G

VO L. 34, No. 2

2006

FE

RUA

C ON TENTS
1

St raight and Level

by Geoff Robiso n

VAA News

Aeromail

A Silver Eagle

A biography of E.M. "Matty" Laird

by Robert G. Elli ott and Ed Escallon

12

VAA Hall of Fame

200S Inductee Rich ard W. Knutson

by H.G. Frautsch y

14

Perfecting Perfection:

Tony Smith 's Ultimate Jungmeister

by Budd Davisson

19

An Annual Gathering of Howards

at Hayward, Wisconsin

The beasts visit the Northwoods

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

25

2005 Tulsa Fly-In

September 16-1 7, 200S

by Ch arlie Ha rris

30

Pass It to Buck

More tooling a round

by Buck Hilbert

32

The Vintage Instru ctor

Isn 't thi s fun ?

by Doug Stewart

34

Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy

38

Calendar

39

Classified Ads

COVERS
FRONT COVER: The Bucker Jungmeister has long been acknowledged as one of the premier
aerobatic aircraft of all time. Englishman Tony Smith has restored this example, finished in the
disconcerting markings of a pre-WWII German "flying club ." EAA photo by Jim Koepnick,
EAA photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.
BACK COVER: Santos-Dumont: The Beginning of Everything is the title of this oil painting by accom
plished Brazilian artist Mauro Jose de Godoy Moreira. Santos-Dumont is considered by his country
man to be the father of modern aviation, and his accompl ishments in both lighter-than-air ba lloons
and dirigibles, as well as his work with the heavier-than-air 14bis and Demoiselle airplanes are
honored by aviators and historians world wide. Entries for the 2006 EM Sport Aviation Art Competition
are being accepted . Visit www. airventuremuseum.orgj artj, call the EAA Museum office at 92()'
426-6880, or email EAAArtComp@eaa.org for information regarding this year's event.

STAFF

EAA Publisher
EAA Editor-in-Chief
Executive Director/Editor
Administrative Assistant
Managing Ed itor
News Editor
Photography
Advertising Coordinator
Editorial Assistant
Copy Editor

Tom Poberezny

Scott Spangler

H.G. Frautschy
Jennifer Lehl
Kathleen Witman
Ric Reynolds
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Bartel
Sue Anderson
Isabelle Wiske
Colleen Walsh

Director of Advertising

Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representa tives:

Northeast: Allen Murra y
Phone 609265- 1666, FAX 609265-166 1 email : tlJ/elmll"rny(alllill'/sprillg.com
Southeast: Chester Baumgartner
Phone 727-573-0586, FAX 727-556-01 77 e-mail; cb(wlIllI IlIillcisprillg.col1l
Central: Todd Reese
Phone 8004449932, FAX 81 6741 6458 email: lodd"" pcmag.wm
Mountain &. Paci fic Keith Knowlt on &. Associates
Phone 770-51 6-2743, e-mail: kkllowlrol1@-'t'atl.org

GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

To the past and to the future

By now you have all had the

opportunity to read and enjoy
the January Vintage magazine. I
am excited about what the added
content has done for this truly
wonderful publication. Kudos to
H.G. and all involved. As good as
I think this publication is, it re
mains critically important that we
all appreciate the challenges be
fore us to continue this initiative
and step forward to spoon-feed the
EAA Vintage movement with inter
esting ideas and technical articles
to make it even better. Be assured
that your Vintage Aircraft Associa
tion greatly appreciates whatever
efforts the membership may pro
vide to this important initiative.
More than a dozen of my good
friends and I were privileged to
attend the 3rd Annual Wright
Memorial Dinner at Oshkosh on
December 17th for the celebration
of the 102nd anniversary of flight.
With well more than 200 avia
tion enthusiasts in attendance, we
were all enthralled with the pre
sentation made by Scott Cross
field that evening.
I had completely forgotten that
Scott was previously charged with
the responsibility of evaluating
the flight characteristics of the
EAA 2003 Wright Flyer and then
instructing the carefully selected
pilots in how to fly the machine
as reproduced by Ken Hyde and
his able staff at The Wright Expe
EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH

rience (www.wrightexperience.com).
I, and my friends, I'm sure, had
prepared ourselves to hear about
Scott's long and exciting career
as a test pilot and his experiences
in flying the North American X
IS with NACA/NASA's hypersonic
flight program from the 1960s.
Be assured, there was not a
hint of disappointment amongst
all of these friends when Scott
began telling his tales about the
challenges he took on in engag
ing himself in this once -in- a
lifetime opportunity. I personally
will never forget sitting on that
hill at Kitty Hawk, North Caro
lina, on that rainy and cold De
cember day in 2003, awaiting the
rollout of the 2003 Wright FLyer.
And then watching it fly for a mi
crosecond in time and then flop
into that mud-covered field at
the base of the Wright Brothers
National Memoria l monument.
As disappointing as that sounds,
you really had to be there to feel
the excitement in the air among
the many thousands of aviation
enthusiasts in attendance .
Yes, everyone was a little disap
pOinted, but for a myriad of rea
sons. The conditions existing on
that day were far from ideal for
a more successful end to such a
momentous event. Remember, the
Wrights got to pick their day; we
didn't! Listening to Scott this past
December only reminded us of the

excitement of that day in 2003,

and the emotion of that moment
came rushing back to my mind.
Then, to hear Scott explain in
great detail the challenges he and
the team of pilots faced in prep
aration for that event over two
years ago proved to be not only
entertaining, but also fundamen
tal to understanding the real chal
lenges they faced that cold and
rainy December day in 2003. Scott
showed the audience a number of
video clips that were shot during
their training, and one of them
of particular interest showed the
venerable test pilot at the controls
of the 1902 Wright Glider being
towed by a van .
When the aircraft suddenly
pitched forward, it struck the
ground with such force that Scott
was physically pitched out of the
front of the machine into the
grass and on his back side. Now,
Scott was 82 years old when this
happened, and it was amazing to
watch him jump right up, dust
himself off, and then immediately
begin to assess the damage to the
glider. Now, I got to tell you, this
old boy took a real tumble.
Most guys his age would have
taken an ambulance ride over
an incident that severe. What's
yo ur secre t , Scott? You must be
still enjoying yo ur Cheerios or
Wheaties each and every morncontinued on page 38

2006, THE WORLD'S GREATEST AVIATION CELEBRATION-JULY 24-30

VAA IS ABOUT PARTICIPATION: BE A MEMBER! BE A VOLUNTEER! BE THERE!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

CALLING ALL WAYPOINTS

Get noticed on the
EAA AirVenture website

Every year, many facilities pro

vide special offers to EAA mem
bers on their flights to and from
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. We col
lect listings of these valuable of
fers and place them together on
the EAA AirVenture website as a
convenience to those planning a
flight to the World's Greatest Avia
tion Celebration .
If you'd like your facility to be
among the waypoints , FBOs, and
others listed on the EAA AirVen
ture website, please send us your
information, including name of
business, airport, phone number,
e-mail address, and any special of
fers you'd like to announce. Send to
webmaster@eaa.org, and then watch
for it on www.airventure.org.
EAA AIRVENTURE RIDESHARE

Looking for a ride, or have a

spare right seat for Oshkosh? Visit

www.airventure.org/rideshare.
CUTTING MEDICAL
CERTIFICATE BACKLOG

Pilots would see improved re

sponse times to their medical
certification and special-issuance
applications if the FAA adopts EAA
proposed policy and process
changes. In a letter and supporting
documents delivered to the FAA in
December, EAA President Tom Po
berezny recommended solutions
to the backlog of applications for
aeromedical certification. Delays in
processing such applications, partic
ularly speCial-issuance paperwork,
continue to be a vexing problem for
the FAA and the pilot community.
Poberezny's letter to Nick Saba
tini, FAA associate administrator of
regulations and certification, cites
conclusions developed by EAA's
Aeromedical Council. The Council
is made up of EAA members who are
2

FEBRUARY 2006

.
Q:

Sport Pilot Q&A

I am flying with a special issuance of my third class medical

under Title 14 of the CFRs, Section 67.401. I desire to transi
tion to sport pilot status. What is required of me to do this?

Your transition is simple! Simply let your FAA medical certificate

expire, at which time you automatically switch to sport pilot op
erations using your valid U.S. state driver'S license in lieu of the
medical certificate. Remember that you need to restrict yourself to exer
Cising only sport pilot privileges and limitations while using your driver' s
license in lieu of a medical certificate, and you are allowed to fly only air
craft that fit within the definition of a light-sport aircraft (LSA). You also
need to continue to keep your flight review current.

For more information about operating an aircraft that

qualifies as an LSA, please visit www.sportpilot.org/faq.
active aeromedical examiners and
volunteer their time to advise and as
sist on medical issues affecting pilots.
"These highly qualified individu
als, who are well recognized within
the aeromedical field, have the ex
pertise and experience to address
the issues and develop practical
recommendations and solutions,"
Poberezny said.
Poberezny noted that, during EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 200S last July,
the medical-certification backlog
was the most commonly mentioned
topic by pilots during the annual
Meet the Administrator session. Po
berezny commended the FAA for re
sponding to EAA members' appeal
for action by making a good-faith
effort to address the backlog.
"We applaud the work the FAA
has done, but its current effort is
not sustainable," Poberezny said.
"The agency addressed the backlog
by redoubling its efforts-in other
words, working longer and harder.
With no additional resources or re
lief on the horizon for FAA, we
believe it must adopt reforms to
create a more efficient medical
certification system."
The EAA Aeromedical Council
reviewed numerous potential solu

tions addressing all phases of the

process, including enhancing the
quality of data input, minimizing
or eliminating delays in the mul
tiple steps in the certification path
way, reducing the input burden to
the [FAA's] Aerospace Medical Cer
tification Division through the del
egation of authority to aeromedical
examiners [AMEs], and pursuing
other measures.
EAA cites a survey that indicates
94 percent of AMEs are willing to
take on additional training and re
sponSibility to address the problem.
"The EAA Aeromedical Coun
cil has done outstanding work in
outlining the current situation and
providing solutions. Enacting the
Council's recommendations will
streamline the processing of medi
cal applications without compro
mising air safety."
EAA SPORT AIR WORKSHOPS
TO DEBUT IN DETROIT

EAA SportAir Workshops are

coming to the Michigan Institute
of Aviation and Technology in
Detroit on April 22-23.
EAA SportAir Workshops provide
all the training that will launch you
on the most satisfying and reward

ing adventure of your life: building

your own aircraft. Workshops for
this location include Introduction
to Aircraft Building; Composite
Construction; Sheet Metal Basics;
Fabric Covering; and Electrical Sys
tems and Avionics.
"Holding our workshop program
at a location like the Michigan Insti
tute of Aviation and Technology is a
real benefit for EAA members," said
Charlie Becker, director of SportAir
Workshops. "They get to learn the ba
sic homebuilding skills in a first-class
environment so their entire focus can
be on the hands-on training."
If you have any questions, or to get
the full 2006 schedule, call 800-967
5746 toll-free or visit www.sportair.org.

you need to make a correction, go

to www.faa.gov/licensesJertificates/

aircrafCcertification/a ircrafCregistry/
change_of-address/ and follow the
change-of-address procedures.
Also inspect the" Aircraft De
scription" information. Look for
the "Status" in the right column.
If it says "Valid," then your records
are okay-the information was ver

ified within the last three years.

If the entry says "In question" or
"Undel Tri*," then yo u need to
call the FAA registry office at 866
762-9434 or visit www.faa.gov/
Iicen ses_certificates/a i rcrafccerti

fication/aircrafCregistry/contacC
aircrafCcertification to determine
what you need to do.
continued on page 39

Prefer Grass Runways?

Here's some help.

UPDATE AIRCRAFT
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
DEADLINE WAS FEBRUARY 1
Even though the deadline
has passed, just in case you've
missed it, you should immedi
ately ensure that your aircraft's
registration record is accurate
and reflects the correct name
and current address.
As EAA reported in early Decem
ber, the FAA announced on Decem
ber 9 that it is asking aircraft owners
to check their registration records
online to ensure the accuracy of the
information. The FAA and TSA be
lieve it is in the interests of national
security and aviation safety to en
sure that only properly registered
aircraft operate within the National
Airspace System (NAS). The vast ma
jority of aircraft owners are up to
date, but aircraft owners whose air
craft registration information may
be inaccurate have until February 1
to correct it or face FAA action.
To view your information, do the
following:
Go to the aircraft N number
search page at http://registry.(aa.
gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_inquiry.asp
and enter your N number (without
the N) in the search block . When
the information appears, first look
at the second section containing
"Registered Owner" information to
ensure all information is correct. If

As an EAA member (an important part of your VAA membership), you

can use the EAA Flight Planner to chart your trip. Just click on the EAA
Flight Planner link on the left side of the home pages at www.eaa.orgor
www. vintageaircraft. org.

