Volume 12, No. 45 May 2007CAF Swiss Wing Newsletter

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE / Swiss Wing

GV 2007Aus dem VorstandUnit AwardDFW WingGiants and TwinsFrom our Workshop StinsyNews, Veranstaltungen

Table of ContensPage 1Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 7Page 9Page 11Page 12

Annual General Meeting

2007For once a change:

The CAF Distinguished Unit Award being presented by Col George Lodge

Special Edition

Know to use this English version

1st: Go to the German part of the homepage and print out the German Version of the Contact

2nd: Follow the pages and read the German/English title

3rd: Not all Pictures legends and articles are translated in full length

4th: Have fun and enjoy the Contact

Col Werner MeierJost Schneeberger

Know to use thisEnglish version

1st: Go to the German part of the homepage and print out theGerman Version of the Contact

2nd: Follow the pages and read theGerman/English title

3rd: Not all Pictures legends andarticles are translated in full length

4th: Have fun and enjoy theContact

Col Werner MeierJost Schneeberger

This was true not only for the venue but also for the weather. The morning started with a cool 10°C and away from any aviation activity we gathered on the premises of the Müller brewery near Baden in the canton of Aargau. As usual the CAF-delegation was pre-sent with a team of 8 led by Col. Geor-ge Lodge.

The program this time at least initial-ly had nothing to do with fl ying but dealt with beer. After all consumed in reasonable quantity it is an excel-lent beverage. The works manager

Felix Meier led us thru the 110 year old family enterprise established 1886 and modernized recently. It employs 50 people and brew its own brand as well as some contract brews which are marketed mainly in North-West Swit-zerland.

Beer is a natural product derived from barley, hops and spring water. The quality of the raw material and the know-how of the brew master are es-sential. The malted barley is the source of the fermentable sugar. Light color malt ends up as lager beer whereas lightly roasted malt is used for the root and dark beers.

The hops is responsible for the slight bitter taste and the durability of the brew. Highest quality of the water is of great importance. In large copper the malt is mixed with water and hea-

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 2

One way or the other – the beer taste is excellent – (remarks by an Eichhof Fan)

Old and New in the brewery: Copper and Stainless Steel

ted. The next step is the separation of the barley grains and other solids. The liquid is transferred with addition of hops to the cooking pans for approxi-mately 90 minutes at which point the yeast is added to start the fermentation. In the most modern part of the brewe-ry we could observe the stainless steel fermentation and storage tanks. Meti-culous quality standards are maintai-ned as even the tiniest impurity could ruin the taste. And this we could then test when we were offered the traditio-nal «Stange» for tasting.

After a short walk we then met in the Hotel Restaurant du Parc where a delicious lunch awaited us following which our offi cial meeting started at 1400 hours in the same room.

The accounts were presented by Kurt Bolli in a most professional way with a surplus of income over expenditures of CHF 12’612 which is to be added to the CAF Swiss Wing’s balance sheet. The next item on the agenda was the resignation of Monika Eschmann from the board and the job of running the gift shop. For many years Monika has been a keen promoter of the Swiss Wing, particularly thru her personal presence at many air shows and fl y-ins. We shall miss you Monika! As a token of the Wing’s appreciation a sca-le model of our Stinsy was donated to Monika. The club is still looking for a replacement to take on the gift shop.

Henry Saladin gave a review of the Stinson activity during 2006 and pointed to the events for 2007. Her-bert Schilling and Peter Winkler pre-sented the social program for the year including the visit to Midland. Details will follow as usual in «Contact» and by mail.

Werner Meier, editor of our “Contact” appealed to all present to contribute stories and articles of interest from our members.

The word was then given to Col Geor-ge Lodge who honored our wing with the CAF Distinguished Unit Award, in recognition of the Swiss Wing out-standing dedication and enthusiasm towards supporting the goals and ob-jectives of the Commemorative Air Force.

Col Hans Hinnen

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 3

Aus dem Vorstand

Lunch and the General Annual Meeting

Brunch on Sunday: A treat, the scenery and Jim take a nap.

Intentionally left

blank

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 4

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 5

report

Again this year, members of the Dal-las/Fort Worth Wing fl ew over to Switzerland for the Annual Meeting of the CAF Swiss Wing which was held on Saturday, March 17 in Baden.

