vintage airplane - jan 2011
TRANSCRIPT
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Happy New Year to each and every
member of the Vintage Aircraft Asso-
ciation. Here’s wishing you all a suc-
cessful and prosperous 2011.
What will 2011 bring to us? Time
will tell, but we can likely assume that
there will be a mixture of more at-
tempts to modify, restrict, or in some
cases, even deny us the opportunity
to further enjoy our rights to our avia-
tion-related passions.
One example of course is the FAA’s
continuing initiative to eliminate
through-the-fence (TTF) operations
at public-use airports. Where is the
common sense? Come on, the mice
running around in my hangar repre-sent a lot more risk to me than the
guy with a key to a gate he can taxi
his Cessna through. We have seen
some movement on the federal gov-
ernment’s part to continue the discus-
sions and even delay implementation
of its goals to lock out these users.
Even though these TTF arrangements
have existed for years, and to date
have yet to represent any real threat
to our security, these government of-
ficials do seem to be polite, but verymuch resolute.
Where would we be today with-
out those valued congressional mem-
bers of the aviation caucus, our vocal
EAA/VAA membership, and the EAA’s
advocacy initiatives? For certain, our
access to the general aviation (GA)
system would be much more lim-
ited today. So where is this all going?
What new initiatives will our govern-
ment propose in the next 12 months?
You have to wonder who in the worldis really driving this truck down the
left lane of GA’s highway! What will
we be talking about next January that
got pushed up the pipe during 2011?
What are the real goals of the FAA,
and the Transportation Security Ad-
ministration, regarding regulatory
issues for GA? The best we can do to-
day is to stay informed, continue to
be engaged, and reach out to local
legislators, especially when they get
it right. They need to know they are
supported in their efforts to defend
GA. Let’s all stay the course.
I recently reread a column that was
written and published in the January
issue of Vintage Airplane magazine right
after the events of 9/11. The guest col-umn was written by our own Tom Po-
berezny, and he eloquently wrote of
what the terrorists did to damage gen-
eral aviation on that fateful day. Not
to dismiss the tragic loss of the thou-
sands of American lives that occurred
on that day, but Tom did a wonderful
job of describing to the membership
what we needed to do next to counter-
act these horrific circumstances.
He said, “We need to protect, pro-
mote, preserve, and prepare. These arethe four fundamental pillars of main-
taining America’s free skies.”
I will personally never forget that
day or the nagging thoughts of “What
will become of our rights to pursue
our personal aviation interests?”Tom continued, “Protect our right
to fly, and turn these negatives into
positives by staying the course with our
existing ongoing initiatives, whether
it be through Young Eagles, advocacy
initiatives, or communications.”He also stated that we should “pro-
mote access to the dream of flight.”
This is an easy one, and can be mostly
accomplished by promoting mem-
bership in the EAA/VAA, and by sim-
ply writing that check to renew your
own membership.
To accomplish Tom’s third pillar,
“Preserve the heritage of flight,” just
visit the EAA AirVenture Museum to
see what your EAA organization rou-
tinely does to preserve our aviation
heritage. This is why we still operate
one of the few remaining B-17s, build a
Bleriot, or restore an old Waco biplane.
And finally, Tom promoted “pre-
paring for the future of flight.” Please
continue to reach out to our youth,and pave that path to a life of avia-
tion, whether it’s through the spon-
sorship of a young person to EAA’s Air
Academy at Oshkosh or your chapter
participating with a Boy Scout Troop
to accomplish their aviation merit
badge.
The interesting element here is that
Tom’s remarks of nine years ago re-
main very much relevant to the orga-
nization today. Because of the events
of 9/11, we need to continue to meetour challenges head on, challenges
that will not always come from the
FAA. We truly are an entity that makes
remarkable things happen. Let’s all
strive to help make a difference in this
ongoing debate.
Remember, it’s time to run your
checklist and buckle your seat belts,
because 2011 is shaping up to be yet
another exciting year for the Vintage
Aircraft Association.
GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
Setting a course for 2011
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IFC Straight & Level Setting a course for 2011 by Geoff Robison
2 News
4 The May Family’s Spectacular 1936 Sportster “Rearwin popularity is proof of Rearwin superiority” by Sparky Barnes Sargent
10 Type Club Listing
14 The Antiques in Winter
If airplanes could talk . . ., Part II by Roger Thiel
16 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part IV The war years by Robert G. Lock
22 Light Plane Heritage The Longren Biplane by Jack McRae
24 2010 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee Morton W. Lester
by Jack Cox and Morton Lester
28 The Vintage Mechanic Test flights by Robert G. Lock
32 The Vintage Instructor Was that a landing? Or was it a carnival ride? by Steve Krog, CFI
34 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy
37 Classified Ads
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
A I R P L A N E j a n u a r yC O N T E N T S
S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower
Director of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy
Production/Special Project Kathleen WitmanPhotography Jim Koepnick
Copy Editor Colleen WalshSenior Art Director Olivia P. Trabbold
EAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny
Publication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson
Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]
Fax: 920-426-4828
Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz
Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]
Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke
Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: [email protected]
Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012
Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia CanzianiTel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected]
C O V E R S
Vol. 39, No. 1 2011
FRONT COVER: The Reawin marque seems to be a popular subject for a few recently completed
projects in the Antique airplane community. This is the May family’s Rearwin Sportster, originally built
in the fall of 1936. Read more about it in Sparky Barnes Sargent’s article starting on page 4. Photo
by Bonnie Kratz.
BACK COVER: Continuing our salute to great aviation magazine covers of the past, Model Airplane
News has been a fixture within the modeling community for over 80 years, and is still going strong.
This great cover, from September of 1934, created by famed illustrator Jo (Josef) Kotula depicts the
Italian dual-engined seaplane racer, the Macchi-Castoldi 72 racer of 1933/34.
4
24
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Advance AirVentureAdmissions, Camping, FlightsNow Available Online
Advance purchase of AirVen-
ture 2011 admission and camping
is now available on the AirVenture
website, and this year you can pre-
purchase camping at AirVenture’s
Camp Scholler for all arrival dates.
