Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
N E
2007
M A y
CON T ENTS
I Fe
News
AeroMail
Restoration Corner
Steve Wittman on taxi tests, firs t flig ht, and debugging
by Norm Petersen
14
19
24
30
Th e Vintage Instructor
Airmanship
by Doug Stewart
33
Pass It to Buck
Complications
by Buck Hilbert
34
Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy
38
Calendar
39
Classified Ads
COVERS
FRONT COVER: With the sun glinting off the polished valve tubes and silver painted cylinders.
Doug DeVries' de Havilland Beaver shows just how nice one of aviation's workhorses can be when
it is given a pampered "retirement." While no longer hauling passengers and freight for a living,
its outstanding capabilities are now being used by Doug and his family and friends to explore the
world . EAA photo by Bonnie Kratz, EAA photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.
BACK COVER: The Rying Pemberton Family flies, among a stable of other fascinating airplanes, this
beautifully finished 450-hp Pratt & Whitney-powered Boeing Stearman 75, the Wendy May. Named
for Addison Pemberton's wife, the number 419 on its cowling helps him remember when her birth
day is. See the story starting on page 14. Photo by Sparky Barnes Sargent.
STAFF
EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Director/Editor
Executive Assistant
Managing Editor
ews Editor
Photography
Advertising Coordinator
Classified Ad Coordinator
Copy Editor
Director of Advertising
Tom Poberezny
David Hipschman
H.G. Frautschy
Jillian Rooker
Kathleen Witman
Ric Reynolds
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
Sue Anderson
Daphene VanHullum
Colleen Walsh
Katrina Bradshaw
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
200;'
AIHVENTUHE
OSHKOSH
AIRVENTURE NEWS
MAY 2007
~';;~
Bonanzas,Cessnas,and
Mooneys Plan Group Arrivals
Traditions stretc hin g from two
years to nearly two decades continue
this year as several airplane groups
are planning mass arr ivals to this
year's EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on
Saturday, July 2l.
The granddaddy of them all, Bo
nanzas to Oshkosh (B20sh), will
make its 18th group flight from Rock
ford , Illinois, to EAA AirVenture this
MAY 2007
ssedlachek@eaa.org.
Newsletter: Quarterly
'~
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086
More on Curtiss-Reynolds
I really enjoyed Ken McQueen's ar
ticle on Curtiss-Reynolds Airport.
During the 1933 event, I worked
as a "go-fer" for the press group. At
the time, I was an Eagle Scout, and six
of us were hired by the Chicago Daily
News, one of the sponsors for that
duty. Needless to say, we met all the
high-profile pilots of the day, as we
helped set up interviews for the press.
One of the men met was Maj.
Udet, who became a high-ranking
official under Hitler for their air
force. Of course I also met Roscoe
Turner who had a lion cub as a mas
cot! Later, as a United Airlines pilot
member of our UAL speaker panel, I
was assigned to appear on a program
with Roscoe in French Lick, Indiana.
At that time he was still running his
FBO in Indiana.
Relative to Curtiss-Reynolds, it
was here I had my first airplane ride.
Our family went out to the field after
dinner on a summer evening. Some
pilot had a Ford Tri-Motor and was
hopping rides for a penny a pound.
Grandfather popped for all of us.
This guy had the right idea as a barn
stormer. He had a ticket seller who
loaded and unloaded the ship. For the
bucks, you got a takeoff, field circuit
to final, and a landing! As a result,
I've always enjoyed the Tri-Motor.
When EAA started restoring ours, we
had a home in Fontana, Wisconsin.
That is but a short drive from the Bur
lington Airport, so I spent a year and
a half working with Tom Soerens re
building EAA's Tri-Motor.
Since that first Tri-Motor ride, I've
Editor's Notes:
This is the 12th and final installment of the current series of "Restoration Corner" articles. The intent of the
series was to present information of a general rather than highly detailed nature: therefore, more could have been
written on each subject. We encourage readers to share their restoration techniques with us for future "Restoration
Corner" articles.-Gene. R. Chase
While Gene and Norm wrote these words nearly 20 years ago, they still hold true today. We're only as good
as the information and experiences our members share with us. Feel free to drop us an e-mail at vintageaircraft@
eaa.org, or drop us a note in the mail. The address is on the contents page.-H.G. Frautschy
Don't be lulled
"eyeball" method.
to establish
the necessary
measurements,
be it a plumb,
inclinometer,
transit, or
incidence board.
MAY 2007
1987
Part I
BY AL KELCH
Preface
1982- The following three-part article on the Thomas
Morse Aircraft Corp., although extensively edited and further
researched by me, should be credited to Robert G. Elliott of
Daytona Beach, Florida, who sought out William T. Thomas
Jr., still living in Daytona Beach. Mr. Thomas generous ly
shared pictures and recollections of his father plus some ma
terial from the personal collections of Paul D. Wilson, one of
the three original test pilots. Robert submitted to me fresh ma
terial on the earlier portions of the Thomas airplane venture.
