vintage airplane - apr 2009

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Apr 2009

1/44


2/44

GEOFF RO ISON

PRESIDENT VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Springtime

It seems

as though

for every

day

closer

to

spring we get,

the

pres

sure

is

slowly rising

to

a

crescendo

that

will

ultimately

result

in the

very

special week

we all know as

EAA

AirVenture

Oshkosh. Earlier

in March I was

in Oshkosh

for five

days of B-1?

tour training, and

I

took

the opportunity see

firsthand

the continuing development of

the AirVenture convention site.

Even

though Oshkosh

has ex

perienced

what I would categorize

as a pretty mean winter this year,

an amazing

amount

of progress

can be

seen

all

over

the

conven

tion grounds.

Just this

week we re

ceived

word

that

the

walls for

the

all-new Vintage

Hangar have been

prefabbed and are now in

the

process

of

being installed

on the

footers.

f

we

get

a

break

with

the

weather,

the

shingles

should

be

installed on

the

building by the

time

you read

this column.

This

is

an exciting time

for

both EAA and

the

Vintage Aircraft Association

(VAA), and

we sincerely hope

you

really is

only one

clear and con

cise

response to these proposed

new

rules.

In

its

response, EAA

writes: "This rule

is

a

direct

threat

to

our personal liberties

Our

very right to operate

our

personal

flying

machines whenever

we de

cide is being clearly threatened

by

these

rules."

Just

this

week we

received word that the

walls for the

all-new

Vintage

Hangar

have

been prefabbed

and

are now in the process

of being

installed

on

the

footers.

If we get

break

with the weather

work with the industry to continue to

build on the enhanced security mea

sures currently in place at airports

across this great nation .

To

impose

these onerous and overreaching reg

ulations on general aviation would

likely be a

blow

to the

industry

that

could very well be fatal. Such an out

come would be counter to the spirit

and in tent

of

[president Obama s]

re-

cent message.

As

a nation we

must

do

our bes t to encourage and sustain

our values

and

rights.

Those

ide-

als stil l light the world,

and

we

will

o t

give

them up

for

expediency s sake.

Only

recently

we have

begun

to hear of more individuals inside

the Beltway speaking out on

their attitude about these rules.

Two key

phrases seem to

be

echoed

by

these key folks

in government

who

have

chosen

to

speak

out.

1.

General aviation

has

not

been proven

to

be

any

real

threat

to

our

country's

security.

2. This

proposed

policy

is

over

bearing,

and

a clear abuse of power.


3/44

PR

I L

VOL.

37,

No 4

2009

CONTE NTS

Fe Straight

&

Level

Springtime

by Geoff Robison

2 News

6 An

Eye

-Catching Ryan

An international delight

by Gill

es

Auliard

1 4

Airmail Days

Magical mome

nt

s of yesteryear . . . The 90th anniversary

of

sc

heduled airma

il

in th

e United States

by Sparky Barnes

Sa rge

nt

2

Light Plane Heritage

Uncle Bob's Midwing Midway

Pa rt I

by Bob Whittier

26

The Vintage Mechanic

Critical inspection items

by Robert G. Lock

3 The Vintage Instructor

Soft-field tec

hniques

by Doug Stewart

S T FF

EAA Publisher

Tom Poberezny

Director of EAA Pub

li

cations

Mary Jones

3

Mystery Plane

Executive Di rector/Edi t

or

H.G.

Fra

utschy

by H.G . Frautschy

Production/Special Project Kathleen W

i tman

Photography

Jim

Koepn

ick

34

An Ethanol Test Kit

Bonnie Kratz

Advertising Coordina tor

Sue

Anderson

Making certain your fu el isn't tainted with alcohol

Classified Ad Coord inator

Les l ey Poberezny

by Irven F Palmer Jr.

Copy

Edi tor Colleen Walsh


4/44

LASP

The

Next Steps

Working toward a

reasonable approach

February 27, 2009, signaled

the

end to the comment

period for

the

Transportation Security Administra

tion's

(TSA s)

Large Aircraft Security

Program (LASP), but not

to the

in

dustrywide effort opposing

the

TSA

plan. More than 4,200

comments

were submitted

to the

docket.

EAA continues to work closely

with TSA and Department of Home

land Security (DHS) officials toward a

more reasonable approach to general

aviation security through the use of

a negotiated rulemaking committee.

EAA

is also meeting with members of

Congress

on the

proposal, including

an invitation to attend a roundtable

discussion in March hosted by House

Aviation Subcommittee Chairman

Rep.

Jerry Costello (D-Illinois), to

further press the issue.

Comments

to

the

docket include

letters opposing the LASP from con

gressional representatives Tom Pe-

tri (R-Wisconsin) and Sam Graves

(R-Missouri).

Petri is

the

ranking member of

the House Aviation Subcommittee

and

also represents Wisconsin's th

District, which includes Oshkosh

and EAA headquarters. In a letter

addressed to

DHS

Secretary Janet

Napolitano, he writes, ...the

TSA s

actions related to

the

proposed LASP

are extreme

and

unnecessary ... The

EAAlFAA

Summ

it

Addresse

s Is

sue

s

Throughout the year,

EAA s

advocacy team meets with government offi

cials

in

Washington, D.C.,

in

state capitals,

and in

local municipalities,

rep-

resenting EAA members interests and concerns.

They

also meet twice each

year

in

Oshkosh during AirVenture and also

in

the winter, when FAA leaders

travel to EAA headquarters for two days of face-to-face meetings to identify

issues and ensure that previous action plans, objectives, and benchmarks

are being fulfilled.

Several top FAA officials were

in

Oshkosh February 23-24. Front-and-cen

ter

issues included amateur-built aircraft and the

51

percent rule, vintage

and aging aircraft, flight safety, sport pilot/light-sport aircraft, the future of

aviation fuels, aerobatic flight, and warbirds.

Participants included EAA headquarters staff and division heads and of

ficials from the FAA s Aircraft Certification and Flight Standards offices. A

FAA/EAA

Winter Meeting report was published

on

pages 102 103 of the

April issue of fAA Sport Aviation

tion to

LASP,

it could face legal chal

lenges or congreSSional obstacles to

the program, such as a resolution of

disapproval

under the CongreSSiO-

nal Review Act.

O

r

TSA

can heed the advice in

sional representatives seeking their

support of general aviation and

opposition to LASP. Read

EAA s

of

ficial comments at www.EAA.org/

news/2009/lasp_comments.pdf

http:///reader/full/www.EAA.orghttp:///reader/full/www.EAA.org


5/44

Like some previous user-fees pro

posals, this

one

specifies, liThe user

charges are considered discretion

ary and offset discretionary budget

authority and outlays. This means

there's no guarantee th t proceeds

from these user fees would apply

toward national airspace modern

ization, the aviation trust fund, or

other specicil aviation needs. Rath

er,

they would simply offset

the

general deficit.

EAA

has contended

th t

a user

fees system would draw dispropor

tionately from general aviation

to

fund the

FAA

nd air traffic control

operations. EAA s government

re-

lations staff has maintained a dia

logue with key members of Con

gress and their staff on the user-fees

issue. With this revelation in

the

administration's budget proposal,

EAA

is accelerating this outreach

work while continuing to forge

re-

lationships with

the

new adminis

tration, legislators,

nd

new agency

staff appOintees.

The strength of

EAA s

160,000

members

is

integral to this effort.

Your preparedness to take grassroots

action when called

upon is

'a

potent

tool in combating this threat.

F Funding Bill

Introduced in

House

A new

FAA

funding bill, nearly

identical to

the

2007 House version,

was introduced by House Commit

tee on Transportation

nd

Infra

structure Chairman James Oberstar

(D-Minnesota) nd House Aviation

Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Cos

Sun n Fun Set

to

Open the

Fly-In

Season

It s April, and the 35th Sun n Fun Fly-In, April 21-26, at Lakeland Linder

Regional Airport

in

Lakeland, Florida, is days away.

EM

will be there, with

special offerings at the

EAA

Welcome Center, admission discounts, forum

presentations, and more.

If you re planning to attend, please note one major change from past

years at the main admissions gate: There will not

be

a separate EM area.