As an added bonus, we have a handy list of airports in the United that

have grass runways and fuel service, compiled by VAA member Kris Kor
tokrax. First published in 2004, the list has been reviewed and updated
this winter by Kris, and is organized alphabetically and by sectional
chart. Kris also includes airports that have grass and paved surfaces.
The list is available as a PDF download at www.vintageaircraft.org.
Kris flies a variety of old biplanes that are more pleasant to fly when
flown from grass strips, and he and his buddies from Shelbyville, Illi
nois, do their best to keep the old biplanes happy (and keep tire wear
to a minimum) by flying cross-country from grass strip to grass strip.
Finding fuel facilities can be a challenge these days, and Kris has dis
tilled this airport information to be useful for like-minded grass-runway
preferring pilots. This data was current as of the beginning of the year,
but we suggest you call ahead to confirm fuel availability and hours of
operation. If you have any changes or additions, drop us an e-mail at
vintageaircraft@eaa.org and we'll forward it to Kris.

Our thanks to Kris for sharing his list with the membership. Let us
know if you find it useful!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Friends of the Red Barn Campaign

Many services are provided to vintage aircraft en

thusiasts at EAA AirVentu re Oshkosh. From parking
airplanes to feeding people at the Tall Pines Cafe and
Red Barn, more than 400 volunteers do it all. Some
may ask, "If vol unteers are providing the services,
where is the expense?"
Glad you asked. The scooters for the flightline crew
need repair and batteries, and the Red Barn needs
paint, new windowsills, updated wiring, and other
sundry repairs, plus we love to care for our volunteers
with spec ial recognition caps and a pizza party. The
list really cou ld go on and on, but no matter how
many expenses we can point out, the need remains
constant. The Friends of the Red Barn fund helps pay
for the VAA expenses at EAA AirVenture, and is a cru
cial part of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.
Please help the VAA and our 400-plus dedicated
volunteers make this an unforgettable experience for
our many EAA AirVenture guests. We've made it even
more fun to give this year, with more giving levels to
fit each person's budget, and more interesting activi
ties for donors to be a part of.
Thank-You Items
by Level

Name Listed:
Vintage, Web
& Sign at
Red Barn

Donor
Appreciation
Certificate

Diamond , $1,000

Access to
Volunteer
Center

Special
FORB
Badge

Your contribution now really does make a differ

ence. There are six levels of gifts and gift recognition .
Thank you for whatever you can do.
Here are some of the many activities the Friends of
the Red Barn fund underwrites:
Red Barn Information Desk Supplies

Participant Plaques and Supplies

Toni's Red Carpet Express Repairs and Radios
Caps for VAA Volunteers
Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers
Flightline Parking Scooters and Supplies
Breakfast for Past Grand Champions
Volunteer Booth Administrative Supplies
Membership Booth Administrative Supplies
Signs Throughout the Vintage Area
Red Barn and Other Buildings' Maintenance
And More!

Two Passes
to VAA
Volunteer
Party

Special
FORB
Cap

Breakfast
at Tall Pines
Cafe

Tri-Motor
Ride
Certificate

Two Tickets
to VAA
Picnic

Close Auto
Parking

2 People/ Full Wk

2 Tickets

Full Week

2 Days

Platinum, $750

2 People/Full Wk

2 Tickets

Gold, $500

1 Person/Full Wk

1 Ticket

Silver, $250

Bronze. $100

Loyal Supporter,
$99 & Under

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name_ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ ___EAA #_ _ _ _ _ VAA #_ _ _ __
Address_____________________ ________________________
City/State/Zip_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Ph o ne _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ ___E-Ma il_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Please choose your level of participation:
__ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00
__ Silver Level Gift - $250.00
__ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00
__ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00
__ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) Your Support $ _ _
_
Gold Level Gift - $500.00
D Payment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.)
o Please Charge my credit card (below)
Mail your contribution to:
Credit Card Number _____________ Expiration Date _ __
Signature___________________

EAA, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOC.

PO Box 3086
OSHKOSH, WI 549033086

*Do you or your spouse work for a matching gift company? If so, this gift may qualify for '--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _----l
a matching donation. Please ask your Human Resources department for the appropriate form.

Nam e of Co m pa n y -:-:-;---:--_ _----;:-:--;---:-:---;-_ ____;_~--;__:::_;;__;:_;;_:;_;;_____;____,;_;_;__:::_:_____:__;____,_:__:

The Vintage Aircraft Associatiun is a non-profit educational organization LInder IRS SOlc3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax (or
charitable contributions is limited to tile amount by which any money (and tile value o( any property other thml money) contributed exceeds tile vallie o(the goods or
services provided ill exchange (or the contriblltion. An appropriate receipt acknowledging ),ollr gift will be sent to YOll (or IRS gift reporting reasons.

FEBRUARY 2006

After reading about

the Lockheed Altair/
Orion in this month's
Vintage, I just had to
dig out two slides that
I took of that very air
plane at the Mantz fa
cility in California back
in May 23, 1968. It car
ried Reg. No. NC12222,
sin 180.
Occasionally I would
learn that it was sold at
auction to someone in
New Hampshire, where
it stayed in storage for
quite some time, and
then was eventually
sold to Swissair, and fi
nally after a beautiful
restoration was put on
display at the transpor
tation museum in Lucerne.
In October 1991, I had the good fortune to be invited to speak on
Charles A. Lindbergh, in Lucerne, Switzerland, at the 41st Interline Sales
Marketing Conference. As soon as I had some free time I visited the
transportation museum there, and low and behold, there was that very
Lockheed again,
all done up in
bright red. It had
been restored to
flying condition,
and flown, and
was just gorgeous.
So I am enclosing
both the slides and
a couple of prints
taken at Lucerne.
Perhaps the mem
bers would like to
see these pictures.
Ev Cassagneres

Cheshire, Connecticut

SEND YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO:

VAA,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

P.O. Box 3086

WI 54903-3086

OSHKOSH

OR YOU CAN E-MAIL THEM TO: VINTAGEAIRCRAFT@EAA.ORG

IT'S A SWALLOW!
In the last Reminiscing With Big
Nick story Uanuary 2006], you asked,
"What is it?" on page 9. Well, as I am
a connoisseur of Swallow airplanes,
I picked right up on this one. It is
the near to the last Swallow built on
the 1927 model airframe. The 1927
model Swallows (ATC 21,50, and 51)
were assigned serial numbers 801 and
on. They were first advertised in No
vember 1926 and built through 1930.
No Swallow production list has been
discovered, but I have gleaned the old
registration lists and recorded most
of them. The highest serial number
found is 1042, NC430N, built in Feb
ruary 1930 and powered by a Wright
]-6-7. It was built under Group 2 Ap
proval, 2-186.
10283 caught my eye on the list
by having Swallow serial number
1-R. I obtained its record from the
FAA to see if I could determine what
model it was. The record shows that
it is a standard Hisso-powered Swal
low (like ATC 50), but in place of the
USA 27 airfoil, the Clark Y was used.
This photo of 10283 is the only one
that I have seen. It shows that it is
definitely a Swallow. There appears to
be a little "customizing." The landing
gear legs are covered and the radiator
header tank has been moved from
the upper front of the engine cowl to
the firewall, like the OX-5.
10283 was registered to Bruce E.
Raymond, Hammond, Indiana, Jan
uary 1930. It was never certified and
always registered with an "ID" num
ber. On 10 March 1938 it was sold to
W.D. Balser, also of Hammond. The
ID number was canceled on April I,
1939, when W.D . Balser did not re
new the registration.
Maybe some reader will remem
ber Bruce Raymond or W.D. Balser
and know the fate of this Swallow.
Regards,

Walt House, VAA Member

Curator, Kansas Aviation Museum

Wichita, Kansas
......

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

A biography of

E.M. "Matty" Laird

By

ROBERT

G.

ELLIOTT

AND ED ESCALLON

September of 1910,
a 14-year-old lad
of Scottish descent
stood with a crowd
of other curious spec
tators overlooking the Grant Park
area of Chicago.
Soon Walter Brookins, an early
Wright brothers-trained civilian pilot,
took to the air in a Wright Flyer, giv
ing the Windy City its first aeroplane
demonstration. Intently watching the
flight, Emil Matthew "Matty" Laird
tried to take in every motion and
sensation of the biplane as it roared
slowly across the city's skyline.
The flight ended, but its impact
would profoundly affect Chicago.
From the early pioneering develop
ments of its local citizens through
both historic air meets and aircraft
that were built there, Chicago became
a hub for the growing airline industry
of this nation.
Among those who would bring
lasting contributions to the aviation
industry was young Matty Laird, who
decided on that September day to fol
low in the footsteps of the Wright
brothers and Brookins.
For someone of his age, back
ground, and resources, it wasn't an
easy path to follow. Matty'S father had

IN

Matty Laird sat for Robert Elliott in his home at

, on
20, 1976. He had been sorting through files, making a selection of his photo
graphs to be used in the illustration of this article. Behind, on a mobile stand, is
his old engine from the Baby Biplane.

passed away in 1909, and to support

his mother, two younger brothers,
and a sister, Matty had gone to work
in the First National Bank of Chi
cago as an office boy. Consequently,
his formal education had terminated
with the eighth grade.
Based on a few pictures available
and his vivid memory of that flight
he had witnessed, he made a model
of Brookins' Wright Flyer. Through
a slow series of methodical progres
sions, he was able to achieve a sta
ble flight from a hand launch with a
smooth glide to a landing.
Fortunately for aspiring enthusi
asts, Chicago soon blossomed with
aviation activity. Businessmen such
as Charles Dickinson of Dickinson
Seed Co. and Harold McCormick of

farm implement fame backed the for

mation of the Aero Club of Illinois.
The Aero Club served to concentrate
interest and efforts in developing
flying machines. Octave Chanute
became its first preSident. The en
thusiastic secretary, Harold Robbins,
secured the services of Bill Stout
(later of Ford Tri-Motor fame) to fa
ther the Illinois Model Aero Club.
Here, young people like Matty were
encouraged to learn and compete in
aeronautical endeavors.
One of the Aero Club activities was
sponsorship of the Great Chicago Air
Meet of 1911. Aviators were attracted
from throughout the United States
and Europe to compete for more than
one hundred thousand dollars in
prizes. The air meet was a great suc-

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane July 1976

6

FEBRUARY 2006

Using a ramp for the launch, it wasn't

long before he was making brief flights
down the Chicago streets . .. much to
the distress of the nearby school
principal .. . who couldn't get his
students back into class following
these demonstrations.

Matty, on the left, prepares to launch

a rubber band-powered model airplane
while his friend looks on.