We arrived on a spring like day. No snow on the ground. When we left Dallas, Texas the weather was warmer than in Switzerland, but our prayers were answered. By Monday evening it started snowing ever so gently, and by Tuesday we were in a winter wonder land which we love so much when we come to visit.

CAF Cols. George Lodge, Bobbie Lodge, Jim Goad, Mary Jane Goad, John Sweatt, Donna Sweatt, West Sanders and Carol Towerton all mem-bers of the Swiss Wing were greeted at the Zürich International Airport on Thursday morning outside of Customs by Col Henry Saladin. We missed not seeing Fredi Lienhard, but were told

that he is enjoying his chalet in the Alps. Henry guided us to the train to Lucerne. Col Hugo Hostettler met us and off we went to the «Drei Könige Hotel». Our favorite rooms awaited us for rest time before a great fondue din-ner across the famous wooden bridge in the old quarters of Lucerne.

Friday we took the train back to the Zürich International Airport to meet Henry for a personal tour of the REGA hangar and their fl ying hospital. While we were there one of their helicopters arrived from a station near one of the 15 stations throughout Switzerland. One of the male nurses provided us useful knowledge about the Swiss Me-dical and Rescue Association open to all Swiss citizens for a modest amount of money. Several of us remember when Col Christian Schweizer, renow-ned acro pilot was president and we met for the Swiss Wing’s annual mee-ting at the Birrfeld Airfi eld west of Zü-rich. What a service REGA provides!

The day of the annual meeting was very special with a tour of the Mül-ler-Bräu in Baden. The samples were greeted with much pleasure. Many of us didn’t realize how many local beers there are in Switzerland.

At the meeting it was great to renew old friendships and make new ones. Some Colonels were sorely missed es-

pecially Monica who worked so hard to make the PX a great success as a money making enterprise in support of the Wing’s airplane, Stinsy,

The Lucerne Lake cruise on Sunday hosted by the Swiss Wing Staff was really awesome; clear skies, warm sun, superb food, and good fellowship.

On Monday, we went to the cheese factory - most interesting; also, we visi-ted the Swiss Army Museum in a bun-ker under a basketball court in a sub-urb very near to Lucerne. We met the owner who built it for his collection. The dinner in the Offi cers Mess was superb, especially the desert. Our gui-de was a retired Swiss Army General.

It seems that each year, Thursday come too fast and we must say «Auf Wie-dersehen» to Cols. Doris and Hugo Hostettler who are so kind to us at their hotel in Lucerne as we board the train for the Zürich Flughafen, and fl y home to DFW. The Lord willing we will see you at CAF Airsho’07 and the annual meeting next year.

Col George Lodge

DFW WING CAF CREW FLIES TO SWITZERLAND

IN MARCH

Our «Götti» George Lodge

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 6

DFW Wing visit to the “rega”(Swiss rescue service) headquar-ters at Zurich airport.

A Challenger being prepared for a mission to Northern Ire-land.

100 hour inspection of a Augusta power plant

Carol Towerton and West Sanders, Donna and John Sweatt

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 7

report

Giants and Twins

The fi rst Me 321 Cargo Glider: Empty weight 18 tons, useful load 22 tons, span 55 meters.

The tow plane: Five engine twin Henschel He111Z, 6700 hp, MTOW 28.6 tons, span 35.4 m

An extra ordinary project leads to an even more spectacular endeavour...

Getting a cargo glider of 40 tons into the air and towing it over a distance of several hundred kilometres simply ex-ceeded the capability of any available aircraft at that time.

As the planning for operation «Sea Lion» (German plan to invade Eng-land) progressed the Supreme Com-mand of the Wehrmacht was looking into transport capability for the in-vasion fl eet. The basic element for a successful invasion was the early es-tablishment of bridge heads. (As was proven in the Allied Landing Forces in the Normandy years later).

A cargo glider was to be a key element with a useful load of 20 tons of a) 130 fully equipped soldiers, b) one 8.8cm gun with tracked vehic-le, ammunition and gunnery crew, c) one armoured tank with crew and ammunitiond) one heavy gun with crew and am-munition.

In short time Willi Messerschmitt had developed a basic design for a cargo glider, the Me 321 and plans were sub-mitted November 6th 1940. On Fe-bruary 21st 1941 the fi rst fl ight took place.