With rates remaining the same
as last year, EAA members and non-
members can make prepurchasesvia a secure website, allowing ticket
holders to speed through the ad-
missions process. Both daily and
weekly admissions are available, as
is the ability to join EAA and im-
mediately receive the best possible
admission prices available only to
EAA members. Discounts are avail-
able to those who prepurchase Air-
Venture tickets online before June
15, 2011, including $2 on daily
adult admissions and $5 on weeklyadult admissions.
Camp Scholler opens on June
24, 2011, and those who make an
advance purchase for camping get
the convenience of express registra-
tion at the campground entrance,
including specially designated lines
on peak arrival dates.
Advance admission ticketing
is made possible through sup-
port from Jeppesen. To get your
advanced admission, visit www.
AirVenture.org/tickets.Also new for 2011, attendees can
pre-purchase flights on EAA’s 1929
Ford Tri-Motor, joining advance
purchase flights of EAA’s B-17 Alu-
minum Overcast .
Win a SkycatcherFrom Cessna and EAA!
Entering to win an airplane has
never been easier. We’ve made it
simple to enter the 2011 EAA Share
the Spirit Sweepstakes. You’ll find10 entry coupons bundled with this
issue of Sport Aviation. The coupons
are filled out and ready to mail in.
You can also enter online at www.
AirVenture.org/sweepstakes or during
AirVenture 2011—but why wait?
The grand prize is a Cessna 162
Skycatcher, along with fuel for a
year courtesy of Shell Aviation.
You’ll also have a chance to win
a 2011 Coleman camper—factory
new and loaded with features. Other
great prizes include a HotSeat FlightSim GTX Extreme PC Bundle, Bose
3·2·1 GSX Series III DVD home en-
tertainment system, Canon EOS
50D camera kit with lens, and Ham-
ilton Men’s Khaki Pilot watch.
EAA thanks all sweepstakes par-
ticipants for helping grow avia-
tion. Every donation to the EAA
Sweepstakes directly supports EAA
programs. These programs help
members share the spirit of aviation
among fellow enthusiasts and thenext generation of aviators.
VAA NEWS
2 JANUARY 2011
Naval Aircraft Get Extreme MakeoversHelp celebrate naval aviation centennial at Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture 2011 is a designated Tier 1 event for the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration this year, so get ready for
a host of special appearances and activities in Oshkosh next July. While many initiatives have yet to be announced, one
special treat is confirmed and well underway: repainting several current inventory airplanes in colors from previous eras.
“It’s all part of our outreach to help celebrate the centennial of naval aviation,” said Capt. Richard Dann, director of history
and outreach for the centennial. “We’re attempting to teach about the heritage, which many people may not be aware of.”
Examples include a pair of T-45 Goshawks painted in yellow-winged, pre-World War II tactical aircraft schemes; an S-3B
Viking done up in the colors of naval airplanes that fought in the Battle of Midway; an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter painted
like those of Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron THREE (HAL-3) Seawolf fire teams from the Vietnam era; and an F/A-18F
with a truly unique scheme modeled after the current Navy Working Uniform.
These aircraft “in every manner of heritage paint” will take part in designated Tier 1 events—including AirVenture
Oshkosh 2011, Dann said. Although he could not commit
to which airplanes would be participating at Oshkosh,
he indicated that several of the approximately 26 aircraft
will appear.
To see a photo gallery of some of the airplanes you could
see at Oshkosh this summer, visit EAA’s Facebook page.
You can also learn more about Centennial of Naval Avi-
ation events, including the Curtiss-Ely Pusher replica (at
right) built for the celebration, on page 20 of the January
issue of Sport Aviation.
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
VAA/EAA AirVenture Volunteers of the Year
Each year, near the end of the annual fly-in, the Vintage Aircraft Association honors two of its own as volun-
teers of the year. Each typifies the amazing talents and dedication exhibited by the hundreds of VAA volunteers
who contribute thousands of hours of their time so their fellow members can have an enjoyable week away from
home, immersed in the glories of recreational aviation. Here are this year’s honorees:
EAA AirVenture 2010 Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year—Bradford Payne
Bradford Payne is a longtime EAA volunteer who has been com-
ing to AirVenture since 1971. A professional pilot since 1994, and
a current United Air Lines pilot, Brad earned his pilot certificate in
1986. From the beginning it was his destiny to become the avia-
tion guru he is. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio, just three blocks from
the Wright brothers’ house, and his uncle was Orville’s paperboy!
For many years, Brad’s entire family attended EAA’s air show as
a family vacation. Each of them has volunteered at EAA at some
point. Brad and his brothers were particularly interested in the VAA,
where they could ride the scooters! Bradford has been a flight line
volunteer since 1984, and for volunteers who want to learn moreabout our aircraft, he teaches several aircraft identification classes
during the fly-in. With his experience as a member of the National
Intercollegiate Flying Association, where he competed in aircraft recognition, Bradford truly is an expert in
identifying and explaining the differences among the various aircraft, and he does an impressive job teaching
others how to learn to identify aircraft as well. Bradford also creates an information sheet each year for every
type club aircraft we will be parking in the Vintage area as well as special identification fliers to help every vol-
unteer become familiar with the aircraft in our division. Brad is one of the volunteers who can wear any hat
and work any of the positions on the flightline—and is willing to do so! He continues to add to the VAA mem-
bership. Before they married, he told Jennifer, his then future wife, “Oshkosh is a non-negotiable part of the
relationship.” Jennifer has also become a vital part of our division, and by this summer, they will have added
a total of two upcoming members to our organization, as they will welcome their second child! Brad loves air-
planes but enjoys the company of all the other volunteers in the VAA. He feels like he fits right in because it isthe one place his passion for aircraft is shared by so many others! He looks forward to attending every year. For
him, it’s Christmas in July!
Congratulations, Bradford Payne, on receiving the annual Art Morgan Flight Line Volunteer of the
Year award!
EAA AirVenture 2010 Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer of the Year—Tom Hildreth
If there ever was a volunteer who never says no to a request,
that would be Tom Hildreth. Tom has been volunteering at school
when he was a teacher, singing in his church, and “calling” square
dances, his special love.
Over several years, Tom has done everything from electricalwork (helper) to carpentry work (he recently helped put in new
flooring in the judges’ trailers) to helping install air conditioners
and many other tasks. During the most recent work parties, how-
ever, he has been proven to be the Michelangelo of VAA painters.
He has put a brush to almost every “metal color” building on the
landscape. We all wonder how he seems to get all of the paint on
the buildings and none on himself; it’s uncanny.