Instead, EAA members may enter at the main gate and receive their weekly

or daily member discount by showing a membership card.

Several

EAA

members and staff will present a variety

of

forums and work

shops. Subjects include aircraft insurance, sport pilot/light-sport aircraft,

homebuilding (featuring

EAA s Joe

Norris, EM homebuilders community

manager), and more. (See a complete forums schedule at www.Sun N Fun.

arg. A special

EM

chapter event will

be

announced soon.

See you in Lakeland

(and

don t forget to bring

your

EM membership card).

nd

$1.35 billion for Research, En

gineering, nd Development.

The House bill was introduced

on

the same day

th t

a letter signed by

associations representing virtually

the entire aviation

community

was

sent to key members of Congress,

stressing the importance of passing

as

the starting pOint from which to

expand. The same is true for

the

comprehensive, multi-year project

to upgrade the EAA

AirVenture Osh

kosh grounds

nd

facilities. Much

of the work accomplished since last

fall has focused on essential under

pinnings: site design

nd

configura

http://www.sun-n-fun/http://www.sun-n-fun/


6/44

19 9 Wright

Model

B Replica to Fly

at

Oshkosh

A replica of the Wright brothers ' 19 9 Wright B

Flyer

will make its North

American public flying debut during AirVenture 2009.

The

replica, dubbed the

Silver Bird for its silver-painted frame and white fabric, was built

by

Dayton ,

Ohio-based Wright B Flyer Inc. It was the Wrights' first production airplane

and helped ignite the air-racing era 1 years

ago.

The

aircraft is scheduled to begin flight testing

in

the coming months and

may participate

in

aviation festivities this summer

in

Europe before coming

to Oshkosh.

One

tentative event

in

Reims, France, would commemorate the

100th anniversary of the Gordon Bennett Cup often regarded as the first

major air race in history.

It will truly

be

a global ambassador for Dayton, says Amanda Wright

Lane, the Wright brothers' great-grandniece and a trustee of Wright B Flyer

Inc. There is not a single art ifact

you

can hold, or place

you

can visit, or

document

you

can read that equals seeing a Wright

Flyer in

the air.

Other activities commemorating 1 years of air racing will

be

held during

EAA

AirVenture 2009. These and additional details of the Wright B Flyer's

appearance will

be

announced as they are finalized.

For

more information

on

the Wright B Flyer replica, visit

www.Wright 8-

Flyer.org.

infrastructure changes will be ac

required an extension of the main

complished, several new amenities aircraft display taxiway and a course

will be introduced, and site naviga diversion of Forest Home Drive.

tion, wayfinding, and transporta

From

the

main gate, two new

through the

grounds. This year,

that same trek will be a 1/4-mile

straight shot.

One major part of this thorough

fare project incorporated storm wa

ter drains so

the

grounds dry prop

erly. Storing drainage water on

airport grounds is a safety issue be

cause lakes, ponds,

and

reservoirs

attract waterfowl. Consequently,

site deSigners

and

engineers looked

underground-turning to state-of

the-art green

technology-to

create geogrids/geoblocks

to

ab

sorb and treat runoff water. This

underground

reservoir naturally

drains into the groundwater sys

tem, eventually making its way

to

Lake Winnebago.

The commitment to environ

mentally

friendly practices also

included the use

of

recycled as

phalt and recycled roofing shin

gles to create the porous asphalt

that covers the new thorough

fares and allows for underground

water drainage.

The retention of trees was also

prioritized.

As

new construction

called for clearing, the site crews

transplanted 61 mature trees into

new shade and rest areas

that

will be a feature of the reconfig

ured grounds.

While the new thoroughfares,

trees, and relocations of some

buildings

and

facilities will be con

spicuous, other major elements of

the

infrastructure work will not.

Just as

the

cutting-edge new wa

ter treatment and drainage system

is

invisible, so too are all

the

new

http://www.wright-8/http://www.wright-8/http://www.wright-8/http:///reader/full/Flyer.orghttp://www.wright-8/http:///reader/full/Flyer.org


7/44

Please help the VAA

make

EAA

AirVenture

an

unforgettable

experience

for

our

many

guests.

Become a

Friend

of the Red Barn.

iamond Plus

1250

EAA

VIP Center

2people/F

Week

VIP Airshow Seating

2peop1e/2 OafS

Close Auto Parking

FulWeek

FulWeek

2OafS

Two Tickets to VAA Picnic

* * *

ri

Motor

Certificate

lTdels lTdels lTdels

Irdet

Breakfast

at Tall Pines

Cafe

2

PeopIe/F

Wk

2Peop1e/FulWk

2

PeopltJFul

Wk

Special

FORB

Cap

* * * *

wo Passes

to VAA Volunteer Party

*

*

*

* *

pecial FORB Badge

* * * * *

ccess

to Volunteer Center

* * * * *

onor Appreciation Certificate

*

* * * * *

ame Usted Vintage Airplane Magazine,

*

* * * * *

ebsite and Sign at Red Bam

*

*

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name

EAA

#

VAA

#

_

Address

__

City/State/Zip _

Phone E-Mail _

Please choose your level

of

participation:

http:///reader/full/1,250.00http:///reader/full/1,250.00


8/44


9/44


10/44

In

1939, Ryan sold an

almost stock model

desig

nated

ST-A-l,

which

the Army called the XPT-16

sin

39-717),

and

after initial

evaluation they ordered

15

more

for service tests

as YPT-16.

The success of YPT-16

trials led

to the

order of 40 of a very similar model des

ignated PT-20,

the main

difference being a larger cock-

Ryan ST-A Special used by NACA

at

its Langley

Me-

morial Aeronautical Laboratory for research

on

flaps

slats and internally balanced ailerons. Later

it

was

used for pilot familiarization. Still later

it

was desig

nated NACA

25

and used in the Loads ab

at

Langley.

Taking off for the first

time

on June 8, 1934, from

San Diego s Lindbergh Field, the Ryan ST was a low

wing

monoplane with external wire bracing to the

top of the fuselage

and

to

the main

undercarriage legs.


11/44

pit

with

external stiffening in

the

cockpit area. Both models proved

to be troublesome

and

were rapidly

removed from service.

During 1941,

the

Menasco

en

gine powering

the YPT-16s

and

PT

20s was discarded by the Army in

favor of the Kinner R-440 radial.

The installation of the new engine

in a streamlined nose fairing

with

exposed cylinder heads led to the

new military designation of

PT

-21,

of which 100 were ordered in 1941.

The advent of the Army-Navy

trainer standardization program co

incided with the

development

of a

more powerful variant, the

ST-3, with

a 160-hp Kinner R-S40-l. Orders for

this model, designated PT-22 Re

cruit,

all placed

in 1941, totaled

1,023. The

PT-22s

went into service

at Civilian Pilot Training Program

schools across the country. Produc

tion ended in 1942.

But the in - line engine variant

of the PT series wasn t dead.

Other

countries

showed a deep

interest

in

the

STM,

and

the plane sold rea

sonably well in South America and

China. Ryan s biggest export cus

tomer

was

the

Dutch government.

In

1940, the

Dutch

ordered 108

Ryan STMs, 24 of them equipped

with floats . Sixty of them were ear

marked for the Militaire Luchtvaart

van het Koninkliijk Nederlands In

dishe Leger ML-KNIL, Royal Neth

erlands East Indies Army

Air

Force),

to be operated from their main base

at

Bandoeng,

in Java.

Ordered

in

two batches, serial numbered

RO

W to RO-49 (STM-2 c/n 407-446)

and RO-SO to RO-69 (STM-S2 c/n

49S-S14), the planes were delivered

starting November 18, 1940.


12/44

All

of

these aircraft were de

stroyed by enemy action or captured

intact when the

Japanese

overran

the

Netherlands East Indies NEI)

in

late winter/early spring 1942.

The other 48 were operated by

the

to A50-34.

By

late

1944,

most of

the airframes were

in

storage at Ev

ans Head, New South Wales (NSW),

home of

the

Royal Australian Air

Force 1st Air Observer School and

1st Bombing and Gunnery School.