Glenn Martin, Max Lillie, DeUoyd

Thompson, Katherine Stinson (the
first of the Stinson family to learn
to fly), Chance Vought, Ole Flottorp
(the propeller manufacturer), Charles
Day, Matty and his model Aero Club
friends Buck Weaver, Charles Arens,
Young Matty's mind was fonning the shape of things to come while watching a
and later arrivals Otto Timm and Ed
Wright Flyer Model B give Chicago its first look at man in the air.
die Stinson, as well as many others.
Consequently, with activity every
where on the field, as well as com
petitive events such as the Air Meet
of 1911, a challenging environment
developed, which proved to be most
perfect for the course Matty had cho
sen
to follow.
'"cr
:5
Not all of the creations coming
~ out of Cicero were successful. Some
;:;; were monstrosities ... like the Um
brella Plane, which hopped about
like a kangaroo , attempting to be
come airborne. Then there was Pop
Keller's Multiplane, nicknamed
The Golden Stairs to Heaven, which
structurally collapsed early in its at
tempted takeoff run, leaving Vene
tian blind-like sections strewn about.
In this early stage of aviation devel
cess, with several world records estab moment possible, trying to learn ev opment, however, credit is due to all
lished and well more than 200 hours erything he could from the participat who stuck with it. Their efforts en
ing aviators and their aeroplanes.
riched the base from which success
of total air time logged.
The air meet also served to high
Chicago'S first airport, Cicero Field, ful ideas could be drawn.
light the successes that early pilots was also sponsored by the Aero Club.
Through model work and knowl
were having with their aeroplanes. Cicero included a core of people who edge gained from his contemporaries,
Young Matty was among those view would later become leaders in the in Matty'S aeronautical knowledge pro
ers of this activity during every dustry, including Lincoln Beachey, gressed rapidly. In short order his efVI NTAGE AI RPLANE

COURTESY E.M. "MAny" LAIRD

The Baby Biplane lifts off the ground with Matty

at the controls. This was his first version of this
Baby Biplane, with the squared-off wingtips.
The third version of the Baby Biplane. Outer wingtips and stabilizer
surfaces were now curved. In addition, near where his hand is rest
ing was the bolted coupling that allowed the fuselage to be divided for
shipment in crates to various exhibition sites.

forts began to show real promise, as

he began to win the model competi
tions. Even in the bank, his designs
didn't go unnoticed. An embarrass
ing incident of a rise-off-the-ground
model airplane launched in the lobby
and landed upstairs near one of the
corporate officers. This model flight
netted him cash orders for 20 more,
to be used as Christmas presents,
rather than disciplinary action.
When Matty felt he'd gathered suf
ficient knowledge from his models to
know what was involved in manned
flight, he set about building a glider to
be mounted about his bicycle. Using
a ramp for the launch, he was soon
making brief flights down the Chi
cago streets ... much to the distress
of the nearby school principal ... who
couldn't get his students back into
class following these demonstrations.
By late 1912, Matty had begun con
struction of a powered monoplane.
He located a 12-hp Franklin automo
bile engine that had been converted
for aircraft service by AI Hofer. (AI later
became one of Chance Vogt's expert
assistants.) With little to offer AI, ex
cept the promise of an aspiring young
man, Matty negotiated the purchase
of the engine, without the assistance
previously offered by the Aero Club's
Charles Dickinson.
The cost of a flying lesson was out
of the question, so Matty set out to
teach himself to fly in the diminutive
monoplane. His first lessons involved
the use of the rudder control. Previ
ous experience in bobsledding had
8

FEBRUARY 2006

taught him reverse reac

tions to what was required
in a normally rigged flying
machine. After a series of
ground runs, Matty finally
decided the time had come
for a flight. He released the
blip switch on the engine,
and the small craft acceler
ated smartly. When things Matty seated proudly in the cockpit of his Baby Bi
began to feel right, Matty, plane. Note the oil tank he mounted directly above
having little idea of the the engine, allowing controlled amounts of oil to
sensitivity required, hauled be fed into the engine, thus helping to prevent ex
back on the wheel abruptly cessive oil from flooding the upper cylinder areas
and was surprised when and fouling the spark plugs.
the little monoplane leaped

into the air. With the end of the field,

had been doubtful as to the 12-hp
and the power lines, coming up fast,
monoplane'S ability to fly were quite
he wisely avoided attempting a turn,
surprised when the performance of
but his subsequent over-control on
the Baby Biplane exceeded many of
touchdown ended the flight some
their own aeroplanes with three times
what unceremoniously as the flying
the power. As a mark of excellence
even by today's standards, this craft's
machine went over on its back.

In later flights Matty taught himself weight, when empty, was only 375
the basics of controlling the aircraft pounds. Its outstanding performance
by its attitude and the use-duration of was a foreteller of things to come with
the later Laird Baby Biplanes ... named
the engine blip switch.
Toward the end of the season Matty Solution and Super Solution!
lent the monoplane to a friend, who
Matty flew the Baby Biplane in
made the same mistake with the rud
Chicago air meets, and his aeronau
der control as Matty had initially. tical capabilities attracted enough ac
Substantial damage was caused by claim to draw him into the field of
the ground loop that ended this last exhibition flying . Peachey's booking
agent set him up for his first engage
flight, and the winter months follow
ment at Sebring, Ohio, on Septem
ing found Matty and his friends re
building the salvaged parts into a new ber 6, 1915. This exhibition was to
aeroplane called the Baby Biplane, a pay him more than he would make
slab-sided, simple-looking craft whose working at the First National Bank for
lines belied its excellent efficiency.
several months, so he took a leave to
Those more experienced fliers who make the flying date.
/

The famous Anzani-powered Boneshaker. This early exhibition plane

proved most successful and permitted Matty to build a respected
name for himseH through his exhibition flights.

ceeded by a larger two-place

biplane design called the
Boneshaker, intended pri
marily for exhibition aer
obatics. A notable feature
was the automatic massage
that occupants received
from the Anzani radial en
gine. Performance was out
standing, however, and it
was in this craft that Matty
Interior of early construction area showing Matty's
instructed the first loop-the
shipping crates for the Baby Biplane, stacked in
loop in the United States.
the right comer.
Matty lent the Bone
Matty was on that leave of absence shaker to Katherine Stinson for the
until the day he died.
first tour of an aeroplane inJapan and
Flying engagements soon took China, and his creation became an in
Matty and his friend-mechanic Weaver ternational thriller overnight.
all over the Central and Rocky Moun
Success followed Matty from one
tain states. Aerial photography, night engagement to another, as his fame
flying with flares on the aeroplane, as a youthful aviator was broadcast
loop-the-loops . .. all soon became a by the newspapers of the day. Head
standard part of his repertoire.
lines featured him as liThe Fearless
The Baby Biplane was modified Scotch Aviator."
three times in successive years, with
Tragedy struck in San Antonio,
small improvements added to the Texas, during March 1917. Matty
wing design and engine's systems. was test-flying a tractor biplane Wal
Interestingly, this ship was built to ter Brock had designed for Katherine
be disassembled into sections that Stinson. The aircraft went into a spin
could be packed into shipping crates that became flat. Spin recovery tech
for railroad shipment between exhi niques were just being developed at
bition sites. This design was among the time, and flat spins are not within
the first to be offered in plans for the normal controllability of aircraft.
homebuilders through Popular Me Matty was unab le to regain control
chanics magazine and others, making and the plane spun down to a crash,
Matty one of the early people to pick seriously injuring him.
Upon his release from the hospital
up the EAA theme. Basic information
packages, followed by more detailed in San Antonio some months later,
plans, were sold, just as many of to Matty filled a few exhibition dates
day's designs are marketed.
with Boneshaker, which had just re
In 1916, the Baby Biplane was suc turned from the Orient following

Stinson's tour. Soon after these flights

the government placed a ban on all ci
vilian flying due to the United States'
involvement in World War I. Matty
returned then to Chicago to enter St.
Luke's Hospital for further corrective
surgery to correct deficiencies result
ing from the San Antonio crash.
After his release from this second
hospitalization, Matty concentrated
his efforts to build the Model S Sport
Plane he had designed in 1916 after
the close of his exhibition tour. He sold
several of them, including one to Bill
Burke, a Buick-Franklin dea ler from
Oklahoma. Burke was so pleased with
the aeroplane that he talked his friend
Jake Mollendick, an oilman from
Wichita, Kansas, into offering a finan
cial arrangement in order to establish
manufacturing facilities in Wichita.
The offer was attractive to Matty,
so he packed up and moved, bring
ing his younger brother Charley and
Walter Weber with him. Both Charley
and Walter were employed in the pro
duction of the Model S.
At Wichita, Matty set up the first
aircraft manufacturing concern in the
United States, devoted solely to non
military production. He began fabri
cation of the first three-place design
introduced in this country, the Laird
Swallow. The E.M. Laird Co.'s efforts
literally opened the door for the huge
aircraft manufacturing complex that
later developed at Wichita.
It is difficult to place in proper per
spective the obstacles encountered
in the Swallow's production. Special
ized aircraft material was not availVINTAGE AIRPLANE

The laird Swallow that was flown by Shorty Schroeder on a nationwide

tour for the Underwriters laboratories in 1921 to promote the regis
tration of aircraft. This laird was the first registered aircraft in the
United States.

able in that locality, and

aircraft building talents
were hardly commonplace
among the local citizens.
Matty'S new factory
was described as being
the largest west of Buffalo,
New York. His initial facil
ity consisted of space ob

