-because he believed
that Gilmore would actually restore it to airworthy condi
tion. The restoration process commenced-including the

tedious chore of locating replacement parts and obtaining

airframe blueprints-and continued for a dozen years.
Early on during the project, Gilmore contacted na
tive Iowan Chet Peek about spare parts. Peek searched
through his cache of Standard J-1 parts and generously
delivered a variety of parts to a delighted Gilmore, in
cluding a landing gear axle, turnbuckles, and an exhaust
manifold. Gilmore also visited Ken Hyde in Virginia, to
absorb knowledge from Hyde's own hands-on authentic
Jenny restoration.
The Jenny was slowly taking shape, with the fuselage
and tail group mostly completed by 1979. Then, due to
the sheer size of the wings (43-1/2 foot span), Gilmore and
several other Jenny restorers made arrangements with the
Wicks Aircraft Supply company in Highland, IllinOis, to
fabricate the long spars (and a few other pieces) for their reVINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

Here's the Jenny, painted in Call Field training colors.

Close-up of the wrapped and glued cording on the

wingtip's handgrip. You can clearly see the hand
frayed edges of each section of fabric. Fraying the
edges gave the dope more surface area to keep the
edge of the fabric from lifting and pulling away while
in flight. Later, a pinked edge gave the same effect,
without as much handwork required.

spectiveJennys. As soon as these were completed, Gilmore's

own wing work began and continued for two years.
Yet tragedy would soon cast its shadow once more on
McWhorter's old Jenny-for Gilmore died suddenly in
1982, and his family was resigned to advertising th e un
completed Jenny for sale in Trade-A-Plane. It so happened
that Chet Peek, who had relocated to Norman, Okla
homa, had been searching for a Jenny project for decades.
He saw the ad and inquired about it, but the price at that
time was well beyond his slender billfold.
12 M AY 2008

Inside the Jenny's rear cockpit.

A New Home
Then in February 1983, the famil y's estate attorney
contacted Peek about purchasing the project at a reduced
price. Peek, who had restored a variety of vintage aircraft,
went to look at the Jenny project and, as he would later
write in his book Resurrection ofa Jenny, described its con
dition this way: "The bare wood of the fuselage and wings
shone like fine furniture; the metal parts were a gleaming
black lacquer; in all, a superb restoration. If at all possible,
I wanted to own th is Jen ny! "
Yet he also realized th at the restoration was only half
way completed. So after some though tful consideration,
and with the blessings of his wife, Marian, Chet made an
offer, which the Gilmore family accepted. Once again, the
Jenny landed in strong, capable hands that would faith

In 1989, Marian and Chet Peek posed with their

Jenny with Marian in a period dress and Chet in a

U.S. Army Air Services uniform.

1989 was a banner year for the Peeks and their

Jenny. They were one of the featured airplanes during
EAA's "Jennys to Jets" display during the annual EAA
convention. With Marian in the front cockpit, Chet
begins taxiing the Jenny as they prepare to fly for the
appreciative crowd.

fully finish its restoration, beginning where Gilmore's ex

cellent work had stopped.

Restoration Continues
Chet and his aviation buddies carefully loaded the
treasured project components and assorted parts for the
700-mile journey from Spencer, Iowa, to his hangar/shop
in central Oklahoma-which was a tedious undertaking
in itself. Next came the detailed inventory of what was ac
tually there and parts that he would still need to acquire.
It wasn't long before he found himself contacting Ken
Hyde, just as Gilmore had, concerning all-things Jenny
related. And since it hadn 't been previously registered
with the FAA, he completed the required paperwork to
register the Jenny as a Curtiss-Peek Model IN-4D, N2525,
serial number 1917.
The construction and assembly of the lower wings-in
cluding the fabrication and installation of internal brac
ing wires-was a time-consuming, complex process. And
then there was the chore of locating Irish linen to cover
Marian Peek, busy sewing linen
fabric for t he wings and fuselage.

The Jenny was badly damaged in McWhorter's crash

on August 11, 1921.

Chet Peek and one of the Jenny's wings during resto

ration. You can clearly see the undercambered airfoil
with its rather sharp leading edge.

November 2007- The Jenny flies over Wichita Falls, Texas .

..

.-------~~~------~_,,~'----~-N-_,---~ ~

Chet fabricated the aluminum cockpit cowling and

il: small windshields to authentic shape and form with the

>
i'5 help of patterns from Hyde, while Hyde built the engine

'"~

~
~

Marian and Chet Peek in October 2007.

the airframe. Serendipitously, while on vacation in Eng

land in 1983, the Peeks discovered that Whiteley Products
Ltd. in London was a supplier, and they purchased a 100
meter roll of the fabric. Back at home, Marian sat down
at her personal sewing machine to tackle the task of sew
ing the heavy linen panels together-using the French
fell-seam method-and into envelopes, which she did
with professional attention to detail. Together, they rib
stitched the large wings and delicately frayed more than
1,000 feet of finishing tape to cover the sewn seams. Chet
and his friend Harold Maloy finished it with clear dope
and applied the U.S. Army red, white, and blue star insig
nias on the wings, with stripes on the rudder.
14 MAY 2008

cowlings. Ever striving to retain the Jenny's authenticity

and originality where possible, Chet was able to make a
complete set of Curtiss wing struts from collected parts.
One of the next challenges was fabricating the Jen
ny's numerous wire cables, and when that and miscel
laneous other items had been completed, it was time to
assemble and rig the Jenny. As Chet wrote in his book,
liThe rigging proved more difficult than we imagined.
It took Harold Maloy and me a full week to get it right.
... We found that when we adjusted the angle of inci
dence, the stagger would change and vice versa. Harold
and I would laugh at each other, because when making
what we thought would be the final adjustment on one
cable, we would find some wire on the other side of the
plane had gone slack ... but we finally got all the ad
justments right."
Although the Jenny project came with an OX-5 engine,
it clearly needed repair. So Chet, along with his buddy Har
old, thoroughly researched all of the available informa
tion they could find on Curtiss OX-5s. The next step was
cleaning and meticulously inspecting the engine parts for
defects and proper clearances. Then they had the cylin
ders ground, installed new seats and valves, and installed
a Miller overhead lubrication system-along with myriad
other repairs-and the OX-5 was finally assembled. They
methodically installed the engine and radiator, carefully
connecting all the associated plumbing for fuel, oil, and
water. After some initial tribulations with a faulty Scintilla
magneto, they had the engine running smoothly.
"There is no sweeter sound in the world to a veteran
aviator than the sound of a Curtiss OX-5 engine chuck
ling away as it wings by in an old biplane," wrote Chet in
his book. "With its external valve action working up and
down like a squad of metronomes and the low base notes
of the exhaust revealing a lazy 1400 rpm, it typifies the
best in antique aviation technology."
October 6, 1987, was a memorable day for Chet and all

rectors approved the idea. The con

cept soon evolved into the theme
for the convention: "From Jennys
to Jets." The Peeks, along with eight
other Jenny owners, were invited
six of whom attended. Chet and Mar
ian were quick to accept, even though
it meant dismantling the Jenny and
reassembling it in the Weeks hangar
at Wittman Field . They hired an Al
lied moving van and drivers to haul
~ N2525 to Oshkosh a week before the
~ event. During the week at Oshkosh,
iijJii~~ the Jennys were flown in addition to
~ being on display on the flightline,
~ where Jenny owners enjoyed sharing
_"-___..:.-.ci~;:.;.,........:I~S;S~;..;.j ~ stories and answering questions.

(!l

David M artin , Chet Peek, and Tom Danaher with the Jenny.

Wisconsin

Chet Peek flying his Jenny.

those who helped him complete the Jenny's restoration.

Though he hadn't planned to fly that day, "everything
felt right; so on the spur of the moment, I decided to go
ahead .... It seemed so easy; I really didn't have to do
much. The plane just lumbered along, climbing steadily.
... The Jenny was flying! ... I remember viewing with
wonder for the first time those long wire-braced linen
covered Jenny wings gently flexing in the slipstream,"
wrote Chet. No doubt McWhorter and Gilmore would
have been quite pleased as well.

Making the Rounds

N2525 received quite a bit of local publicity, and so
it was that the Peeks were invited to debut their Jenny
at Oklahoma City's Aerospace America show at the Will
Rogers World Airport in June 1988, where it sat in stark
contrast to an SR-71 Blackbird. Later that year, they flew
the Jenny on a 60-mile cross-country to their Antique Air
plane Association chapter's annual fly-in at Pauls Valley,
Oklahoma-where it was awarded Grand Champion.
Then a rare opportunity arose-to take the Jenny to
the 37 th annual EAA convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
in 1989 . Ken Hyde had promoted the idea of a Jenny
reunion during the convention, and EAA's board of di-

When the convention was over, the Peeks brought

their Jenny back to Oklahoma and pondered the future of
their rare aeronautical treasure. Insurance wasn't afford
able, and Chet realized that there was a risk of damage
to the Jenny each time it was flown . As he says in retro
spect, "For me, the journey was the fun part-and that
was finding and restoring the Jenny." He soon negotiated
a mutually beneficial solution with the EAA AirVenture
Museum, which serendipitously had space in its museum
for a Jenny-and Chet was willing to lend them his for a
while. And so the Jenny continued its journey by once
again traveling to Oshkosh; it remained in the museum
until 1998.

Engiand
The Peeks advertised their Jenny for sale as "ready to
be shown or flown" in Aeroplane, a British aviation maga
zine, and in February 1998, Englishman Victor Norman
seized the opportunity to purchase it. He met the Peeks
at the EAA AirVenture Museum, where it took three days
to dismantle and pack the Jenny in a container for sur
face shipping to England. Chet was certain that he'd seen
his Jenny for the last time. The biplane was deregistered
from the FAA registry in March 1999 and registered in the
United Kingdom's Register of Civil Aircraft as G-ECAB.
Once in England, it was reassembled and based at
Rendcomb in Gloucestershire-an old Royal Flying
Corps base where Jennys were flown during WWI. Thus
the McWhorter-Gilmore-Peek Jenny became the first
authentic Jenny to exist in Britain since 1919. It was re
painted in the McWhorter Bros. barnstorming fashion,
with their surname on its fuselage, and was returned to
flying status.

Return to the States

In April 2004, G-ECAB was removed from the Brit
ish registry. This well-traveled Jenny was on its way back
across the Atlantic, finally arriving in June, where it reVINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

mained with Joe Ferraro of Indiana. Although Peek's origi

nal registration number was no longer available, Ferraro
had reserved N2525S specifically for the Jenny. Then in
June 2007, N2525S embarked upon the final leg of its
journey (to date) when it was purchased by the city of
Wichita Falls and shipped to Wichita Falls, Texas.