During AirVenture, at the Tall Pines Cafe, he is the head ca-
shier, VAA breakfast greeter, official head counter, and pancake
historian. He remembers hundreds of our guests and never fails to inquire about their families and flying buddies.
Tom also has been a frequent soloist during the religious services in the EAA Fergus Chapel during AirVenture.
If you ask Tom to do something, you had better get out of his way; before you know it, he’s already on the job.
Geoff Robison, Bradford Payne andGeorge Daubner.
Geoff Robison with Tom Hildreth.
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4 JANUARY 2011
T h e M a y F a m i l y ’s
S p e c t a c u l a r 1936 Sportster
BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Dressed ina custom black-
a nd -w hi t e s c a l -
loped paint scheme,
replete with gold trim and
chrome accents, the May family’s
Rearwin Sportster conjures a spec-
tacular image of dapper 1930s black-
tie formality, from its classy cowl
right down to its wheel spats. It’s an
aeronautical treasure that just keeps
improving with age, thanks to the ef-
forts of one Nebraskan family.
Rearwin SportsterIt’s estimated that Rearwin Air-planes, which was based at the
Fairfax Airport in Kansas City,
manufactured approximately 50 of
the Model 8500s, and today, only
seven are listed on the FAA Regis-
try. The Model 8500 was similar to
the earlier Model 7000, except it was
powered by an 85-hp LeBlond 5DF
engine and was endowed with a few
extra features. Marketed primarily as
a sportsman’s airplane, the tandemdesign measured 22 feet 3 inches
from spinner to tailskid and had a
wingspan of 35 feet. The Sportster’s
gross weight was 1,460 pounds, it
had a useful load of 830 pounds,
and with its roomy tandem cabin,
its baggage compartment carried at
least 50 pounds. A 12-gallon fuel
tank was in each wing, and with a
5 gph fuel burn, the Sportster could
cruise 103 mph at 1900 rpm, thus
offering a 480-mile range.A 1936 advertisement for the
Sportster Model
7000 proudly an-
nounced: “Rearwin
popularity is truly in-
ternational. Theshipment of two
Rearwin ‘Sport-
sters’ now on
the way to Air-
taxi Company,
Lt., Cape Town,
Union of South
Africa, proves inter-
national endorsement of Rear-
win engineering skill, Rearwin
craftsmanship and Rearwin high
quality. The Modernistic lines of this
marvelous plane represent streamlin-
ing at its best.”
In 1937, Rearwin Airplanes’ mar-
keting slogan declared: “Rearwin
popularity is proof of Rearwin superi-
ority.” As touted in era advertising, a
Rearwin pilot’s letter to the company
stated: “‘Everywhere the smart ap-
pearance, efficiency and economy of
the Sportster elicited most favorable
comment.’—Capt. Wm. W. Ford,Richmond, Ky.” The company also
highlighted the Sportster’s capabili-
ties by stating that it had the “…fast-
est take-off, quickest climb, highest
ceiling, [and] slowest landing in the
$2000-$3500 class…[and a] roomy,
luxurious cabin with unexcelled visi-
bility in all directions…. And it’s easy
to own a Rearwin for you need pay
only one-third down.”
N16473The May family’s Model 8500,N16473 (serial number 502), flew
away from its birthplace in Kan-
sas City in September 1936, its Le-
Blond radial purring happily with
a Flottorp birch propeller spinning
on its nose. Landing in Hastings,
Nebraska, under the care of Frank
Cushing, its lustrous red factory
finish, highlighted by a dark blue
stripe and gold pinstriping was ad-
mired by onlookers. The Sportsterchanged hands again in July 1937,
when Dr. Otto Kostal purchased
it. Kostal kept it in good stead un-
til April 1945, when he sold it to
Ed Swan in Kearney, Nebraska.
By then, the tailskid had been re-placed with a castering tail wheel.
Swan, who was a good friend of
Jerry May, enjoyed the airp lane
until he sold it to Harold Olson of
Minden, Nebraska, in 1952.
Jer ry, who had become we ll -
acquainted with the Sportster, re-
calls, “The aileron ribs were rotted
by that point and had to be replaced.
So they decided they’d switch over
to metal Piper Cub ribs, since that
would be easier to do than making
wood ribs—but the inspector said,
‘No, you can’t change the design
of the aircraft.’ They got disgusted,
and finally they pushed the airplane
outside and tied it down, where it
sat for almost three years. Anyway,
I asked him about the Rearwin one
day, because I had known this air-
craft almost all its whole life. We
got together on a price finally, and I
went ahead and bought it in June of1954—I’ve had it ever since.”
At first, Jerry figured he might
end up using the airplane for parts,
but he was instead admonished by
his knowledgeable father to restore
it. Together, they brought it back to
flying condition. The Rearwin was,
in retrospect, the first member of
Jerry’s own family, for he wouldn’t
meet and marry his lovely bride,
Vivian, until 1963. “I rebuilt it and
flew it for 20-some years,” says Jerry, a gentle-mannered man with
a pleasant, unassuming personality.
“Then we decided it needed to be
re-covered, because it had cotton ‘A’
on it,” he explains, “but this time,
all kinds of projects of everybody
else’s got in the way for all these
years. I didn’t get it done as soon as
I wanted to, but about three years
ago, I said, ‘It’s got to get finished
now!’ So we started in on it and put
in actually about a year and a halfof really serious work.”
“Rearwin popularity is proof of Rearwin superiority”
B O N N I E K R
A T Z
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6 JANUARY 2011
One Generation
After Another
The May family comes by avia-
tion honestly—it’s just in theirgenes. Jerry’s father, Walter, learned
to fly in 1926 and barnstormed with
Harold Warp [of Minden, Nebras-
ka’s “Pioneer Village” fame, and
the founder of Warp Brothers Plas-
tics—Editor] in matching Swallow
biplanes. Jerry’s eldest son, Mark,
shares additional highlights of his
grandfather’s aviation career: “My
grandfather was an A&E, and was
an excellent mechanic and welder,
and also a machinist. … He was agreat pilot, and was f riends with
Amelia Earhart and Charles Lind-
bergh. He was a [welding instruc-
tor] for Swallow Aircraft. He worked
with Walter Beech, Lloyd and Wa-verly Stearman, and all the won-
derful people at Swallow Aircraft.