tained within both a grain grader and

a wheat show building. To highlight
the new company, a Model S was
placed on display in the Forum Mu
nicipal Building during the annual
wheat show.
A laird Model S was displayed in the lobby of the
During this initial growth period
wheat forum in Chicago, to call attention to the
there were several personnel transi
aircraft manufacturing activity of the laird Co.
tions. Burke returned to Oklahoma to
take charge of his automobile agency.
Weaver was hired as a demonstration
pilot. Then, during the summer of
1921 when Matty and Weaver had
taken a couple of Swallows out to the
West Coast on a promotional tour,
Walter Beech was engaged as a dem
onstration pilot. Additionally, Lloyd
and Waverly Stearman became em
ployed in the Swallow production.
Business had become a little slow
in 1921 due to the post-war recession,
but the E.M. Laird Co. continued to
keep its fine prod uct in front of the
public. This was accomplished with
laird Whirlwind: three-place, open-cockpit, Wright Whirlwind J5 220-hp engine.
the help of the enth usiastic and co
operative newspapers in that region,
and such pro jects as the nationwide
tour Shorty Schroeder completed for
the Underwriters Laboratories, flying
a Laird Swallow. This particular ship
had been marked with the registra
'"~ tion letters N-ABCB to prom ote the
aJ
~ idea of registering aircraft. Thus the
~ Laird Swallow became the first regis
~ tered airplane in the country.
;:
Many interesting historical devel
~ opments occurred during the pro
5 duction of the 43 Swallows built. The
____
______
__________
Clem Whitten beck standing beside his restored laird Junior Speedwing NXl0537 company trademark was a diamond
at Tampa, Florida, in 1947. His laird was just one registration number less than
with L-A-I-R-D across the upper edge
the laird Solution. Matty flew the original version of this plane during the Naand P-L-A-N-E-S across the bottom,
if)

~~~~~~

~~

tional Air Races of 1930 in Chicago at Curtiss-Reynolds Airport.

10

FEBRUARY 2006

~~u

continlled on page 36

20<D5

IINDUG:TEE

By H.G.
Like a lot of young people, Richard
"Doc" Knutson was fascinated with
aviation and started building model
airplanes at a young age. He was born
in Cuba City, Wisconsin, in 1924,
and, as a child, jumped at any oppor
tunity to get to an airport to see the
real thing. After World War II came
the schooling needed to make a living
as a chiropractor, but as soon as his
professional and family life with his
wife, Grace, allowed, he learned to fly.
The city of Lodi, where he lived, had
no airport, so he took flying lessons in
Baraboo, Wisconsin, starting in June
1953. Lloyd Bell instructed Doc in a
Cessna 140.
With his private pilot certificate
in hand, he bought his first airplane,
12

FEBRUARY 2006

FRAUTSCHY

an Aeronca 11AC Scout. Next came a

Stinson 108-2, a straight tail Cessna
172, and on up through the popu
lar airplanes of the 1950s and '60s.
A couple of sons came along as well,
Dan and Paul.
Years of building model airplanes
had created an interest in restoring
the real thing. The first project was a
J-3 Cub he located at the now closed
Rainbow Airport in Franklin, Wiscon
sin. It was 1967, and although the
fabric was weak, the Cub was ferri
able. The purchase price was $500.
Doc had a two-story garage behind
his office in Lodi where he worked
on the J-3, and he was able to sneak
out between patients and get things
done during office hours. Since it was

his first project, Doc's enthusiasm was

high. He had the aircraft flying again
in only five months, although there
were times he would have to peel fab
ric cement off his hands before tak
ing care of the next patient! Satisfied
with his results, he started restoring
an Aeronca 7AC Champ next, and
he never stopped after that. Over the
years, Doc and his son Dan have re
stored 22 airplanes.
Even at age 81 he remains active
and can be found in the hangar, turn
ing wrenches, mixing butyrate dope,
or doing whatever else needs to be
done. In addition to nearly two-dozen
aircraft restorations, Doc has restored
about a dozen antique automobiles
and built countless model airplanes.

Doc (far right) and a pair of other Lodi, Wisconsin, pilots started the

If it flew, he was interested. These are just a pair of the

many radio-controlled model airplanes Doc Knutson bui~

Lodi Lakeland airport in 1956. It remains in operation today, a pretty

grass field nestled in the softly rolling hills just northeast of town. Doc
has used the local airport to give rides to as many local folks as he
could over the years. Long before the days of the Young Eagtes program,
Doc made sure every youth within three counties got an airplane ride.
He was an active member of the Civil Air Patrol until the squadron was
disbanded. In addition, he was an Air Scout Leader.
~-------------.

Right: A dapper young Richard Knutson.

Below: Collage of airplane photos.
Many of the airplanes Doc has restored.
For most of the restoration projects, his
son Dan assisted him. Doc has been a
judge for Contemporary aircraft at EAA
AirVenture, since the category was estab
lished in 1993, and a judge at the Annual
Sentimental Journey at the former Piper
factory in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Another fabric-covered Piper is attended to by

the local Lodi, Wisconsin, chiropractor, Doc
Knutson. Known around the world within the
Cub Club as one of the experts on the restora
tion of fabric-covered Pipers, Doc still takes
time to answer the occasional letter or phone
call asking him for restoration advice.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

Perfectin

Perfection:

Tony Smith's
Ultimate
Jungmeister
Budd Davisson
Photos Jim Koepnick

II

wasn't trying to restore it to orig

inal condition," says Tony Smith
in his delightfully English accent.
"I'd already done that a number
of times to a number of different
Buckers. Airplanes are meant to be
flown, and as I found out from my
first, very original Jungmeister, even the perfect air

plane, the Jungmeister, isn't perfect. So, when I re

stored this one, I improved those things I'd found to

be less than perfect."

Tony is talking about the Bucker Jungmeister (pro

nounced young-my-ster; in English: young master)

Bu-133 he'd flown down from his winter home on

the Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala to the 200S Sun 'n

Fun Fly-In, in Lakeland, Florida. He's a self-proclaimed

"long range snowbird" in that he winters at his place

on the Air Ranch but calls North Yorkshire, England,

home. So, yes, his commute to his away-from-the

snow refuge is longer than most. His route to the per

fect Jungmeister is also longer than most.

Jungmeisters, in general, are a rare and highly sought

after breed. Few, however, have such a long and won

derfully circuitous gestation. This particular one began

with plastic model airplanes, which evolved into a busi

ness, gave birth to the likes of Mustangs and Spitfires,

and finally began to shape itself from a pile of refuse

glimpsed in the dingy gloom of a west Texas hangar.

Tony Smith is well known in the United Kingdom

partially because of the air show displays he has given

14

FEBRUARY 2006

in everything from his Spitfire (since replaced with a

Mustang) to his first and very original Jungmeister.
liThe Jungmeister is such a predictable snapping air
plane that I would land, yank it off into a snap roll,
and land again. I did over a thousand snap rolls prepar
ing for that one."
One of the secrets to the Jungmeister's snap roll, and
part of its original 1934 design, is its rather unortho
dox (for a biplane) wing rigging. Where most biplanes
have the top wing set up with a higher angle of inci

dence than the bottom wing so the top one stalls first,
which forces the nose down in a stall, the Jungmeis
ter is exactly the opposite. The top wing actually has a
slightly negative angle of incidence, while the bottom
wing is at zero. This contributes to the legendary abil
ity of the Jungmeister to easily stop a snap roll any
where the pilot wants, with a minimum of fuss. This
is decidedly different than most other aerobatic air
planes, which require finesse, practice, and sometimes
just a little luck.

The Olympic rings logo highlights the history of the Biicker

during the turbulent times prior to WWII, when aerobatics
were part of the 1936 Munich summer games.

Where the two-seat Jungmann was designed to teach

neophytes how to fly, the Jungmeister was designed
specifically to let them explore the absolute limits of
1930s aerobatic flight. Champions around the world
chose the Jungmeister as their mount.
Tony's a Welshman, and proud of it, and came
VIN T AGE A IRPLANE

15

into aviation initially, as many do,

through model airplanes. However,
his first real exposure to airplanes
was anything but typical: joining
the Royal Air Force (RAF) at 18,
he became part of a special quick
response safety team.
lilt was our job to parachute into
an area needing instantaneous re
sponse, specifically crash sites or
lost nukes. We were moved all over
the world, but I spent much of my
time in the Middle and Far East,
moving from base to base as the
job required."
Tony spent seven years in the
RAF. After that his passion for
building plastic (polystyrene, actu
ally) models led into his developing
a plastic packaging business that
consumed his life until 1985.
"I had always wanted to learn
to fly, but the time and money just
wasn't available. I was married in
'69, had two girls, Katy and Saman
tha, and a boy, Jeremy, and just
couldn't fit flying in."
When he finally did start flying, he
went at it with something much more
extreme than a mere vengeance.
liMy first airplane was a 90-hp
Super Cub, but in '87 I got my first
of four Jungmanns. It was a CASA
with the Tigre engine, which I have
always thought was much misun
derstood and underrated."
He underscored his faith in the
Tigre engine when he flew a Jung
mann from
Darwin,
Australia, to
England. And
no, that's not a
typo.

"I had a big fuel tank installed

in the front seat, putting me 200
pounds over gross on takeoff. The
longest over-water leg was 600 miles,
and this was before GPSs. Using a
compass only, I was only 15 miles
off course when I made landfall.
liThe biggest problem of the trip
was the politiCS and paperwork. The
trip took 12 flying days, but I was
gone a total of 21, with the rest be
ing consumed filling out forms and
seeking permission to fly through
foreign airspace."
Over the years, Tony quickly
became something of a Bucker
scavenger because, among other
things, he enjoys working on the
airplanes himself.
"I'm never happier than when
paddling around in buckets of bu
tyrate dope. Because of that, the air
planes are never off my mind, and
I'm always looking for parts. At that
time, a large percentage of the ex
isting CASA Jungmann parts were
owned by Marcus Bates, in Odessa,
Texas, and it was while visiting him,
looking for an engine, that the sec
ond Jungmeister got its start. /I
Prior to that time Tony had ac
quired a nearly 100 percent original
ex-Swiss air force Bucker-built Jung
meister and loved it dearly. Even
so , there were things about the
airplane that he felt could be im
proved upon, but he wasn't going
to modify such an original airplane.
He had too much respect for history
to do that.

He'd always wanted to build the

"ultimate" Jungmeister, and when
standing in Marcus Bates' hangar in
Texas, sifting through piles of parts,
his dream took some serious steps
toward reality.
Although Marcus was selling
primarily Jungmann parts, while
I was digging through his piles of
'stuff,' I'd periodically run into a
Jungmeister part. When I started
looking closely, it became obvi
..r':"-;;~__ ous that between what he had
f!e-~iS_~"
and what else I knew was avail
able, I had the makings for a com
pleteJungmeister airframe with one
exception, the basic fuselage."
Lacking at least a rusted fuse
lage for a pattern has stopped
many restoration projects in their
tracks, but Tony had a way around
something as minor as a missing fu
selage. Years ago, when a Jungmeis
Short and a bit stubby, but oh so, well-mannered , the Biicker Jungmeister has ter crashed in the United Kingdom,
been renowned for years for its amazing aerobatic qualities. Englishmen Tony master craftsman Mark Jefferies
Smith has chosen to paint his Jungmeister in the nationalistic markings of a pre built a fuselage jig using drawings
WWII Gennan flying club.
acquired from Texan Frank Price
16 FEBRUARY 2006

II

The unusual control stick of the Jung

meister is center stage in the pilot's
cockpit. The lightweight, multi-tube
German construction of the Biicker is
also exposed to those who are privi
leged to fly the biplane.

(why do Texans figure so promi

nently in the history of German bi
planes?). England's sport aviation
certifying organization, the PFA,
was heavily involved in that proj
ect and, in fact, granted permission
for six fuselages to be built. The im
portant part of this tale is that Mark
Jefferies is a friend of Tony's, and
there was at least one fuselage avail
able. Problem solved. Sort of.
"I collected as many of the bits
and pieces as I could from Marcus
and found I had original wings,
landing gear, instrument panel, and
tail, along with many other ancil
lary pieces. Also, Bitz in Germany
had a wide selection of parts, most
of which were new.
The bushels of miscellaneous as
semblies and broken wood were
taken to Tony's shop in England.
"When we examined the wings
closely, it became obvious that ,
while the fittings were all reusable,
most of the wood was not."
For those who haven't seen a
Bucker taken apart, everything about
both the wings and the fuselage liter
ally screams "light, which also trans
lates as "fragile." There are dozens
and dozens of tiny tubes and sticks
of wood that are easily broken and
prone to environmental damage.
II

II

Tony Smith dons his face mask with microphone before heading off on another en
joyable flight with his Jungmeister.
Tightly fitted control surfaces
and, in the case of the rud
der, a gap seal contribute to
the well-balanced feel of the
Jungmeister's controls.

Below: Wheel covers for air

planes have been given a va
riety of names, but in this
case, "wheel spats" cer
tainly seems to fit the char
acter of the Biicker.

"In the end, we built

all new spars, ribs, and
rebuilt the ailerons. Ev
erything else, however,
including the alumi
num tip bows, was ab
solutely salvageable."
When viewing an air
plane such as a Jung
meister and intending
to fly it as often as pos
sible, it's easy to see why
Tony wanted to make a
few modifications. 1934 systems are
not known for either their reliability
or their suitability in today's operat
ing environments.
"The brakes, for instance, were
terrible and would barely stop you
at the gas pumps. We also installed
a Christen wobble pump that in
cludes a quick drain and the ability
to switch from a normal fuel tank
pickup to the flop tube for aero
batic flight. It's a very nice unit.
"Since I was planning on flying

the airplane fairly hard in aerobatics,

weight was something we really paid
attention to, which is why I got rid of
the battery. It was just too heavy. At
the same time, we installed an auxil
iary power plug for the starter.
"We also converted the old re
