Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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The first person who can identify the designer of this aircraft can take his choice of an
EAA publication (see page 15) . Send your (ha!) guesses to Jack Cox at EAA Headquarters.
2
Ted Koston Ph oto
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Wiley Post Biplane ... Jack Cox ........... .. .... .. ... ... ................... .. 7
Those Delightful Ultra-Lights ... Gene Chase ....... . .. ...... . .. ........ . ........... 10
Around The Antique-Classic World . ...... ... . .. .. ..... ..... . ... ........ . . .. .. .. ... . 12
EAA Air Museum News .. . .. . . .... ................ ........ .. .... . . . ... .. ....... .. .. "14
How To Join The Antique-Classic Division . .... ... .. ........ ............ .... . . .... . 14
ON THE COVER .. . Chuck Klessig's 1917 Standard J-1. Photo by Ted Koston.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Publisher - Paul H. Poberezny Editor - Jack Cox
Assistant Editor - Gene Chase Assistant Editor - Golda Cox
SECRETARY TREASURER
RICHARD WAGNER NICK REZICH
BOX 181 4213 CENTERVILLE RD.
LYONS, WIS. 53148 ROCKFORD, ILL. 61102
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130
Copyright © 1973 Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3
(Ted Koston Photo)
Chuck Klessig to me is a Homebuilder's Classic. To life. You can well imagine the stories of the war years
know Chuck is an enriching experience in this age of Chuck sure has a bag full of them. The most refresh
strife and the struggle for most people trying to find ing thing about them is that they are all about flying and
their thing to do. not flying bullets and killing.
lt all happened in the winter of 1971 when Grayce, After mustering out of the Canadian Transport Com
my good wife, and I were chasing the sun in the good mand, Chuck was once again at loose ends, so, the trail
ole south via Winnabago Motor Home. to flying adventure again beckoned. He soon landed a
As I muse and look back, it was inevitable that we job delivering a Norseman to South America, and while
would cross paths with Chuck in Tucson, Arizona at in Argentina, South America he taught students the rudi
Ryan Field. In our travels we had been hearing this ments of flying, his one big love.
name "Chuck Klessig" and the story of the fabulous After about a year in South America, he joined up
Standard J-1 he was rebuilding. with the Department of Agriculture in the U. S. A. Aid
Grayce and I drove our Motor Home onto Ryan Field Program, and the next few years were spent in Africa
on a bright sunshining day - to be exact, February 9, and the Middle East teaching the natives how to spray
1971. We parked just outside of EAA Chapter 81's very crops with airplanes. As far as Chuck is concerned, how
own hangar. As I walked into the hangar, there was a fel would you spray crops but with an airplane?
low very much engrossed in splicing the flying wires for a After the U. S. A. Aid Program was completed, Chuck
Standard J-1. Yes, I was about to meet Chuck Klessig, decided to take the next few years a little slower, so he
and a week later as we again hit the road, with Chuck spent three years on foot looking for the Lost Dutchman
waving good-bye, I knew then that I had just spent a most gold mine - you might say looking for Pie in the Sky.
profitable week which enriched my life in every way. Chuck came out of this foot sore and with empty pockets
Chuck Klessig, the man, was born sixty one years ago - but with a new hobby. Along with flying, he is now a
and he hails from Galesburg, North Dakota. His past rock hound.
reads somewhat like a story book. In the depression year In 1965 Chuck got around to gliding, and in one year
of 1930 Chuck soloed a Wllco 9 and this started him out he built and flew a beautiful BG-12 sailplane. Anyone
in a life long involvement with flying and flying machines. else would have taken at least four years to build a BG
In 1942 Chuck crossed the border into Canada and joined 12, but not Chuck - he got with it and finished up in one
up with the Royal Air Force Transport Command. He year.
served there until 194 7 when he again took up his civilian
4
When Chuck first soloed back in 1930, he discovered the honor to help dismantle the J-1 to get it ready for
a Standard J-1 sitting under a cotton tree. He was inter covering. With all his work (and we all know what work
ested and through the years sent many antiquers out to ing to a deadline is!) he still had time to spend showing
look at the old ship. But the ravages of time had taken me how to splice wire cable.