One

prime example

is

still flying in

the

hands

of Gary Kozak, of Down

ers Grove, Illinois, its

catchy

MLD

markings

reminding

the onlooker

of this

little-known

theater of op

erations of World War

II.

Ryan STM-S2 N8146

(c/n

457)

was

ordered by

the Dutch govern

ment on

June

25, 1940, as part of

a

batch of

12

(S-l1

to S-22) ear

marked for the MLD.

The

12, plus

12

sets of floats, left Los Angeles

aboard

SS

Hoegh Silver

Dawn on

November 18, 1940, bound for the

NEI. Assigned serial S-21 , it arrived

in

Java on January 3, 1941, and i t

flew training missions from the

main MLD Base at

Morokremban

gan, starting on February 26, 1941.

Facing the advance of the Japa

nese invaders, S-21 was crated along

with

33 other Ryans and evacuated

aboard the MS Tijnegara, which


13/44

n the markings of the Dutch East Indies MLD

5 21

flew from the base at Morokrembangan Java du ring 1941.

of s n 463, as s n 457 was either

improperly crated

or damaged

dur

ing

transit. Assigned serial A50-30,

it served

with

the RAAF until Feb

ruary 12,

1945,

at which date it

was put in storage at Evans Head.

Damaged

again

during the storm

that

hit

this RAAF

station

on

April

4, 1945, it was rebuilt and sold to

Brown

and

Dureau

Ltd.

on

April

19, 1947. Acquired by the Newcas

tle, NSW, Aero Club on July 7 of

the same year,

it

became VH-BBJ

on the

Australian register.

After a lapse in registration, it was

sold to G. Harle, of Newcastle, NSW,

on June

9,

1957, who obtained the

new

VH-BXN

identity for

the

Ryan.

John Swanson, of Mareeba, North

Queensland,

one of the following

owners, had to

resort

to a forced

landing in November of 1964. Dam

age to the plane warranted it to be

nal

MLD markings. The first post

restoration test flight

took

place

on

July 10, 1970, revealing

only

a mi

nor need to adjust

the rigging of

the airplane.

This accomplished, the Ryan was

presented at EAA

Oshkosh 1970

and the Antique Airplane Associa

tion convention, where it was voted

Best

Open

Cockpit Ryan

and

Best

Original Ryan by

the

public.

Sold in

June

1971 to Robert

Bob Friedman of Highland Park,

Illinois, the Ryan was substantially

damaged-again-in

a

ground

col

lision

with

another airplane

in

Bel

videre, Illinois,

on June 21

, 1975.

Returning it to

flying

status,

Bob

Friedman enjoyed the airplane until

his untimely death in an unrelated

airplane accident.

As

the

executor

of his estate, Pat, his wife, became

the owner of the ST, and she flew it

challenges that go with antique air

plane ownership. Then, during

a

flight on

June

13, 2003,

things got

very interesting:

The engine started running

very

rough and

could

barely

pro

duce enough power

to hold

alti

tude. There was belching smoke and

blowing oil all over the plane. This

led

to

a partial

dismantling

and

in

spection of the engine. The culprit

was a

blown

supercharger seal that

allowed large quantities of oil to be

ingested by

the

engine.

I talked to Brad Ball , in Cali

fornia-the guru of Menasco en

gines-who told me that, in order

to

get

to the

seal, I

would

have

to

dismantle a large

portion

of the en

gine, including

the

accessory case

and gears. Since the C4

was

ap

proaching

overhaul time, and that

he

also mentioned he was build


14/44

new

engine and

required

a

new

induction

system

to

be designed

and fabricated.

liThe

337 form was

13

pages

long

with diagrams I spent several

months drawing up,

as

I am

not

ex-

actlya

draftsman.

The modification was finally

approved:

Now, the engine has nice, fil-

tered air, and even if it is only rated

at

134

hp instead of the

original

150, I get good performance.

Gary takes us through a

flight

around

the

patch:

After a normal preflight,

it

is im-

portant

to

remember

to

turn

the

oil

on

and

pull a few blades

to

get it cir-

culating through the engine.

t

does

have a starter,

but

it is just a battery

Beech Bonanza, so there is

plenty

of brake power

to

keep the airplane

stopped at

full power.

When all the parameters are

nominal,

I

taxi out and line up

on

the runway. Once

in

position,

I

normally apply

full

power

before

releasing

the

brakes, so I can do

one

last check inside

the

cockpit. When

it

starts

rolling, all my attention

has to be outside. My feet are never

still, constantly adjusting for the

trajectory of the airplane. Push the

stick forward,

and hold it

until the

tail comes up.

You

pretty

much

can

feel it

when the plane

is ready to fly.

In a crosswind, you have plenty of

rudder authority, but you still have

to make sure to keep it straight to

avoid a ground loop.

power back gradually, to bleed air-

speed

and to

be

at

idle

abeam the

touchdown

point. Flaps

down,

al-

most straight to

full 45

degrees.

I

usually make

a pretty

high ap

proach in case of engine malfunc

tion in the

pattern;

this

helps keep

the nose

down to

better see ahead.

I slip

it

in on final to create high

drag, to lose

altitude

fast, and

try

to keep the runway in

sight

until

reaching

the

numbers.

liThe

plane

is fully aerobatic,

but

I have not tried much

yet,

other

than

the

occasional

falling leaf,

as the airplane is 68 years old. I t

was originally stressed to 9Gs, but I

do not think I would like

to

push

it

that far. Nevertheless, I

am

sure

the

Ryan is perfectly safe for all

the

ba-


15/44

ichael elvin

Concord

NC

• 450 flight hours

• Work as

an A P

at u

Airways

in

Char/otte,

NC - heavy ma

intenance

work

on

7 7s some 757s and

some

Airb

u

ses

• Presently own

three

planes :

Cessna 170

, under

restorat

i

on

;

Ercoupe

415 -D; Light mini

ature

Aircraft

LM

-I,

3/ 4 cub

rep

lic

a

"I had a plane crash on August 9, 2001 , while flying an Avid

Mark IV

The

aileron control rod was broken and I had no

control at all. I was insured with

U

and had no hassles of

any kind. It was a very pleasant end to a nasty situation."

Michael Melvin


16/44

Magical moments

of

yesteryear T

h

90th anniversary

of scheduled airmail in the United States

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SPARKY

BARNES

SARGENT


17/44

A nice example of

a vintage postal

cover

which

was

flown

on

uly

17

1928 First

Flight Kalama

zoo

Michigan. Herr

7 •

Ide

Cllnll

1

'ltew;.r t •

Chioago. I G ~

Days

theme

came to re ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~

~ I r .

.

splendent life, with

the

sound of ra cial

postal

dial engines reverberating overhead swearing-in ceremony

and the sights of rare airplanes fly- of airmail pilots and crews

every

ingthrough the gorgeous blue sky in morning .

They

were required to

southern Iowa. I t was magnificent sign an airmail contract

just

like

living history-magical moments the one Lindbergh signed in 1926,

of yesteryear, alive in the present- and afterward they were given a

beginning with the offi set of gold wings. The mail was

~ ~ ~ ~ §

~

=

t h e n

loaded

and

the

impressive

' departure and arrivals of an -

que biplanes

and

monoplanes

commenced at Antique Airfield

(Blakesburg), Ottumwa, and Iowa

~ ~ ~ i ~ i ~ ~ : : ~ ~ = =

: : : : : : : : ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ J ty

(which was an original stop

n the transcontinental airmail

route).

A

limited

number

of

souve

ni r

, commemorative postal cov

ers were designed for the event

Postal cover with the Pitcairn ca

chet flown on August 28.

cover with the de Havilland DH-4

cachet flown on August 30 .

Postal cover with the Boeing 40C cachet flown

on August 29.

Postal cover with the Jenny cachet flown

on

August

27.


18/44

Greg Herrick

of

Minneapolis Minnesota flew

the

airmail in his

1927

Ford 4 AT B from Antique Airfield to Ottumwa and Iowa

City

and back

on August

29.

The Ford received the 2008 AAAjAPM Fly-in Ken Love

Memorial award for the Best Wright-Powered Aircraft.