Texas
The quest for a Jenny began with local pilot Robert
Seabury, who wanted to preserve the history of Call Field
and the role it played in Wichita Falls' history. Named for
1st Lt. Loren H. Call, it was a WWI military training base
for pilots and mechanics from August 1917 through July
1919. "During WWI, there were only five aviation train
ing bases in Texas, and Wichita Falls had Call Field. The
present-day Call Field Road is where the air base was,
and there's a subdivision there now. There was nothing
to commemorate the training base-and I thought there
should be; 34 young men lost their lives out there, learn
ing to fly the Jenny," says Seabury, adding, "I had been
at Oshkosh and had heard about Joe Ferraro's Jenny. I
thought that it could be the centerpiece of a museum to
commemorate Call Field."
Seabury was convinced he had a winning idea, so he
went to the city council and presented his proposal. "They
gave us a hangar right at the entrance to the Kickapoo air
port," explains Seabury, adding, "and then I went to the
4B tax board, which allocates our sales tax funding, and
persuaded them to purchase the Jenny. Then everything
kind of fell into place; Tom Danaher was instrumental in
obtaining the Jenny's airworthiness certificate, and David
Martin helped with the rigging of the plane. We had to
get it back to Call Field training colors [olive drab], and it
took a month to carefully remove the McWhorter name
from the fuselage. Now it's identical to the photograph we
have of Call Field trainer number 46."
N2525S will serve as a living reminder of the role that
Call Field fulfilled, and to that end, Danaher and Martin
have been named as pilots on the biplane's insurance pol
icy. The two men soon contacted Chet Peek (who today,
at 87 years young, is a longtime aviator, author of half a
dozen aviation books, and a 2007 inductee of the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame) and informed
him that his old Jenny had found a new home in Texas.
What a surprise! Quite naturally, Chet and Marian were
easily enticed to take a day trip to visit the Jenny, where it
was temporarily hangared at Danaher's own Lake Wichita
Falls Airport.
Eighty-three years young Danaher, who was named as
one of the "Living Legends of Aviation" in 2007 by pub
lishing company Airport Journals, flew Chance-Vought
Corsairs and Grumman Hellcats during World War II and
F3D Skynights during the Korean War. He's also flown as
a crop duster, ferried Air Tractors internationally, flown
aircraft for two-dozen movie productions, and has logged
more than 23,000 hours in the air. With that kind of fly
ing experience, it was still a first for him to fly N2525S.
16

MAY 2008

"Flying the Jenny was just like driving a truck," smiles

Danaher, adding, "it was nearly exactly what I thought
it was going to be, and I was very pleased with it. It's not
unstable-it's just that when a gust hits you, it takes a lot
of work to get it back to where you want it. I've got seven
or eight hours in it, in mostly gusty, windy weather."
The other pilot, Martin, is captain of the U.S. Unlim
ited Aerobatic Team, won a gold medal in the World Aero
batic Championships, and was U.S. National Aerobatic
Champion in 2001. The Jenny is quite a contrast to the
CAP 232 he flies competitively. Yet Martin was absolutely
thrilled to be given the opportunity to fly the Jenny, and
says, "My grandfather flew Jennys a little bit in the 1930s,
and that's why I've always been interested in them. It flies
like a big, heavy Cub and seems to be real easy to take off
and land on grass. I've done basic stalls and wingovers,
and it's an honest airplane. If you let loose, it'll go off on
a wing, but it's amazing that it flies as well as it does for as
old as it is. It doesn't have a lot of power, and it's heavy on
the controls, but other than that, I was surprised because
it flies a lot better than I thought it was going to fly-it's
really fun!"

One Jenny's Journey

The WWI Call Field Living History Museum at Kicka
poo Downtown Airport (sponsored by the Museum of
North Texas History) should be completed in early 2008,
and in addition to the Jenny, it has purchased a 1916
Model T Ford that will be painted in military colors. "On
special occasions, the museum will come to life and the
Jenny will be flown," explains Seabury, adding, "we want
it to be an educational experience for children, and we
plan to give a child a carrier pigeon in a cage, put them
in the Model T and drive them to the opposite end of the
airport, where they'll write a note to their friends back at
the hangar. Then we'll let the pigeon fly the note back to
their friends, so we can show them what communication
was like before cell phones!"
Reflecting upon the significance of the Jenny to Wichita
Falls, Seabury says, "Others could have bought the Jenny,
but it wouldn't have the meaning for them that it does for
us-because as we say, our skies were full of Curtiss Jennys
from 1917-1919, just as today our skies are still full of air
planes training young men to fly-except now they're fly
ing T-38s at Sheppard Air Force Base. Speaking of which,
Sheppard had an air show this fall, and Tom flew the Jenny
over to the base, where it was parked near the F-22 Raptor.
Tom, David, and I were all dressed in WWI uniforms, talk
ing with visitors, and the Jenny really stole the show!"
And so it seems that this particular Jenny has, after a 90
year journey, finally found a long-lasting niche in today's
aviation world. Each time it flies, it will pay a special tribute
to the history of aviation-both military and civilian-as the
sweet percussive voice of its OX-5 hums its priceless song.
If you're interested in seeing this Jenny at the living
history museum, you may contact Robert Seabury at 940
696-8783 for more information.
.....

walked around
the airplane three
times while trying
to keep the questioning
look off my face.

And I know I wasn't alone. Lots

of other longtime Oshkosh flight
line warriors who pride themselves
on their airplane identification skills
were undoubtedly stumped right
along with me. What was this?
This was an intriguing airplane
because it had so many identifiable
features that went together in such a
familiar way, yet something about it
wasn't right. It said Speed mail Special
on the tail, which didn't help one bit.
What's a Speedmail Special? We all
18

MAY 2008

know what a Speedmail is, and this

isn't it. The lines were sort of Stear
man or maybe Pitcairn, with the "Big
Stearman" heritage like the Model 4s
hard to miss. But the airplane was the
wrong size. It was like someone left
a Pitcairn Mailwing or a Stearman
4-CM out in the rain and it shrank.
It was a handsome airplane, but what
was it?
Our erstwhile leaderH.G. Frautschy
came to the rescue and showed great
restraint by not wringing his hands

with glee because he knew something

the rest of us didn't. The airplane
was, according to him, what some in
the hot rod or custom car field call
a "phantom." It's a custom-crafted
design that never existed, but eas
ily could have. Like a '35 Ford road
ster pickup that Ford never built yet
many are driving around, the Sorge
family's Speedmail Special was an air
plane that Stearman could have built,
but didn't. Steve Sorge, however, did.
Before we get any deeper into this,

let 's hit head-on what may be sore

points for some folks: technically,
this is a homebuilt airplane that at
its heart is a Stearman PT-17. A few
folks are going to decry what they
see as the desecration of a historic
airframe . Others are going to ask
what a homebuilt airplane is doing
in these pages. If they want answers
to their questions and rebuttals to
their comments, however, all they
have to do is stand by the taxiway
at Oshkosh or Bartlesville and see

the pleased looks on so many knowl

edgeable faces. This is a very cool
airplane and represents something
many of us wished we had done but
didn't. The purists have their choice
of hundreds of look-alike PT-17/N2S
Kaydets. The rest of us can smile and
wish we had the talent and imagina
tion to build an airplane like Steve's
Stearman Speed mail Special so we
could mess with people's heads, too.
Incidentally, Steve says, "I expected
to get some grief from a few folks, but

so far not one person has openly criti

cized me. I guess a lot of us agree that
the world doesn't really need another
impeccable PT-17."
Steve was born in, of all places,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin . For that
reason alone, there was no possible
way he could avoid being involved
in some off-center parts of aviation.
Raised in the shadow of the EAA's
birthplace he even took piano les
sons from Paul Poberezny 's ne xt
door neighbor.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

19

BONNI KRATZ

"I was your typical kid in that I

spent a lot of time trying to hurt my
self on minibikes and motorcycles,"
Steve remembers. "However, at the
age of 12, I did try to build a Rogallo
wing with Visqueen covering, but
was never successful with it."
Graduating from the Milwau
kee School of Engineering (MSOE)
with a degree in mechanical design,
Steve moved to another hotbed of
aviation activity.
liMy first job took me to Ce
dar Rapids, Iowa, right next door to
Blakesburg, so I went from the home
building capital to the antique capital
of the U.S."
He was never far from unusual air
planes, but he didn't start learning to
fly until he was 25 years old.
lilt was during my freshman year in
college that I borrowed money from
my girlfriend, bought an ultralight,
and started flying out of the Hartford
20

MAY 2008

airport, which by the way is the same

airport where I would eventually meet
Jim and get my Stearman project.
"Two years later, I borrowed some
more money, this time from one of
my college roommates, and bought
a Cessna 150. I started taking les
sons out of Hunfield , now known
as Guntly Memorial. The owner and
A&P/IA, Tom Guntly, had an old Vag
abond, and he said if I would rebuild
it, I could fly it. It was also about
that time that a Stearman landed for
gas, and I was totally knocked over.
I wanted a Stearman, and that was
that. I didn't know how or when, but
eventually, I knew I was going to own
a Stearman."
His first vintage airplane was about
as far from a Stearman as you could
get-a Tri-Pacer-and he flew that air
plane for quite a while before buying
another classic he knew well.
"In 1985 I bought the very same

Vagabond that I had helped rebuild

while I was working on my license.
Still, biplanes kept pulling at me, and
I bought a modified Pitts S-1 C called
the Sanderson Special. I flew that to
Bartlesville, then took a little trip
through Texas and as far west as Las
Cruces, New Mexico.
All the time I was at Bartlesville, I
told anyone who would listen that I
was looking for a Stearman project. I
couldn't afford a flying airplane, and
besides, I really wanted to do the work
myself. It was during that first visit
to Bartlesville that I learned about a
hangar full of Stearmans in Lubbock,
Texas. So, on my way to Las Cruces, I
stopped off down there and looked at
a bedraggled old spray plane that was
parked on a duster strip with the only
thing in sight for miles around being
an oxidized Airstream trailer and an
old Cadillac. We were definitely in
the middle of nowhere.
II

Above and below: Steve included

some whimsical artwork in tribute to
his friend Jim Miles on each side of
the fin and on the fuselage.

........
....~ ,-

,.. ...

- I"

-'. - ..."'to"!';
.
. , =......,.
-_
-,,~

~I. . . _ .;.:.'"~~

~.~~ /

,.

1~-.....
.>/,.... "
I'

.I

~
.. ,.. .::..-~\,
.
.'~-.-

.' ;

__
f ___

"It was also during that same Bar

tlesville fly-in that I met Hap "Leroy"
Stein, from Watertown, Wisconsin.
Hap had rebuilt a Navy N3N with
the help of a local spray pilot, named
Jim Miles. At the time, Jim had two
buildings full of Stearmans in vari
ous stages of disrepair. Having heard
about my desire to own a Stearman,
Hap volunteered to introduce me to
Jim when we returned to Wisconsin.
"Jim Miles was one of the legend
ary, old-time duster pilots who had
gotten into ag flying right after World

War II (WWII) when there were no

specialty spray planes. He had been
an instructor in AT-6s at Ponca
City, Oklahoma's No.6 British Fly
ing Training School, and when he
came out and decided to go spray
ing, the Stearman, or some varia
tion of it, was all there was.
"Jim had sprayed his entire life
and had amassed an amazing mess
of Stearman parts and airframes. I
don't how know many he actually
had, but it looked as if he had five
hundred wings sittin g around in
various states of disrepair.
"As I was getting started in my
search for a Stearman, Jim decided
that he'd stop spraying and started
selling off his stuff. But, that wasn't
an easy decision. Jim was really
emotionally attached to his air
planes. I bought my Stearman from
him a piece at a time over a two-year
period, as the money became avail
able. I'd buy the tail, then a couple
of wings, and so forth. Finally, on the
morning of July 4, 1992, I was driv
ing down the highway, the deck lid
off of my Chevy Cavalier and the tail
of the last complete fuselage Jim had
strapped down and trailing behind.
It was a 50 mile ride home, and I was
feeling good, but I'll never forget the
look on Jim's face as I drove off pull
ing his last fuselage behind me. That
must have been when I deci ded to
somehow make this airplane a little

monument to him and his life.

Steve didn 't originally think in
terms of modifying the airplane. He
just knew he wanted a Stearman, al
though the urge to do something
different must have been flittering
around the edges of his mind, be
cause it didn't take much to get his
imagination going.
" I had just taken the fiberglass
off the fuselage and removed the
19 pounds of lead from the tail post
when I saw a pair of Pitcairns at Osh
kosh. One of them was a PA-8, and I
loved the long nose and the way the
windshield said 'speed.' I decided to
put the pilot back where the baggage
compartment was in my airplane,
and the entire project took off in a
different direction . That's when I re
alized I didn't want to build another
PT-l? I wanted something special. "
One of the two Pitcairn biplanes
Sorge saw was brought to Oshkosh
by Steve Pitcairn, son of the original
designer/builder. Those two Pitcairns
were masterpieces of the restorer's
art. They inspired a lot of people that
year, but once Steve Sorge decided
to go in an "old timey" direction, he
kept his antenna up for design ele
ments that contributed to the "look"
he was trying to capture.
"Tom Lowe's C3R had a lot to do
with the direction I went, including
the design of the rear fuselage. The
tail is very much C3 R right down to
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

ike a '35 Ford roadster

pickup that Ford never built
yet many are driving around,
the Sorge family's Speedmail Spe
cial was an airplane that Stearman
could have built, but didn't.

The Pratt & Whitney R-985 sits

out in front of a 4-foot-diameter
firewall. Coupled with the carefully
faired fuselage, it lends a prewar
transport biplane look to the Spe
cial , somewhat reminiscent of the
Pitcairn Mailwing.

The pilot's cockpit has been

moved aft of the PT-l7's original
location. The windshields were in
spired by the rakish windscreens
on the Pitcairn mail planes of the
1920s and '30s.