their toll, and no one took up the challenge to rebuild For one week my good wife did needle work, patiently
it. waiting for my interlude with Chuck Klessig to' come to
After Chuck built the BG-12, he was again at loose an end. As I finish writing this, I remember the evening
ends. Not one to be idle for long, he started dreaming Chuck showed us the violin he made and the wonderful
of flying to the 1971 EAA Fly-In in a brand new Standard music he played on it. I wondered then what new ad
J-1 airplane. This is all he needs - a dream - and the ventures awaited this versatile and interesting man. I
wheels are set in motion! Out to the farm and the old know now that he did, indeed, make it to Oshkosh
cotton wood tree, and there it is, the old Standard IN-1 from Tucson to Wisconsin in 10 days and 42 hours of
fuselage still more or less intact. All the wood was rotted flying time! I know he took home a raft of trophies and
but 90% of all the metal fittings were o.k. To Chuck this awards, plus the ad~iration of all the EAAers. In the
was a most valuable find. The N-number was 947 and it winter of 1971-72 Chuck and the Standard became
was built in New Jersey during the year 1917, with movie stars - if you look closely at some of the com
Serial Number 2434. mercials on T.V. you may see them reliving the days of
' So now Chuck again went to work with the deter yesteryear.
mination and grit that only another homebuilder would In 1972, Chuck and the Standard made the long flight
know about and appreciate. eastward once again, landing at Oshkosh after more air
He had no wings, so, he had to start from scratch. time crossing the country than modern jets take to circle
Fortunately, the Air Force Museum was good enough to the globe. It's a sure bet, however, that the folks in
loan him a complete set of drawings, which resulted in their aluminum tubes with the tiny peep hole view of
near perfect and original wings and fuselage. His next Mother Earth never get to know what a beautiful planet
move was to find and buy Curtiss OXX-6 engine. This we live on like Chuck does from the rear hole of that
done, he spent the next summer in rebuilding it. As win 46 year old flying machine.
ter approached Chuck took his camp truck and pulled The last word we have on ole Chuck is that he is near
a trailer loaded with an OXX-6 engine, parts and tools, ing completion of a Pitts . .. guess he has discovered
etc., and headed for Tucson, Arizona, Ryan Field and -his aerobatics!
new-found friends in EAA Chapter 81. The winter weather So, Chuck Klessig, - wherever you are - good luck
in Arizona is fine and he is able to build to his heart's with that Pitts ... and if you are still on the trail of the
content. Lost Dutchman, I hope you stub a toe on a gold nugget
It is at this point that our paths crossed and I had as big as a grapefruit!
(Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Ph oto)
TOP. Charlie and his passenger show up as shadows
Charlie Klessig , a truly intrepid aviator.
on the side of the Standard 's clear doped fuselage .
6
THE WILEY POST BIPLANE
By Jack Cox
The building of replicas of antique aircraft is grow Model A engine, of course, but it crosses this heretic's
ing by leaps and bounds. A lot of mail received at mind that the Chevrolet Vega (such as in Forrest Lov
EAA Headquarters is from members inquiring about the ley's Pietenpol Scout - see SPORT AVIATION, No
availability of plans for some old bird from aviation's vember 1972, page 31) would be a natural. From what
tender years. World War I fighter replicas - some scaled Gene Chase tells me about his experiences with NC13961,
down and some full size - are so popular that various the airplane could use the extra power. •
type clubs have sprung up like poppies in Flanders The Wiley Post A started life in the early 1930's
Fields. Movies like the Blue Max have spurred this build as the Straughan Biplane. It was developed and initially
ing activity so that a reasonable facsimile of the fight to produced in Wichita but the plant was eventually re
defeat the Fokker Scourge could be easily recreated if located in Oklahoma City where the name was changed
all the World War I replicas could be assembled in a to the Wiley Post A - hoping, quite naturally, to trade
couple of fields a few miles apart. on the name of the famous Oklahoma aviator.