Rich Hornbeck

of

Bowdoinham Maine flew

the

mail in Inset: Ben

Scott

in his 1930 Stearman 4E; his father

his

1929

Waco

ASO

from Antique Airfield to Ottumwa carried mail in

the biplane

during

National

Airmail

and Iowa City and back on August 29 and

30.

Week in 1938.


19/44

THEY WERE

REOUIRED

TO SIGN N

AIRMAIL CONTRACT JUST LIKE

THE

ONE

LINDBERGH SIGNED

IN 192 ,

AND AnERWARD,

THEY

WERE

GIVEN

Dick Jackson flew

the

mail

in

his

1931

SET

OF GOLD

WINGS.

Sikorsky S 39-, Spirit o Igor from An-

t ique Airfield to Ottumwa

and

Iowa City

and back on August 29 .

based

upon the

size and appearance

of

1920s

and 30s

ai r

m

ail

enve

lopes. And a custom 42-cent stamp,

which closely resembled

the

origi

nal

1918

airmail

stamp, adorned

the

upper

right corner,

along

with

an

outgoing

cancellation stamp

that replicated those used on the

original

contract

airmail routes. A

different

cachet was

featured on

the

postal cover for each of

the

four

days

during

the fly-in-the Jenny,

Pitcairn, Boeing 40C, and de Havil

land DH-4.

liT

he

Jenny was the key

histor

ical aircraft to tie the 90th anni

versary flights back

in

time to

the

original 1918 flights, explains Tay

lor, since

the

U.S. mail service or

dered Hisso-powered Jennys for

use

in

the original flights

of

1918.

Frank Schelling

brought

his Jenny

here from California, and it is one

of

only

two Hisso-powered

Jennys

Eric Preston flew the airmail

in

Frank Schelling's

1918

Curtiss IN-4H

Jenny from Antique Airfield to Ottumwa and back on August 27 , 29 , and

30 Schelling is from Pleasant Hill, California, and his Jenny received the

2008 AAA/APM

Fly

-

in

Antique -

Grand

Champion award.


20/44

Quite the lineup for takeoff on

the grass runway: A

1928

Cur

tiss

Wright

Travel Air 4000

waits behind the

1931

Sikorsky

S-39, which

is

behind the

1941

New Standard D-25, just behind

the

1929

Texaco Waco ASO.

Larry

Tobin

of Spokane, Washington, flew the airmail

Ted Davis of Brodhead, Wisconsin, flew mail and

in

his newly restored

1927

Stearman C3B from

An-

postal officials from Antique Airfield to Ottumwa

and

tique Airfield to Ottumwa and back

on

August 29 and Iowa City and back on August 30 in his 1941 New

30

. The Stearman received the

2008

Lyle Hoselton

Standard D-25 (the biplane

is

dedicated to the mem

Memorial award for Best Workmanship by

Owner. ory

of Denny Trone).

17 airplanes to carry

the

mail dur

ing the fly-in. And in addition to

the aircraft pictured here (so as not

to leave

anyone

out), two

other

air

planes also flew the mail: Tom Lowe

of Crystal Lake, Illinois, flew the

mail from

Antique

Airfield

to

Ot

tumwa

and

return on August 28 in

his 1942 Stearman N2S, and

Dino

Vlahakis of Lebanon, New Hamp-

shire, flew the mail from Antique

Airfield

to

Ottumwa and return

The elegantly restored DH-4

and Jenny

taxi over to the fuel truck

at

An-

on August 30

in

his 1941

Stear-

tique Airfield.

man N2S. These were historically

significant as well, since Ottumwa

reward for the long, laborious hours th ink all realized they were partic

was originally a Naval Air

Station

of orchestrating

th

is year's fly-in, ipating in a historic

moment that

dur ing World War , where several

Taylor

thoughtfu

lly sh ares that it's wo n t

soon

be repeated,

and

that s


21/44

Indecisive? Not even Icom

s

A24 NavCom and A6 Com are

the

only

handhelds

that

offer FliP FloP

Plus+

multi-channel recall. It's

easy

to toggle between frequencies.

all up

your

last

10

frequencies,

or

pre-program

in

up

to 10 channels

for

your

next

trip.

FliP FloP

Plus+

is one

of the many pilot

friendly

features you'll

find that s

unique

to Icom.

Then

it's

settled

.

Pick up your A24

or

A6

today

www

.

icomamerica.com

http:///reader/full/www.icomamerica.comhttp:///reader/full/www.icomamerica.comhttp:///reader/full/www.icomamerica.comhttp:///reader/full/www.icomamerica.com


22/44

Light Plane Heritage

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED

N E

Experimenter JULY

994

This drawing of the Fokker Eindecker clearly shows why

th midwing type was well-suited to the many cables re

quired to brace the very thin monoplane wings of that time.

Eindecker means one decker,

r

one-winger.

Uncle Bob's

Midwing

Midway

art

I

BY BOB WHITIIER

The odd title of this article obviously needs ex

plaining Well, you see, a glance at the calendar made

us realize

that

the circus and carnival season is in full

swing.

That

caused

the

happy thought

to

occur

to

us

that

it would be fun to present our readers with a

sort of aeronautical midway.

So

here it is Be assured,

you'll find it

to

be every bit as juicy as

an

expertly

grilled Wisconsin bratwurst.

Airplanes of

what

are

commonly

referred

to

as

the

midwing type have been with us since

the

early days

of flying,

and

they

are still being built. But with the

exception of certain military types, none have been

built in significant quantities. How often do you see

one at general-aviation airports?

there's also

the

term

shoulder-wing. By

studying

the illustrations accompanying this article and

the

se

quel that will appear next

month,

you can decide for

yourself which one to apply to a particular design.

We should also mention that in

the

early 1930s

the

Heath lightplane firm applied the

term

"center-wing"

to a model that was neither a parasol

nor

a low-wing.

We don't really know why, but we have a hunch.

Many early aviation entrepreneurs

had

a keen grasp of

good public relations techniques and frequently used

it

to

their advantage. It's possible that Heath's pro

motion

people felt that "center-wing" might be more

meaningful than

"midwing" to the aviation newcom

ers toward whom

their

advertising was slanted.


23/44

The upper ship is a 1920s Farman

osquito built

in

France. The lower one

is an American uhl Bull Pup of 1931. A

deep fuselage provided a much cleaner

attachment place for lower ends of the

streamlined flying wires than the Fok

ker s inverted cabane-strut arrangement.

The advent of thicker airfoils

in

the 1920s permitted the use of

deeper, stronger wing spars

and

a significant reduction

in the

number of drag producing

stranded cables. Overhead

struts gave pilots protection

in

nose-overs and offered conve

nient handholds for getting in

and out of seats.

that

aeroplane

wings should be as thin in cross sec

tion as the wings of birds. Because these early airfoils

were so

thin

, wing spar

depth

was slight

and

therefore

so weak

in

bending that many

external

brace wires

were necessary

to

stiffen them acceptably.

Better-educated pioneers made use of simple stress

calculation and truss-work

methods

that

had

been de

veloped for

the

masts

and

rigging of sailing ships and

the

truss

work

of bridges. But they, of course, were

under

much

more pressure

to

achieve structural light

ness.

Many

therefore saw it as being logical

to

adopt

the

biplane type because it was so well-adapted to

li

ght

but

strong trussing.

planes will

enab

le

you to

grasp this.

When fuselages were of sha llow depth acceptable

bracing angles could no t be achieved.

o

builders re

sor ted,

in some

cases, to

attac

h

ing

the

inboard ends

of wing lift wires to the lower portions of the l

anding

gears on some planes

and

in

others

to

V-struts or king

posts affixed to

the

undersides of fuselages. A few de

signers made their fuse lages deep

eno

u

gh

to give good

bracing angles to wires attached

to

lower longerons.

But

the thought

doubt less ly

oc

curred to some that

they had

never seen

a biplane bird

If

na

ture

in

her great wis

dom chose

to give

birds monoplane

wings

why then

they should there

This diagram shows how wing truss

loads increase as we go from para

sol to high-wing to midwing config

urations. This was less of a problem

in

short-span racers than

in

low

powered, long-span Iightplanes.