The forward cockpit is wide

enough to accommodate a pair of
skinny teenagers.

A pair of Fischer 36-inch-diameter

wheels looks just right when in
stalled at the ends of the outrigger
landing gear.

the rudder cables coming out mid

height and the tail shape."
The fuselage of those old airplanes
combined the pilot-in-the-rear look
of a racer with a long-in-the-nose look
of an early transport or mail plane.
"I used up a lot of cardboard and
string trying to get the fuselage shape
just right. I made the firewall 4 feet in
diameter, which would look right with
the R-98S, and started pulling strings
and cutting cardboard. I wanted an
integral turtledeck and headrest and
just kept trying different shapes un
til it looked right. All of the old air
planes contributed in terms of looks,
but none of their dimensions or pro
files would work exactly, because the
scale and proportions were different.
It was very much one of those, 'I'll
know it when I see it' things."
When he was mocking up the fu
selage, part of the design goal was to
make the old Stearman's front cock
pit accommodate two people.

"The front fuselage is the same

width as it was originally, but I had
to relocate some tubing. It's tight, but
I can get two of my four teenagers in
the front seat, although I don't think
they'd be happy flying very far in it."
The multifaceted, heavily sloped
rear windscreen is obviously part
Pitcairn and part C3R, but the wide
front windscreen, while looking fa
miliar, isn't readily identifiable.
"While I was working on the air
plane, Mike Posey was restoring a Pit
cairn autogyro that had belonged to
Amelia Earhart. He had pictures of
Amelia standing by the airplane, and
I just copied that shape and scaled it
to fit my fuselage ."
The dishpan section behind the
engine owes its existence to a chain
restaurant.
"I had seen the cowling Steve
Wolfe had made out of an air duct
cover for Sampson and started keep
ing my eyes open. I was just driving

along and noticed the vent covers on

top of a Pizza Hut that turned out to
be exactly what I needed.
"The duct cover was made out of
1100 series aluminum, which is pretty
soft and welds great. More important,
it forms well, too. This helped a lot
when I hand-formed the air duct on
the bottom. I made up birch form
blocks and started hammering. I also
made up my own louver punches.
"When I tell people how we made
the dishpans, they often ask if we're
looking for a duct cover I can convert
to a cowling for the engine. I usually
laugh and say, 'This airplane is never
going to have a cowling. Never!'"
It would seem that Steve didn't
want anything to hide the finely
detailed R-98S that was built up by
Tulsa Aeromotive. However, the brut
ish, engine-in-the-breeze look adds to
the aura of the airplane, and a cowl
ing would take part of that away.
The PT-17 had what was, and is, a

22 MAY 2008

unique approach to a landing gear.

Unless a person looks at it closely, it's
easy to miss that the gear legs are rigid
and the struts telescope inside them.
Plus, the entire gear is a single unit,
axle to axle, that bolts to the bottom
of the fuselage. The gear is so identi
fiable that replacing it with anything
would have changed the airplane's
identity, but Steve wanted that area
to have a certain look.
li The gear is definitely Model 4
Speedmail. Although none of the di
mensions are the same, I copied it
as closely as I could, including hav
ing the outriggers inclined at a 10
degree angle. I did, however, go en
tirely modern in the suspension sys
tem, and rather than using bungees,
as the originals did, I simply found
a coil-over automotive racing shock
absorber that would do the trick and
used that. Being automotive, I had a
lot to chose from, and it gives damp
ing going in both directions, so the
gear is really nice."
Part of the "look" of those old air
planes is the way their general lines
combined with the outrigger land
ing gear, but none of it would work if
the airplanes were wearing puny little
6.00 by 6 tires. Big old airplanes need
big old tires.
"Dick Fischer makes a kit that in
cludes all the rough castings to build
up the big wheels. I bought a set for
the 30 by 5s, and they were all fin

ished before I realized I should actu

ally have gone with the larger 32 by
6s. The difference in appearance be
tween the two is dramatic, and the
airplane just wasn't going to look
right with the smaller ones. The
brakes are ll-inch Hays units that
look and work just right."
The only visage of PT-17 styling
that's identifiable is the plan form
of the wings, but even there minor
items like detailing around the gas
tank makes them different.
"The airframe I got from Jim Miles
had led a pretty rough and tumble life
including three unusual accidents.
The first was when Jim was flying un
der some wires and bounced off the
top of a truck. The second was when
he was taking off in a ground fog and
didn't see an old Buick parked at the
end of the runway. Some good old
boys were sleeping off the night be
fore. Jim saw it at the last moment
and again skipped off the top of it.
The damage was minimal to the
Stearman, the Buick, and the guys
inside. Then, when they were hand
propping the airplane, it ran off on its
own and hit a truck.
"There was a crewman standing on
the wing loading the hopper when
it happened. He wasn't hurt but the
bottom right wing was torn up, so
they replaced it with a metal one. I re
placed that wing with a wooden one
that I built up from all new material.
"Incidentally, the truck the air
plane hit was owned by Joe Nor
ris, who at the time was a cranberry
grower, but is now with the EAA."
It is said that bad things happen
in threes, in which case Steve Sorge
should have trouble-free flying ahead
of him.
There are a number of special fea
tures about the Sorge Speedmail Spe
cial besides the unique nature of the
airplane. First, the fact that it's a done
at-home airplane, rather than being
constructed by a hired gun, is highly
unusual. Secondly, the airplane truly
is a family project.
Steve says, "Everyone got in on
this. I have three daughters, Kendra,
Kelly, and Claire, and one son, Kory.
They range from 11 to 20 years old.

When we were covering and painting

the airplane, they got right in there
with Tracy, my wife, and helped with
the rib stitching and wet sanding. In
addition, Tracy sewed the covering
envelopes. The entire thing wouldn't
have happened if my family hadn't
been totally behind it. This kind of
project takes unbelievable amounts
of time, and besides jumping in to
help, they understood what kind of
commitment it took on my side."
Now that the airplane is done and
flying, what kinds of modifications or
improvements does he have in mind?
"Improvements?" he laughs. "I'm
done working on it! We're going to
fly its wings off and enjoy it.
"I do, however, want to say a lot
of thank-yous to a lot of people. Cer
tainly to my family, who for 15 years
put up with airplane parts in every
room of the house, including the
shower while rinsing paint remover
off the stabilizer trailing edge. Then
there are those who, without their
help and support, this project would
have never seen the light of day, let
alone a stiff breeze through the fly
ing wires.
"Tom Guntly, who in addition to
offering up his Vagabond, taught me
all about restoring rag and tube air
craft. Tom Hegy, one of Jim's closest
friends and contemporary spray pi
lot, was there to answer any questions,
offer a bit of advice, and connect me
to the right people, when needed.
Tom was also generous enough to let
me fly his Travel Air biplane around
the patch nine times before I first
flew my Speed mail.
liThe most Significant supporter
of this project was Sam Taber, owner
of Tabair, a restoration and mainte
nance facility specializing in WWII
aircraft. Sam was always willing to
take time out of his busy day to drive
20 miles to my hangar at the Palmyra
airport to have a look at my work,
lend me a hand, or lend me a tool.
We went so far as to tear down my
original engine for a firsthand look
before we decided to have it over
hauled. As is always the case with air
planes like this, it's the people who
made it worthwhile."
.......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

Oshkosh. 2008. July 28-August 3.

The Spirit ofAviation.

AirVenture.org

Light Plane Heritage

The ugly duckling from Missouri

BY BOB WHITIIER

Editor's Note: Longtime aviation enthusi,asts will recognize the byline of Bob Whittier. Bob has
been a regular contributor to EAA publications since the founding of the organization, as well as a
knowledgeable author for other aviation and boating magazines. Bob's Light Plane Heritage series
in EAA's Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft
and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this series, we
plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!-HGF
OdaY's aviation magazines
carry the advertisements of
several companies that sell
aircraft construction and
maintenance items by mail order.
We take their existence for granted
and in so doing overlook the histori
cal fact that companies of this type
have been in existence from the early
days of aviation . They are very much
a part of aviation's heritage.
Founded in 1921, the Nicho la s
Beazley Airplane Company of Marshall,
Missouri, was one such organization.
Principals were Russell Nicholas and
Howard Beazley. War-surplus military

aircraft sold off at low prices by the gov

ernment began to scatter far and wide
over the country in the hands of barn
storming pilots. These airmen landed
in a great many small towns far from
the few real airports then in existence.
When ]ennys and Standards
cracked up or their Curtiss OX-S and
Hisso engines broke down, pilots
could seldom just jump into a car and
fetch needed repair items from deal
ers at nearby airports . They'd have
to phone or wire orders from sup
ply houses such as Nicholas-Beazley.
Since Marshall lies on the route be
tween St. Louis and Kansas Ci ty-

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN

EAA Experimenter

Above: The Nicholas-Beazley

NB-8G of 1931 and 1932 flew well
and was an economical sport;
training plane-but it never won
any beauty contests! This exam
ple, at the time owned by John
Van Andel of Flushing, New York,
attended an EAA fly-in at Rockford
a couple of decades ago.

FEBRUARY 1992

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25

A clutter of struts, pushrods, bracing cables, and gas line did little for
the Nicholas-Beazley's appearance. But visibility was very good indeed.

both centers of aviation activity-the

Nicholas-Beazley firm was well lo
cated to serve barnstormers roaming
the vast plains of the Midwest.
Knowing that stranded gypsy pi
lots demanded good new parts and
supplies and wanted them as quickly
as possible, firms like Nicholas-Beaz
ley had no choice but to quickly de
velop good reputations for prompt
service. In those days bus lines and
airlines were in their infancy and the
national railroad system was very
alive and flourishing. So shipments
often reached stranded pilots with
agreeable swiftness. By 1930 Nicholas
Beazley had eight stock depots scat
tered around the United States as well
as one each in Canada and Mexico.
In the course of locating and pur
chasing a wide assortment of aircraft
parts and supplies, it made many valu
able contacts. By the late 1920s, prac
tically all the war-surplus planes and
engines had been bought up and were
in advanced stages of deterioration.
New airplane manufacturers were thus
appearing on the scene in numbers.
Having in stock everything needed to
build airplanes, Nicholas-Beazley nat
urally entered this aspect of aviation.
Its first venture was a light, low
wing monoplane designed by its chief
engineer, Walter Barling, whose name
was well-known in the aeronautical
26

MAY 2008

engineering profession. Powered by

Velie, LeBlond, and occasionally other
small radial air-cooled engines in the
60- to 65-hp range, it performed fairly
well and could carry a pilot and two
passengers on that modest power.
Designed with light weight and
ease of servicing very much in mind,
it was a squared-off, angUlar, awk
ward-looking craft. It sold in small
numbers to such customers as were
looking for economy. But in the
1920s, fuel economy wasn't much of
a seIling pOint, and there was strong
competition from other better-known
and better-looking airplanes. Sensing
that this ship wasn't going to win any
sales sweepstakes, Nicholas-Beazley
began to consider other designs. By
now it was 1930, and the stock mar
ket crash of the preceding October
sudden ly turned the spotlight on
economy aircraft.
Meanwhile, Barling had left Nicho
las-Beazley to go into business for him
self, and Thomas A. Kirkup took his
place. On his own, Kirkup had been
designing just such a plane, and when
he took Barling's place, Nicholas-Beaz
ley took a close look at it.
Designed to be a light, economi
cal trainer, it differed markedly from
other trainers of its time. Instead of
having the usual tandem cockpits, it
had a single wide one in which in

structor and student sat side by side.