On researching several older articles, I zeroed in on a wonderful
illiam T. Thomas, the in
geniOUS guiding light of
the whole Thomas aircraft
venture, began his career in England
with an education at Dulwich Col
lege, near London. He later attended
Ventral Technical College of the Uni
verSity of London at South KenSing
ton, from which he graduated in
1908 with a degree in civil and me
W
8
MAY 2007
Pilot Fred Eells and Earl Beers standing right behind what
is probably an 80-hp Kirkham engine. This plane was flying
in 1911.
MAY 2007
Paul Isakson
Amery, WI
1986
- Paul Isakson
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 80084336J2.
Pilot Fred Eells, W.T. Thomas with anns crossed, and Earl Beers by the prop pose
with the plane that achieved an endurance flight record on October 31, 1912.
MAY 2007
MAY 2007
Speedmail.
A rare moment during the fly-in when the Wendy May wasn't in flight.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
15
Cross-Country Adventure
The cross-country trio comprised
thr ee very different Stearmans .
Addison flew his Stearman Speed mail,
Jay flew the family's 4S0-hp Stearman,
and Rya n had the good fortun e to
fly a Stearman N2S-4 owned by Jeff
Hamilto n, a family friend. Ryan says
he was the slowest of the threesome,
16
MAY 2007
SQUJlRE TJULS
Ron Rex's 1931 Western Airlines Stearman 4D heads up the lineup of Square Tails.
17
Speedrnail
Square Tail Stearmans were
showcased during AAA's 2006 fly-in,
and seven of the 18 flying Square
Tails were on hand for the occasion.
Of those seven, four were Speedmail
Model 4s, including Addison's
Stearman 4DM Sr. Speedmail. He
bought it in 1989 as a $4,000 basket
case and flew it in 1992 after an 8,000
hour family restoration effort. "There
are only nine Speedmails in existence
today, seven of which fly actively.
There were no drawings for any of
them when we were restoring this,"
he recalls, "then I met Ben Scott,
and through our correspondence, I
reverse-engineered his Speed mail 4
to build many parts of mine."
Addison's 1931 Speedmail has a
top cruise of 150 mph and carries
six hours of fuel. It was originally
manufactured for American Airways;
it was based in Chicago and flew to
Dallas every night on the airmail run.
In the early 1930s, it was also featured
in the movie Bright Eyes, starring
Shirley Temple. Then, in 1934 it went
back to the factory and had a front
seat installed so it could be flown as an
instrument trainer. In 1936, it became
a crop duster. Seventy years later, it's
back to its original configuration and
is flown frequently.
Wendy May
Although Wendydidn't accompany
the men on the cross-country journey,
she was on the ground waiting to
greet the trio as they touched down
in Iowa . "I want to compliment my
wife, who is a big part of all this,"
beams Addison, explaining, "Wendy
has made dinner at the hangar for
25 years, the last two of which have
been at our new hangar, which has an
18
MAY 2007
Addison named
his 450-hp Pratt &
Whitney-powered
Stearman
(Boeing) 15 the
Wendy May in
honor ofhis wife,
MAY 2007
You can carry plenty in a working machine such as this bushplane. A smart
looking Beaver logo is embroidered on the aft bulkhead, with a beefy cargo net
installed to keep the baggage where it belongs.
21
decided it would be
my next project,
so I started look
MAY 2007
23
E XTRA
MAY 2007
25
MAY 2007
BECAUSE OF ITS
PROFOUND LACK OF
STABILITY AND
CONTROLLABILITY,
UNIMPRESSED BY
THE
P.1 .
Another set of three views of the Prier, this one the side
by-side sociable version.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
27
.......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
29
BY DOUG STEWART
Ainnanship
MAY 2007
AERO CLASSIC
" COLLECTOR SERJ ES"
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New USA Production
Show off your pride and joy with a
fresh set of Vintage Rubber. T hese
newly minted tires are FAA-TSO' d
and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some
things are better left the way they
were, and in the 40 's and 50's, these tires were perfectly in
tune to the exciting times in aviation.
Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from
th e r est, but also look exceptional on all General Aviation
aircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above average
tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.
First impression s last a lifetime, so put these jewels on and
bring back the good times.....
New Gene r al Av iatio n Sizes Ava il able:
31
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weight rating (GVWR) pickup segment with a reputation as America's get-the-job-done,
rugged, practical and capable truck. And F-350 Super Duty pic~tJPs offer even more f~r
customers, including the all-new Lariat Highline SuperCab arrd Lariat Outlaw Crew Cab.