serve fuel tank to hold smoke oil
and installed a really good smoke
system. After all, you can't have an
air show airplane that doesn't make
lots of smoke."
One of the areas Tony felt really
VINTAGE AIRPLAN E

17

needed improvement was the en

gine. The original seven-cylinder,
160-hp Siemens was a fine-running
engine, but it was extremely lim
ited in its ability to pump the ponies
out, and things got quiet quickly
when the nose came up and the
speed went away. Here again, Texan
Frank Price came to the rescue. (Tex
ans can't have an underpowered air
plane. It's against state law.)
In the '60s and '70s Frank Price
was a larger-than-life air show fig
ure who always left the crowd
shaking its collective head over his
snap roll on takeoff in his 260-hp,
Lycoming-powered Jungmeister
clone. However, prior to the Ly
comi ng/Bucker, Price flew a 185
hp, Warner-powered Great Lakes,
and the Warner was only slightly
larger than the Siemens in the
Bucker, something that didn't es
cape Tony Smith's notice.
"I located a 185-hp Warner Super
Scarab that had only 50 hours since
a major overhaul. I put an Ellison
throttle body on it that suppos
edly brings the power up to 200 hp.
Since then I've put 200 hours on
it. Everything about it works great.
The oil system doesn't even flicker
when I roll upside down, which I
do a lot. After all, fun comes first."
According to Tony, when cov
ering a Bucker, it's important to
keep the general fragile nature of
the airframe in mind because over
taut fabric can actually crush it or
bend it out of shape. He used Ce
18

FEBRUARY 2006

conite that is only pulled up semi

taut with the iron before doping.
The rest of the tightening is done
by medium-tautening dope.
"The paint scheme is that of
a pre-war, civilian flying club, al
though obviously we had to use a
U.K. 'G' number rather than a Ger
man 'D.' I didn't have to re-register
it here because the FAA is very good
about foreign registered airplanes
in the U.S. that are being operated
by foreign owners. Their feeling is
that, if it's okay in the U.K., then
it's okay here."
The paint used was nothing ex
otic. Just two-part automotive ure
thane with a little plasticizer mixed
in. It looks terrific, but it should
be remembered that the airplane
wasn't built to be a showpiece. It
was meant to be flown hard. Tony's
goal of performance and lots of fly
ing would be hampered by excess
weight, and paint is where most
airplanes pick up lots of unneces
sary weight. He clearly knows that
pounds left on the ground are the
same as free horsepower.
The airplane was restored in the
United Kingdom and promptly
shipped to Florida, where the fly
ing weather is more fitting to an
open-cockpit airplane. Even so, it
will eventually return to England,
where Tony has established a flying
museum, The Real Aeroplane Com
pany (RAC), built around some of
his own airplanes as well as those of
friends. His website, www.realaero.

com, is the portal to a truly impres

sive endeavor.
Tony, who is an aviation addict of
the highest order, established RAC
on his airstrip that's located on the
site of the World War II Breighton
bomber base near Selby. It was to be
a haven for pilots and enthusiasts
who felt stifled trying to engage in
their own brand of aeronautical fun
on "normal" airports. The site has
grown to its current eight hangars
and more than 40 flying machines
ranging from Hurricanes, Spitfires,
Mustangs, and the like to a wide
range of antiques, including the ac
tual Percival Mew Gull that Alex
Henshaw used to set many records
in 1939. It's also worth noting that
Tony's L-39 was the first certified in
western Europe and that he and the
airplane played a starring role in the
opening scenes in the James Bond
film Tomorrow Never Dies.
So what does a person who owns
such exotics as a Mustang and Per
cival Mew Gull buy next? Inasmuch
as he has owned six Buckers, we're
willing to bet the Bucker bug bites
again. After all, now that he has the
ultimate Jungmeister, he has to own
an ultimate Jungmann just so he
can share the world of the Bucker
with those not so blessed.
Will he ever sell his ultimate
Jungmeister?
His comment, when asked, was,
"This is definitely an airplane for
a lifetime."
We'll take that as a "no." ......

An Annual

Gathering of Howards

at Hayward,

Wistonsin

The beasts visit the Northwoods

BY SPARKY BARNES SARG ENT

"They're beautiful, they're husky and strong, they

sound great, and you can put everything but the kitchen
sink in them!" quips Ellen Rippon with warm admira
tion and not a moment's hesitation when asked what
she likes about Howard DGAs, including the one that she
and her husband, Ron, own. Laughing with a knowing
smile, Barbara Moore adds, 'They're exciting and they're
muscle machines!" This is the type of contagious enthu
siasm that you'll find prevalent among members of the
Howard Aircraft Foundation at their annual gathering in
Hayward, Wisconsin, just before EAA AirVenture.
The group's membership is sprinkled throughout
49 states, with Howard owners located in 40 states. Al
though their membership is relatively small compared
to other type clubs, with 147 members and only 47 fly
ing airplanes (plus a few projects), the group easily com
mands a presence whenever you happen to see them on
the flightline. And when you behold a handful or more
of these robust Howard DGAs-whether on the ground
or flying by-you won't be likely to soon forget the sight
of Ben Howard's great flying machines, or the sound of
their throaty 4S0-hp Pratt & Whitney radial engines.

The Gathering
This past summer, 10 Howard DGAs thundered over
Northwest Wisconsin and descended upon the Cable
Union Airport (3CU), adjacent to the Telemark Lodge,
for a weekend of flying and socializing. This gathering
was the Howard club's third annual event for Howard
aircraft owners and enthusiasts. The number of How
ard aircraft in attendance varies from year to year;

Ed Moore, president of the Howard Aircraft Founda

tion, recalls that their first gathering was held in Au
gust 2003 at Sawyer County Airport (HYR) in Hayward,
Wisconsin. Eight Howards and about three dozen peo
ple attended that year, and the numbers doubled in
2004, when the gathering was moved just a few miles
away to the Cable Union Airport (both airports are on
the Green Bay sectional, with 100LL available).
In 2005, the number of aircraft was down a bit, but
it was a successful and enjoyable gathering nonetheless.
Thirty-eight members, along with well more than a dozen
guests, began arriving on Friday afternoon. After a hearty
dinner and bunking down for the night in the rustic lodge
at the Telemark Lodge (which also has suites and 'condo
miniums available), Saturday morning dawned a bit over
cast, but fine enough for flying excursions to neighboring
Sawyer County Airport, where ground transportation was
provided to the Lund family's waterfront lake house and
private seaplane base for the afternoon.

The Lund Family

The Lund family plays a primary role in this gather
ing; in fact, it was Al Lund who, after conferring with
some of the other members, decided to hold this annual
Howard gathering the weekend prior to EAA AirVen
ture. That way, the two events would dovetail nicely,
with pilots flying on to Oshkosh on Monday, following
a relaxing weekend with their comrades in Hayward.
"My feeling is there is no way that this fly-in would
be one-tenth as successful if it were not for the Lund
family, " Moore proclaims, a sentiment felt by other
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

19

Leroy and Peggy Peterson arrive at Cable Union Airport in their

ex-military Model 15P.

Brian and Debbie Longwill in their Model 15p, wearing its U.S.
Navy military colors as it did in its fonner life as a GH-3.

Paul Bjornstad flies his Howard near Cable Union Airport in

Wisconsin.

The Howard water taxis to the open lake waters for takeoff.
Dale appears to be explaining the proper pitch attitude used
during a water takeoff to his passenger.

members as well. Lund's sons, Jim, Dan, and Tom,

cheerfully helped provide ground transportation from
the airport to the lake shore, where Al and his wife,
Lois, graciously welcomed Howard owners and their
guests to enjoy delicious hand-prepared refreshments
by the water's edge.
But that 's not all-this past summer Lund gener
ously provided the opportunity for folks to enjoy the
rare experience of flying in his float-equipped twin
Beech, while another member, Dale Walker, was hap
pily hopping rides in his Howard DGA, also on floats.
Saturday was capped off with the annual pig roast at
Lund's hangar, back at the airport in Hayward.
Lund enjoys having these folks gather at his home and
hangar, explaining that the weekend is "for Howard own
ers and enthusiasts, whether they have flying aircraft or
projects, and whether they come by Howard, or another
type of airplane, or drive," adding that he "expects that
the event will continue as long as the Howard owners
want to do it. The group also plans to have some regional
fly-ins around the country, and right now we're planning
one for West Yellowstone in September 2006."

It isn't too often you'll have the opportunity to see a Howard on

floats, but Dale Walker was giving buddy rides in his during the
Hayward gathering.

Joe Dudley's big, beautiful yellow Howard.

Paul BJornstad'. Howard used to live In ""'1.

Joe Dudley checks the oil level in his

Howard DGA.

AI Lund and his family generously hosted

the annual Howard gathering for an af
ternoon of fun and refreshments at their
lakefront home.

Jim Lund logged more than 170 hours on NC53386 during the past year.

Where there are Howards, you're sure to find Barbara and Ed Moore.

Lund, who first learned to fly

in 1949, is himself quite an ad
mirer of the Howard DGA, having
bo ught his first one in 1968. "I al
ways liked the airplane because I
loved the way it looked. It's tough
looking and massive! And of course,
it's a good short-field airplane, a
tremendous climber, and it's fast
and comfortable." Today, he owns
three airworthy Howards and one
long-term project. And at least two
of his children have acquired his
affinity for flying-his daughter,
Kristen, is a pilot, and his son Jim
V I NTAGE A I RPLANE

21

Paul Bjornstad's 1944 exmilitary Howard (GH2) was the am

bulance version (with the multipurpose door).

has recently discovered the joy of flying one of his fa

ther's Howards.

Pleasures and Challenges

Dale Walker's Howard taxis into AI Lund's quiet and private cove.

Ron and Ellen Rippon's handsome Howard DGA touches down

at Cable Union Airport.

One of AI Lund's three Howards-this one is a civilian Model 15P.

Jim Lund has been flying for only three years, but
in the past year, he's logged 170 hours' flight time in
NCS3386, a 1943 ex-military Howard DGA-1SP. He
welcomed the transition from flying a Super Cub and
a Husky to flying the larger Howard, and wears a con
stant smile on his face when he talks about it. "Our fly
ing partner and mechanic, Doug Erby, checked me out
in the Howard on a grass strip here in Wisconsin, and
we went around a bunch of times until I was comfort
able with it. I felt confident when I soloed; it's a good,
solid airplane, and I wasn't going to hurt it. The most
challenging part of flying a Howard is the landings; I
make wheel landings because I feel it's easier on the
airplane, and I can grease it in and very seldom get
a bounce out of it. I've flown around Minnesota and
Wisconsin in it so far and made one trip out to Aspen,
Colorado, last fall." He heartily endorses not only the
airplane, but the Howard Aircraft Foundation as well,
and encourages others to "join, and get to know these
people and network with them to learn more about the
airplane and the available resources."
Paul Bjornstad of Tennessee echoes Lund's feeling
about belonging to the Howard Foundation. "It's im
portant, simply because it's imperative that we pre
serve these beautiful old airplanes. It's a good thing
to be able to do something that is that important to
aviation, and it's also so much damn fun flying it. For
me, just looking at a Howard conjures up images of
days gone by-Wiley Post, the Lockheed Vega, the air
races, and Roscoe Turner. That golden age of aviation
was spectacular and romantic in every regard as it ap
plied to airplanes . My decision to buy a Howard oc
curred long before I flew one, and my first flight in one
was actually here at the fly-in , when I flew in Mark Lip
trap's airplane. The Howard is as regal in practical ap
plication as it appears when you look at it."
Joe Dudley makes a similar confession, describing the
Howard as "probably one of the neatest-looking airplanes
Left: Mike Iverson hopped rides in AI Lund's floatequipped twin
Beech during the gathering.

22

FEBRUARY 2006

The front two Howards are owned by Leroy Peterson and

Mike Vaughan.
Right: The Telemark Lodge is nestled between a golf
course and runway amidst the evergreen-covered
hillsides near Cable, Wisconsin.

that I've ever seen. As for useful load, anything we put in

it, it'll haul it with ease. It's a little bit harder to land in
a crosswind because of the flat bulky side on it, but with
good crosswind technique, it's a good-handling airplane.
I make wheel landings because I have better visibility
that way, and the airplane seems to like it better." Dud
ley flies his ex-military Howard DGA-15P regularly from
his home base in Oklahoma to fly-ins across the coun
try, including Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Florida; the Antique
Aircraft Association's fly-in in Blakesburg, Iowa; and EAA
AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After all, flying cross
country in a Howard is a comfortable, fast ride-Dudley's
aircraft generally averages about 160 mph.

Care and Feeding

Mike Vaughan and his family (of Illinois) were look
ing for an airplane that would carry them all comfort
ably and have good range, decent speed, and plenty
of room for baggage. Their civilian Howard DGA-15P
meets all those expectations for them. lilt's very com
fortable in the air, and my son, Iven, switches seats
back and forth all the time on a long trip. As far as fly
ing it, oh, I love it! It's easy to fly; landings can be chal
lenging at times, but not bad-it's a typical tailwheel
airplane. The Howard is one of the finest aircraft that
I've ever had the privilege to fly, and I feel very lucky
to be able to be the caretaker of it, for whatever num
ber of years I'll be allowed to do that."
Vaughan flies his Howard about 100 hours a year and
shares a realistic calculation of his operating expenses
$158 an hour. "I try to figure in investment (if you have
the cash, you're losing interest income, or if you borrow
money, you have to pay interest on it), maintenance, in
surance, gas, the whole works. The way I run it, we're
burning 23 gph and fuel costs are $3 plus, so that's sig
nificant. I do most of the maintenance myself, so I don't
have a lot in that-I work with somebody who is an A&P.
So the total cost varies from $150 to $200 per hour, de
pending upon fuel prices and things like that."
Susan Lyons also shares a humorous yet realistic

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

Oearfamn~

NASA is going to be at OON'nFUN.

Icant wait!
Love}

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Purchase your tickets online at www.sun-n-fun.org