By 1930 flying schools were begin
ning to realize that students did not
really have to sit on a plane's center
line in order to judge nose position
in right- and left-hand banks. Kirkup
felt also that the "two funnels and a
h ose" speaking tubes then in common
use did not afford the easiest and most
understandable communication be
tween instructor and student. He rea
soned that if communication could
be improved, instruction would prog
ress easier and faster, allowing airports
to offer flying courses at lower and
therefore more attractive costs. And
students who got their licenses on a
side-by-side trainer would find it easier
to get accustomed to flying the four
seat cabin monoplanes then begin
ning to replace open-cockpit biplanes.
Kirkup's design was named the
Nicholas-Beazley NB-8, and serious
development work was undertaken.
For its type, the ship was larger and
heavier than some other light two
seaters also appearing on the scene.
It had a wingspan of 37.5 feet, a wing
area of 183 square feet-fairly great
for any two-seater-and its weights
were 660 pounds empty and 1,160
pounds gross.
A 36-hp, two-cylinder Aeronca en
gine was installed on the prototype,
and performance was soon shown to
be unacceptably sluggish. So a 45-hp
three-cylinder Szekely (pronounced
"Saykay") engine was tried. Perfor
mance was not usefully improved.
The Aeronca C-3 flew nicely on 36 hp
because it weighed only 409 pounds
empty and 875 pounds loaded. The
Szekely-powered Alexander Flyabout
at 573 pounds empty and 962 pounds
gross flew acceptably well on that en
gine, as did the American Eaglet at
467 pounds empty and 867 pounds
gross and the Curtiss-Wright Junior at
570 pounds empty and 975 pounds
gross. The NB-8 clearly wanted some
what more power.
When viewing antique airplanes at
fly-ins and in museums, we have to
keep some things in mind in order to
understand and appreciate them use
fully. We ask ourselves such questions
as, How much knowledge and expe

The Nicholas-Beazley NB-8 was quite a large plane with its 37.5-foot
wingspan. With wings folded it was only 10 feet 4 inches wide. This is
the prototype fitted with the 45-hp Szekely engine for early tests.

rience did the designer of this plane

have? Where and under what circum
stances was h e working? What tools,
materials, and engi nes were avail
able to him? And , what was h e try
ing to accomplish when he designed
this plane? Any plane we happened
to be looking at didn't just pop into
existence-there is bound to be some
kind of story behind it involving al
most any mixture of variables yo u
could think of-and also luck!
The Fairchild company on Long Is
land had been developing a two-sea t,
low-wing, open-cockpit ship called
the F-21. If anythi n g, it was more
angular and homely th an Walter
Barling's low-wing. When the Depres
sion struck, the Fairchild company
changed hands, and the new owners
decided to drop the F-21 project.

Probably because no similar Ameri

can engine was then available, Fairch
ild had imported around 60 Armstrong
Siddeley "Genet" five-cylinder, 80-hp
radial engines from England to use on
the planned F-21s. (A genet is a small
catlike animal found in countries bor
dering the western Mediterranean.)
Through its well-developed grapevine
Nicholas-Beazley lea rn ed that this
batch of engines was available at an
attractive disposal price.
So it bought these engines, in
st alled one on the no se of th e test
ship, and watched it taxi out for its
first flight with crossed fingers. With
about doubl e the power hauling it
forward, the ship now prod uced sat
isfyingly crisp performance. The rate
of climb is given as 750 fpm in one
reference book and 900 in anoth

er-better than the 400 fpm typical

of popular 40-hp ships . DeSignated
the NB-8G, the low price of Genet en
gines obtained from Fairchild enabled
it to be sold for the reasonable price
of $1,790 compared to the $1 ,500
typically asked for 40-hp jobs. A lot
more was asked for the heavier, more
powerful biplane trainer of its day. In
1931 and 1932 about 60 were built
and sold. That used up the original
stock of Genet engines. Armstrong
Siddeley would surely have asked a
higher price per engine for another
supply of Genets. Also, by 1932 the
Depression was at its worst. So that
was the end of NB-8G production.
As an aside, there is one on display
today in the museu m section of Old
Rhinebeck Aerodrome at Rhinebeck,
New York.
The ship had good and tractable
flying and h andling qualities, at least
for its time, and it served owners well
both as an economical trainer and as
a weekend flyabo ut. Early examples
had rigid landing gears and depended
on the then -new low-pressure Good
year "airwhee l" tires for shock ab
sorption . These worked all right on
paved runways, but Nicholas-Beazley
was not the only company to dis
cover they had a qu irk. When a plane
fitted with them gained speed while
taking off from an unpaved and not
very smooth runway, it could develop
a bucking or porpoising action as the
soft tires an d firm gro und fought a
duel. So later models were fitted with
oleo shock struts. These tamed takeoff
runs along with the airwheels made
the ship a good one for rough fields .
Structurally the NB-8G was entirely
conventional for 1931. The fuselage,
tail, and landing gear were of welded
chromoly steel tubing, the wing was
built up with spruce spars and ribs,
and the entire frame was covered
with fabric.
It cannot be said that the ship was
a beauty, for its overall appearance
was one of awkward ungainliness. It's
true that one could not see this when
sitting in the cockpit and so could
forget it was an ugly duckling while
airborne. But poor styling while on
the ground has n ever been an effecV INTAGE AIRP L A NE

27

-TI~-

_JL '

"

Figure 1: The NB-8 used this

RAF-34 airfoil , which featured
small center-of-pressure travel
and also good depth for light but
strong spars.

"
-~- .

28

MAY 2008

I
,.------~

"

:":
"

tive sales feature. It's not possible

for us to know what the designer's
thoughts were as he drew plans for
the NB-8 more than 60 years ago, but
perhaps his motto was I/Form follows
function." What we now callI/indus
trial designers" were a novelty then
and had not had much impact on the
styling of products. Automobiles were
still rather angular and boxy-looking.
So, working in remote Marshall,
Missouri, it's possible he gave little
thought to sleek looks. Then, too,
it's a fact that some designers have a
good sense for lines and shapes and
others simply do not.
Since he had chosen the not-exactly
compact span of 37.S feet, it must have
occurred to him that folding wings
would make the plane easier to store
away in a hangar to protect it from sun
light and rain when not in use-and
private planes often sit on the ground
for weeks on end as owners tend to
business and family matters.
To achieve folding, he used B-type
wing struts arranged in such a way
that the front ones angled back to
join the rear ones at a common fu
selage fitting on the lower longerons.
This fitting and that of the rear spar
where it attached to the center sec
tion were on a common pivot line.
As the inboard trailing edges of the
wings would foul the center section
when folded, the center section had a
large flap that could be folded up out
of the way.
The wing struts were made of
round rather than streamlined steel
tubing. Perhaps Nicholas-Beazley had
a lot of it in stock, or bought a lot of it
cheap from some bankrupt company,
or perhaps it was just less expensive
than streamlined tubing. Balsa wood
fairing was taped to these struts to
give a streamlined shape, which gave

-~ -F-~~;~
BRACOCLT

'

Figure 2: Left to right, "elephant ear," Friese , and paddle-type aileron

balances.

the struts a stout and also I/heavy"

look that clashed aesthetically with
the spindly center section and land
ing gear struts.
The center section flap was in
stalled so that when in flight, its trail
ing edge could be raised or lowered
slightly so as to make it work as a
trim tab. This seems like a huge trim
tab because we have become accus
tomed to small ones located on tail
surfaces. But, it was located so close
to the center of gravity and had so
much area that it could in fact alter
trim just as is the case with landing
flaps mounted on the wings of mod
ern planes.
When the wings were folded the
ship was 10 feet 4 inches wide. This
enabled an NB-8G to be tucked hand
ily in among other planes in a han
gar, but it was still too wide to fit
through a standard garage door. But
apparently Kirkup did not visualize
owners trailering their planes home
behind cars. If anyone had tried that,
he would have encountered a dis
couraging problem-folding wings
back along a fuselage also shifts the
plane's center-of-gravity apprecia
bly aft, and this would put too much
down load on the trailer hitch. This
would ca u se the car and plane to
I/fight" each other when operating on
a rough road. The center of gravity
problem is why trailers are often used
to move small planes over the high
way. Also, the small wheels of a plane
would revolve much faster than the
larger ones of the tow car at highway
speeds, bringing on tire, bearing, and
perhaps brake difficulties.

Figure 3: Planes of the 1930s

used a combination of thick and
strong plus light and slim tubing.

The wing was set surprisingly high

above the fuselage, and this contrib
uted to the ship's gawky look. Be
cause there was a door on the right
side of the cockpit, this high mount
ing probably was not simply to facili
tate cockpit entry and exit . Perhaps
the high location was the outcome
of the designer's stress analysis. If it
had been positioned lower for better
appearance, the angle between the V
struts and lower surface of the wing
would have become more acute. Any
one who understands graphical anal
ysis of forces can demonstrate on
paper that this would have resulted
in higher tension and compression
loads on the struts and spars.
The wing was built around the
RAF-34 airfoil (Figure 1) developed
in England. We can only conjecture
why. It was one of the earliest airfoils
to have little or no center-of-lift travel,
which was a help in designing light
weight wing structures. It also had a
gently rounded top to its lift curve,
suggesting docile stall characteristics.

The "paddle"-type aileron balance reduced stick loads as explained in

this article.

Early examples h ad plain ailerons

with no ba lan cing of an y kind . This
type was easy and inexpensive to man
ufacture, but often resulted in a heavy
control stick fee l. Figure 2 shows three
aileron balancing methods. Th e left
hand sketch shows the "elephant ear"
type m uch used during Wo rld War
I an d on so me 1920s pl an es. Wh en
NB -8G pil ots compl ain ed of h eavy
aileron feel, in corporatin g this type
of balance would have required com
plete rebuild of the wingtips. Besides,
th is type was n otorious for catching

on h angar doors when ships were be

ing moved in and out.
The middle sketch sh ows the now
common Friese type of balance, named
after its developer. This type red uces
both stick forces and adverse yaw ten
dencies, but it takes much flight testing
to find just the right slot and aileron
leading edge shapes, and there are more
operations involved in manufacture.
The easy fix thus adopted by Nich
olas-Beazley was the paddle-type bal
an ce sh own in the th ird sketch. It
was easy and quick to find exactly the

Fairchild F-22
by Bob WhiHier
The Fairchild F-22 also built in the early 1930s was, like the Nicholas-Beazley,
a two-seat general-purpose training and sport plane. But it was a much more
attractive ship for assorted reasons . The NB 's landing gear was of the tripod
type and had a spindly look due to the wide spacing of the wheels. The F-22
also had wide wheel spacing, but the different strut arrangement-including the
widths and masses of the various struts-were so much different as to be more
attractive. Wh ile the F-22 was certainly well-engineered, it also incorporated
enough feeling for line and proportion to create a much better-looking plane. If
you saw an NB-8G and an F-22 standing side by side on a flightline , which one
would attract you the most?

right size and position and to install.

As you can visualize from the photo,
wh en the aileron goes down, the pad
d le located ahead of its hinge line
develops lift and thus lightens the
contro l stick feel. While this was a
technically logical solution, it added
anot her awkward-looking detail to
an already cl uttered plane. Later NBs
were fitted with Friese ailerons.
Wh en this plane was designed, it
was standard practice to build tail sur
faces as shown in Figure 3. A triangle of
stout steel tubes provided the needed
strength , while both the ribs and out
line were of m uch lighter tubes. Tubing
used for the outlines could thus read
ily be bent to nice curves on a simple
jib, and as a result planes of that time
displayed all kinds of both handsome
and ugly tail surface outlines. Fabric
tension easily pulls straight tubes out
of shape, but curved ones resist such
deformation well.
So the NB's vertical tail had an ap
p reciably curved shape. The reason
why it was so ta ll was to get some of
its area well out of turbulent air fl ow
ing back from the large open cockpit.
Large rudders were an advantage on
planes having tails kids and n o brakes,
for one then did not have to open the
throttle too m uch to get enough rud
der fo rce to turn around at runway's
en d . The trouble was, this curvy tail
clash ed wi th the angularity of some
other parts of the ship.
Th e la nd in g gear cons isted of
r ig ht a n d left tripods made of
ro un d stee l tu bing. To provi de ad
eq ua te propeller gro u nd clearance
an d enoug h stability to wit h stand
wind forces on the h igh -mou nted
win g when taxiing crosswi n d, the
gea r had to be both high an d wide .
So wide and spindly, in fac t, that it
looked frag il e despite Kirkup 's reas
suring st ress calculations.
Laugh at the NB if you will, but the
fac t remains that today we can learn
something useful from analyzing it.
It could be ca lled a good example of
the tru t h of the old saying that air
plan e design is part science and part
art. It came on too strong in th e sci
en ce department and rather too weak
in art!
......
V IN T A GE AIRP L ANE