More recently we have noted a trend toward building The Wiley Post was an amazingly light airplane. The
full sized replicas of more ordinary antiques - particu airframe, minus Model A engine, weighed a mere 292
larly the ultra-lights of the 1920s and 1930s. For in pounds. Mind you this was for a machine with two 28
stance, elsewhere in this issue you will read about Gene foot wings and a length of 19 feet 81/2 inches. With an
Chase's racy little Church Midwing which, technically, empty weight of 581 pounds, the airframe weighed
is a restoration, but required one heck of a lot of build just 3 pounds more than engine and prop! Gross weight
ing from scratch due to the condition of the "original". was 998 pounds so, at least on paper, that left 417 pounds
In a lot of cases, prospective owner/builders either can't for fuel , oil, water, and skinny aviators.
find an original to restore, or else they can't afford what The neatly cowled engine was accessible through
they locate. I don't have to elaborate on what has hap hinged side panels held in place by suitcase-type fasteners.
pened to old airplane prices in recent years. At any rate,
the result is that a lot of people are now building up their
own Curtiss "Juniors", Heaths, Pietenpols, etc., mid we
are getting inquiries on such birds as Velie Monocoupes,
(Photo by the late Tom Matthews)
Kari Keen Coupes, Star Cavaliers and other low pow
ered jobs. John Bouteller props his Wiley Post A.
One old bird on which we can count on getting a let
ter or two a month is the Wiley Post biplane. EAA Head
quarters does not have any plans for this aircraft, so
we refer everyone to the only person we know who owns
one - Marion McClure of Bloomington, Illinois. (0. K.,
now you know who the culprits are, Marion!) Marion,
in fact, owns two Wiley Posts - the only two known
to exist of the 12 or 13 believed to have been built. There
are rumors of a basket case in Florida and, if such things
hold true to form, this article will result in a spate of let
ters telling us of a couple more hidden away in some
barn or basement.
It is easy to understand the interest in the Wiley Post.
It is a neat little side-by-side, open cockpit biplane that
was so simple in structure that no homebuilder or ex
perienced restorer would have a great deal of trouble
whipping one out. It was powered with a converted Model
A engine that, along with the airframe, was type certifi
cated. This brings up an important point. The Wiley Post
received Approved Type Certificate No. 561 which
means that Marion McClure can restore his two birds,
NC13957 and NC13961, license them in the Standard
Category, and fly with no restrictions . .. unless for some
reason he has a crying need to land at Chicago O'Hare.
Then he would need radio, transponder, and an extra en
gine to power the generator to run all that garbage!
For those who would build a replica, you will have to
license your plane in the Experimental-Amateur-built
Category. Unless you could somehow come up with an
original Wiley Post Model A Ford conversion, you would
have to go with an uncertified engine and fly the bird
in an FAA-proscribed test area for 75 hours before you
would be turned loose to come to Oshkosh to show off
your handiwork. You purists would want to stick to the
(Photo by the late Tom Matthews)
John Bouteller of Tulsa Oklahoma in his Wiley Post, N13961, Serial Number 12. This picture was
taken in February of 1962 shortly after the plane was restored . N13961 was subsequently sold
to Marion McClure of Bloomington, Illinois.
The radiator was hung from the top wing between the miles per hour. The service ceiling was listed as 10,000
front cabanes (see photos) so that the cowling had few feet and absolute ceiling was 12,500 feet. Fuel capacity
drag inducing openings - all-in-all a rather clean nose was seven gallons which allowed for 140 miles range,
for that period. The converted Model A was cruised at headwinds notwithstanding. As a selling point, prospec
1,700 rpms which produced a blazing 68 mph and if one tive customers were told that one could easily land the lit
twisted the "A's" tail so that 1,900 rpms - the redline tle bird on a highway, taxi up to any ordinary filling sta
were achieved, 78 mph was allegedly possible. tion (remember when they were called that?), fill her up
The Wiley Post's landing gear was a clean shock cord with auto gas ... and if any repairs were in order, just
unit with nice fat air wheels to soak up the bumps and ring up your friendly Ford dealer and have him rush out
bounce out of gopher holes. The first Straughan is some good cheap parts.
usually pictured in old magazines like Popular Aviation Merciful heavens, where did we go wrong???
with the gear legs uncovered, but production models The Wiley Post differed from most of its contemporary
were fabric covered. The bird was completely devoid of open cockpit competitors in that it featured side-by-side
such niceties as brakes and tailwheel - it was certified seating. Dual controls were standard. Seating was such
that way - which helped keep the originally adver that one's head just barely protruded above the top of
tised selling price down to $990.00 F. O. B. Wichita. the fuselage and even then was shielded from the prop
The construction of the airframe was typical for light blast ... and hot water ... by a low, frameless wind
planes of the 30's - all-wood wing and steel tube fuse shield.