24/44

Above-Built

by

students at Curtiss

Wright aviation

school in Glendale,

California,

in

1936 , the 36-hp

Aeronca-powered Bunting

had a jaunty look. Th e

shoulder-wing design,

similar to the Longster

on

page

21

, positioned the wings higher

to the benefit of the bracing angle .

t was fairly standard practice

to attach

the inboard

ends of wing

spars

directly to fuselage upper lon

gerons. This procedure was simple, light, and strong.

The

sturdy

fuselage crossmember took the compres

sion

loads that wing lift

acting

on the lift wires cre

ated. s the thin airfoils often had

to

be

installed at

appreciable

angles of

incidence,

for the sake of lift,

the rear spars were positioned too low to attach to

top longerons. In such cases, suitable

supplementary

crosspieces at an appropriate distance below the lon

gerons were used.

This

layout

worked

well. In

1913,

only 10

years

after the Wrights first flew, the

French Deperdussin

midwing

monoplane powered

by

a

160-hp

twin-row

Gnome

rotary engine

attained

the speed of 130 mph.

Based on Parasol components, the

Heath Center Wing of 1932 below,

had a 27-foot span

instead

of the

feet. It

was

faster and

rode

better

in choppy air. The 40

hp

Continental was the

powerplant. Note the rather shal

low strut angle. The ship is de

scribed

in U S Civil ircraft by

Juptner, Vol. 5.

In the autumn of 1914 Bleriot, Morane,

and

Taube

midwings

were among the first aircraft

to

go to war.

They crossed battle lines

to

observe and report on en

emy

movements, the location

of

supply

depots, and

before long,

on

the accuracy of arti llery fire.

The

poor downward visibility that s characteristic

of the midwing configuration soon prompted mili

tary aviation people to ask airplane makers

to

develop

parasol

monoplanes.

Then observation plane

pilots

began shooting

at

one

another s

airplanes

with

pistols

and

rifles. t wasn t

long before forward -

firing

machine guns

were

be

ing

installed and dogfighting appeared on the scene.

The French hit on the idea of attaching steel deflector

plates to the rear sides of propeller blades to keep bul-


25/44

Left-

The low

aspect ratio

of

the

1919

Huntington gave a

wing chord of

54

inches

and

put the front

and

rear spars

fa

r enough apart to give an ample cockpit opening. Be-

low

right The

Heath Baby Bullet of

1928

used the thin

St.

Cyr

airfoil

for

speed.

The

rear

spa

r

had

to

be

well

for-

ward of the trailing edge to get the needed depth,

so

its

spars were only 17 inches apart. The cockpit was thus

positioned aft of the rear spar At 5 feet 2 inches

and 110

pounds

, the slight

Ed

Heath balanced the 95-pound

Bris-

tol Cherub

in

the nose. If a larger person tried to fly it , it

would probably have been tail heavy. Reproductions of

early race planes are not

for

unskilled pilots

lets from "sawing" the blades off . The

Germans

cap

tured

one

of these planes; Tony Fokker studied it and

came up

with

a mechanical

interrupter

gear to do

the

job more effectively.

The Eindecker did not have ailerons but relied on

somewhat sluggish wing

warping.

But its ability to

shoot down

Allied aircraft

prompted

the Allies to de

velop pusher-type fighters

with

steady-firing

machine

guns

in

their noses. They

had

ailerons

and

rolled faster

than

the Eindecker. So the Germans replaced it with

the

aileron-equipped Albatros and

other

biplanes.

When an

airplane

is

subjected

to violent maneu

vering, aileron loads can apply great stresses to wing

structures. This is

what prompted fighter

construc

tors on both sides to adopt the biplane

configura

tion. But it should

be mentioned that

as

the

war

progressed, the British

developed the midwing

Bris

tol Bullet, a monoplane that

could

attain

130

mph

on

the 110-hp

LeRhone

engine. So

wary

were

the

British

aviation

people of

monoplanes, however,

that

they shipped

these

admirable midwings to

the

Middle East for use

in observation

and communica

tion work rather than in dogfighting.

monoplane.

As it first flew in August of 1918, it never

reached

the

front. But its performance made mili

tary people really take notice. The

monoplane

design

called for significantly fewer parts, was lighter,

had

less drag, and did a very respectable 143 mph

with

a

300-hp Hispano-Suiza

in

the nose.

The

pilot had a good

forward

view

between the

banks

of

the

V 8 engine.

Large

openings

in

the

fuse

lage sides just below the wings afforded him a better

view below

than he

could get

in

a biplane. Cutouts

in

the

wing trailing

edges

at

the roots gave the

gunner

good

downward

vision.

And here's an important point. Pilots don t vary

in

height

all that

much when standing

up,

and

even less

when sitting

down.

In a

plane of

the Loening M-8's

size it was easy to seat occupants so that only their

heads

projected

above the cockpit rims. But when a

pilot of

average size gets

into

the

cockpit of

a small

sportplane having a normally

shallow

fuselage, not

only his head but also his

shoulders,

arms,

and

up

per

body

will stick

up into

the airstream. He'll be cold

on a chilly day, and his form will add significantly

to

his low-powered ship's air resistance. When doodling


26/44

The English Short Satellite of

1924

had

an

aluminum monocoque fuselage of oval cross-section. Its midwing

design gave a clean juncture of wing roots to fuselage. To get a fair takeoff and climb on the 32-hp Bristol

Cherub, a 34-foot span wing was used. A small propeller led

to

a short landing gear. If this had been a low

wing, the wingtips would have scraped the ground often. Downward visibility from the front cockpit obvi

ously was good.

Built at Defiance, Ohio, the Simplex Red Arrow, left, seated two side-by-side. From Downey, California, the

Emsco B-7, right, seated two in tandem. One sometimes has

to

do a lot of thinking

to

figure out what advan

tages some designers saw in the midwing configuration. Looking at the relationship between the cockpit

openings and wing roots of these two ships, one can wonder how each fared as regards turbulence and tail

surface buffeting. Simplex is described

on

page

3 7

of the

1929

edition of Jane s All the World s Aircraft,

and

Emsco on page

274

of the 193 edition. See also volumes 3 and 5 of Juptner s U.S. Civil Aircraft. m-

sco wheel p nts were made of welded steel tube frames covered with fabric. They were quick and easy to

make, but water splashing into the pants rusted the frames.

airfoils were more

efficient

than the

old thin ones.

Their thickness meant that deeper spars could now be

used,

which in

turn led to a reduction

in

the amount

of

external bracing and parasite drag.

Another aspect of the relationship between pilot

and aircraft size is the matter

of

cockpit size in mid

wings. An accompanying drawing

shows

the Heath

Baby Bullet of 1928. In a

typical

midwing the front

ual. (Call 1-800-564-6322 or

visit

the E store at

http://Shap.EAA .arg.

Fortunately,

in

larger and more typical sportplanes

the distance between front and

rear

spars tends to

be around 25 to

30

inches. That provides cockpits

of

more acceptable, safer, and more

comfortable

front

to-back

length.

Sight should not be lost

of

the fact that tapered

http://shap.eaa/http://shap.eaa/http://shap.eaa/http://shap.eaa/


27/44

Drive one.

Drive Qua

ity.

2010

Mustang: Redefining Thrill

Ride


28/44

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Critical

inspection

items

I sent

out

e-mails to various Travel

Air Restorers

Association (TARA)

members asking for input

into

what

they

felt

were

critical inspection

items. Thus far I have received three

responses. I

am

looking for

com

mon

threads

that

may

run

through

the

lists. My task was to

compile

a

list of 10 critical items, publish

that

list in TARA s newsletter,

and

then

add to the list as

other

concerns ap

pear. These additional concerns can

be added at a later date,

but

I

want

to get things going.

We

will only be

helping ourselves by getting informa

tion

like this out to members now.

By publishing these critical inspec

tion

items and proactively address

ing them during maintenance, there

should be little or

no

need for future

airworthiness directives (AD) notes on

these old airplanes. In

other

words,

the Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA)

is allowing us to police our

own airplanes for critical airworthi

ness issues. I think that is much better

than

facing possible future AD notes.