He also worked for my great-uncle
Glen Morton, of Morton Aircraft, in
Omaha. Later, he started May’s Air-
craft Service Inc. with my father in
Minden, Nebraska. My grandfather
was instrumental in my father buy-
ing the Rearwin, and both of them
restored it the first time.”
When Jerry and Vivian had their
own sons, Jerry happily influencedthe youngsters by taking them
down to his shop at the airport at
an early age. Vivian lent a helping
hand when needed with the air-
plane projects and laughs good-na-
turedly when she explains, “I just
go along with them, and do a lot of
cooking and praying for them! And
keep them happy—they have strong
wills, all three of them.”
Aviating and working on air-
planes naturally evolved into a wayof life for the sons. Mike, the young-
est son, reflects, “Since I grew up
with it, I thought everybody had
airplanes—then I’d go to school,
and they were like, ‘What’s an air-
plane?’” Mike works with the family
business, May’s Aircraft Services, and
is working toward his inspection
authorization (IA) rating. His son,
Josh, also does aircraft maintenance
for the family business. Mark, who
has his IA, has his own corporatemaintenance facility, AOG Aircraft
Services in Watkins, Colorado—and
shares his love for aviation with his
young daughter, Amelia.
Teamwork
The family worked together as a
team to breathe new life into their
languishing Sportster. Fortunately,
they didn’t have to do any extensive
hunting for parts, since the airframe
and engine were complete. As for pa-perwork, Jerry says, “I have all of the
JAY TOLBERT
S P A R K Y
B A R N E S
S A R G E N T
Three generations of the May family (L-R): Mark and daughter, Amelia;
Mike; Vivian; Jerry; and Mike’s son, Josh.
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
airframe and engine logs all the way
back, even the service bulletins from
the factory. I had everything for the
project, which is very rare, and the
airplane has never been wrecked in
its whole life.”
Still, wood and fabric deteriorate
over time, and various parts needed
repair. New wood ribs for the wingsand ailerons were made by using a
rib fixture based on the original rib
patterns, and the original spars were
stripped and inspected for cracks and
dry rot. Surprisingly, they were found
to be in airworthy condition and
were reused, along with the original
brackets, fittings, and drag wires. The
wood turtledeck was repaired, and
all of the wood components received
three coats of spar varnish. New
aluminum leading-edge skins were
installed, new control cables were
fabricated, and new tinted Lexan was
used for the three-piece windshield
(later models had a formed, curved
one-piece windshield). Finally, Ceco-
nite fabric was installed and finished
with Air-Tech Coatings.
“The instruments are all original,”
says Jerry, “and it doesn’t have an al-
timeter, because it has a nonsensitive
Zenith height meter—there are veryfew of them around. The compass
was missing; somebody had put a
little Airpath compass in it, so Mike
found this bubble-faced one in Cali-
fornia, which is the original type for
the aircraft.”
During the Rearwin’s previous res-
toration, it was painted green. This
time, Jerry decided upon the black-
and-white paint scheme. “I thought
it would be more attractive that
way,” he says, adding with a gentle
laugh, “and not being much for the
red paint, I figured that would be the
thing to do! That is the original kind
of stripe that was on the aircraft, and
the lettering on the fin is also in the
exact location and what was on it
from the factory. I painted it with astencil, and had a friend do the gold
pinstripe around the stripe. Then I
decided to spruce it up a little more
by adding the scalloping, which I did
on every fourth rib, and of course on
the tail section.”
Custom Touches
In addition to those scallops, an-
other detail that really dresses up
the Sportster is the chrome—which,
Mark readily admits with a big smile,
“is my fault.” He just likes chrome—
and you’ll see it on the rudder pedals,
the custom kick plates on the new
wood floorboards just below the ped-
als, the control sticks, the door han-
dle and step—even the vented fuel
caps. There are custom-made chromecowling washers, as well, which bear
the Rearwin name.
Another shiny touch is the cus-
tom gold lettering on the varnished
wood baggage compartment door
and the wing root area surrounding
the fuel gauges. Over the front seat, a
skylight lights up the plush, soft gray
leather upholstery and highlights
the first-class interior..
J A Y
T O L B E R T
The lettering on the tail is in keep-ing with the original.
The large windows, skylight, and
original-type three-piece windshieldprovide excellent visibility.
The Sportster uses easily available
800x4 tires, thanks to a special
ring that sizes the original 3-inchwheel to a 4-inch wheel.
The simple and original instrument panel includes a Zenith height meter.
S P A R K Y
B A R N E S
S A R G E N T
P H O T O S
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8 JANUARY 2011
Jerry thought of a nifty way to add
corrosion protection to two specific ar-
eas of the airplane. “A friend of mine
applied a spray-on black coating—like
you put in the bed of a pickup truck—
behind the speed ring and also inside
the wheelpants. It keeps it lightweight
and stiffens that speed ring—it stays
round when you mount it and tightenthe bolts. It really makes a world of
difference, and I’d recommend that—
it’s the way to go!”
LeBlondThe Model 8500’s 85-hp LeBlond
5DF was manufactured by LeBlond
Aircraft Engine Corporation of Cin-
cinnati, Ohio. It was a five-cylinder,
air-cooled radial, and an Eclipse Type
Y-150 starter was optional, as was a
Jones Motorola fuel pump. For lu-
brication, it had a dry-sump, double-
gear-type pump with both scavenger
and pressure gears in a single unit.
It weighed 220 pounds and sold for
$1,250 at the factory.
Parts availability for such an en-
gine is a primary concern these days.
Years ago, there were a few parts still
available. “I had bought parts for a 70-
hp engine that I did for another air-
craft, and when I did that, I thought,‘They’re going to become sparse.’ So
I bought extra valve springs, bush-
ings, pins, pistons, and those types
of items,” Jerry explains, “so I had
my supply. Then when I overhauled
it this time, I had them available to
use—but now, there are no extras left!
One thing we did add this time was an
Airwolf filter, because we thought it
would be beneficial.”