lage, every bit cocooned in fabric and made pretty and We have no idea whether copies of the factory draw
slick by coats of the good kind of dope. The wings were ings are still available for the Wiley Post A or not. We
very lightly built with no leading edge reinforcement do know that Marion McClure is presently restoring
other than a single nose stringer. The accompanying N13957. Perhaps, while it is apart, some of you could
pictures show the spindly looking round tubing used for rush to Bloomington and take some measurements and/
N-struts as well as the cabanes. This is one place where a or detailed photos for use by the folks who are panting
few ounces of extra weight in the form of some balsa and at the prospect of building their own. Barring that, you
fabric tape wrapping for streamlining should have been could do as Bob McCartney of Tulsa is doing. He is
used . I shudder to think of the drag caused by those building his replica of the Wiley Post from Cleveland
round tubes ... on, of all places, a low powered airplane. Model airplane plans - which were drawn from mea
Factory publicity releases claimed a rate of climb of surements of Marion's N13957!
400 feet in the first minute and a landing speed of 28
8
WILEY
POST . .
(Tom Matthews)
RIGHT. The Wiley Post looks
like a model airplane - but
it is for real, as is the C-97.
(Tom Matthews)
BELOW. While John Bouteller
props the Model A engine , the
reader can take a closer look
at the surprisingly thin N
struts and cabane struts.
Round struts are high drag
producers. Also notice the ai
leron gap seals made of thin
aluminum sheet.
(EAA Archives)
ABOVE . Marion McClure's N13957 at
an early Rockford EAA Fly-In . This
plane is presently undergoing com
plete restoration .
9
(Photo by Wayne Hamil'l)
Gene Chase's 1928 Church Midwing .
Frequently I am asked how my 1928 Church Mid The aileron response was practically non-existent,
wing flies. It flies like other low powered, ultra-light air particularly in right turns. (The Henderson engine turns
craft of the period. That's great, but this answer is mean anti-clockwise as viewed from the cockpit.) Because of
ingless to those who have nothing to relate it to. this I would make no intentional right turns below traffic
The controls are responsive and very light, pressure pattern altitude, especially after the following incident.
wise. It handles as nicely on the ground as any plane I've I was making a right hand pattern and turning from
flown with a tail skid and no brakes. The plane is really base onto final with a 15k, 300 right crosswind. Along
a delight to fly, but this has not always been the case. In the right side of the runway was a row of fairly tall trees,
my attempt to be as authentic as possible with the restora and as I turned into the area blanked by the tree row, I
tion of the Church, I created some flight problems which was unable to bring up the right wing with full left aileron
have since been corrected. I'll explain these later. and rudder. Also, the application of full power did not
The first Church aircraft was built in 1928 by Mr. slow the descent.
James Church in Chicago, who converted a Heath Super Not until ground effect took over did the plane respond
Parasol into a midwing configuration. The fuselage con to my efforts in the cockpit, and I was able to land in a
struction was the bolted, wire-braced type. The fuselage conventional manner rather than on the nose and a wing
on my Church is the same, which means that it is one tip.
of the very early models. This experience convinced me that I had carried
Therefore, I reasoned that with my authentic restora my "authenticity kick" far enough, and the plane did not
tion I would experience some of the same sensations as fly again until the aileron gaps were sealed. This made
Mr. Church did with his first flights. My reasoning may all the difference in the world, and I would most-em
have been accurate, but my good judgement was not. phatically recommend to anyone planning to restore a
For example, no where could I find that the aileron Church, Heath, or any comparable aircraft, that they
gaps were sealed originally, so neither were mine. In seal the aileron gaps. These low powered planes need
this configuration the plane was extremely sluggish in all the help they can get!
all departments. The take off run was long, climb was One thing that surprised me was the amount of
very slow, and the glide very steep for such a light plane wind in the cockpit while flying such a slow plane. It
(367 Ibs. empty). In fact, I had to carry 2,000 rpms for has no air speed indicator, but clocking the section lines
the landing approach. shows a 60 mph cruise. The Church also has no wind
10
shield per se, but does have an effective "windshield
cowling".
Another unique feature is the 1" gap between the
lower wing surface and upper fuselage longeron. This
is for downward visibility and is very helpful. But it is
also the source of most of the breeze through the cock
pit.