thousands of aviation enthusiasts at the first
of the 2006 aviation year.

Lakeland Linder Airport (KLAL) Lakeland Florida

C HARLIE H ARRIS

OVer the weekend ofSeptember 16-17~ 2005~ the lI9th annual Tulsa Fly-In held in
Bartlesville~ Oklahoma~ was blessed with great weather and a bumper crop of beau
tiful airplanes. An added bonus was a special visit by Brig. Gen. David Lee c7ex~~ HiII~
World War II triple ace and one of the most prominent members of the famous
China-based Flying Tigers as commanded by Gen. Clair Chennault.
More than a dozen forums were held during the weekend fly-in~ and a relaxing on
the-field dinner was served and eltioyed both Friday and Saturday night. Let~s take
a look at the highlights of the fly-in.

Best ClassIc:

1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cl1Iiser NC92592

Scott Haggenmacher
Jonesboro, Arkansas

Best Contemporary:

1957 Piper PA-22-15O N7432D

Joe Black
Texas

Best Experimental:

2004 (1935) Waco UMF-S NX14377

John Hudec
Collinsville, Oklahoma

Best Warbird:

2003 Scout Experimental SE.Sa N12SQB

Jack C. Kearbey
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Fly-In Chainnan Charlie Harris visiting Tex

and Mazie Hill in their book booth in the ex
hibits hangar. Tex is 90 and one of the few
surviving Flying Tiger aces from the early
part of WWII.

Aircraft parts exhibitor Dan Brown

of Gardner, Kansas, thanking AVG
and U.S. Air Force triple ace Tex
Hill for his service to the United
States in World War II. Tex's wife,
Mazie, is seated next to Tex.

VINTAG E A I RPLANE

25

Barney Petersen of Collinsville, Oklahoma, is well-known for his Fokker DV.II WWI fighter. This aircraft has been flown allover the

United States for various appearances and fly-ins. Both his aircraft and Kearbey's SE.5a Scout appeared in the movie The Aviator.

26

FEBRUARY 2006

John and Kathy McMurray of

Burkburnett, Texas, and their
grand champion level Lus
combe 8-E that was the pro
totype 8-E. John is a retired
U.S. Air Force colonel and is
at present flying with the Red
Baron Steannan team.

Brian Launder
arriving in his
1937 SR-9E Stin
son Gullwing.

Jack Kearbey's 2003 Scout Experimental SE.Sa was named Best Warbird. Jack is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and devoted 10 years
and 12,000 man-hours of time to construct this plans-built airplane. It is powered by an original Hisso IS0-hp engine and is au
thentic throughout with many original SE.Sa parts and instruments.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

This exquisite 1977 Meyers' Little Toot is 28 years old and looks new as tomorrow. It has remained in designer George Meyer's
family for nearly 30 years.

The nine-ship Tulsa T-6 warbird team

put on an extemporaneous arrival show
on Saturday morning to liven up the air
space. The T-6s fly a beautiful fonnation.

This immaculate 1978 Corben Baby Ace was much admired by all who stopped
to see the airplane. H's registered to Charles Parsons of Denver, Colorado.
28

FEBRUARY 2006

The Swift contingent was out in big numbers. This is Mark Holliday's polished 210 Swift. Mark is from Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

Few fly-ins are privileged to

host an airplane as rare as
Dave Wheaton's 1945 NAA
B-25J Martha Jean. Dave
and his airplane are based
at Tulsa's Riverside Airport
and have attended the D0o
little Raiders Reunion on a
number of occasions.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

E.E. " BUCK " HILBERT

More tooling around

I'm still on the proper use of tools.

I know I'm preaching to the choir in
many cases, because I've gotten feed
back from some of our readers. Most
of them are older friends who, like
myself, apprenticed or learned from
"old guys" we worked with and for.
Man sure is inventive. I can just
imagine an early Neanderthal man
hitting something with his fist.
Ouch, that hurts! So the next time
he hits something, he takes a rock in
his hand and bangs with it. The rock,
not his hand, takes the beating.
Next he uses a heavier rock. Then
he somehow finds that if the rock
has a pOinted end, it will do more
damage or help break something
more easily.
He has already discovered the
Lever. After some cogitation and
several failures, he succeeds in at
taching the lever (handle ) to the
rock, and now he has a primitive
axe. To pulverize things , he then
uses that same handle and a flat
rock; now he has a hammer.
The hammer hasn't changed too
much over the years; it has evolved
for many jobs. There are plastic ham
mers, dead beat hammers, ball peen
hammers, claw hammers, framing
hammers, roofing hammers, sledge
hammers, mauls, peck hammers,
tack hammers, soft hammers, and
special hammers for metal work. I'll
bet you can think of many more I
haven't mentioned.
I have to laugh every time I
think of a Swedish carpenter I once
worked for. We were framing up a
house, and he had hired a new man.
He watched this man as he choked
30

FEBRUARY 2006

up on the handle of his hammer,

trying to literally push the nails into
the work. The Swede finally called
the guy over and said, "Give me that
hammer." He then took his hand
saw and cut the handle off the ham
mer and handed it back to him.
"What did you do that for?" the guy
asked. "Well, you weren't using all
that handle, so I just cut it off to get
it out of your way."
After that seminar there followed
lessons on how to properly use a
hammer. I learned something that
day as well, and every time I pick up
a hammer I find myself remember
ing that day, and the lesson learned.
That old Swede is long gone, but the
houses he built are still there and so
are the memories.
The lesson: The lever gives the
tool its advantage. From the cave
man 's axe to the pickaxe to all those
specialized hammers, the lever prin
cipal multiplies the force in doing
the work. One needs only to use that
leverage to his advantage.
We don't use too many hammers
in aircraft work. If you have to bang
something into place, you aren't
doing it right. People who make ev
erything fit, and fit properly, put air
planes together. Analyze the situation
and use the proper tool and means to
get the job done and done correctly.
Chisels and punches must have
come next. Swinging a hammer in
an attempt to hit a point could be
frustrating, but if you took a pOinted
punch or chisel in one hand, placed
it directly on the point of contact,
and then hit it with the hammer, it
worked much better. Now we're get

ting somewhere. We could chisel ,

punch holes, shave material off an
object to make something usable out
of it, and even bore holes.
By shaping the chisel, we could
carve, split, cut grooves, make bet
ter handles out of wood for our tools,
and even make utensils.
I don't know when the knife
came into being, but here was an
other tool that could serve many
uses. Coupled with the hammer, it's
now an axe or a cleaver. It could be
used for scraping, cutting, or hack
ing, as a weapon, or as an aid in cut
ting not only the meat to eat, but
also the wood to do the cooking .
We're on a roll now.
Put two knives together com
bined with two levers working
against one another, and we have
a scissors. If we design them to do
a specific job, we can cut leather
or paper. Change them a bit more,
and we can even cut metal. Now
we have sheet metal snips. Change
it a bit more, and we have shears,
to do all sorts of jobs. We can cut
hair, sheer sheep, trim airplane fab
ric with a serrated or pinked edge,
you name it. Another tool devised
by man to make life easier.
I'm preaching again. Look at the
job; decide what tool you need, and
then think of how best to use that
tool. Use that leverage to your advan
tage. Let the tool do the work while
you use your head. They say "clothes
make the man," but I say the tools
make the man a man.
Over to you,

-;BtI.~

Chuck Mattraw
Red lodge, MT
Flew an A-I Skyraider and
A-4 Skyhawk in the Navy in
Vietnam 1963-/968

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pilot, 1974-/976
Flew for TWA and retired
from US Airways

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DOUG STEWART

Isn't this fun?

The pilot in the left seat beside me looked both ways,
clearing the area, and, after doing so, started to pitch up
and roll into a turn toward the Catskill Mountains, off
to the west. In the distance, off our wing, a ski area stood
out, its white trails engraved on the side of a mountain.
Through the first 4S degrees of our tum, the pilot had been
slowly increasing the pitch and
the bank. We were now banked
about 30 degrees, and the nose
had pitched up enough that if
we kept increasing the pitch, we
would probably stall.
The pitch did not increase,
but rather, the pilot maintained
the pitch right where it was as
we continued our climb, slowly
losing airspeed. The bank, too,
stayed constant at 30 degrees.
I noticed the pilot was adding
more and more right rudder as
we slowed down, to counter the
increasing left-turning tenden
cies. I was glad the controls were
coordinated. If we stalled now,
without all that right rudder,
we'd spin for sure.
The pilot also continued to
pull back on the control yoke.
For as we slowed, and the eleva
tor (not to mention the rudder
and ailerons) became less and less effective, that added
back motion was necessary to maintain the pitch.
Just as the nose of the airplane was lined up with the
aforementioned ski area, it started to slice back down
through the horizon. The pilot had judged this perfectly,
because the nose was not falling as a result of releasing pres
sure on the yoke, but because the airplane had run out of
energy. The only way the nose of the airplane would have
stayed up was if the pilot had added just a bit more back
pressure. But had that been done we might have stalled. As
it was, the stall warning horn was intermittently honking
as the nose started its drop through the horizon.
The pilot now started to release back pressure on the

yoke. As we approached the 13S-degree point of the turn,

the pilot started a slow roll out of the bank. I noticed the
rudder deflection was decreasing in direct correlation with
the increase in airspeed as we continued our dive. With a
little less than 10 degrees left before we had completed 180
degrees of turn, the pilot started adding just a subtle bit of
forward pressure to the yoke.
As the ski area came abeam
the wing opposite where it had
been at the start of the maneu
ver, I noted we were back at the
same altitude and airspeed as we
had been when we started this
maneuver. The pilot now con
tinued the same maneuver all
over again, but this time in the
opposite direction as before.
It was a mirror image of the
previous climbing and descend
ing l80-degree turn. As we
reached the 90-degree point of
the turn, we were at the same
altitude as the prior turn, and
within S knots of the same air
speed. Again the nose of the air
plane sliced down through the
horizon as the ski area swung
past. At the completion of the
turn we were back at the entry
altitude and airspeed we had
when this whole maneuver had commenced. I had just
witnessed one of the best lazy-eights I had ever seen.
The lazy-eight is one of the maneuvers required for the
airplane, single-engine land, commercial pilot certificate.
It usually takes several attempts at flying it before it begins
to make sense. One of the big keys to understanding the
maneuver is to be able to visualize exactly where you need
to be at every point during its execution. Where you need
to be relative to pitch, bank, airspeed, coordination, and
most especially the reference you picked off the wing at
the beginning of the maneuver.
The lazy-eight, along with chandelles, eights on pylons,
and steep nO-degree turns, make this particular certificate

The only way the nose

of the airplane would
have stayed up was if
the pilot had added
just a bit more back
pressure.... As it was,
the stall warning horn
was intermittently
honking as the nose
started its drop
through the horizon.

32

FEBRUARY 2006

perhaps one of the most fun to obtain. I often teach these

maneuvers to clients who are undergoing their FAA Wings
training. But why wait until you're working on the certifi
cate or undergoing training to learn them?
Because they're fun. And more importantly, because
they will teach you so much about energy management,
about the decay of flight controls as you slow down, and
about coordination of your flight controls as you take your
airplane out toward the corners of its operational enve
lope. They will also get your attention out of the cockpit,
forcing you to divide your thoughts between numerous
things while teaching you to recognize and rely on the
seat of your pants to help you fly through the maneuvers.
Take the chandelle, for example. It is a maximum-per
formance, climbing, l80-degree turn. At the start of the
maneuver you roll into a 30-degree banked turn, add max
imum climb power, and start pitching up. At the 90-degree
paint of the turn you should have reached your maxi
mum pitch attitude, which you will now maintain un
til the completion of the turn. If you haven't pitched up
enough, you won't get high or slow enough by the end of
the maneuver. On the other hand, if you have pitched too
steeply, you'll stall before completing the turn.
From the 90 to the 180, you slowly roll out, timing the
rollout so that you just finish the turn as you hit 180 de
grees. If you don't roll, slowly and continuously, from the
90 to the 180, you might have to increase the roll rate at
the end of the turn. On the other hand, if you roll too
quickly, you won't complete 180 degrees of turn.
And as you're trying to judge the roll rate to make it
just right, you also have to deal with an elevator that is
getting increasingly less effective as you slow down. So
you'll have to be pulling back on the stick more and more
to maintain the pitch attitude achieved at the 90-degree
point as you complete the turn. You also have to be adding
more and more right rudder. You'll be carrying maximum
power, pitched up fairly steeply, and constantly decelerat
ing. Don't be surprised to find the rudder maxed out at the
completion of the turn.
When the chandelle is done right, the stall warning
should be blaring and the first signs of a buffet should be
apparent. Now you have to resume your original cruise
speed without losing any altitude. Of course, as you ac
celerate, those rudders are coming back to neutral. Wasn't
that fun? As you learn to fly this to commercial standards,
you will be learning not only about your airplane, but also
about yourself.
The last maneuver I'd like to discuss is eights on py
lons. This is a maneuver that teaches us about pivotal al
titude as well as coordination and division of attention. If
the Walter Mitty mentality resides within, this maneuver
might take you back to the Cleveland Air Races (or Reno
for the younger folks). It is a ground reference maneuver
that requires you to circle about a pylon (in farm country
silos can make great pylons), keeping a reference point
on the wing painted at the pylon, and then breaking off
the turn and flying a straight line for a short distance to

where you enter a turn in the opposite direction about

another pylon.
What determines your pivotal altitude (the altitude re
quired to keep the reference paint on your wing pointed to