Flying the SportsterTo the family’s delight, the Sport-ster returned to the Nebraska sky
again in September 2007. Describing
its flying characteristics, Jerry says,
“It has great visibility, and it’s a very
stable airplane. On takeoff, it’s pretty
docile—you just push the stick all
the way forward, and it picks the tail
up and doesn’t run very far. It will
fly off the ground, fully loaded, at 40
mph. If you really want to climb, it
will climb at about a 45-degree an-gle. During approach to landings, we
generally run about 40 to 45 mph
on final. It’s slow, and it lands at 35
mph. It’s very easy to fly, and we
make three-point landings because
we like that better anyway.”
Speaking of landings, the Model
8500 originally had Goodyear 18x8-3
tires and standard Rearwin oleo
shock absorbers. “Those balloon tiresare nonexistent now,” says Jerry, “but
Bob Lamb in California was making
rings to put over the wheels to con-
vert them to 4 inches—just like a Cub
wheel. He had the approval, and I in-
stalled the kit during the first rebuild.
So we just reused those rings and used
Cub 800x4 tires. It has multi-disc me-
chanical brakes—one disc is station-
ary, the next moves with the wheel,
and so on. When you push the heel
brakes with your feet, it pulls the arm
out and squeezes them together—it
has excellent brakes. Those pads are
nonexistent now, too, but these are
still in great shape, and I think they’lllast for many years. The aircraft was
built way ahead of its time, really;
there are a lot of things on it you see
years and years later—so Rearwin had
some really great ideas.”
Describing the landing gear, Mike
says, “There is a coil inside the shock
on the main landing gear—it’s a hy-
draulic spring shock. It has an orifice
hole, a metal plunger, and rebound
springs—and it’s the neatest, softest
gear! You can bounce it hard, and itfeels like you hardly touched.”
Warm MemoriesAsk any member of the May fam-
ily, and they’ll tell you that what
they like most about their treasured
Rearwin is that it’s a family airplane.
“Mike and I remember the fuselage
sitting in the garage on its landing
gear,” says Mark with a smile, “and
playing in it—so it’s always been partof our lives.” Josh, tickled by his un-
cle’s comment, chuckles and says, “It
was in that stage when we were little
kids, too!” To which the entire family
laughs heartily.
Reminiscing, Mark says, “Back in
the old days we used to all four go in
the airplane. Mike would sit on Mom’s
lap, and we’d trade in flight—I’d go to
the back and he’d go to the front. I
was 5 years old the last time that I flew
it—we had a Sears catalog underneath
me, and I was making landings. I’d
flare, and Dad would do the rudder
pedals. So I have a lot of good memo-
ries with the airplane. It was a big part
of my grandfather’s life, too.”
At age 73, this Sportster Model
8500 has only 575 hours’ total time,
and around 35 hours since its re-
cent restoration. Jerry has logged
100 hours on it during the years he’s
had it flying—and that number willno doubt increase as the May family
enjoys creating new memories with
their Rearwin. The well-deserved
accolades that N16473 received
contribute to those memories; it
garnered the Customized Aircraft
Champion - Bronze Lindy at Air-
Venture 2009, and the Grand Cham-
pion, Rearwin Family, and Texas
Chapter awards at Blakesburg 2008.
There’s one thing for certain—
when Jerry embraces a new memberof his family—whether human or
airplane—it’s for keeps. He’s owned
the Rearwin Sportster for 55 years
and his Luscombe 8A for 51 years.
“I do hang on to things,” he says
with a broad, contented smile, add-
ing, “My wife feels safe! We’ve been
married for 46 years.” To which Viv-
ian quickly laughs and responds,
“The older you get around him, the
safer you are!” With that said, the fu-
ture of the May family’s Rearwin iswell-secured.
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Remember, We’re Better Together!
www.auaonline.com
Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers:
Lower premiums with payment options Additional coverages Flexibility on the use of your aircraft Experienced agentsOn-line quote request available AUA is licensed in all states
The best is affordable. Give AUA a call – it’s FREE!
Fly with the pros… fly with AUA Inc.800-727-3823
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.
-
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Jan 2011
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10 JANUARY 2011
Aeronca Aviators ClubRobert SzegoP.O. Box 66Coxsackie, NY [email protected], www.aeronca.org Dues: $29 1-yr, $55 2-yrs;Int’l $37 1-yr, $69 2-yrsAeronca Aviator , Qtrly
Fearless Aeronca Aviators (f-AA)John Rodkey 280 Big Sur Dr.Goleta, CA [email protected]
http://aeronca.westmont.edu Dues: None
National Aeronca AssociationJim Thompson304 Adda StreetRoberts, IL [email protected] www.aeroncapilots.com
Auster ClubStuart Bain31 Swain CourtLake RonkonkomaNew York, NY [email protected], www.austerclub.org
Beech Aero Clubwww.beechaeroclub.org
T-34 Association, Inc.880 North County Road, 900-ETuscola, IL [email protected], www.t-34.com $50/yr Paper; $25 ElectronicMentor Monitor , Qtrly
Bellanca-Champion ClubRobert SzegoP.O. Box 100Coxsackie, NY [email protected] www.bellanca-championclub.com
$38 1-yr, $72 2-yrs;Int’l $43 1-y, $81 2-yrsPublication: B-C Contact!, Qtrly
Bird Airplane ClubJeannie HillP.O. Box 328Harvard, IL 60033-0328815-943-7205Postage donation
American Bonanza Society J. Whitney Hickman Exec. Dir.Mid-Continent AirportPO Box 12888Wichita, KS 67277316-945-1700
[email protected] www.bonanza.org $55/yr. US/CanadaABS Magazine , Monthly
National Bücker Jungmiester ClubCelesta Price300 Estelle Rice Dr.Moody, TX 76557254-853-9067
Bücker ClubNewsletter EditorGordon [email protected] EditorStephen [email protected] 614-937-4189www.bucker.info
Buhl LA-1 “Bull Pup” Owners GroupWilliam R. “Bill” Goebel894 Heritage Creek Dr.Rhome, TX [email protected]
International Bird Dog Association (L-19/O-1)Dan Kelly 343 Texas Heritage Dr.LaVernia, TX [email protected] www.IBDAweb.com
$30/yr US; $50 Int’lE-newsletter Monthly
Cessna 150/152 ClubLori ParsonsP.O. Box 1917Atascadero, CA [email protected] www.cessna150152.com $35/yr Internet; $45/yr Print U.S.Int’l see websitePublication: 6/yr
Cessna Flyer AssociationJennifer Dellenbusch
[email protected], www.cessnaflyer.org $40/yr
Cessna Owner OrganizationDan Weiler, Executive DirectorN7450 Aanstad RdIola, WI 549451-888-692-3776www.cessnaowner.org $49.95/yr; or $29.95 OnlineCessna magazine: Monthly
Cessna Pilots AssociationJohn Frank, Exec. Director3940 Mitchell Rd.Santa Maria, CA 93455805-934-0493www.cessna.org $55 US, Canada, Mexico;$70 Int’lCPA Magazine , Monthly E-ATIS Electronic Wkly
Cessna T-50 “The Flying Bobcats”Jon D. LarsonP.O. Box 566Auburn, WA [email protected] www.angelfire.com.mi2/bobcat Contact club for dues infoPublication: Qtrly
Eastern Cessna 190/195 AssociationCliff Crabs25575 Butternut Ridge RoadNorth Olmsted, OH 44070440-777-4025
[email protected] $15 initial, then as requiredPublication: 4/yr
This aircraft type club information is listed on our
website, www.vintageaircraft.org , throughout the
year. We list it here for your added convenience.