The cockpit is quite snug and the way I fit into it, I
have no trouble sealing this gap with my arms. This adds
considerably to pilot comfort.
The plane would fly hands off, but this isn't practical
because there is no other place to put one's hands, as
·long as they are in the cockpit. An occasional wa",e to a
passing aviator is permissible, but this should be of short
duration because it changes the plane's flight attitude.
Straight and level flight is a delicate balance be
tween pitch attitude and rpm. The slightest change in
one makes a noticeable change in the oth~r. I hasten to
add that these comments are not offered as criticisms but
as characteristics that make the plane fun to fly.
About 1,600 rpm works well for the landing approach.
This setting prevents rapid engine cooling and gives a nice
rate of descent. I'm always careful to not lower the nose
too much because both the air speed a nd engine rpm
build up rapidly. \
Three point landings are easily made, and here again,
I control rate of descent with power a ll the way to touch
down.
The Church Midwing is t he only Henderson-powered
plane I've flown, and I've always kept in mind the ad
vice offered me by men like Jim Church, Ray Hegy, and
Bob Burge. They all said to stay close to the airport be
cause the Henderson had a habit of breaking prop shafts.
It happened to me and, fortunately, I was over the run
way making a fly-by and was able to land without inci
dent. I am now installing a newly-made prop shaft on
which was turned a 3/ 16 " radius between the flange and
shaft. This was the weak point on the originals as they
contained no radius. I would strongly advise anyone (Pho to by Dick Stouffer)
planning to restore a Henderson-powered plane to re Church Midwing instrument panel. Top , altimeter; mid
place the original prop shaft a nd thus eliminate a most dle, tachometer; bottom left to right, throttle, oil
likely failure. temperature, Choke (top), carb heat, push button mag
I've always enjoyed flying vintage aircraft and par switch, oil pressure .
ticularly the light planes. So it's little wonder that I have
a special affection for the ultra-lights. The Church Mid
wing has afforded me many pleasurable moments fl y CHURCH MIDWING
ing behind the smooth-running Henderson, and I would Wing Span .. ..... .... . . . . . ................... 26' 8"
like to see more of the delightful ultra-lights fl ying. Length .. .. . . ... . . . .. . . . . ..... . . . . . .. . . . ... . . 16' 10"
Height . . .. , . . .. . .... . . . . . ... . .... . ... . . . . .. . .. 4' 10"
(Photo by Ben Newby) Empty Weight ... . .. ... . ...... . ..... . . . . .. .. 367 Ibs.
Gene Chase and the fabled Henderson engine . These Gross Weight .. .. . ....... . ... .. . . .. . . . . . .. . . 595 Ibs.
converted motorcycle engi nes powered many early Fuel Capacity . . ........ . . ... ... ..... .. .. .. . 4V2 gals.
homebuilts. Oil Capacity . . . .. . . .. ... .. . . . . . . ..... .. . .... 6 quarts
Cruise Speed . ..... .. . .. . ..... . ..... . ... .. .. 60 mph
Landing Speed ... . . ... .. .. . .. . .. .... .. .. .. .. 28 mph
Fuel Consumption . . . ... . ... .... .. ... . ..... .. . 2 gph
(Photo by Gene Chase)
The Church Midwing under restoration .
AROUND THE ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC WORLD
HOUSTON CHAPTER
SKYRANGER CLUB
The Antique-Classic Division's newest Chapter has R. A. "Zot" Barazzotto, 1604 Madison St., Bellevue,
just been chartered in Houston, Texas. They are known Nebraska 68005 writes: "I have a Commonwealth Sky
as the Houston Antique Flyers and will hold meetings ranger 185 under restoration and I'm in the process of
every fourth Sunday of each month at 2:00 P .M. at getting a second. Scott Carson of Federal Way, Wash
various airports in the Houston area. Officers for 1973 ington (State) has enough parts to build 3 Skyrangers
are: and is well along on restoring his "Fleet". Together we
President Vice President formed an organization called SPARS (Society for the
John B. Kane W. C. "Corky" Pyron Preservation and Restoration of Skyrangers), to exchange
Rt. 1, Box 12C 41 Bucan information and , hopefully, keep a few Skyrangers fly
Cypress, Texas 77429 Houston, Texas 77022 ing long into the future."