While this list is specific to the Travel

further information,

contact

the

Travel Air Restorers Association.

The

following is

quoted from

Phil Wyels.

There are

no airworthiness di

rectives listed in FAR

Part

39 ap

plicable

to the

Travel Air

or

Curtiss

Wright

Travel Air.

There were

the

equivalent of today's

AD

notes

is

sued by the CAA . These were titled

airworthiness

maintenance bulle

tins. The three

of which

the writer

has a copy are:

Bulletin 8 dated 4-11-39. Subject:

Wing

to

center section spar fitting;

early

model

2000, 3000, and 4000

with single vertical bolt.

Bulletin

30

dated 7-13-40. Sub

ject:

Axle inspection and rein

forcement; B series with outrigger

landing gear.

Bulletin Sl dated 6-10-41. Sub

ject: Rear safety belt

attachment;

applies

to

all Travel Air aircraft.

The

CAA

also issued a

document

titled Changes in Aircraft Specifi

cation which in later issues were

of the

opinion

that

these

should

be

treated the same

as

a recurring AD.

MODEL

ATC

SPECIAL NOTES

0-4-0 2-178

11

6-8

352 2

10-0 278 12

12-K 406

10,19,21

12-Q 401

10 , 12 , 19,21

12-W 407 10,12,19,21

A-14-0 442 12

15-C

426 22

16-E 463

10,17,19, 21

16-K

411 10,19,21

16-W 429 10,19,21

2000 30 11,20,23

2000 2-42

11,20,23

SC-2000 111

11,20

, 23

2000-T

2-368

9, 11, 20, 23

3000 31 9, 11 , 23

4000

32

9, 11 , 20 , 23

A-4000

148

11,20

, 23

8-4000 146

11,13,20,23

89-4000 2-381

11 , 13 , 20 , 23

C-4000 149

9,11 , 20 , 23


29/44

Periodic

(Annual)

Inspection

Required for the Following Notes:

SPECIAL NOTE 2:

November

5,

1930 . Open fabric

under

fuselage

or remove

floorboard and check

for failure

of dual

control column

socket.

SPECIAL NOTE 9:

February

18,

1938. On airplanes

equipped

with

Bendix 30-by-5 inch wheels, de

termine

that the hub

cap bolt ex

tends through

outboard wheel

adapter

and

axle proper;

or

in

case

axle tube is short and hub cap

bolt goes through

wheel

adapter

only, make sure that the

adapter

is

welded to

the

axle proper

around

the entire

circumference

instead

of by

only

a few spot welds, as

found

in

the field.

SPECIAL NOTE 10:

October

20,

1938. Inspect U-shaped

center

sec

tion diagonal wire fitting at upper

front

spar for cracks

at

the base

of

the flange. Faulty fittings must

be

replaced and defects reported on

the

usual form.

SPECIAL NOTE 11:

October

20,

1938, revised March 6, 1939, and

June

15, 1940. Ascertain

that

in

spection

has

been made

and

en

try has been made in logbook

in

accordance with

Airworthi

ness Maintenance

Bulletin No.8.

(Model

0-4-0 added September

10, 1940).

• Inspect the stabilizer connect

ing

tube forward through the bolt

attachment for off-center location

these

wheels

with

the

weight

re

moved for side play wobble.

• Check the stabilizer adjust

ment lever for positive seating of

the pin

in

the quadrant slot when

plunger

is

released

.

This

check

should be performed

under

simu

lated air loads

on

stabilizer.

SPECIAL NOTE 12: January 7

1939. Ascertain that the inspec

tion and safetying

of

the shock

absorbers has been accomplished

in accordance

with Maintenance

Bulletin

No.4.

A copy of this bul

letin

has been forwarded to

all

owners and inspectors.

SPECIAL NOTE 13 : March 23,

1939 . Inspect the aileron hinge

bracket

on

the

wing for cracks

in

the

vicinity

of hinge pin

lugs.

The

ailerons

should be removed to

fa

cilitate

this inspection.

In case de

fects are found,

brackets

must

be

replaced with stiffer

ones,

prefer

ably made from 0.065-inch thick

X4130 steel.

SPECIAL

NOTE 17:

July

31,

1940. Ascertain

that

the shock ab

sorbers

piston head

and packing

gland

nut of the cylinder

are safe

tied

in a

positive

manner.

In

this

connection,

Airworthiness

Main

tenance

Bulletin

No.4 should be

considered as also

applying to

the

Model 16-E.

SPECIAL NOTE 18: July 31,

1940. Ascertain that the

logbook

carries

a record of inspection or

SPECIAL NOTE 20:

November

22,

1940.

On airplanes with de

tachable

engine mounts,

inspect

the engine mount members for

cracks

in the vicinity of

the at

tachment

fitting

to the

fuselage. In

case defects are found,

the

entire

end fitting should be replaced.

SPECIAL NOTE 21: February 3,

1941. Inspect the stabilizer front

spar for cracks in the

vicinity

of

the

root

ribs. If defects are found,

repair

and

reinforce with out

side sleeve (1-1/4 by 0 .049 inch

X4130).

SPECIAL NOTE 22 : May 2,

1941. Ascertain that portions of

the

exhaust

collector

rings

inside

of

the

cowling are shielded from

the

engine

accessories compart

ment

by

means

of

baffles

extend

ing

from

the

engine ring to the

inside periphery

of

the cowling.

Such baffles

were originally in

stalled

by the

manufacturer,

and

their removal is prohibited. The

original engine

mount

ring is

provided with

drilled holes

for

the insertion of such baffles, and

the engine cowling is provided

with exits

for the

cooling air,

which impinges

against the re

quired baffles.

SPECIAL NOTE 23:

July

7 1941.

Ascertain that the rear safety

belt

installation is revised

in

accor

dance with Airworthiness Mainte

nance Bulletin

No.5

1.


30/44

internally. Check the lower por

tion of the tail post, both lon

gerons in the last bay, and the

elevator

torque

tube. These have

been

areas

where

moisture

accu

mulates.

Punch

test

the

tube at

I-inch intervals using

a

Maule

fabric

tester

or

an

ice pick.

f

your Travel Air

has pulleys

installed in

a control

system, in

spect the pulleys

for

wear in the

groove and the cable

for broken

strands where

i t rides on

the

pul

ley. (AN

type pulleys

presently

may not

be used

in

a control sys

tem

where

the bend

in control

ca

ble is

more

than

30

degrees. Prior

to 1941, a 2-7/8-inch

pulley could

be used.)

I f

your Travel Air still

has

return springs attached to the

rudder

pedals,

they should

be

in

spected for

grooving at the

attach

points

and for rust corrosion.

And

now a

list

as prepared by

Bob Lock:

Critical Inspection

Items for

Travel Air Airplanes:

•

Structural Considerations:

All

major

attachment

points

for

security and

cracks. Streamline

wires for

correct

tension (loose

ness could

indicate

possible in

ternal s tructural problems) .

Wood deterioration, particularly

lower

wings at Wing-walk trailing

edge . Any suspicious wrinkles

in

fabric

at any

location

could

mean

possible

internal prob

lems.

Landing

gear

attach points

for

wear/cracks. Shock cords

for

condition

(replace cords before

cessive looseness (slop) from cock

pit control to

surface.

Push/pull

tubes

and

cables for

wear/damage

(always set/check

cable tensions

with

surface

in

neutral

position).

Lube all

hinge points

.

• Fuel System: Evidence

of

leaks

and chafing

of fuel lines. Positive

movement of selector/shut-off

valve.

No

fuel flow

with

valve(s)

in

OFF

position.

• Oil System: Leaks and

chafing

of lines.

Tank hold-down

straps

for

security and

cracks. Hoses

for cracking/deterioration and

clamps tight.

• Engine Controls: Full

range of

travel

and spring

back

on

cock

pit control

when

stop is

reached.

Condition

of

control

ends

. Elimi

nate any

excess movement.

Carb

heat

for

proper operation and

condition

of

air filter.