29

BY DOUG STEWART

Runway incursions

As I monitored the UNICOM fre

quency I heard the following in my
headset: "Anyone on base or final,
please announce." Looking toward
the arrival end of the runway I saw
a sleek composite, glass-paneled air
plane taxiing onto the runway.
The only problem was there was
a NORDO (no radio) Luscombe 8A
on about a quarter-mile final. And
it was obvious that the pilot taxiing
onto the runway was unaware of the
arriving airplane on short final. Not
only had he not heard the pilot of
the Luscombe reply on the radio, be
cause the 8A did not have a radio, but
also the Luscombe didn't appear on
the big lO-inch screen showing traf
fic to the pilot of the TAA (technically
advanced aircraft) because a tran
sponder in the Luscombe would have
been as useful as an empty gas tank,
as it didn't have any electrical system
whatsoever. It was obvious that the
pilot of the TAA was relying solely
on his electronic equipment for his
traffic avoidance and not on the best
piece of equipment he had in his
cockpit...his two eyes. And thus yet
another runway incursion occurred.
For those who seek a definition of
"runway incursion" I offer the Inter
national Civil Aviation Organization
(lCAO) definition: "Any occurrence
at an aerodrome involving the incor
rect presence of an aircraft, vehicle,
or person on the protected area of a
surface designed for the landing and
takeoff of aircraft."
But I shouldn't be too harsh on
the pilot of that sleek new airplane,
30

MAY 2008

for I must confess that I, too, had

once inadvertently pulled out onto
an active runway, right in front of
an airplane on short final. In my de
fense I will state that I had listened
on my radio and scanned the final
approach path, but somehow I had
missed the airplane on final. Was I
tired? Was I in a hurry? Was my radio
volume turned down? Was I tuned
to the proper frequency? Was I dis
tracted by my passenger? Was the
approaching airplane in a blind spot
to my vision? I don't really know.
But I do know that I was terribly em
barrassed that I had done such a stu
pid thing and vowed never to allow
that to happen again.
Runway incursions have been
happening as long as there have
been airports in existence. And they
usually have nothing to do with
pilot skill or lack thereof. It could
happen to the best of us. A friend
of mine who is an excellent, safety
conscious, and diligent pilot re
counts the following incident:
"Twenty-five years or so ago, I was
flying my non-electrical system tail
dragger out of Danbury airport in
western Connecticut. One morning, I
taxied out and did the usual commu
nications with the ground controller
as I taxied to Runway 17 for depar
ture. It was a clear spring day without
any traffic in the area, and I stopped
short of the hold line, did the run-up
and aircraft checks, and switched to
tower frequency on my STS handheld
radio. I informed him I was ready to
depart, and then it happened .

"To this day I don't recall exactly

what the clearance was, but accord
ing to the controller he later told me
he had cleared me to Taxi into posi
tion and hold.'
" I'm certain the reason was for
a potential departure on the cross
runway, although I didn't know it
at the time . It wasn't unusual for
someone to do a fairly quick turn
around at one of the FBOs on the
east end of the field, where a taxi
for departure was hardly 100 yards.
As I said, there was no other traffic
in the pattern, and no communi
cations from other aircraft on the
tower or ground frequency, but it
didn 't take long for that to change
at that airport.
"I don't recall having been issued
a 'taxi into position and hold' clear
ance in a very long time, and I sus
pect I 'heard' what I wanted to hear,
rather than the actual clearance is
sued by the tower controller. In any
event, I taxied out onto 17, applied
power, and took off. I was just clear
ing the cross runway when the tower
controller looked up and realized I'd
departed rather than hold short. I
can still hear his rebuke. 'That could
have been a very serious situation,'
he barked . 'Roger, understood,' was
my weak response.
"Up to that point in time, that
controller was always a very nice, rea
sonable fellow who had never said a
cross word while I was listening in on
frequency. I always felt poor about
the fact I'd contributed to him hav
ing a bad day.

"I asked him if he'd like me to call

him when I returned, and he said no,
that we'd both learned all we were
going to by that point. I've never for
gotten how badly I felt about that
incident. It was really the first time
after a decade of flying that I'd made
an error that was in direct conflict
with a controller's clearance, and I've
never wanted to have to go to bed
again with that crummy feeling in
the pit of my stomach. Long before
it was announced as required on ATIS
broadcasts, ever since that inCident,
I've been a maniac about repeating
'hold short' and 'taxi into position
and hold ' or 'land and hold short'
clearances . I wouldn't want to con
tribute to anyone else having a bad
day, including the other person who
might be in the pattern with me."
Twenty-five years ago, if that con
troller had wanted to file a violation
on the errant pilot, there would not
have been much the pilot could have
done to protect himself, but that is not
the case now. There is a program in
place today known as RIIEP (Runway
Incursion Information Evaluation Pro
gram). It is similar in many respects to
the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting
System. Basically it is a FAA program
developed to help gather and analyze
facts about runway incursions . The
benefits to pilots, above and beyond
the obvious data gathering to pinpoint
the causes of runway incursions and
create training scenarios to help com
bat them, is that the FAA will forego
legal enforcement action against the
pilot who participates in the program.
Any pilot is eligible to participate in
the program as long as: 1. The event
was an inadvertent act; 2. The event
does not require a re-examination of
certificate privileges; 3. The pilot did
not display a substantial disregard for
safety; 4. The event was not indica
tive of any trend of noncompliance
with FAA regulations; and,S. The pi
lot displays a constructive attitude.
Sounds like a win/win situation to me.
(Fo r more information about RIIEP
go to www.FAA.gov/airports_airtraf{ic/
airports/runway_safety/riiep.
Another good source of informa
tion about the ca uses of runway in

curs ions as well as best practices to

avoid them is Advisory Circular (AC)
91-73A: Single Pilot Procedures During
Taxi Operations. (It is quickly down
loaded from the www.FAA.gov web
site.) It includes numerous tips and
suggestions to reduce the incidence
of runway incursions. Some of these
include proper, thorough planning,
coordination, and communication;
the use of airport diagrams to mon
itor your movement about the air
port; writing down taxi instructions;
the clarification of air traffic control
instructions, if not understood, in
cluding proper read-back/hear-back
using standard phraseology; the
proper knowledge of airport signs,
markings, and lighting, as well as the
airport diagram, to keep the aircraft
on its assigned taxi route; maintain
ing a sterile cockpit during taxi op
erations; not engaging in any other
cockpit duties (like programming a
GPS) while taxiing; and monitoring
UNICOM frequencies at nontowered
airports. The list goes on, with many

more great suggestions, so I highly

advise a reading of that AC.
I know that we would all like to
think that the incidence of runway
incursions is on the decline, but un
fortunately the opposite is true. In
the FAA's fiscal year 2007, there were
40 more runway incursions than in
the previous year, and indicators for
FY '08 indicate the numbers are ris
ing. All it takes is one moment of
complacency, of distraction, of con
fusion to create a runway incursion.
Everyone of us could be susceptible.
We all need to do our best to help re
duce the frequency with which they
occur. Without due diligence it could
ruin the day for anyone of us. A day
that might otherwise have . .. blue
skies and tail winds.
Doug Stewart is the 2004 National
CFI of the Year, a NAFI Master Instruc
tor, and a deSignated pilot examiner.
He operates DSFI Inc. (www.DSFlight.
com), based at the Columbia County
Airport (IBI).
.......

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VINTAGE A I RPLANE

31

BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box

3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs
to be in no later than June 10 for inclusion in the
August 2008 issue of Vintage Airplane.

VAA COLLECTION.

You can also send your response via e-mail. Send

your answer to mysteryplane@eaa.org. Be sure to include
your name, city, and state in the body of your note, and
put "(Month) Mystery Plane" in the subject line.

FEBRUARY'S MYSTERY ANSWER

February's Mystery Plane, the Ben Jones 5-125.

Here's one of the answers for Feb

ruary's Mystery Plane:
liThe February 2008 Mystery
Plane is the Ben Jones S-125 . The
aircraft was designed and built
32

MAY 2008

by Ben Jones (Ben Jones Inc.) at the

Schenectady County Airport, New
York, between 1935 and 1937 as C/N
1 [NX16791]. The engine was a four
cylinder, inverted in-line Menasco

C-4-125 (military designation L-365;

engine TC No. 67) of 125 hp at 2175
rpm. Accommodations for two in
tandem were provided under a slid
ing cockpit cover. The aircraft crashed
shortly after takeoff on its first flight,
reportedly due to crossed aileron
controls. Mr. Jones, who also had as
sembled and sold five New Standard
D-series biplanes for which he held
the type certificate, sold his five re
maining, unassembled D-series com
ponents, their type certificate, and
the remains of the 5-125 to White
Aircraft Co. of Le Roy, New York.
Jack Erickson
State College, Pennsylvania
We'll give Wesley R. Smith of
Springfield, Illinois, double credit
for the Mystery Plane . Wes also an

swered the December Mystery Plane

correctly. Here's his answer related
to the February MP:
"The February 2008 Mystery
Plane is the Jones Aircraft Co. Inc.
1937 S-125 (later, White S-125/S
150). The photo which appears in
Vinta ge Airplane is identical to
that which appears on NASM La
ser Videodisc I, Side B, Frame 8075
("Jones," Frames 8060-8077).
"The aircraft was probably de
signed by Benjamin Jones in 1937
and was built at Schenectady, New
York. It was originally powered by
a 125 hp Menasco C-4 and was reg
istered as X16791. The span of the
Jones S-125 was 31 feet 0 inches,
and the overall length was 24 feet 3
inches. The useful load was reputed
to be 750 pounds, and the maximum
speed was 151 mph, with a cruise
of 136 mph, apparently in its later
incarnation with an up-rated 150
hp Menasco C-4 (a C-4 with the
bore increased to 4.75 inches. Gun
ston, William. World Encyclopae
dia of Aero Engines, p 97) . In any
case, the sole S-125 was badly dam
aged during its maiden flight.
"Jones also purchased around 10
New Standard D-25s from the Met
ropolitan Aircraft Corp. of Sara
toga, New York, in 1938. Five of the
D-25s were completed (19155/57
and 19197/98) , and five were un
completed prior to the sale of the
Jones Aircraft Company's assets to
the White Aircraft Co. (Donald G.
White, owner) of Woodward Airport,
Le Roy, New York (also in 1938).
White completed the five unas
sembled New Standards; four deliv
ered in 1940 as D-25Bs with 285 hp
WrightJ-6 radials, and a final aircraft
as a D-25A. Two of the D-25Bs were
destroyed in a hangar fire at Mon
roeville, Alabama (NR25317/18).
Two were sold to the Department of
Agriculture in 1941 (NR25319/20),
while the D-25A was finally com
pleted as NR25 313 in 1942.
"White then appears to have re
built the Jones S-125 (in 1938), as the
aircraft subsequently became known
as the White S-125. When White re
built the aircraft, he also apparently

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soon installed an up-rated 150 hp

Menasco C-4, and then may have
changed the designation to S-150 .
In addition to the assets of the Jones
Aircraft Co., White acquired the as
sets of the Argonaut Aircraft Inc. O.
LeRoy Sutton, of North Tonawanda,
New York) in 1939 and modified
(and redesignated) the Argonaut
H-24 flying boat as the White Gull,
which was retrofitted with a Mena
sco C-6. During 1938, White also
constructed the 165 hp Ranger
powered White A-R, and in 1940
he purchased the rights to the Ver
ville Sport AT (a point I neglected
to mention in connection with the
November 2007 Mystery Plane-I
must be slipping). Fitted with a 200
hp Warner Scarab, White's version
of the Verville Sport AT had a span
of 31 feet and a length of 24 feet
3 inches (oddly, the same dimen
sions as the S-125, and not the same
as other Verville Sport ATs) . White
had planned to produce the Verville
Sport AT for the Civilian Pilot Train
ing Program (CPTP) as the PT-7 (this
was White's designation and was
not an official U.S. Army Air Corps
designation). By this time, (1940)
White had relocated to Palmer, Mas
sachusetts, and only one White
buil t Vervi ll e Sport AT (PT-7) may
have been constructed. About this
time, White also changed the name
of his company to the White Air
craft Corp.
"Sometime around 1942, White
turned to the manufacture of com
ponents for military gliders. With
the end of hostilities, the White Air
craft Corp. ceased to exist. Unfortu-

www.acomweldl.....com

The safety of modem

"Mil- Spec" avia tion wire
With that classic
"braided and lacquered"
look.
PO Box 51 ( 107 Woodville Rd.)
Wood River Jet. , RI 02894
(40 1) 364-3839 fax (401 )364 -3830
www.narragansenreproductions.com