These groups can be a great resource for you.
A Type Club can save you money, keep you from
making mistakes others have already made, show
you how to restore, maintain and fly your airplane
— in short, provide the equivalent of many years of
hard won experience at a very low cost.
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
International Cessna 120/140 AssociationChristian Vehrs, PresidentP.O. Box 830092Richardson, TX [email protected] www.cessna120-140.org $25/yr US,Canada; $35/yr Int’lPublication: 6/yr
International Cessna 170 Assoc.22 Vista View Ln.Cody, WY [email protected] www.cessna170.org $45/yr170 News , Qtrly
International Cessna 180/185 ClubBob WarnerP.O. Box 306Van Alstyne, TX [email protected] www.skywagons.org $25/yrPublication: 6/yr
International Cessna 195 ClubCoyle Schwab632 N. Tyler Rd.St. Charles, IL [email protected] www.cessna195.org $25/yr
Web area for Members Only
Corben ClubRobert TaylorP.O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 magazines
Culver ClubBrent TaylorP.O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues
de Havilland Moth & Chipmunk ClubDavid M. Harris2024 75th StKenosha, WI [email protected] Paper Tiger , Electronic
Ercoupe Owners ClubCarolyn T. CardenP.O. Box 7117Ocean Isle Beach, NC [email protected] www.ercoupe.org
$25/yr Electronic$30/yr Paper US; $35 Paper Int’lCoupe Capers , Monthly
Fairchild ClubMike Kelly 92 N. Circle Dr.Coldwater, MI [email protected] www.fairchildclub.org $20/yrPublication: Qtrly
Fairchild Fan ClubRobert L. TaylorP. O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issues. Fairchild Fan
International Fleet ClubJim Catalano8 Westlin Ln.Cornwall, NY [email protected] http://web.mac.com/fleetclub ContributionsPublication: 3-4/yr
Funk Aircraft Owners Associationwww.funkflyers.org [email protected] $12/yrFunk Flyer , Monthly
Great Lakes ClubRobert L. TaylorP. O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issues
The American Yankee AssociationStewart Wilson
P.O. Box 1531Cameron Park, CA [email protected] www.aya.org $50/yr US & Int’l1st yr U.S. +$7.50; Int’l +$10American STAR , 6/yr
Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association244411 Airport RoadTillsonburg, ON N4G 3T9Canadawww.harvards.com
Hatz Biplane AssociationChuck BrownlowP.O. Box 85
Wild Rose, WI [email protected] www.hatzbiplane.com $20/yrPublication: Qtrly
Hatz ClubBarry TaylorP. O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issues, Hatz Herald
Heath Parasol ClubWilliam Schlapman
6431 Paulson RoadWinneconne, WI 54986920-582-4454
Howard Club &Howard Aircraft FoundationMichael Vaughan, President6991 N CR 1200 E.Charleston, IL [email protected] www.howardaircraft.org $30/yrPublication: Qtrly
The Arctic & Interstate LeagueSteve Dawson, 262-642-3649W626 Beech Dr.East Troy, WI [email protected] Wayne Forshey, [email protected] Newsletter Qtrly via email
Interstate ClubRobert L. TaylorP.O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issues, Interstate Intercom
Continental Luscombe AssociationMike Culver, President & Editor17514 NE 33rd Pl.Redmond, WI [email protected], www.luscombe-cla.org $25/yr US; $27.50 Canada; $30 Int’l USDThe Courant , 6/yr
Luscombe AssociationSteve Krog1002 Heather LaneHartford, WI [email protected] www.luscombeassoc.org $30 US/Canada; $35 Int’l USD
Luscombe Assoc. Newsletter : 6/yr
The Luscombe Endowment Inc.Doug Combs2487 S. Gilbert Rd Unit # 106Gilbert, AZ [email protected] www.luscombe.org Donations.Online and Print
Meyers Aircraft Owners AssociationDoug Eshelman1563 Timber Ridge Dr.Brentwood, TN [email protected], www.meyersaircraftowners.org
Postage fund donationNewsletter: 3-4/yr
Monocoupe ClubFrank & Carol Kerner1218 Kingstowne PlaceSt. Charles, MO [email protected] www.monocoupe.com Dues: 25/yr
Western Association of Mooney MitesMichael HarmsP.O. Box 391641Mountain View, CA 94039650-966-8292
[email protected] www.mooneymite.comDues: None
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12 JANUARY 2011
N3N Owners & Restorers AssociationH. Ronald Kempka2380 Country Road #217Cheyenne, WY [email protected] $15/yrNewsletter: 2/yr
American Navion Society Gary RankinPMB 335, 16420 SE McGillivray # 103Vancouver, WA 98683May - Oct: 360-833-9921Nov - April: [email protected], www.navionsociety.org $60/yr US; $64 Canada; $74 Int’l USDThe Navioneer , 6/yr
Navion Pilots AssociationJon HartmanP.O. Box 6656Ventura, CA 93006805-754-0044
[email protected], www.navionpilots.org $25/yr
Navion SkiesRaleigh MorrowP.O. Box 2678Lodi, CA 95241
209-482-7754Fax: [email protected], www.navionskies.com Email newsletter monthly
NavionX...for the Navion AficionadoChris Gardner1690 Aeronca LaneFleming Field AirportSouth St Paul, MN 55075651-306-1456www.navionx.org