the reference on the ground) is your groundspeed. Thus, if
there is any wind blowing, you will have to climb as your
groundspeed increases with a tail wind and descend with a
head wind. The turns will not be a constant radius around
the pylon, but an ellipsis, again, if there is any wind.
One of the challenges is to not cheat with your feet, try
ing to keep the wing on the pylon with the use of your
rudder. The maneuver is to be flown with the controls co
ordinated. One easy way to think about it is that if the py
lon is moving back behind the wing reference, you will
need to pull back on the yoke (this will happen as the
wind shifts to a tail wind), and if the pylon is moving for
ward (as you turn into the head wind), push forward on
the yoke. Simple instructions from simple folk like me.
All three of these maneuvers offer much to be learned.
Even if you have no inclination to gain your commercial
certificate, learning these maneuvers will go a long way in
making you a better pilot. So go out and have some fun!
Isn't that what it's all about?

Doug Stewart is the 2004 National CFI of the YeaT; a Mas

ter Instructor and a DPE. He operates DSFI Inc. (www.dsflight.
com) based at the Columbia County Airport (1B1).
.......

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

33

BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE EAA LIBRARY'S

GARNER P. "EMY" EMERSON COLLECTION. WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF PHOTOS IN THAT ALBUM

THAT MAKE GREAT MYSTERY PLANES. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPLIES.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage
Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs
to be in no later than March 10 for
inclusion in the May 2006 issue of
Vintage AirpLane.
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
I/(Month) Mystery Plane" in the
subject line.

NOVEMBER'S

34

FEBRUARY 2006

MYSTERY

ANSWER

The November Mystery Plane,

also from the Emy Emerson Col
lection, brought forth a number of
letters. Here's a letter (with photos)
from Charles F. Schultz of Louis
ville, Kentucky.
The November Mystery Plane is
the Stelling Amphibian built by the
Cox-Klemin Aircraft Corp. in the
1920s. I am enclosing copies of sev
eral photographs that were given to
me many years ago by Mr. Joubert
"Juby" (pronounced you-bee) Lind
strom, who was a draftsman with
Cox-Klemin in the 1920s. He did not
remember what the "N. V.A." meant
on the rudder and doubted if there
was ever a No.2.
The plane appears to have been
a three-place job, and you will no
tice in the picture with the men
grouped at the left that under the
lower wing floats have been fitted .
As for the picture of the plane in the
water, it is not known if this was a
test run or a picture of a takeoff or
landing. I hope some of our fellow
members can fill us in on the his
tory of this plane.
Lynn Towns of Holt, Michigan,
sent us a bit more on the Stelling:
I have very little information about
it, but the November Mystery Plane
appears to be the Stelling Amphibian,
which was built by the Cox-Klemin
Aircraft Corp. Cox-Klemin was lo
cated on Long Island, and the Grum
man Aircraft Engineering Corp. was
started il1 January of 1930 using the
original Cox-Klemin factory in Bald
win, New York.
I found a good photo of the air
plane 011 page 53 ofa 1973 book titled
Those Fabulous Amphibians by Don
C. Wigton. The book's accompanying
description of the aircraft doesn't seem
to be accurate, but the photo clearly
has the following painted on the star
board bow of the fuselage:
STELLING AMPHIBIAN
BUILT BY
COX-KLEMIN AIRCRAFT CORP.
Other correct answers were re
ceived from Wayne Muxlow, Minne
apolis, Minnesota, and Wayne Van
Valkenburgh, Jasper, Georgia. .......

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VINTAGE A I RPL A NE

35

A SILVER EAGLE
continued from page 10
while the city of manufacture, in this
case Wichita, appeared in a band di
viding the diamond horizontally. The
spacing of the 'L' and the 'D' in L-A-I
R-D was pretty wide-set at first, caus
ing people to read the insignia as L.D.
AIRPLANES. While this was undesir
able as a trademark, it may well have
been the beginning of the word "air
planes," because prior to that era (and
still so in England), flying machines
were referred to as aeroplanes.
Among the many people to leave a
lasting contribution to aviation history
while with Matty was Clyde Cessna.
Cessna had done some early pioneer
ing work in the 1910 era, but had
concentrated most of his subsequent
efforts on his farm in Rego, Kansas.
His interest in aviation was re
awakened by the purchase of a Laird
Swallow in the fall of 1923. He later
combined efforts with Walter Beech and
Lloyd Stearman in the Travel Air Co.
Central to the development of the
aviation business growing up at
Wichita was Matty's partner, Mollen
dick. Mollendick was nuts about fly
ing and thoroughly sold on it. He was
willing to put his money into foster
ing it also, but unfortunately, Mol
lendick's business methods reflected
his background as a well digger. He
just wasn't happy unless he was ham
mering away at something in the air
plane business, and unfortunately, he
didn't always know how to go about
it. One by one, through those early
days in Wichita, the aviation greats
left the Laird Co. Matty's problems
began during the period when he was
in California on the tour. Mollendick
had hired a group of not-very-experi
enced pilots, and within a short time,
these individuals washed out a num
ber of airplanes.
Sales were somewhat depressed at
the time, and for Matty's portion of
the partnership, these accidents were
costly. For Mollendick, these accidents
didn't represent a serious hardship, as
he had other sources of income.
Matty sold his interest in the com
36

FEBRUARY 2006

Laird Speedwing (STD): three-place, open-cockpit, powered by Wright Whirl

wind 330-hp engine.

pany in 1923, taking with him two

Laird Swallows as part payment for
his business interest. Leaving Wich
ita, he flew them down to St. Louis for
the National Air Races. Entering sev
eral events, he then carried passengers
at the conclusion of the air meet.
He sold the Hispano-Suiza-pow
ered Laird and flew the OX-powered
airplane back to Chicago. There, he
operated it commercially, carrying
passengers and flying photographers
to special events. Through these ef
forts he was able to capitalize a new
manufacturing plant in Chicago.
Here, he produced a new line of com
mercial planes, starting with OX-S
powerplants and progressing through
the larger Wright and Pratt & Whit
ney radials, synonymous with Laird
airplanes in succeeding years.
After Matty left Wichita, Walter
Beech and Lloyd Stearman remained
with Jack Mollendick to bring out
the Single-bay Swallow. They contin
ued on this project for about a year
and then left to join Clyde Cessna in
forming the Travel Air Co.
Matty's younger brother, Charles,
later headed up Mollendick's company
with not altogether satisfying results in
bringing out the Super Swallow. Poor
Mollendick went through a long series
of partners before finally becoming in
solvent. He passed away some years
later in a sanitarium. A sad end for a
man who had been such a key in the
early formation of the aircraft manu
facturing and air travel industry.
The late '20s brought many

changes to the aviation business.

Among them, and most Significant,
was the Air Commerce Act of 1926,
requiring certification of pilots, air
craft, and manufacturers. Reflecting
the thoughts of most in the indus
try, Matty felt it had come at a bad
time, just when business was really
in the growing stages. It did nothing
for the manufacturers, other than
provide them with orders for a cou
ple of aircraft. Complying with these
regulations cost the industry many
thousands and thousa nds of dollars.
Particularly exasperating for all the
factories was the requirement to sub
mit a stress analysis on airframes, as
there were only a few persons out
side the Bureau, or within the mil
itary manufacturing complexes,
capable of performing the analytical
work involved.
Matty had long been a believer
of testing subassemblies of his air
craft with various loading tests. He
had personally flown each ship upon
completion, taking it up and wring
ing it out in his excellent aerobatic
style, a portion of its acceptance test.
Now, however, finding someon e
in the Chicago area to perform the
stress analysis work was difficult. Two
engineers, Messrs. Green and Hei n
rich, were engaged on the stress anal
ysis work until Green left to work
at Ford's plant. Raoul Hoffman, an
early aero engineer, had previously
been brought in to assist, but had left
when there were some objections to
his calculation by the Department

of Commerce's Engineering Depart

ment. Finally, Heinrich was able to
learn enough from the others to
complete the job and satisfy ATC re
quirements for the LCBs, LC-R, and
other special models.
The late '20s brought racing and
record-setting activities into prom
inence as the barnstormers strove
for new sources of income and no
toriety. Matty's airplanes, including
the Junior Speedwings, Speedwings,
Solution, and Super Solution, were
consistently among the fastest air
planes of the day. Excellent pilots
who flew them were such person
alities as E.E. Ballough, Speed Hol
man, Bill Brock, Jimmy Doolittle,
Red Jackson, and Matty.
Characteristically, Laird planes
were known for their ruggedness,
light weight, high speeds, and out
standing finishes. Consequently,
they were widely copied in the in
dustry. Many of the people who
later started their own manufactur
ing concerns found their interest
stimulated ... one of whom was Maj.
Alexander de Seversky.
Matty's company capitalization
did not permit becoming involved
in quantity production. His airplanes
were largely custom-built, with an ar
rangement that provided him a par
tial payment for the aircraft through
several stages of completion. His cus
tomers were largely oilmen, pub
lishers, and industrialists who were
interested in owning lithe thorough
bred of the airways. When Dickinson
secured the contract for the Chicago
to-Minneapolis mail, he placed an or
der for Lairds. Brock, Holman, and
Ballough flew this route initially, an
activity which led to the formation of
Northwest Airlines.
Unfortunately, due to the eco
nomic depression of 1929, the bot
tom fell out of Matty's market. Many
of his customers began to lose their
interest in flying, being diverted by
worries of tending their fading busi
ness enterprises.
II

TO BE CONTINUED IN MARCH ISSUE

(Highlights of 1930)

....

Gathering of Howards
continued from page 23
perspective on owning and operat
ing a Howard, noting with a laugh,
liThe cost of operation is outra
geous, and they're a beast to clean.
We gals get the cleanup duty! Seri
ously, we've really always enjoyed
the Howard just because of its mas
sive size, the sound of that Pratt &
Whitney 985, and all of the load it
can carry." Her husband, Dennis,
says, As soon as she gets out of the
airplane after a flight, she is check
ing what needs to be cleaned, or al
ready has a cleaning cloth in hand
and is at it. I have to make her stop!
Very few people, even pilots, real
ize how much time is spent getting
these big guys ready to show off."
II

Howard Aircraft
Foundation and
Type Certificates
Members of the Howard club of
fiCially formed the Howard Aircraft
Foundation in 1999 to acquire as
sets such as Howard type certificates.
Moore explains that the previous
president, Dave Schober, initially got
the Foundation going and still hosts
the Howard website. Soon thereaf
ter, Moore was encouraged to be
come involved, and he and his wife,
Barbara, agreed to accept responsi
bility for the club newsletter. He's
been president of the Foundation
since 2002 and notes that during the
group's first gathering in Wisconsin
three years ago, lilt came up that the
type certificates might be for sale.
Many of our members made gener
ous donations, and the Foundation
was able to buy the Howard type cer
tificates in October 2003."
The acquisition of the type cer
tificates was a significant milestone.
Les Sargent, one of the Foundation's
directors, explains that "owning the
type certificates means we have ac
cess to all of the proprietary aircraft
data, which is currently held by
the FAA in federal storage. No one,
however, knows where the original
Howard drawings are located . Of

course, the Howard Aircraft specifi

cation documents are public infor
mation and available online; they
have recently been updated to re
flect the Howard Aircraft Founda
tion as the type certificate holder.
We currently have no authority to
manufacture airplanes or parts for
sale; we only own the design, but
we can make data available to mem
bers so that they can build parts to
maintain their own Howard."
Benefits of membership ($30 an
nually) currently include the in
formative quarterly newsletter, an
opportunity to network and social
ize with other members, resources
such as knowledgeable mechan
ics and skilled pilots , and parts
sources. Moore makes it a point to
be in touch with m embers, saying
"any given month I'm talking to at
least five to 10 members, most of
ten on the telephone. If a guy has a
problem finding an exhaust system
for the airplane, I can send him
to one of four longtime mechan
ics who can help with solving the
problem. And so now, several years
later, I'm glad we got involved-for
one thing, the group has grown,
and even though it's a lot of work,
it's fun and there are a lot of re
wards. For example, we've seen
people get enthused about building
Howard projects or finishing their
projects after getting a ride in one
of the Howards at the gathering. I
love the airplane, and I like what
I'm doing. I have very good people
that I work with-and that's not
just the guys on the board of direc
tors-it's a lot of the members; they
are really good people.
If you're interested in learning
more about Ben Howard's fine flying
machines from the 1930s and 1940s,
or for more information about the
Howard Aircraft Foundation, contact
Ed and Barbara Moore via e-mail at
ebdgaI5p@aol.com or visit the Foun
dation's website at http://members.aol.
II

com/HowardClub.

....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

37

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

continued from page 1
The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation
only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control, or direction of
any event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. To submit an event, send the infor
mation via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or
e-mail the information to: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Information should be received four
months prior to the event date.

MAY S-7-Burlington, NC-Alamace County Airport (KBUY). VAA Chapter

3 Spring Fly-In. All Classes Welcome! BBQ Fri Night, Acft Judging/
Banquet Sat Night. Info: Jim Wilson 843-753-7138 or eiwi/son@
homexpressway. net
JUNE IS-IS-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Airfield. 20th Annual Biplane
Expo. Info: Charlie Harris 918-622-8400. www.bip/anesexpo.com
JUNE IS-IS-St. Louis, MO-Dauster Flying Field, Creve Coeur Airport
(lHO). American Waco Club Fly-In . Info: Phil Coulson 269-624-6490 ,
rcou/son516@cs.com or Jerry Brown 317-422-9366, /brown4906@