Iiil.

nately, the fate of the S-125 remains

something of a mystery. In April of
1938, Flying Aces magazine published
photographs and possibly a set of
model plans for the aircraft (which
may still be available through the
Academy of Model Aeronautics.
NASM Laser Videodisc IB Frame
8061 has a crude three-view draw
ing, and www.AirborneMagazine.com.
au offers plans for a 495 mm span
model) Little else seems to be known
about this elusive aircraft, and I am
indebted to www.Aerofiles.com for
most of the information I have been
able to unearth."
Correct answers were also re
ceived from Bub Borman, Dallas,
Texas; Wayne Van Valkenburgh, Jas
per, Georgia; Joe Tarafas, Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania; and Doug Rounds ,
Zebulon, Georgia.
V I NTAGE AIRPLANE

33

First Funk

A glimpse of the first powered aircraft

built by the Funk brothers

by H.G. Frautschy, with acknowledgements to The Funk Flyer Newsletter

edited by Thad Shelnutt and G. Dale Beach's book, It's a Funk!
The Funk brothers, Joe and How
ard, had been building and flying
gliders of their own design for seven
years, ever since they converted the
back portion of their produce store
into a workshop where they could re
pair and eventually build gliders. By
1931, the boys had been adding time
to their glider logs and had started
flying fixed-wing aircraft when they
joined a flying club in Akron, Ohio.
An OX-S powered American Eagle bi
plane was the airplane they flew, but
with the cost of flying a powered air
plane significantly higher than their
budget really could allow, the next
couple of years dragged on with only
a few hours added to their logs at
an agonizingly slow pace. They ex
plored the idea of buying their own
airplane project and rebuilding it, but
the airplanes available for the price
they could pay were a step backward
in both ability and mechanical reli
ability. They began to think about the
idea from a whole new perspective.
By the end of 1933 , the Funks
began to solidify their plans about
building a powered airplane. Joe rec
ognized that the experience they had
building and repairing gliders would
go a long way toward giving them
34

MAY 2008

the skills they needed to construct a

powered airplane, and Howard read
i1yagreed.
As describe d in G. Dale Beach's
book, It's a Funk!, "On the evening of
January 31, 1934, Howard sat down
at his makeshift drafting table and
shortly after had completed a three
view layout of the airplane they
would build ." The brothers would
also attend Akron University special
izing in aircraft design, and among
the engineering texts studied by the
brothers, Howard and Joe had been
relying primarily on books authored
by noted aeronautical engineer and
professor Dr. Alexander Klemin. In
particular, the books published by
the professor on stress analysis and
aerodynamics were recognized as the
authoritative texts on those subjects.
Joe paid particular attention to the
aerodynamics of their airplane, while
Howard concerned himself with the
structural aspects of the design.
They planned on powering the
two-place, side-by-side airplane with
a three-cylinder Szekely engine, one
just like the engine mounted on the
front of the Buhl Pup that was part
of the flying club's fleet. There was
one other reason for the choice of the

Szekely-they knew someone who

would sell them one for what they
thought was a fair price.
What Howard sketched on that
chilly January night was a side-by
side airplane that had a slightly
chubby appearance in its aft fuselage,
a bit like a foreshortened Fairchild
24, an airplane the brothers had ad
mired. The fuselage was of fairly stan
dard construction, with a steel tube
fuselage faired by a set of plywood
formers and milled wood stringers.
The 3S-foot wing was braced by a pair
of wing struts on each side, and the
cabin door on the starboard side of
the fuselage was mounted between
the two struts. A conventional land
ing gear used an oleo strut on each
side for shock absorption, and the
Szekely was neatly faired into the fu
selage and sloping windshield.
When it was finished by midyear
1934, they hauled it out to the Ak
ron airport for its final assembly and
flight testing. On July 2, 1934, How
ard sat down in the cockpit, and
he and brother Joe ran through the
starting ritual as Joe pulled the prop
through to start the Szekely. Joe must
have been a good student of professor
continued on page 37

Kent Misegades

Cary, NC

Started flying at age 15

first soloed on 16th birthday
Flew gliders while working as
an aerodynamicist in early 1980s
Approx. 750 hours flight time
Participant in fAA's Speaker's
Bureau Program;fast officer of
fAA Chapter 111 , Apex, NC

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and restrictions, although I had never had a claim of any sort.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the premiums and the
great service. The fact that the owners of AUA themselves are
deeply involved in sport aviation is a big plus./I

- Kent Misegades

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ports endorsements

This VAA Calendar of Events is a fraction of those posted on the newest page on the
EM website. To submit an event, or to view the most up to date list, please visit the EM
website at www.eaa.orgjcalendar. During 2008, we 'll publish this calendar as we transition
to an all-web based calendar for 2009. This list does not constitute approval, sponsorship,
involvement, control or direction of any fly-in, seminar, fly market or other event.
May 16-18 - Kewanee, IL - 6th Annual Midwest Aeronca Festival. Kewanee
Municipal Airport (Ell). Seminars, flying contests, food, camping and
music. Showers on field . Bring your tail draggers. All aircraft welcome.
Lot's of grass to land on and to park/ camp Start Time: 8:00am End
Time: 10:00am Contact: Jody Wittmeyer, Phone: 309-854-2393, Email:

jociydeb@earthlink.net
May 17 - Beloit, WI- Spring Fling Pancake Breakfast and Fly-In. Beloit Airport
(44G). This is Chapter 60 's annual fund raiser for chapter projects,
scholarships, etc. that includes a full pancakes and eggs breakfast, fly-in ,
classic auto show and other fun activities for the whole family. Start Time:
0700 End Time: 1100 Contact: Ken Brooks, Phone: 815-985-0717,
Email: kenbrooks@charter.net
May 17 - Delaware - EM Vintage 27 Fly-in Breakfast. Delaware Municipal
Airport (DLZ). Fly In breakfast Start Time: 08:00 End Time: 10:00 Contact:
Woody Mcintire, Phone: 6145652887, Email: wjmcintire@cs.com
May 1718 - Blaine, MN - Blaine Aviation Weekend . Anoka County Airport
(ANE). 26th annual EM Chapter 237 Pancake Breakfast, 7a.m. to
noon . Lunch follows . Golden Wings Museum and American Wings Air
Museum. 8th Annual Big Band Hangar Dance Sat. evening. http://www.
eaachapter237.orgContact: Lyle Peterson, Email: lyIeap@comcast.net
May 1718 - Hampton, NH - Hampton Fly Market. Hampton Airport (7B3).
VAA Chapter 15 pancake breakfast. Drawing for three prizes, David Clark
headset, leather jacket, and a ride in a C-172. 08001800 Contact: Mike
Hart, Phone: 603-964-6749, Email: fly7b3@Comcast.net
May 18 - Brodhead, WI - EM Chapter 431 Community Pancake Breakfast.
Brodhead Airport (C37). Brodhead Airport EM Chapter 431 annual
Community Pancake Breakfast. Serving from 7:00 am to noon. Homebuilt
and antique aircraft on display. Start Time: 7:00 am End Time: 12:00
noon Contact: Mike Weeden, Email: blueleader@wekz.net
May 23-25 - Watsonville, CA - 44th Annual Watsonville Fly-In & Airshow.
Watsonville Airport (WVI). Friday May 23 Noon to 8 PM. Saturday & Sunday
May 23 & 24 9 AM to 5 PM. Vintage and Homebuilt aircraft display &
judging. Aerobatic airshow. Vintage and current military warbird display and
airshow. Food and camping available on field . EM Chapter 119 Pancake
Breakfast Sat. & Sun. Start Time: 9 AM End Time: 5 PM Contact: Dave
Brockmann, Phone: 831-763-5600, Email: watsonvilleflyin@hotmail.com
May 24 - Newton, IA - First Annual Ray Hill Memorial Flight Breakfast.
Newton Municipal Airport (TNU). The newly created EM Chapters of
Central Iowa invite you to the First Annual Ray Hill Memorial Flight
Breakfast. Ames Chapter 1452, Marshalltown Chapter 675, Des
Moines Chapter 135 and Newton Chapter 456. Breakfast - adults $6,
kids under 12 $3, PIC free. Start Time: 0700 End Time: 1100 Contact:
Jim Jones, Phone: 641.792.9764, Email: jimjones@iowatelecom.net
May 24 - St. Louis/ Sauget, IL - Midwest Regional Fly-in. St. Louis
Downtown Airport (CPS ). Fly-in sponsored by the Greater St.
Louis Air & Space Museum and EAA Chapter 64. Something
for everyone! Start Time: 0800 End Time : 1600 Contact: Bob
McDaniel, Phone: 618-337-6060 , Email: director@cps.aero
May 30June 1 - Poplar Grove Airport , IL - (C77) - Army Wings
and Wheels 2008 Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum L-bird
fly-in and living history re-enactment. Flying events, pancake
breakfast, awards . See website at www.ArmyWingsAndWheels.
com or call Museum at 815-547-3115 for further details.
June 1 - Central City, NE - 10th Annual Fly In. Central City Muncipal Airport
(07K). 10th Annual Fly In Breakfast. Fly Ins eat free. Start Time: 7 am.
Contact: Don Shorney, Phone: 308-946-3450
June 1 - Greenwood, IL - Vintage Aircraft Fly-in Picnic. Galt Airport (lOG). Fly-in
picnic. All vintage aircraft welcome. Serving chicken and ribs. Food served
around 1:00 pm. Bring a dish to pass. Donations accepted for Chapter
932 scholarship program. Fly-in fuel discount. Reservations suggested
email planejohn@aol.com Start Time : 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Contact: John
Roach , Phone: 815-444-7784, Email: planejohn@aol.com
June 57 - Bartlesville, OK - 22nd Annual Biplane Expo. (BVO).
Biplanes at Their Best -Grand Champion Biplane Exhibits
Biplane Center Museum Cornplex Open to PubliC- OO Type Club

36 MAY 2008

Gatherings " -Forums & Seminars-Aircraft Judging by Vote of

Attendees-Major Aviation Notables-Biplane Rides Available for
the Public See website for more info ., Phone : 918-622-8400
June 78 - Troy, OH - WACO Reid (lWF) VAA Chapter 36 Wings and
Wheels Strawberry Festival Fly-In. 9am - 6pm Airplane rides ,
Aviation Safety Tearn Seminar, Military reenactments , cash prizes.
June 6-8 - Columbia, CA - Bellanca-Champion Club West Coast
Fly-In. Columbia Airport (022 ). The biggest and best gathering
of Bellancas - Cruisair, Cruisemaster, Viking, Citabria,
Decathlon, Scout, Champion. Technical seminars, owner
roundtables, food service and a great time in a superb
location. On-site camping w/ showers, short walk into town .
Contact: Robert Szego, Phone: 518-731-6800, Email: staff@

bellanca-championclub.com
June 7 - Troy, OH - VAA Chapter 36 Wings and Wheels Strawberry
Festival Fly-In. (lWF). Airplane rides , Aviation Safety Team Seminar,
Military reenactments, cash prizes Start Time: 9am End Time:
6pmSunday, June 8 - Jackson, MI. EM Chapter 304 40th Annual
Fly In Cruse In Pancake Breakfast. Jackson County/ Reynolds Reid
(JXN). Dash plaques to first 100 aircraft and cars. Start Time: 7AM
End Time: 12PM Contact: John Eiler, Phone: 517-474-4878, Email :

chucknlinda@sbcglobal.net
June 8 - Jackson, MI - EAA Chapter 304 40th Annual Fly In Cruse
In Pancake Breakfast. Jakcson County/ Reynolds Field (JXN).
Dash plaques to first 100 aircraft and cars . Start Time:
7-12 pm Contact: John Eiler, Phone : 517-474-4878, Email:

chucknlinda@sbcglobal.net
June 8 - Lansing, IL - Wings and Wheels Breakfast/ Lunch. Lansing
Municipal Airport (IGQ). EM Chapter 260 and Joliet Model A
Restorer's Club will host Wings & Wheels 2008 Breakfast and
Lunch . Lunch after11:30 am. Visit historic Ford Tri-Motor hangar and
hear about it's history. 7-1:30 pm Contact: Glenn Leszczak, Phone:
708672-9865, Email : glenn@consys-inc.com
June 8 - Meadville , PA - EAA 1194 11th Annu al Fly In . Port
Meadville Airport (GKJ ). 11th Annual Fly-In / Drive In Breakfast.
Featuring the Carolinas Aviation Museum ' s Piedmont Airl ines
Douglas DC-3. 7-3pm Contact: Rich Starn, Phone : 814-382
9080, Email : rwstarf1371 @hotmail.com
June 1215 - Middletown, OH - Hook Municipal Airport (MWO). 14th
National Aeronca Association Convention . See more Aeroncas in
one place than you'll see anywhere in the world. Tours, forums and
lots of fellOWShip, fun and flying will make this a weekend event you
won't want to miss. For more information : www.aeroncapilots.com.
email nationalaeroncaassociation@yahoo.comorcall 216-337-5643.
June 1215 - Stauning, Denmark - 41st International KZ-rally and
fly-in. Stauning Airport (EKVD). 41st annual international KZ-rally.
Fly-in and annual meeting of EM 655 started 41 years ago and is
the oldest aviation event in Denmark, and the ONLY civilian annual
event here (others are bi-annual or air force) Contact: Erik Gj0rup
Kristensen, Phone: +45 30 49 11 72 , Email : kzaero@kzclub.dk
June 1315 - Gainesville, TX - Texas Antique Aircraft Fly-in . Gainesville
Municipal (GLE). North Texas Antique Aircraft Fly-in. Come and join
in on the fun. Start Time: 10:00 End Time: 18:00 Contact: Terry
Wallace, Phone: 817-706-3173 , Email : Wallacete@cs.com
June 15 - Hanson, MA - EM Chapter 279 Fly-in Breakfast. Cranland Airport
(28M). EM Colonial Chapter 279 Hanson, MA. 0800-1100. All you can
eat for a $5 donation. Children up to and including 12 years of age are
half price accompanied by an adult parent. Contact: Cart Patturelli , Email:

eaa279@comcast.net
June 15-30 - Midwestern United States. American Bamstormers Tour.
The 2008 American Barnstormers Tour showcases as many as 20
meticulously restored vintage aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s in
an exceptional collection of airplanes and aviators. A nostalgiC salute
to the daring young men and women who ventured across America
during the 1920s seeking fame and fortune in their biplanes dubbed

Klemin.s published work, because the

new monoplane flew in perfect trim
right from the first flight.
There was only one problem of
note with the airplane.
The Szekely.
It was a good thing the boys were
trained glider pilots, beca use they
could count on the Szekely quitting
just about every 10 hours of flight . In
Dale Beach's book, Joe quipped that
it was liThe most reliable engine we
ever used! We could absolutely rely
on it to break down by at least every
tenth hour of flight!"
Finally, an engine failure during
their trip to the Detroit Air Show
forced the brothers to make a deci
sion. They needed an inexpensive, re
liable powerplant for their lightplane,
and there just wasn't anything avail
able in the horsepower range they
wanted. So, they made the decision
to build their own.
The story of how the brothers en
gineered and built their first engine
could fill a small book (in fact, it

does take up the better part of a cou

ple of chapters of It's a Funk!) , and
we're not going to cover it in this
article, but thanks to the remark
able intuitive engineering done by
the Funk brothers, their new engine
not only was built, bu t also set t h e
standard for water-cooled lightplane
engine installations that wo uld not
be equaled until the advent of liq
uid -cooled insta ll ations on ultra
light and light-sport planes in the
1990s. Light, efficient, and powerful
for its size, it was cited by Dr. George
Lewis, then the director of the gov
ernment's National Advisory Com
mittee for Aeronautics (NACA, the
predecessor of today's NASA), as the
first example of a fully tunneled, liq
uid-cooled system in an airplane.
The photo we've included on page
34 was supplied to us by the Funk
Flyers Club. It shows the first Funk
airplane, X1400, at the airport in
Elmira, New York, on July 12, 1937.
It's not clear if this is the airport on
top of Harris Hill, a location with a

continued
"Barnstormers," will journey through America's Heartland on a nine-city tour.
Admission is free - Biplane rides available. 11()(}'1800 each day. Contact:
Mike Tharp, Phone: 319-356-5045, Email: info@americanbamstormers.com
June 1721 - Lock Haven, PA - 23rd Annual Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven.
William T. Piper Memorial (LHV). The 23rd Annual Sentimental Journey to
Cub Haven Fly-In June 17th - 21st. Featured airplanes: J-5, PA-25 Pawnee
and PA 36 Brave. Camping fees: $12.00/ night, RVs $15.00/ night. Contact:
Sentimental Journey, Inc., Phone: (570) 8934200, Email: j3cub@kcnet.org
June 1920 - St. Louis, MO - American Waco Club Fly-In. Dauster Flying
Field (lHO). You can also contact Jerry Brown at 317-422-9366 or
Ibrown4906@aol.com Contact: Phil Coulson, Phone: 269-6246490,
Email: rcoulson516@cs.com
June 21 - Porterville, CA - Eagle Mountain Air Show at Porterville Airport
Aerobatics, Warbird fly-bys, vintage, military and civilian aircraft on
display. Awards for display planes. Gates open at 8 AM Flour bombing
and spot-landing in the morning. Food, beverage, crafts vendors Contact:
(559) 289-0887 .
June 21 - Delaware, OH - EAA Vintage 27 Fly In Breakfast. (DLl). Fly
In Breakfast Start Time: 08:00 End Time: 10:00 Contact: Woody
Mcintire, Phone: 6145652887, Email : wjmcintire@cs.com
June 2122 - Gaylord, MI - 2008 Gaylord Air Fair. Gaylord Regional Airport (GLR).
Held to awareness of aviation in the community. Sat. only, static displays and
fly-bys of U.S. military aircraft, vintage jet fighters, experimental aircraft and
radio controlled aircraft along with exhibits and vendors. June 22 - Gaylord
EM Chapter annual fly-in breakfast and Young Eagles flights. Start Time:
10Q0.1700 Contact: Scott Woody, Phone: (989) 732-4218, Email: swoody@
gaylordregional.comJune 26-29 - Mt. Vernon, OH - Wynkoop Airport
(6G4) 49th Annual National Waco Club Reunion. For more info
contact Andy Heins at 937-313-5931 or email wacoaso@aol.com
June 28 - Gardner, KS - Greater Kansas City Vintage Fly-in . Gardner
Municipal Airport (K34) . Pancake Breakfast starting at 7:00am.
Lunch on the field and BBQ cookout Friday and Saturday evening.
Enjoy Old Tyme Aeroplane movies Friday and Saturday nights.
Camping permitted on-field and motel transportation provided tol
from the airport. Start Time: 0700 End Time: 2200 Contact: Jeff
Sullens, Phone: (816) 729-3151, Email: jsullens@kc.rr.com

long gliding history, or at the Elm

ira airport located below the airport
nearer the city. It's not surprising
that the Funk brothers would be in
Elmira; after all, it is the birthplace of
soaring in the United States and has
long been the home of the National
Soaring Museum.
If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say
by looking closely at the landscape
in the distance that this is at the air
port on top of Harris Hill. With the
tightly cow led Funk Model B engine
based on the Ford four-cylinder au
tomobile design, it presents a sleek
form that on ly the inline air-cooled
Menasco and Ranger engines could
equ al. The radiator's cooling lou
ver on the port side of the cowl can
be clearly seen, as can the oleo strut
landing gear coupled with a pair of
shock-absorbing tires. The color of
the airp lane was not defined , but it
certainly looks as though it is in silver
paint. If anyone has positive identifi
cation regarding the paint color, we'd
appreciate a note.
......

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were, and in the 40's and 50's, these tires were perfectly in
tune to the exciting times in aviation.
Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from
the rest, but also look exceptional on aU General Aviation
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tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.
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VI N TAGE AI RPLANE

37

continued from page 6

position, altitude, and speed.

A major benefit of next-gen cited by
the FAA would be to reduce airline de
lays and capacity constraints that are
the norm today, especially at the 35
busiest airports known as Operational
Evolution Partnership (OEP) airports.
EAA suggests that ADS-B should there
fore be tested on a limited basis with
the air carriers to see if it works before
requiring wholesale installation on
general aviation (GA) aircraft.
EAA further contends that the
equipment, as now priced, would be
beyond the means of thousands of
small-aircraft owners and hinder GA.
Similar equipment requirements over
the past 30 years each had the same
flaw: They kept many airplanes and
pilots from flying because of time and
expense involved.
"By failing to get GA's input and
simply mandating wholesale instal
lation of ADS-B Out for nearly 80
percent of the GA fleet, the FAA has
unnecessarily turned the recreational
and general aviation community
against what could well be a very use
ful and helpful technology if properly
and appropriately implemented,"
Macnair said. "Under this proposal
the agency is dramatically shifting
the costs of the NAS (national air
space system) from FAA ownership
and operation of ground-based ATC
surveillance technologies to the in
dividual aircraft owner to the tune of
many billions of dollars.
"EAA is urging FAA to meet with
the general aviation community be
fore finalizing this rule."

international organization that is

dedicated to the spirit of aviation.
Under the agreement, EAA will
provide extensive promotion and
coverage of the Arlington Fly-In and
also will serve as a major sponsor of
aviation educational activities, such
as forums and workshops, during the
event, among other considerations.
The two organizations had oper
ated under a more informal agreement
over the past 20 years, which did not
provide specific definitions of each
group's commitments and responsi
bilities. The new agreement, which is
in place for this year's Arlington Fly-In
on July 9-13, reflects the evolving avi
ation community in the 21st century.
As part of the agreement, the Ar
lington Fly-In will use the EAAJudging
Standards in its aircraft awards pro
gram, and it will host two EAA Sport
Air Workshops on the fly-in grounds
at other times of the year. Along with
the increased visibility and promotion
of the Arlington Fly-In, EAA will have
a major presence at the event to pro
vide member services, host forums,
and encourage its members to serve as
volunteers at the fly-in.
More information about the Ar
lington Fly-In, including admission
prices, accommodations, and sched

ule information as confirmed, is avail

able at www.ArlingtonFlyln.org.
The Arlington Fly-In is owned and
operated by Arlington Fly-In, an orga
nization that is independent of EAA.
EAA does not own or control any part
of the event or organizing body.

VAA Chapter 16
We had a few goof-ups in the
captions for March's article on the
VAA Chapter 16 fly-in. This beauti
ful Luscombe belongs to Bill Brad
ford of Independence, Missouri, not
Duane Oosterhuis. Bill's Luscombe is
a 150-hp custom airplane.
We also swapped the captions for
the two Aeroncas shown on the bot
toms of pages 23 and 24-Steve Law
lor's airplane is actually on page 23,
while Marvin Story and Ken Smiley's
pre-war Aeronca Chief is on page 24.
My apologies to all concerned . .......

TAiLW{-..l66LS

EAA, Arlington Fly-In Sign

New Sponsorship Agreement
EAA and the Arlington (Washing
ton) Fly-In, one of the nation's top
recreational aviation events, have
signed a new working agreement that
brings higher visibility to the Arling
ton event and clearly defines EAA's
role in the popular fly-in. The agree
ment underscores the shared mis
sions of the Arlington Fly-In, which
is celebrating its 40th anniversary in
2008, and EAA, the 170,OOO-member
38

MAY 2008

"'10U GO GiQL"

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 : 10t h of secon d
month prior to desired issue date (i .e., January
10 is the closing date for the March issue) . VAA
reserves the right to reject any advertising in
conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion
per issue . Classified ads are not acce pted via
phone . Payment must accompany ord er. Word
ads may be sent via fax (920-4264828) or e-mail
(classads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (all
cards accepted). Include name on card , com plete
address , type of card, card number, and expiration
dat e. Make checks paya ble to EAA. Address
advertising correspondence to EM Publ ications
Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086.