"Would you pass along the word to those who would
Secretary Treasurer be interested in receiving our newsletter?" (Edi tor:
J. J. Paul Ken Dwight Consider it done, Zot!)
1518 Ronson Rd.
Houston, Texas 77055
12231 Perry Rd.
Houston, Texas 77070
PIPER J-5A WANT
J -5A Cub Cruiser needs airworthy left landing gear vee
We hope to have news of this group's activities No. 30452-00 and Left wing tank. Could use a copy of
and aircraft in forthcoming issues of The Vintage Air drawings showing installation of the optional gas tank
plane. and its plumbing. Kemper, 565 Fair St., Warwick, Rhode
Island 02888.
AERONCA ENGINE
12
Buck is by now well known to all of you by virtue Now, I submit that there is little basic difference be
of his article on his Fleet in the January Vintage Air tween a DC-8 and a Fleet. They both have wings, fuse
plane. Frank Lang is a Chicago area antique and classic lage, and an engine, so why should one be called a "her"
enthusiast of long standing. He is a real Swift buff and and the other a "him"?
is active in Charlie Nelson's Swift Association. If any It could be that Buck needs to go through psycho
of you attend the National Swift Fly-In in May (see analysis and , perhaps, the analyst would find that this is
Calendar of Events) look Frank up and say howdy. John just a freudian slip. Analyzing it myself, it could be that
Turgyan is fast becoming the most widely traveled an Buck's mother was as big as a DC-8 and his father the
tiquer i,n the country. If you are holding a fly-in almost size of a Fleet! Since the DC-8 serves to put bread on the
anywhere in the U. S., don't be surprised if a gleaming table and a roof over his head, it could be that this is
red Howard DGA-15P comes roaring in. John has been the role his mother played in his childhood. If this is
known to visit two fly-ins per weekend several hundred true, as I have no doubt it is, then Buck's father was
miles apart! You'll see him and the big red machine at the Fleet and, therefore, the Fleet deserves to be called
Oshkosh. a "him", but only by Buck!
Life Membership in the Antique-Classic Division is I submit that an aircraft is a her and should always
available for the same rates and payment schedule as be designated as such. Just look at the names that have
in EAA - $225.00, payable in lump sum or in three an been given to the planes we see at the annual conven
nual installments of $80, $80, and $65. tion - Miss Los Angeles, Millie's Mink, Pretty Purple
Puddy Tat (yes, cats can be female, and while a male is
a "tom", a female is known as a "queen" which just
PIPER FL V-IN goes to show that a female airplane is better than a
male.)
EAA's Antique and Classic Division will hold its Some planes have been given the name of the de
first independent aviation activity on Sunday, June 3, signer and I submit that this has been done in the name
1973 at the Burlington Municipal Airport, Burlington, of the wife. Her last name is the same as his! I do know
Wisconsin (25 miles S. W. of Milwaukee). This will be a I would rather look at the designer's wives than at the de
fly-in/swap meet for owners of Piper aircraft from the signer. They're so much prettier!
E-2 to the PA-20 Pacer. I think an airplane is a pretty thing and since
The Burlington airport is the site of the prop.osed women are so much prettier than men, it just naturally
new EAA HeadquarterslMuseum complex and has ample follows that an airplane should be called a "her".
space for parking for aircraft and camping for those who Look at all the things in everyday life that we tall
want to fly or drive in early - or stay late. Appropriate "her". Boats, hurricanes (who ever heard of a himi
recognition will be made for exemplary Pipers, various cane!), cars, trains, countries (Britain), and almost every
activities are planned, and anyone who has Piper parts mechanical thing that man uses is thought of as "her".
are encouraged to bring them along so a great flea .. . er, To this list I submit that we henceforth and forever
Cub Market (?) can be set up. call any and all airplanes "her", notwithstanding Buck
So that we will have some idea of how many of you Hilbert's ideas.
plan to attend, please drop us a card in the mail with There are reasons for calling an aircraft a "her".