Thanks EAA,
Joe/ S.
Villard, MN
EAA Member
Get your personal identification number (PIN) and learn about the great value of Partner Recognition/X-Plan
pricing from the EM website (www.eaa.org) by clicking on the EANFord Program logo. You must be an EM
Member for at least one year to be eligible. This offer is available to residents of the United States and Canada.
Ford Motor Company, in association with EAA, is proud to offer members the opportunity to save on the
purchase or lease of vehicles from Ford Motor Company's family of brands-Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda,
Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar.
8 ma:ma
LIN COL N
~
MERCURY
JAGUAR
BY BUCK HILBERT
Complications
Over the years, I've seen things
that didn't fully impact me until re
cently. The impact of new technology
has begun to affect me. I see my grand
children doing things with comput
ers, setting up programs on the DVD
players, and accomplishing things in a
flash that are completely baffling to me.
I see the trend toward glass panels
and navigation systems in the new
"plastic" airplanes and even the old
standby Cessnas and Mooneys. All this
wonderful computer-based high-tech
stuff is being gobbled up with great en
thusiasm by the "new breed" of avia
tion people.
The computer-based training pro
grams and the computer flying games
(and they are games) that simulate fly
ing a World War I fighter plane or a
Boeing 747 are fantastic. The computer
is an unbelievable tool for education.
Somehow, though, all this high-tech
stuff has passed much of my generation
by. Many of us feel like what I heard
one man say: "Now I know what my
dog feels like watching television."
Sure, using these new systems, with
their ability to navigate while keeping
track of where it (and the airplane!) has
been and where it is gOing, and in the
case of the newer airlines, even make
position reports back to base, are amaz
ing. They can bring the airplane right
into position for the final approach and
landing; these systems are indeed won
derful and definitely safer.
I've heard it said that the airliner
crew of the future would be one cap
tain and a dog. With all this auto
mated equipment, the dog is there to
bite the pilot if he touched anything.
All thi s is true, and it's here ... and
here's what I mean when I say "his-
((
~tJ.ci
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
33
BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY
EAA
LIBRARY COLLECTION.
MAY 2007
Wichita, Kansas
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a matching donation. Please ask your Human Resources department for the appropriate form.
NameofCompany ______________________________________________________
The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit educational organization under IRS SOlc3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax (or
charitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value o(any property other than money) contributed exceeds the value o(the goods or
services provided in exchange (or the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you (or IRS gift reporting reasons.
36
MAY 2007
DHC-2 de Havilland
Beaver
continued from page 23
TO GET IT BUilT
JUNE 8-10
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JUNE 9-10
WATSONVILLE, CA
JUNE 15-17
FREDERICK, MD
JUNE 23-24
FREDERICK, MD
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VINTAGE AI RPLANE
37
TAiLW~EEL5
The following list of coming events is
furnished to our readers as a matter of
information only and does not consti
tute approval, sponsorsh ip, involvement,
control, or direction of any event (fiy-in,
seminars, fiy market, etc.) listed. To sub
mit an event, send the information 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 4-6-Burlington, NC-Alamance County
Airport (KBUY). VAA Chapter 3 Spring
Fly-In. All classes welcome. BBQ on field
Fri. Evening, EAAjudging all classes Sat.,
Banquet Sat. Nite. Info: Jim Wilson 843
753-7138 or eiwilson@homexpressway.net
MAY 6-Lock Haven, PA-William T. Piper
Memorial Airport (LHV) Pancake Breakfast
Fly-In to Benefit Sentimental Journey Fly-In
8 am-12 pm. All you care to eat pancake
breakfast $5 Adults, $3 children under
age 10. Piper Aviation Museum open for
tours. Call 570-893-4200 or 748-5123 for
more information. j3cub@kcnet.org WWW.
sentimentaljourneyfly-in.com
38
wWWJailwheels.com
Your One
1888-3888803
1-780-4475955
Call Today For Our New Catalog
18003219260 www.tptools.com
Exhaust Systems
Carb Air Boxes
Structural Assemblies
Clamps & Hardware
Round Engine Exhausts
Engine Mounts
Fuel Cells
Heaters
www.acomweldlng.com
2007 MAJOR
FLy-INS
For details on EAA Chapter flyins and other local avi
ation events, visit www.eaa.orgjevents
EAA Southwest Regional-The Texas Ryln
Hondo Municipal Airport (HOO), Hondo, TX
June 12, 2007
www.SWRFI.org
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or trade?
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(and those who love airplanes)
39
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VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT
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George Daubner
260-493-4724
chie{7025@nol.com
vaa{lyboy@msl1.com
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Treasurer
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507-263-2414
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40
MAY 2007