The Junkers Ju-90 the largest and with four engines the most powerful aircraft available at the time was used as a tow plane but it proved inadequate for the job. Test with a «Troika» tow using three Messerschmitt Bf-110 each with

120 meter steel cable were too dange-rous, take-off distance being in excess of 1200 meters. After several accidents further tests were abandoned.

200 Me-321 were built and stationed along the French cost in readiness for operation «Sea Lion» but when the in-vasion plans were dropped they are moved to the eastern front. Some time later a powered version with six engines was produced, the Me 323. It could carry a pa-

yload of 12 tons over 800 kilometers but with its slow speed and its size it became a ready target for enemy fi gh-ters. Many Me 323 were lost over the Mediterranean.

As General Ernst Udet visited the Heinkel works at Marienehe he sugge-

CAF Swiss Wing Mai 2007 Seite 8

The He11Z towing two Me 321 cargo gliders

Five engines and four main wheels.

The six engine Me 323.

sted that practice of using two Me111 to tow a cargo glider should be drop-ped as being too dangerous. He sugge-sted that two Me-111 should be joi-ned into a twin fuselage aircraft to set an end to the accidents.

Two aircraft were taken and a left and a right outer wing were removed and a centre wing piece of 6.15 meters mounting a fi fth engine was inserted. The fuselages were 12.8 meters apart, it had four main wheels, two conven-tional tails and tail wheels. And so re-sulted the fi ve engine He111Z (Z for Zwilling or Twin) which would tow two gliders at a time.

This Giant tow plane was used for airborne operations in to Russian oil fi elds, Stalingrad, Sicily. Operation «Hercules» the capture of Malta howe-ver was never attempted.

In the next issue some more facts of twins.

Col Werner Meier

This is an abridged version

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 9

Erlebnisreisen für Fliegerei-begeisterte

Für Kenner von Spezialisten mit Herzblut zusammen-

gestellt!

Acapa Geschäftsstelle Seedorf:Cosmos ToursPostfach 88 / 3267 SeedorfTel. 032 392 75 80 / Fax 032 392 75 81E-Mail: info@cosmos-tours.ch www.cosmos-tours.ch

From our Workshop

On January 8, 2007, at 13.49 our Stinson landed at our vene-rable military airport Dübendorf. The long overdue paintwork

needed attention and the Mirage pain-ters went to work to mix the proper paint to re-spray the entire cowling. Henry undertook to touch up some spots on the fuselage and the cockpit. The lady emerged – not lifted – but nicely made up. At the same time the tail wheel underwent a close inspec-tion.

The tail wheel shimmy was a nuisance as we were at a loss to understand un-der what conditions it would some-times manifest itself. The two Wer-ners (Zürrer the Elder and Meier the Younger) fi nally got to the root of the problem by attaching a movie camera to the fuselage to record various high and slow speed trials.

It appeared that when the tail was raised during higher speeds the wheel would vibrate and actually rotate around the vertical axis. This Holly-wood approach showed results and as if to prove the point the Movie Star «Stinsy» produced a nice rattling noise

during the following cross wind lan-ding. The remedy consisted in limi-ting the vertical travel of the tail wheel and the insertion of a friction plate to dampen the swivelling of the wheel it-self.

The shimmy has now almost been eli-minated. It is general knowledge that the L-5 has this problem and that the «Lakes State Tailwheel» has a tendency to shimmy on hard surface runways. On grass strips the problem does not occur. Most L-5 have been converted to modern tail wheels which makes it

easy to procure spares.

Other changes effected were the instal-lation of a vertical speed indicator and the relocation of the EGT and the g-meter to the «Norbox». The latter was refashionedby Norbert Kessler to near original condition to maintain the tra-ditional look.Marcel Weiss who brings with him the experience on the Airbus 320 and 340 is now busy with a complete check of the electrics.

Col Werner Meier

Movie Camera and Tai Wheel, (below)Full extension of tail wheel arm, travel reduced.

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 10

The newly fashioned Norbox, EGT and Accelerometer

Friction plate to reduce swivel tendency

Vertical speed indicator installed.

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 11

The STINSY Corner

Dear Cols and Friend

It is not the ups and downs of the weather which brings me to some serious com-ments. The absence of our gift shop at events makes me feel lonely, I am lined up just like any other old timer and I sure miss the yellow tent with Monika and her team.