•

Main

wheels: Closely inspect

Bendix

30-by-S

wheels

for cracks

or loose rivets . It will be necessary

to jack

aircraft,

deflate

tire, and

break bead . Move

the

tire bead

in

to

inspect

rivet heads around

rim. It's a

pain to do this

but

well

worth

the

effort

i f

loose rivets or

cracks are

found.

Also check inner

and outer

spinnings

for

dents

or

other damage.

•

Tail Wheel

, Steering/Lock

ing: Tire for

correct

inflation and

check

wear

pattern.

Steerable

as

sembly:

Check

for positive

move

ment with rudder, springs snug,

positive locking

in

trail posi

tion.

Locking assembly:

Check

for

positive lock/unlock, shock strut

condition.

• Hydraulic: Leaks,

correct

fluid

type used

for

servicing

,

return springs,

lubrication

of moving parts,

condition

of lining

and

drums

(check

for

out-of-round; if

they're

out-of-round,

the

brakes

may

grab ).

This

commences

our listing

of

the most

critical

inspection items

on

Travel Air

and Curtiss-Wright

Travel

Air

aircraft

.

The list

will

expand with time, and we

will

continue to publish the data

as

it

is received

and compiled. My

thanks go to

Phil

Wyels for

his

in

put into

this column. Any owner/

operators, mechanics, or

inspec

tors are encouraged to file your

list of critical

inspection

items

for Travel Air

airplanes.

You may

send

the

lists to

the

association,

and

the

lists will find their way

to

me.

Thanks

in

advance for all

your

help in

keeping

owners,

pi

lots,

and our

aircraft

safe. I f you

have a task

that

you feel is a criti

cal

inspection item

on

a

different

type of

aircraft,

and you

think it's

generic

to most other

vintage

air

planes,

send it

along.

Also

included

in this

article

is

an

example

of an old CAA airwor

thiness maintenance inspection

notes

dated

November

6, 1942. It

concerns Command-Aire

Model

C aircraft and is signed

by

the

ship's original

deSigner, Albert

A.

Vollmecke.

Note

that

Albert was

division chief of the CAA (later


31/44

aSH

1

The recommended speed for maximum aviation enjoyment.

2

Optimum dream lift off speed.

3

The designated speed for

stress retraction.

4

The speed at which Oshkosh comes each

year. See also: www airventure org

http:///reader/full/www.airventure.orghttp:///reader/full/www.airventure.org


32/44

BY DOUG

STEW RT

Soft-field

techniques

For

most pilots the arrival of spring

is

a joyous occasion. By the time the

temperatures start

to

moderate, the

burdens of winter operations have,

at

least for folks like me, who are

in their vint ge years, become very

old. Unless you reside

in

places like

Florida, Arizona, or Southern Cali

fornia, by

the

time spring beckons,

you are most likely tired of having

to bundle up to

the point

of immo

bility

to

be comfortable while you

preflight your airplane. You are prob

ably weary of having to preheat

not

only the engine but

also

the

cock

pit of your airplane. Perhaps you' re

ready to scream if you have to de-ice

your airplane

one

more time before

you can go flying.

With

the

advent

of spring,

you

no

longer notice the lack of warmth

that the

primitive heating system of

your pride

and

joy failed to deliver.

Now that you no longer have to wear

those felt-pac boots, your feet can fi-

nally renew their acquaintance with

the

rudder pedals that for the past

But now, as

the

temperatures

start

to

warm

up and

the frost goes out

of

the

ground, that runway can

turn

into a quagmire.

It

is quite possible that there might

potentially be a week or two when

the

runway

will

become unusable

,

spring

does

present a few

challenges

especially

if your

airport is located in

a

northern clime.

because it

is

so soft that even taxi

the

moment you begin to taxi until

you apply full takeoff power and be

gin your takeoff roll. When dealing

with those conditions it would be

best if you have completed your run

up and before-takeoff checks prior to

starting your taxi.

If

you are not sure of

the

proper

soft-field takeoff

configuration

for

your airplane, refer to

the

pilot's op

erating handbook (if

one

indeed ex

ists for your airplane) to find out. For

most airplanes with flaps it

is

typical

to have anywhere from 10 to

S

de

grees of flaps deployed,

which

will

aid you in getting airborne as quickly

as

possible.

Regardless of whether you are

fly-

ing a tricycle-gear or a tailwheel air

plane, you will need to maintain full

back-pressure on the stick

or

yoke

all the time you are taxiing. In the

case of

the

nosedragger, you are en

deavoring

to keep the nose

wheel

as light as possible,

thus

keeping

it from sucking

into the

muck

and

bringing you to a stop.


33/44

ping. Don't ever re lax pressure on the

stick

as

you smoothly apply

full

take

off power. Remember,

our

purpose

here is to get

into

the air as quickly

as

possible. No matter where

the

lit

tle wheel

is

, either front or back, we

have

to

keep the stick all the way

back as we start the takeoff roll.

In

the

case of

the

tricycle-geared

airplan

e, we want

to

get the nose

wheel out of the muck

and

mire as

quickly as possible. As we accelerate,

we

will need to slowly relax the back

pressure once

the

nose wheel starts

to lift, and then

maintain the

same

pitch attitude that

keeps the nose

wheel just off

the

ground, until we

lift off.

Once we lift off, we

now

have to

level off and accelerate while we are

still in ground effect. I f we don t re

lax pressure

on the

yoke, reducing

the angle of attack, the possibility is

high you will climb out of

ground

effect, stall,

and

find yourself back

in the mire. Once

Vx (if obstacles are

present) or

Vy

speed

is

achieved,

the

rest of the climb-out is the same as

for any other takeoff.

But as

the

old saying goes:

what

goes up must come down, and so

we

now have to deal with landing back

on

this sodden piece of terra not-so

firma. As l

ong as

we use the proper

techniques, there is no need for terror

of the un-firma. The important thing

to

remember here is

that

it is neces

sary to keep the approach speed slow,

no

faster than 1.3 times V

o and

to

touch down

as

lightly

as

possible.

It

might be necessary to

fly

a steep

approach if obstacles are present.

Even if

there

are no obstacles, it

is

easier

to

fly a slow, steep

approach

than it is

to

drag it in slowly on a

low approach.

Either

way,

just

be

sure

to

be lion target

on

speed.

Many pilots will add just a

touch

of

power

as

they

break

the

glide

and

dissipate

the energy. Keeping

the

nose high, they cut the power just

as

the

main

wheels

touch

down. This

allows

them

the soft touchdown

that

is needed. (In many ways this

is

very

similar to

the

glassy water landing

of a seaplane.)

But it

ain t

over 'til it's over,

as

Yogi Berra used to say, and the fat

lady

hasn t

even cleared

her throat

yet. Unless you want to be clearing

the

throat of your airplane, it is im

perative

that

you keep the stick all

the

way back, keeping the nose wheel

out

of the mud (or

the

airplane from

nosing over, if the little wheel is

in

the back) for as long as possible. It

might very well be possible

that

you

will need to add some power to keep

the

taxi roll going.

So

there are

the

techniques for a

soft-field takeoff and

landing

. But

then

I have to ask how many of

you are ever going to operate into

or

out

of an

airport that

is

really

that soft? How many of you are ea

ger to coat your beautiful bird with

a layer of slime and goo? In fact

i t

is

quite possible

that the

only time you

will use these techniques is during a

flight review, or practical test. Unfor

continued on page 9

Lead venger

Now Available

Tep* Fuel Additive for

100LL

Avgas

.

Tep ', th

e p

roven additiv

efor l

ead

s

cavenging. TCP

' has

been

approvedby the

FAA

since 1977 in scavenger

formul

ations f

or

Lyc

oming,

Co

ntine

nt

al , Fran k

i

n, Pratt W

hitney

and Wright

eng

in

es. E

f

e

ctiv

e

in

Ro tax

91

2 914 U

L.

(

*Tri·

C

resyl·

P

hosphate)

Predator Drone of USAF

-Prevents

Plug

Fouling1

-Used by U Air

Force

-US

Patent

Pending

Stewart Aircraft

Finishing

Svstems

STC d lor Certilied Aircralt

Aircraft Finishes o the Future Today


34/44

BY

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES

TO

US FROM A SUGGESTION

Y W S

SMITH.