Parrakeet Pilot ClubBarry TaylorBox 127Blakesburg, IA 52536641-938-2773
[email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issuesThe Parrakeet Pilot
Brodhead Pietenpol AssociationDoc MosherP.O. Box 3501Oshkosh, WI [email protected], www.pietenpols.org $16/yrPublication: Qtrly
Cub ClubSteve Krog1002 Heather LaneHartford, WI 53027262-966-7627
[email protected], www.cubclub.org $35 US/Canada; $40 Int’l USDCub Clues , 6/yr
International Comanche Society PO Box 1810Traverse City, MI [email protected], www.comancheflyer.com $69/yr US, Canada, MexicoMore options listed on websiteThe Comanche Flyer , Monthly
Piper Apache ClubJohn J. Lumley 6778 Skyline DriveDelray Beach, FL [email protected] www.piperapacheclub.com $36/yr
Piper Aviation Museum Foundation1 Piper Way Lock Haven, PA [email protected] www.pipermuseum.com $20/yrThe Cub Reporter , Qtrly
Piper Flyer AssociationJennifer Dellenbusch
[email protected] www.piperflyer.org
Piper Owner Society www.piperowner.org $49.95/yr U.S., add $20 Int’lPublication: Monthly
Shortwingpipers.orgSteve Pierce196 Hwy. 380 EastGraham, TX 76450940-549-6415www.shortwingpipers.org Donations: Min $25/yrOnline Discussion Forum
Short Wing Piper ClubEleanor MillsP.O. Box 10822Springfield, MO 65808
[email protected] www.shortwing.org Dues: $40/yr USA & Canada; $50/yr Int’lPublication: 6/yrShort Wing Piper News
Supercub.orgPO Box 150Waldron, MO 64092816-200-2827www.supercub.org Donations: Min. $25/yrOnline Discussion Forum
Porterfield Airplane ClubTom Porterfield3350 Co Rd U; Hangar A
Abernathy, TX [email protected] www.porterfieldplane.ning.com
Rearwin ClubRobert L. TaylorP. O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $18 for 3 issues
International Ryan ClubLynne Orloff P.O. Box 990Groveland, CA 95321
[email protected] www.ryanclub.org $15/yr online community
1-26 Association (Schweizer)A Division of the Soaring Society of AmericaSusan von Hellens, Sec./[email protected] $15/yr (website has add’l options)Publication: 6/yr
Stearman Restorers Association7000 Merrill Ave., Box 90Chino AirportChino, CA [email protected] $35/yr USThe Flying Wire , Qtrly
Stinson Historical &Restoration Society Robert TaylorP.O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] www.antiqueairfield.com $24 for 3 issuesPublication: SHARS
International Stinson ClubLogan Boles210 Blackfield Dr.Tiburon, CA [email protected] www.stinsonclub.org $30/yrPublication: Monthly
National Stinson ClubAll Pre-War Models, 10,105, & V-77Charlie Gay, President25 Runway RoadTunkhannock, PA [email protected] 570-836-3473 voice$20 US & Canada; $25 Int’lStinson Plane Talk , 4/yr
Sentinel Owner & Pilots Association(Stinson L-5)James H. Gray 1951 W. Coolbrook Ave.Phoenix, AZ [email protected], www.sentinelclub.org $22 Electronic$30 US/Canada Print$40 Int’l PrintNewsletter: 2/yr
West Coast Swift WingGerry or Carol Hampton3195 Bonanza DrCameron Park, CA 95682530-676-7755 voice & [email protected]
$15/yr paper; $5/yr emailPublication: Monthly
Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc.Forrest Barber, President13820 Union Ave. NEAlliance, OH [email protected] [email protected], www.taylorcraft.org $20/yr
Taylorcraft Owners ClubSteve Krog1002 Heather LaneHartford, WI [email protected]
www.taylorcraft.org $35/yr US,Canada; $40 Int’l USDTaylorcraft News : Qtrly
Travel Air ClubRobert L. TaylorP. O. Box 127Blakesburg, IA [email protected] $18 for 3 issuesTravel Air Talks
Travel Air Restorers AssociationJerry Impellezzeri4925 Wilma Way San Jose, CA [email protected], www.travelair.org $15/yr US; $20 Int’lTravel Air Log , Qtrly
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
American Waco Club, Inc.Phil Coulson28415 Springbrook Dr.Lawton, MI [email protected] www.americanwacoclub.com $35 US; $45 Int’lWaco World News , 6/yr
National Waco ClubAndy Heins50 La Belle St.Dayton, OH [email protected] www.nationalwacoclub.com $25/yr US; $30 Int’lWaco Pilot , 6/yr
Western Waco Associationwww.westernwaco.com $10/yr Electronic; $20 PrintPublication: Qtrly
Other Aviation Organizations
Aircraft Engine Historical Society 4608 Charles Dr. NWHuntsville, AL [email protected] www.enginehistory.org
American Aviation Historical Society 2333 Otis StreetSanta Ana, CA 92704714-549-4818;Wed.10-4www.aahs-online.org $39.50/yr USPublication: Qtrly
Beechcraft Heritage MuseumP.O. Box 550570 Old Shelbyville Hwy Tullahoma, TN [email protected]
www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org $50/yr; $60 Int’l USD
Cross & CockadeBob Sheldon, Secretary 14329 S. Calhoun Ave.Burnham, IL 60633708-862-1014$15/yrPublication: 6/yr
Deaf Pilots AssociationP.O. Box 364Jeffersonville, IN [email protected], www.deafpilots.org
Reno Air Racing Association14501 Mt. Anderson St.