your name, address, aircraft type and "N" number if you Some of them are all of the following, all of them are
plan to be on hand June 3. Although the activities will some of the following, and all females are the following
center around Piper aircraft, all interested sport flyers . .. cantankerous, moody, demanding, unpredictable
are welcome. For further information contact EAA (they unpredictably stall), obstinate (they won't start),
Headquarters. a headache, need loving care, demand lots of attention,
stubborn, get middle age spread (from adding new equip
ment), droop, need a face lift every 15 years, expensive,
object of love, have to be babied, have to be waxed and
A SPADE IS A SPADE! polished like make-up, they stand out, have their own
systems, have excess -baggage, are complex creatures,
and they are top heavy. A man usually loves his airplane
In response to Antique-Classic President Buck Hil
so it follows that a plane just has to be a "her".
bert's hilarious description of his trials and tribulations
If those reasons aren't enough to call an airplane a
as a slave to a Fleet, (January The V intage Airplane),
"her" instead of a "him" just write a note to Buck and
his friend Bill Haselton (EAA 22608 , Antique-Classic
91),1238 Catherwood, South Bend, Indiana 46552, writes get him to defend his use of the word.
this "stinging" rebuttal. (Note to Women's Libbers In the meantime, I'm going back to the arms of my
it's all in fun, we love all airplane nuts, Mr ., Mrs. or Ms. ) wife. There's no better place in the world."
" I'm rather disgusted with the attitude of some pilots.
To get right to the heart of the matter and to call a spade EAA IN ACTION
a spade', I'm disgusted with Buck Hilbert.
The FAA recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rule
In the January, 1973 issue of The Vintage Airplane
Making (NPRM 72-35) which would make the legal VFR
he made the unforgiveable, unpardonable, and asinine
ceiling in uncontrolled airspace 1200 feet instead of the
mistake of calling his airplane a "him".
present 500 feet. The FAA has received some 300 pub
This misstatement is as unpardonable as calling the
lic comments 90% of which were in opposition. EAA
mass of metal that is used as a propulsive force on a vin
tage aircraft a "motor" instead of an engine. Any dunce has also opposed the proposal on the grounds that the
knows that a motor uses electricity to make it turn while 500 foot legal VFR ceiling has served well in the past,
an honest-to-goodness engine is what is used to pull or and, if enacted, would reduce the flyable days per year
push an aircraft. Now that I've gotten that off my chest by, perhaps, a month in total - thus making the light
and have cleared the air, let's get on with my diatribe airplane even less utilitarian in nature. One EAA Chap
against Buck for calling an airplane a "him". ter (166 in Hartford, Connecticut) has just submitted a
At one of my chance meetings with Buck, he men petition containing the signatures of 1500 EAA members
tioned that for a living he flew a DC-8 which was a from around the country - 100% against. The closing
"big mama". date for comments was March 22, 1973.
13
EAA AIR MUSEUM NEWS
"01' Number One", the very first Travel Air 1000/2000, is being restored, for permanent display
in the EAA Air Museum. At the left above, Bob Ladd, kneeling, and Lou Poberezny put some finish
ing touches on the fuselage. At the right above is the rear cockpit instrument panel . The aircraft
was donated to the Air Museum by Dave Jameson of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY 4-6 - SANTEE, SOUTH CAROLINA - 5th Annual Spring Fly-In JUNE 3 - BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN - Burlington Mun icipal
of Carolinas-Virginia EANAntique-Classic Chapter 395. Wings and Airport. Piper Fly-In/ Swap Meet for Piper Aircraft from the E-2
Wheels Museum-Airport. Contact : Morton Lester, Box 3747, Mar to the PA-20 Pacer. Sponsored by EAA/Antique Classic Division.
tinsville, Va. 24112. For further information contact EAA Headquarters.
MAY 4-6 - PASO ROBLES. CALIFORNIA - 3rd Ryan SC , St. PT JUNE 8-10 - DENTON, TEXAS - Denton Municipal Airport . 11th
Fly-In. Contact: T. D. Strum , 1570 Kensington Circle , Los Altos , Annual Texas Antique Fly-In. Everyone welcome . Texas hospitality
Cal. 94022 - Rain Date : May 11-13. assured . Contact: Jack Winthrop , 3536 Whitehall Dr. , Dallas, Texas
MAY 18-20 - WATSONVILLE , CALIFORNIA - AnnuaIFly-ln . 75229.