Send your answer to

EAA

Vintage

Airplane

P.O.

Box

You

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

3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs

answer to [email protected] . Be sure to include your

to be in no later th n May 15 for inclusion in the July name plus your city and state in the body of your note

2009 issue of Vintage

Airplane.

and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line.

JANUARY'S MYSTERY

ANSWER

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


35/44

We didn t get a

single

correct

answer

for the January

Mystery

Plane.

A

few folks

wondered

i f

it was a Ryan Brougham, but it s

not.

I t is the 19Z8

Neilsen

Steel

Aircraft

Company s Golden

Bear,

X883E, which www Aerofiles

om

also refers

to as the NC-l,

or Coach. On

the Aerofiles site,

there 's a

photo

of

the NC-l

cred

ited to

William

T

Larkins. There's

also an intriguing entry attrib

uted

to Richard Korman:

"Destroyed

by

an

angry crowd

at

a

thrill

show

at

Oakland

Speedway

in

August 1939

after

its

performance failed to

meet

their

expectations

. A

second one, with

300-hp WrightJ-6,

was

reportedly

under construction

at

the

time,

but

its history is

unknown

. Fac

tory was at

Berkeley

's

then-new

airport by

San Francisco Bay."

Destroyed

by an angry

crowd?

Wow By

then

the

airplane,

a

smaller Ryan Brougham

look

alike, was

10

years

old.

I

wonder

what they

expected?

I f any of our

West Coast members can add to

this

story,

we d love to share it

with the rest of the membership.

Powered by the 130-hp Comet

D seven-cylinder radial, the 37

l iZ foot wingspan carried a useful

load of 800

pounds.

The

Comet

engine was built in a plant next

to the

Gisholt

Machine Company

in Madison , Wisconsin, after the

Comet Engine Corporation

was

GET THE SKILLS

TO GET

IT

BUILT

GET YOUR HOMEBUILDING PROJEa OFF THE GROUND

BY

SIGNING

UP

FOR

EAA'S SPORTAIR

WORKSHOPS

BEGINS DURATION

COURSE DESCRIPTION

LOCATION

April4-S

2

days

Composite Construdion

,

Eledri(al

Systems

Avionks,

Bask Sheet

Metal,

Test

Flying

Your

Projed What s

Involved in Kitbuilding

Detroit,

MI

May

2-3

2

days

Von s

RV

Assembly Oshkosh,

WI

May

IS-17

2.S days

ELS Repairman

Inspedion-Airplane

(16 houHourse)

Oshkosh, WI

May

16-

17

2

days

Von's

RV Assembly

Arlington,

W

June 13-14 2days

Von s RV s s e m b ~

Wa(o,

TX

http://www.aerofiles/http://www.aerofiles/


36/44

An Ethanol Test

Kit

Making certain your fuel isn't tainted with alcohol

Recently, here

in

the northwest

ern United States, I paid

$5.53

a

gallon for 100LL avgas for

my

air

plane.

Years ago I had obtained a

supplemental type certificate (STC)

for

using

auto fuel

in my airplane

engine. My engine is a

Continental

0-300A

and

was

designed

to

run

on 80/87 avgas,

which

is

no

longer

available. During 35 years of flying

in

the

Alaskan bush,

self-fueling

was a way of life for me because i f

you

don't

self-fuel,

you

won't

get

far from

your

local airstrip

Several

knowledgeable

sources

recommend using a mixture

of

widely available

100LL

and

auto

fuel for

these older

engines ow

ing to

the

problem of

spark

plug

fouling or lead

deposits from

the

high

lead

content

in

lOOLL. Earl

Lawrence,

EAA's

vice

president

of industry and

regulatory

affairs

and an

engineer

who has

been

in

volved

in EAA s fuel STC program

for

many

years, tells us

that

a

75

percent

autogas/25

percent

100LL

mix approximates

the

maximum

lead level allowed

in the

old 80/87

avgas

(when using

the

tetraethyl

lead

levels as

specified in ASTM

specification D9lO).

BY IRVEN

F

PALMER JR.

The present

administration's

en

ergy poliCies require

the

increased

production

of ethanol from

corn .

Even with EAA s

constant

push

to

keep

at

least

one

grade of

auto

fuel

ethanol-free, ethanol

will find its

way in

increasing

amounts into

our

auto gasoline

supply.

Since

the

regulations

can

also be locally

driven, across the

United States

the requirements for use vary from

optional to

must have in

all

grades. In

the distant

past, etha

nol

had

been mixed with

gasoline

during the winter months

to

help

improve air

quality.

With

the in

creased price of a barrel of oil, we

will see an increased use of ethanol

in

our

auto fuel supplies all year

long and, unfortunately, in some

states,

in

all

auto

fuels. Given

the

current trend in fuel

production,

the

price

of

both autogas

and

av

gas is probably only going to get

worse over the

long

run.

Chemically,

ethyl alcohol, the

main

ingredient in ethanol

, is

completely miscible with water;

that

means it

is

capable of

being

mixed

in

all

proportions with

wa

ter, and it does

this

almost imme

diately

when the two liquids are

brought together.

The other

prop

erty of

ethanol

that is of

most

con

cern to us

it

that

it degrades or

corrodes

airplane

fuel

lines,

fuel

injectors,

and

carburetors.

The

problem

for us aviators is

that

in its

normal state, you can

not visually detect if

any ethanol

is

in the

auto

fuel.

f

you

plan to

use

unleaded auto

fuel in

your

supple

mental type certificated airplane,

or are considering getting an STC

owing to

high

avgas fuel prices,

you

must check

the

fuel to be cer

tain

it does

not contain ethanol.

That

brings

us to the

little

eth

anol-in-fuel test kit . I

know many

of you have

seen

the label

on

the

fuel pump, but are

you willing

to

trust

your airplane and your per

sonal well

being to

a 10-cent label

on a

pump at

Joe's Mini-Mart? Test

your

auto fuel, and be sure it's not

modified

with

ethanol

The Test it

Here's what you do. Buy some ol

ives or pickles or some

other

prod

uct that

comes

in

a small, tall glass

bottle. Empty the

contents.

Rinse

out

the

jar

and dry

it. Take a per

manent ink

marker

or black

paint

lt

to

ClJ. o f tlta

9J9 oVa tlona / c1El C d { p . C a ~


37/44

lf you see labels such as these on

auto

fuel pumps, do

NOT

use

that

gasoline in your airplane.

and

carefully

mark

a

line

around

the bottle about

a

quarter

or

third

of the

way

up

from the bottom.

An ultra-fine-point Sharpie marker

works great for

this. You

are now

ready to tell if

any

of your

auto

fuel

has ethanol. First, of course, you'll

need

a

water

source, so get your

self

some of

the

ubiquitous sma

ll

water bottles that are available ev

erywhere,

and

buy

a small syringe .

Now go

to your

favorite auto fuel

station that does not have an eth

a

nol label (of course) and buy

your

auto fuel.

I

use self-venting

5

gallon

containers to

fuel my auto

fuel STC'd Cessna 170.

The Test

Carefully pour

water into

your

marked bottle until the

water

just

touches

the

marked line. Now us

ing a bulb syringe, or basting bulb,

transfer

enough

gasoline from your

S-gallon

auto

fuel

container into

your marked bottle. Put

on the

cap

and shake well. Then let

the

fluid

settle. I f there is no ethanol

in

the

gasoline,

the water in

your

little

The

only in-depth

DVD

Story

of

the

1939

National

Air

Races

available

• A90 min., in-depth , narrated story

•

Includes

45

min . of outstanding COLOR film

• Also , 300 archival

photos

Military

aerial maneuvers

• Thompson , Greve, and

Bendix

Races

Aerobatic acts,

it's all

here

0 .

Only 52 8 .95

+

5&R

~ o

l-888-NAR-8886

ww.NationaIAirRaces.net

gerou

s.

There are a few precautions

you should take i f you

intend

to

fuel your

own

airplane. A few safety

steps are

as

follows:

• First check with

your

local air

port

officials

to

see if self-fueling

is

allowed.

• Use a

vintage airplane - apr 2009

Documents