ao/.com, www.americanwacoc/ub .com
SEPTEMBER 22-23-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Airfield. 50th
Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In . Info: Charlie Harris 918-622-8400.
www.tu/saflyin.com
SEPTEMBER 30-Hanover, IN-Lee Bottom Flying Field (641). 10th Annual
Wood, Fabric , & Tailwheels Fly-In. Come see what everyone is talking
about. If you love the good old says, then you ' ll love this event. Info:
www.LeeBottom.com

2006

MAJOR FLy-INS

For details on EAA Chapter fly-ins and other local aviation events,
visit www.eaa.org/ events

Sun 'n Fun Fly-In

EAA Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In

Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland , FL

April 4-10, 2006
www.sun-n-fun.org

Marion Municipal Airport (MNN),

Marion,OH

August 25-27, 2006

EAA Southwest Regional-The Texas Fly-In

Virginia Regional EAA Fly-In

Hondo Municipal Airport (HDO), Hondo, TX

May 11-14, 2006
www.swrfi.org

Dinwiddie County Airport (PTB),

Petersburg, VA

September 3D-October 1, 2006

www.vaeaa.org

Golden West EAA Regional Fly-In

Yuba County Airport (MYV), Marysville, CA
June 9-11, 2006
www.go/denwestflyin.org

EAA Southeast Regional Fly-In

Middleton Field Airport (GZH), Evergreen, AL
October 6-8, 2006
www.serfi.org

Rocky Mountain EAA Regional Fly-In

Front Range Airport (FTG), Watkins, CO
June 24-25, 2006
www.rmrfi.org

Copperstate Regional EAA Fly-In

Casa Grande (AR) Municipal Airport (CGZ)
October 12-15, 2006
www.copperstate.org

Northwest EAA Fly-In

Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO),

Arlington, WA
July 5-9, 2006
www.nweaa.org

u.S. Sport Aviation Expo

Sebring Regional Airport, Sebring, FL

October 26-28, 2006

www.sport-aviation-expo.com

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Wittman Regional Airport (OSH),

Oshkosh, WI
July 24-July 30, 2006
www.airventure.org
38

FEBRUARY 2006

For details on EAA Chapter fly-ins and

other local aviation events, visit www.

eaa.org/events

ing. Anyway, I was impressed!

I can only hope I can survive a
tumble like that wh en I'm you're
age. You can all still view Scott's
wonderful Wright Memorial Din
ner program on th e EAA website
at www.uwex.edu/ics/strearn/eaa/
Wright/ index.html. I know you'll
find it as interesting as I did.
I have been having some trou
ble getting inspired to write this
month's column. I really miss
hanging around th e hangar with
all th e visitors who tend to stop
by for a visit throughout th e
weekend. I' m only now reali z
ing they have occasionally pro
vided me with th e inspiration
needed to select a topic to cover.
(Don't let that remark go to yo ur
heads, guys.) I must reall y b e
getting old, as I have previou sly
stated, because I've become more
and more intolerant of the win
ter months, so I rarely spend any
tim e in the hangar on these cold
winter days.
However, today it actually got
more than 40 P and the sun was
shining. So up went the hangar
door of the 120 (the previou sly
mentioned snow is completely
gon e right now), and I spent
more than an hour in th e air.
This has proven to be all th e in
spiration I needed toda y. This
will also likely be the last fli ght
before the cowling, doors, and
wheel pants get stripped of their
paint. I finally found what is
likel y the root of my vacuum
problem on the 170. The filter
on th e vacuum regulator has rot
ted and collapsed into the intake
of th e regulator. Not good! The
fix is in the mill.
Let's all pull in the same direc
tion for the good of aviation. Re
member, we are better togeth e r.
Join us and have it all.
0

VAA NEWS
continued from page 3
Next, visit the aircraft "at risk"
website at http://registry.faa.gov/
aircraftinquiry/NNum_inquiryUN.
asp and enter your N number. In
most cases, the response will be
"Nxxxx is not Fo u nd," wh ich
means your information is u p to
date. If, however, your aircraft in
formation appears, tha t mea n s
your mailing info rma t ion is in
correct. See the above example
for how to correct it.
An aircraft owner shou ld per
form both searches . We've heard
of examples where an aircraft does
not show up on the "at risk" page,
but appears on the norma l reg is
try page (status line) as either "in
question" or "Undel Tri," and both
could trigger an FAA action.

*Note: "Undel Tri" means every

three years (triennial period). The
FAA mails notices to registered air
craft owners every three years to ei
ther update their information or
confirm what is pos ted to the regis
try. Those cards returned to the FAA
as "undeliverable" have the "Undel
Tri" entry, which means this file is
also "at risk."
The December 9 FAA notice also
ment ions "and/or no TSA required
security measures/waivers .... " To
check for either of these, visit TSA's
genera l aviation web page. At the
bottom is a series of TSA waiver
forms. If you have needed to apply
for any of th ose waivers, then your
information wi ll be up to date, as
the waiver request form will have
your current aircraft information.
If a person does the checks and
finds noth ing wrong, then that

owner needs not take any further

action. Operators of identified
aircraft with ques t ionable regiS
trations and/or no TSA required se
curity measures/waivers will be (1)
notified of the defiCiency, (2) a pilot
deviation will be fi led on the opera
tor, and (3) the operator may be de
......
nied access to the NAS.

your com
pressor. Add Glass Beads or
other abrasive. Aim power gun
(included) at part and remove
rust, paint & scale quickly!
Abrasivedrops into funnelwhere it
is recycled. WORKSGREATI
22"d, 34"w, 20'/,'h work area. 22
gasteel, 14 ga steel legs. Requires
720 cfm air @ 80 psi & shopvac.

!....~~~

Something to buy ,
Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line.
Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white
only, and no frequency discounts.
Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (Le. , 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 accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828)
or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of
card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications
Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
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For Sale - 1939 Spartan Executive,
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ON THE WEB!!

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A Website with the Pilot in Mind
(and those who love airplanes)
Warner engines. Two 165s, one fresh
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mount with all accessories. Also
Helton Lark and Aeronca C-3 project.
Find my name and address in the
Officers and Directors listing and call
evenings. E. E. "Buck" Hilbert.
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing.
Visit www.flyingwires.com or call
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

39

VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

Phone (920) 426-4800

Vice Pres ident

Geoff Robison

George Daubner

152 1 E. Ma cG rego r Dr.

2448 I.o ugh Lan e

Hartford , W I 53027
262-673-5885
vaaflyboy<iJ11lsn.com

New Haven, IN 46774

260-493-4724
ci1ie{7025@'aol.c0111

Treasure r
C harl es W. Ha rri s

Secretary

Steve

Ne~s e

2009 Highland Ave.

Albe rt Lea, MN 56007
507-3 73- 1674
stl1es@fieskm eC/ia.(ol1l

7215 East 46th St.

Tulsa, OK 74147
918-622-8400

(wh@hvsu.com

DIRECTORS
J ~a nni e

Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn , MA 0 1770
508-653-7557
sst J()@(o mcas t.llet

Dav id Bennett
P.O. Box 1188
Rosevill e, CA 95678
916-645-8370
antiqller@inreach. (olll

Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033-0328
8 15-943-7205
dills haU@owc. net
Es pi e " Butch " Joyce
704 N. Regiona l Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27409
336-668-3600
windsock@ao/.com

Jo hn Berendt

Steve Krog

7645 Ech o Point Rd .

Cannon Falls, M N 55009
50 7-263-241 4

1002 Hea th er Ln .
Hartfo rd , WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@ao/. com

mjbfchld@rconllecr.(OI1J

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley

Dave Clark
635 Vestal Lan e
Plainfield, IN 46168
317-839-4500
do \t'cpd@iqllt's t.llet

1265 South 124th St.

Brookfield, WI 53005
262-782-2633
IUlllpt'r@'t';.;ecpc.com

lA Deacon Street

Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court

Northborough, MA 0 1532
508-393-4775

Roanoke, TX 76262
8 17-491-9110

copelond l @jwlO.COIII

genelllorris@CJ!arter.llet

John S. Copel and

Phil Coulson

Dean Richardson

284 15 Spr ingbrook Dr.

Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-6490
rcou/sonS 16@cs ,c01ll

1429 Kings Lynn Rd

Sto ughton , W I 53589
608-877-8485
da r@aprilaire.com

Dale A. Gustafson

S.H. "Wes" Sch mid

7724 Shady Hill s Dr.

2359 Lefeber Avenue

Indianapoli s, IN 46278
3 17-293-4430

Wauwat osa, W I 532 13

414-77I-IS45

daie(aye@msll. com

shsdlmid@mi/wpc.cOlll

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Ch ase

E.E. "Ruck" Hilbert

2159 Carlton Rd.

Oshkosh , WI 54904
920-23 1-S002
GRCHA@'charter.ll et

P.O. Box 424

Uni on, IL 60 180
8 15-923-459 1
blac@mc. llet

Rona ld C. Fritz

15401 Sparta Ave.

)(ent C ity, MI 49330

6 16-678-5012

rFritz(ii)patllwaynet.com

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

THE EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

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

O F FICERS
President

Membershi:Q Services Directory

Fax (920) 426-487 3

Web Site: www.vil1tageaircraft.org and www.airvel1ture.org

EAA and Division Membership Services
800-843-3612 ........ FAX 920-426-6761
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Monday-Friday CST)
- New/renew memberships: EAA, Divi
sio ns (Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC,
Warbirds), National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI)
- Add ress changes

- Merchandi se sa les

- Gift memberships

Programs and Activities

EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
....................... . 732-885-6711
Auto Fuel STCs ............ 920-426-4843
Build/restore information ... 920-426-4821
Ch apters: locating/organizing 920-426-48 76
Education .... . ... . .. , .... 888-322-3229
- EAA Air Academy

- EAA Scholarships

E-Ma il: vil1tageaircraft@eaa.org

Flight Advisors information ..

Flight In structor inform ation
Flying Start Program ...... ,
Library Services/Research ....
Med ica l Questions .........
Technical Counselors .. . ....
Young Eagles ........ .... .

920-426-6864
920-426-6801
920-426-6847
920-426-4848
920-426-6112
920-426-6864
877-806-8902

Benefits
AUA Vintage Insuran ce Plan. 800-727-3823
EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan . 866-647-4322
Term Life and Accidental. ... 800-241-6103
Death In su rance (Harvey Watt & Company)
Editorial ... .. ............ 920-426-4825
Vintage ... .... ....... FAX 920-426-6865
- Submitting article/photo
- Advertising information
EAA Avia tion Foundation
Artifact Donations . ..... .. 920-426-4877
Financial Support .......... 800-236-1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft
Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family
membership is an additional $10 annually.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is available at $23 annually. All major credit
cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for
Foreign Postage.)

EAA SPORT PILOT

Current EAA members may add EAA
SPORT PILOT magazine for an additional
$20 per year.
EAA Membership and EAA SPORT
PILOT magazine is available for $40 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded). (Add $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Current EAA members may join the
Vintage Aircraft Association and receive
VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an ad
ditional $36 per year.
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE
magazine and one year membership in the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46
per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in
cluded). (A dd $7 fo r Foreign Postage.)

lAC

Current EAA members may join the

International Aerobat ic Club, Inc. Divi
sion and receive SP OR T AEROBATICS
magazine for an additional $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPOR T AER OBAT
ICS magazine and one year membership
in the lAC Division is available for $55
per year (SPOR T AVI ATION magazine
not included)_ (Add $15 fo r Fo reign
Postage)

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

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

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyrighl 2006 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Associalion
All rights resented.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monlhly at EM
Avialion Cenler, 3000 Poberezny Rd. , PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Periodicals Postage paid al Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at addilional mailing offices. POST
MASTER: Send address changes 10 Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40032445 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to World Dislribution Services, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor,
ON N9A 6J5, e-mail: cpcretums@wdsmaiJ.com. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow alieasl Iwo months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via suriace mail. ADVERTIS

ING - Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee 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 POLICY: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with
the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be senl to: Ed itor, 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 trademarks, trademarks , and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarKs and
service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

40

FE B RU A RY 2006

Engineers from Ford and our Volvo Division

working together on new safety strategies.
The Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego have received

the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) top five-star

crash-test rating for front and side impacts - the only passenger cars tested

to achieve this performance without the optional side air bags.

Class-leading affordability and safety combine to make Five Hundred

and Montego two of the most attractive large sedans for today's safety

conscious consumers.

Save Til11e, Save Money!

Ford Motor Company, in association with EAA, is proud to offer their members the opportunity
to save on the purchase or lease from one of their family of brands - Ford, Lincoln, Mercury,
Mazda, Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles.

In more ways than one, it pays to be an EPA member. Take advantage of the Ford Partner Recognition Vehicle Purchase Plan.
The simple way to save hundreds, even thousands of dollars on your next vehicle purchase.
Get your personal identification number (PIN) from the EPA website (www.eaa.org) by clicking on the EANFord Program logo.
You must be an EPA Member for one year to be eligible. This offer is available to residents of the United States and Canada.
Certain restrictions apply. Available at participating dealer s . Please refer to www.eaa.org or call 800- 843-3612.

VOLVO

S mazca
LINCOLN

MERCURY

JAGUAR