MAY 18-20 - CALLAWAY GARDENS, GEORGIA - Eastern 195 An JULY 21-22 - LA RUE, WISCONSIN - 5th Annual Antique Trans
nual Meeting . Business meeting followed b\' maintenance semi portation Meet. Near world famous Baraboo , Wisconsin . Antiques
nar. Family type affair. Contact : Bill Terrell , M. D., Rt. 2, Box 380, only. Registration fee - $5.00. This is a fun meet. For information ,
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. (513) 393-4454. contact Edward C. Wegner , 10 Stafford St., Plymouth , Wisc . 53073.
MAY 20 - HARVARD, ILLINOIS - Dacy Airport, Antique Fly-In . JULY 29-AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH , WISCONSIN - 21st Annual EM
Contact : Tom Lowe , 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, III. 60014. International Fly-In Convention. Complete program and awards
MAY 25-28 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - Staggerwing Fly-In. for antique and classic aircraft. World 's greatest aviation event.
Contact : W. E. " Dub " Yarbrough , Lannon Mfg ., Box 500, Tulla AUGUST 10-12 - ARLINGTON , WASHINGTON - EANAntique Fly
homa, Tenn. 37388. In. Contact : Dick Baxter, 15845 8th N. E., Seattle, Wash. 98155 .
MAY 25-28 - GILBERTSVILLE, KENTUCKY - National '73 SWift Phone 206/EM5-1657.
Association Fly-In. Contact : Charlie Nelson, Swift ASSOCiation , SEPTEMBER 28-30 - GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA - Gastonia
Inc. , Box 644, Athens, Tenn . 37303. Municipal Airport. Carolinas-Virginia Chapter 395 Annual Fall
MAY 26-28 - HAMILTON, OHIO - National Waco Fly-In . Hamilton , Fly-In. Contact Morton Lester, P. O. Box 3745, Martinsville, Va.
Ohio Airport . Banquet on Saturday night featuring Clayton Bruk 24112.
ner, President of the Waco Company, as guest speaker. Contact: SEPTEMBER 28-30 - GALESBURG , ILLINOIS - 2nd National
National Waco Club, 2650 W. Alex.-Bellbrook Rd ., Dayton , Ohio Stearman Fly-In . Contact: Jim Leahy, 445 N. Whitesboro , Galesburg ,
45459. Illinois 61401 or Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake , Illi
JUNE 1-3 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - Annual Fly-In . Contact: An nois 60014.
tique Fly-In , P. O. Box 2312, Merced , Calif. 95340.
14
EAA Antique/Classic embroidered patches (pict ured at right)
- A distinctive, colorful emblem. $1 .50 each
EAA Caps - men and ladies. Specify small , medium , large ,
or extra large . Ladies, one size . $2.25 each
1973 EAA Calendar. Made of heavy, unbleached cloth .
Features full color renditions of a Standard J-1,
P-51 , Scorpion Helicopter, and a Dyke Delta. $2 .30 eac h
EAA Flight Bags. Durable nylon with waterproof lining . Blue
with EAA decal on both sides. $4 .50 each
-------- *-------
Write for a complete listing of EAA publication s and
merchandise -
free of charge . Includes a listing of all available back issues of Sport
Aviation
-------- *-------
1929 . $2.00
1932 . . . $2.00
1929-32 $2.00
Wings Of Memory - 72 pages of Aero Digest reprints. Covers the greats of civil
aviation from 1932 to 1941 . Ryan STA, Howard DGA-9, Fairchild 24 , Cess na Air
master, Rea rwin Speedster , Fleetwings " Sea Bird ", Stinson SR-1O, Stearman Mod el
80, and many more. Beautiful ph otos, 3-views and flight reports . $2.50
Golden Age Of Air Racing - 168 pages covering the great 1929-1939 air ra ci ng
era. All about the racers and their pi lots who flew for the Bendix, Thom pson ,
ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS - When you complete the restoration of an an
tique or classic (specify which) , you are eligible for a beautiful certificate you will frame and be
proud to d isplay in your home or office. These certificates are free , courtesy of EAA to recogn ize
your efforts to save another great old airplane. Just send your name and address and the year, make
and model (i ,e. - 1937 Monocoupe 90A) of your aircraft. Solo ce rtificates are also ava ilable.
JOIN EAA - JOIN THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION - WRITE FOR INFO PACKET - $1 .00
EAA Antique/Classic Division
P. O. Box 229
Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130
15
The Vintage Airplane is the official publication of Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc.,
a division of The Experimental Aircraft Association, Hales Corners, Wis~onsin.