GET THE SKILLS

TO GET IT BUilT

AT EM SPORTAIR WORKSHOPS

AIRCRAFT
1941 Aeronca Chief, covering removed,
some repair work done, new interior.
Wonderful sport pilot project! Located in
Seattle. $6,500. Original 65hp Continental
engine also available, plus another 85hp
Continental engine. Contact Barry at
206-523-4082.
Baby Great Lakes - C-75 core , all wood
components, wheels, brakes, tires, cowl.
Precision parts package for two aircrafts.
Jigs and fixtures. Lots of parts. Call 434
978-2107 evenings. Virginia

MISCELLANEOUS
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing. Visit www.
flyingwires.com or call 800-517-9278.
HVLP Sprayer-C.J. Spray Model 750 for
low viscosity coatings with 25' hose.
Purchased June 2000 for BC12D
project . Never used . Asking $400 .
Contact Nancy: Dakotas_deais@att.
net or 978-664-5303.
WARBIRDSAND VINTAGE COLLECTIBLE
REPLICAS - Featuring replicas for the
collec tor and home decor, of history
making aircraft from the Wright Flyer to
WWI, WWII, Bi and Tri Planes, Warbirds and
more. Included are memorable American ,
European, and Japanese aircraft. These
rare and unique pieces are handcrafted
one at a time of tin and hand-painted to
capture the authentic look of an antique toy.
You will marvel at the creativity, design and
workmanship. www.atianticimporters.
com, info@atianticimporters.com 386
257-6767. Retail or Wholesale.

SERVICES
Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC

A&P I.A.: Annual , 100 hr. inspections.

Wayne Forshey 740-472-1481

Ohio - statewide.

GET YOUR HOMEBUILDING PROJECT OFF THE GROUND

BY SIGNING UP FOR EAA'S SPORTAIR WORKSHOPS

BEGINS
DURATION
May 17-18
2days
June 13-15
217 days
June 20-22
217 days
June 21-22
2days
August 8-10
217 days
August 8-10
217 days
August 23-24 2days
August 23-24 2days
September 5-7 217 days
September 5-7 217 days
September 6-7 2days
September 6-7 2days

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Van's RV Assembly
Repairman (ELSA) Inspection-Airplane
Repairman (ELSA) Inspection-Airplane
Fabric (overing
Repairman (ELSA) Inspection-Airplane
Repairman (ELSA) Inspection-Airplane
Electrical Systems, Wiring & Avionics
Van's RV Assembly
TIG Welding
Repairman (ELSA) Inspection-Airplane
Van's RV Assembly
Electrical Systems, Wiring & Avionics,
Fabric (overing, Basic Sheet Metal and
What's Involved in Kitbuilding

LOCATION
Arlington, WA
Frederick, MD
Arlington, WA
Frederick, MD
Broomfield, CO
Arlington, WA
Frederick, MD
Oshkosh, WI
Griffin, GA
Frederick, MD
Riverside, CA
Broomfield, (0

Complete 2008 Schedule online

VISIT WWW.SPORTAIR.(OM OR CALL 1-800-967-S746 FOR DETAILS

EA A

WORKSHOPS

--~--

EM SportAir Sponsors:

.~.
www.alrcr.ftsprUCLCOm

VINTAGE A I RPLANE

39

Membershi~ Services
VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

ASSOCIATION
EAA's VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
Pres ident
Geoff Robison

Vice-Presiden t

1521 E. M acG regor Dr.

New Haven , IN 46774
260-493-4 724

~~~rt~~ga~~~~

Hartford, WI 5302 7

262-673-5885

chie{7025@aoi.com

gdallbner@eaa. org

secretary
Steve Nesse

Treasurer
Charles W. Ha rris

2009 High l and Ave.

Albert Lea, M N 56007
50 7-373-1674

72 15 Ea st 46th SI.

Tulsa, OK 7414 7

9 18-622-8400

stl1es@deskmeriia.com

cwh@h vsu .co m

DIRECTORS
Steve Bender

Dale A. Gustafson

85 Brush H ill Road

Sh erborn , MA 0 1770
508-653 -7557

7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-293-44 30

sstl O@comcast.11et

dalefaye@1l1sn.com

David Bennett

Jeannie Hill

375 Ki lldeer Ct
Lincoln, CA 95648
91 6-645-8370

antiquer@;nreacl1. com
John Berendt

7645 Echo Po int Rd.

Ca nn on Fall s, MN 55009

507-263 -2414

{chld@bevcomlll ." et

Jerry Brown
4605 Hicko ry Wood Row
Green wood, IN 46 143
3 17-422-93 66

P.O. Box 328

H arvard, IL 60033-03 28

81 5-9 43-7205

dillglwo@'owc.net
Espie " Bu tch " Joyce
704 N. Regio n al Rd.
Green sboro, NC 27409
336-668-3650
windsock@aoi .col1l

Dan Knutson
106 Te na Marie Ci rcle
Lodi, WI 53555
608-593-7224

Ibrow1l4906@aol.com

lodicub@cltarter.net

Dave Clark

635 Vesta l Lane

Plainfield, IN 46 168

3 17-839-4500

Steve Krog
1002 Heather Ln.
Hartfo rd, W I 53027
262-966-7627

davecpd@;quest."et

sskrog@ool .com

John S, Copeland

Robert D. "Bob" Lum ley

1265 South 124th Sl.
Broo kfield, WI 53005
262-782-2633
lllmper@execpc.com

l A Deacon Street
Northborough , M A 01 53 2
508-393-4775
copeland i @juno.com

Phil Coulson

Dea n Richa rd son

2841 5 Springbrook Dr.

Law ton , M I 49065
269-624-6490

1429 Kings Lynn Rd

Stough to n , WI 53589
608-8 77-8485
da r@aprilaire.com

reoulsonS16@cs.com

5. H . " Wes" Sch mid

2359 Lefeber Avenue

Wauwatosa, W I 5321 3
41 4-77 1-1 545

sI1sc/lmid@milwpc.com

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Robert C. Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60643
805-782-97 13
photopilot@aoi.com

E.E. " Buck " Hilbert

8 102 Leech Rd .
U nio n, lL 60180
815 -923-459 1
buck7ac@dls. llet

Ge ne Chase

Gene Mo rris

2 159 Ca rlto n Rd .
Oshkos h, WI 54904
920-23 1-5002
GRCHA@charter." et

5936 Steve Court

Roa n oke, TX 76262
81 7-491 -9 110
gm emorris@Cllarter.lJet

Ro nald C. Fritz

John Turgyan
PO Box 21 9
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-7 S8-29 I 0
jrturgyan4@aol .com

1540 1 Sparta Ave.

Kent C ity, M I 49330
6 16-678-5012

rFritz@pat"waynet.com

Directory

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

Phone (920) 426-4800

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www, vintageaircra{t,org, www,airventure,org, www, eaa,org/memberbene{its

E-Mail: vintageaircra{t@eaa,org
Flying Start Program , , , , , , , , , , , ,920-426-6847
EAA and Division Membership Services
Library Services/Research """, .920-426-4848
800-843-3612 .. . , """ , , .FAX 920-426-6761
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Medical Questions, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,920-426-6112
Monday- Friday
Technical Counselors , , , , ' , , ' ... 920-426-6864
oNew/renew memberships: EAA, Divisions
Young Eagles .... , , , , , , , . , , , , .. 877-806-8902
(Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC, Warbirds),
National Association of Flight Instructors
Benefits
(NAFI)

AUA Vintage Insurance Plan, , , , .800-727-3823

Address changes

EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan " ",866-647-4322

Merchandise sales

Term Life and Accidental , , , , , , , ,800-241-6103

oGift memberships

Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company)

EAA Platinum VISA Card, ,800-853-5576 ext. 8884
Programs and Activities
EAA Aircraft Financing Plan, , , , 866-808-6040
EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
EAA Enterprise Rent-A-Ca r Program
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,732-885-67 11
, . , . , , , , , , . ,. , , , " , , " , , " 877-GA1-ERAC
Auto Fuel STCs , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,920-426-4843
Editorial. . . "" ", , , , , , " ' ,., ,920-426-4825
Buildlrestore information , , , , , , , ,920-426-4821
VAA Offi ce. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,FAX 920-426-6865
Chapters: locating/organizing" " 920-426-4876
Education"" " "" . " """ , ,888-322-3229
EAA Air Academy
EAA Aviation Foundation
EAA Scholarships
Artifact Donations , , . . , , , , , , , , ,920-426-4877
Flight Advisors information , , , , , ,920-426-6864
Financial Support, , , , . , , , , , , " 800-236-1025
Flight Instructor information , , , , ,920-426-6801

CSn

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

EAA
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft
Association, Inc. is $40 for on e year, includ
ing 12 issu es of SPORT AVIATION, Famil y
m embership is an additi on al $10 annu ally,
Jun ior Membership (under 19 yea rs o f age)
is available at $23 annually, All m ajor cred it
cards accepted for membership, (Add $16 for
Foreign Postage,)

EAA SPORT PILOT

C urrent EAA m embe rs ma y a dd EAA
SPORT PILOT magazine fo r an additional
$20 per year,
EAA Membership and EAA SPORT
PILOT magazine is ava il abl e fo r $40 p er
year (SPORT AVIATION m agaZine n ot in
cluded), (Add $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

C urre nt EAA memb e rs m ay jo in th e
Vinta ge Aircraft Associatio n a nd receive
VINTAGE AIRPLANE magaZine fo r an ad
ditional $36 per year,
EAA Membership , VINTAGE AIRPLANE
magazine and one year membership in the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association is ava ilable for $46
per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded), (Add $7 for Foreign Postage,)

lAC

C urre nt EAA m e mb e rs ma y jo in th e
Interna tio n a l Aerob a ti c C lub, In c. Divi
si o n a nd rece ive SPORT AEROBATICS
magazin e fo r a n additio nal $45 p er year,
EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBAT
ICS magazine a nd o n e yea r m embership
in th e lAC Div isio n is ava il abl e fo r $55
p e r yea r (SPORT AVIATION ma gaZin e
n o t includ e d ) , (Add $18 for Foreig n
Postage,)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members m ay join the EAA
Warbirds o f Am erica Divisio n and receive
WARBIRDS m agazin e for an addition al $45
per year,
EAA Membe rship , WARBIRDS ma ga
zin e a nd o n e yea r m e mb e rship in th e
Wa rbirds Div isio n is avail able fo r $55 p er
year (SPORT AVIATION m agazin e n o t in
cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage,)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Pl ease submit yo ur re mitta n ce with a
ch ec k o r dra ft dr awn o n a United Sta t es
bank p ayable in United States d ollars. Ad d
required Foreign Pos tage am o unt fo r each
m embership ,

Membership dues to EM and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions

Copyright C2008 by the EM Vinlage Aircraft Associalion. All rights reserved.

VINTAGE AiRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM VinlageAircraft Association of the Experimenlal Aircraft Association and is published monthly al EM Avia
tion Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd . PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, &-mail: vinlageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vinlage Airplane magazine.
is $36 per year for EM members and $46 for non-EM members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices, POSTMASTER: Send address changes 10 Vinlage Airplane.
PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40032445 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses 10 World Distribution Services, Slation A. PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5, &-mail: cpcreturns@Wdsmail.com. FOR
EIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least lwo months for delivery of VINTAGE AI RPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVE RTISING - Vinlage Aircraft Association does not guaranlee

or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.
EDITORIAL POUCY: Members are encouraged 10 submil stories and photographs, Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely lhose of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting resls entirely with
the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent 10: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086. Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.
EM and EM SPORT AVIATION, the EM Logo and Aeronautica' are registered lrademarl<s, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Inc. The use of these trademarks and
service marks without the permission of the Experimenlal Aircraft Associalion, Inc. is striclly prohibiled.

40

MAY 2008

THE 2008
MAZDA RX-8
lo3l RENESIS 2-rotor rotary engine
232 hp @ 8,500 rpm 6 speed MT
159 Ib.-ft @ 5,500 rpm
9000 RPM red line
"One of the 10 Best Road Trip Vehicles,"
Kelley Blue Book
Unique "freestyle" doors
Optional performance packages

ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF PARTNERSHIP

EAA Members who are considering the purchase or lease of anew Ford Motor Company vehicle should be sure to take advantage of theFord Partner
Recognition Program. Your membership benefits qualify you for X-Plan pricing, which could save you as much as $1977 on a 2008 Mazda RX-8.

EXCLUSIVE PRICING, EXCEPTIONALLY SIMPLE!

Ford Motor Company, in association with EAA, is proud to offer members the opportunity to save on the purchase or lease of
vehicles from Ford Motor Company's family of brands.

identificlltion number (PIN) and learn about the great value of Partner Recognition/X-Plan at WWVI'.fordDarbBerlillJD