The «Contact» our magazine is still looking for contributions. Poor Werner only has ten fi ngers to produce the texts and place the pictures in our Bestseller Magazine. Surely our Cols and members have some stories to tell. Please put them in writing and share them with us rather than your beer round only. There will be no editorial criticism nor will you get good or bad marks! Just tell us your story. Let’s hope Werner will not give up and follow the example of the gift shop. Seriously, this is an appeal to all of you.

Another drama involved my true friend and aerial companion, the venerable Gentleman called AC-4. The special clinic at Dübendorf military airfi eld had to look into a little ailment. For weeks nothing happened and then connecting rod disaster struck. On top of that all of a sudden the hospitality vanished at this otherwise underused fi eld and the aircraft had to be removed.

Insult and injury –as the aircraft had to be disassembled and trucked to Zürich International airport. And now the AC-4 is awaiting its verdict in the establishment of the commercial airline hospital!

But there are also positive news. My supporters found that gathering in a beer brewery is conducive to good fellowship and animated general meetings. I will be touring the fl y-in circus and surely hope to see many of you at Ecuvillens, Raron and certainly at the Reichenbach barbeque where hopefully fl ying restrictions will have been reduced.

See you for sure

Sincerely – Your Stinsy

CAF Swiss Wing May 2007 Page 12

news Veranstaltungen / Reisen

CAF Swiss Wingwww.caf-swisswing.ch

Präsident:

Editor:

Druck:

CAF Col Thomas LutzBrunnenwies 53, 8132 Egg

CAF Col Werner MeierItenhard 47, 5620 Bremgarten

«Contact» ist das Publikations-organ des Swiss Wing der CAFin Midland TX, USA

Knapp AG, 8918 Unterlunkhofen

CAF Swiss Wing - Shop

7.-8. Juli Flying Legends Air Show / Duxford CAF SW7. Juli Oldtimer Fly-in, Samedan Flight OPS22. Juli 7. BBQ Reichenbach CAF SW 21.-22. Juli Oberwalliser Flugtage Flight OPS 11.12. August Aerofestival Biel-Kappelen Flight OPS 25.-26. August Dittinger Flugtage Flight OPS1. September Forte Modascia Biasca CAF SW1.-2. September 11. Internationales Meeting Bex Flight OPS 29.-30. September 50 Jahre CAF / Air Show / Midland CAF SW24. November Jahresend-Anlass CAF SW

Stinsy-Wein Rotwein , Cabernet Sauvignon, California Weisswein, Chardonnay , France

Geniessen Sie diesen Stinsy-Wein an einem lauen Sommerabend und denken Sie daran: Mit jedem Schluck unterstützen sie den CAF Swiss Wing. Info über den Wein und Bestellformulare fi n-den sie auf unserer Homepage oder rufen Sie mich einfach an. Diese 0.5 Liter Flasche eignet sich auch sehr gut als Geschenk für

Flieger-Fans. Minimum-Bestellung 6 Flaschen.Werner Meier, Jtenhard 47, 5620 Bremgarten

werner.meier@caf-swisswing.chViele weitere Artikel fi nden Sie auf unserer Homepage: www.caf-swisswing.ch

2007

Flights with our War Bird «Stinsy»

Coordinator: Henry Saladin 044 853 0533

Pilots:Roger Burri 056 667 3843

Werner Meier 056 633 6181Jost Schneeberger 031 911 8177

Max Schönenberger 044 858 2051

Visiting the CAF Florida Wing, from left to right: Col Werner Meier (Swiss Wing), Col Dick Russell (Florida Wing),Col

George Lodge (DFW Wing and Col Ken Brownell (Florida Wing)

We are pleased to wellcome the follo-wing new members: Ferdinand Niet-lispach, 5621 Zufi kon and Julian Bla-ser, 4653 Obergösgen.

Christmas in March?

Col Richard L. Schaeffer of Ohio was unable to attend our General Meeting. He regrets this very much and dona-ted a check of USD 200 to our Wing. Surely a fi ne gesture which the CAF Swiss Wing greatly appreciates.

«Keep the war birds fl ying» is only pos-sible with your support. If you cannot attend one of our events may be a to-ken contribution to our cashier could make up for your absence? You will fi nd the giro form handy as it is sent with every invitation to an event.