Reno, NV 89506775-972-6663www.airrace.org
Florida Antique Biplane AssociationLarry Robinson10906 Denoeu RoadBoynton Beach, FL [email protected] $48/yrThe Flying Wire , Monthly
Florida Cub Flyers, Inc.Larry Robinson10906 Denoeu RoadBoynton Beach, FL [email protected]
$48/yrCub Tales , Monthly
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum 8419 State Route 54 Hammondsport, NY 14840 www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org
International Fellowship of Flying RotariansLynn Miller, Secretary-TreasurerP.O. Box 479Seabrook, TX [email protected], www.iffr.org $40/yr US
International Flying FarmersP.O. Box 309Mansfield, IL 61854217-489-9300www.flyingfarmers.org $70/yrPublication: 6/yr
Int’l Liaison Pilot& Aircraft Association (ILPA)Bill Stratton16518 LedgestoneSan Antonio, TX 78232210-490-4572 voice & faxwww.centercomp.com/ILPA/index.html $29/yr; $35 Int’lLiaison Spoken Here
Int’l Wheelchair AviatorsP.O. Box 279
Kemah, TX [email protected], www.wheelchairaviators.org $10/yr
Lake Amphibian Flyers ClubMarc Rodstein15695 Boeing CourtWellington, FL [email protected], www.lakeflyers.com $62, $72 Int’lLake Flyer newsletter
National Air Racing GroupBetty Sherman1932 Mahan AvenueRichland, WA 99354509-946-5690
[email protected] $15 for first member in household$3 for each additionalProfessional Airracing , 4-13/yr
National Association of Priest Pilots (NAPP)Rev. Mel Hemann127 Kaspend PlCedar Falls, IA [email protected], www.priestpilots.org $25/yr
The Ninety-Nines, Inc.,Women Pilots Organization4300 Amelia Earhart Rd.Oklahoma City, OK 73159800-994-1929
[email protected], www.ninety-nines.org $65/yrPublication: 4/yr
North American Trainer Association(T6, T28, NA64, NA50, P51, B25)Kathy & Stoney Stonich25801 NE Hinness Rd.Brush Prairie, WA [email protected], www.NorthAmericanTrainer.org $50 US/Canada; $60 Int’l USDNATA Skylines , Qtrly
OX5 Aviation PioneersR.R. “Duke” Iden, Treasurer3015 Homeworth Rd.Alliance, OH [email protected] Dues: $20/yrOX5 News , Monthly
Seaplane Pilots Association3859 Laird Blvd.Lakeland, FL [email protected], www.seaplanes.org $45/yr US; $55/yr Int’lWater Flying , 6/yr
Sentimental Journey to Cub HavenKim Garlick/Carmen BanfillP.O. Box J-3Lock Haven, PA 17745-0496570-893-4200
[email protected] www.sentimentaljourneyfly-in.com $12/yr Individual, $17 Family Publication: 2/yr
Silver Wings Fraternity Jerry Riesz3288 Cherryview Ct.North Bend, OH 45052513-941-8108www.silverwings.org $25/yrSlipstream , 6/yr
Society of Air Racing HistoriansHerman Schaub168 Marion LaneBerea, OH 44017440-234-2301
www.airrace.com $20/yr US; $23 Int’lGolden Pylons , 6/yr
Swift Museum FoundationCharlie NelsonP. O. Box 644Athens, TN 37371-0644Headquarters: 423-745-9547Charlie: [email protected] Secretary: [email protected] www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org www.SaginawWings.com $35/yrPublication: Monthly
United Flying OctogenariansBart Bratko, sec’y/treas.
19 Bay State RdNatick, MA [email protected] www.unitedflyingoctogenarians.org $20yrUFO newsletter, 4/yr
Vintage Sailplane Association31757 Honey Locust RoadJonesburg, MO 63351-3195www.vintagesailplane.org $30/yr; $40 Int’lBungee Cord , Qtrly
Waco Historical Society Waco Aircraft MuseumDon Willis, Exec. Dir.1865 South County Rd. 25A
Troy, OH 45373937-335-9226; noon-5 [email protected] www.wacoairmuseum.org $30/yrWACO Word , 4/yr
Women in Aviation, International3647 State Route 503 SouthWest Alexandria, OH 45381937-839-4647www.wai.org $39/yr; $29 studentsAviation for Women , 6/yr
WWI Aeroplanes, Inc.PO Box 730Red Hook, NY [email protected], www.ww1aeroinc.org Skyways and WWI Aero
, .
ok Dr.
.com co l .
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14 JANUARY 2011
This is the second installment
of a story, wherein a large commu-
nal lightplane hangar in the pres-
ent-day American Midwest during
winter, six antique airplanes come
to life and tell their tales of De-
pression-era survival to the newer
airplanes, who are worried about
recent national economic issues.
The Taylorcraft L-2’s Story
A gruff voice spoke up, as if an
older officer in well-deserved re-
tirement at a veteran’s center:
“Complain, complain, com-
plain! In a democracy, in what is a
peacetime home front, undergoing
what for most of the world would
be a routine economic adjustmentwhich they have weathered many
times before, I am dismayed with
what I hear.
“I’d rather not undergo this oc-
casional inactivity, but it’s not com-
parable to how I lived the first years
of my life—as an observer/liaison
airplane in World War II.
“Compare today’s stateside situ-
ation to being shot at—hard, fast,
early, and often! Compare it to not
having my pilot know whether he
and I would return from each of
our assigned observation missions
during the war.
“I was among the very lightest
and smallest of the warplanes, and
it was up to my pilot—and me—
to fly into combat in my fabric-
covered, unarmed frame, with extra
reserves of strength and spirit.“To kill my pilot and, not inci-
dentally, me was worth a great deal
to the enemy. In a scoring system,
they gave two points for downing
an escorted twin engine bomber,
one point for a fighter, but two
points for downing an Allied liai-
son aircraft. The rifles of ground
troops were all but useless against
a fighter or bomber, but not against
me, and I was often the only thing
for them to aim at. A German in-
fantryman who brought down an
Allied L-bird like me was rewarded
with a 15-day leave! My ‘eyes in the
sky’ were considered that valuable.
“And this happened when I was
brand new. It was the existence for
which I was made!
“Several bullets hit me, and all
but one of the strikes were quicklyidentified and repaired. The field
mechanic who fixed me in 1944 in
Part II
The Antiques in WinterIf airplanes could talk . . .
BY ROGER THIEL
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Italy, working on his third day with-
out sleep, saw that one hit to my
tubing was only a crease and that it
was okay. That crease has since been
regarded by 22 civilian mechanics as
a minor factory fluke. It is perfectly
safe, but only I know the truth of
that scary day when my frame de-
flected the bullet that would haveotherwise killed my pilot.
“For decades no one knew what I
had been through. It would be 30-
some years after the war that en-
thusiasts and restorers depicted the
L-bird experience and accorded us a
historic dignity.
“And so in those years right after
the war, I never complained about
hard student landings and of various
other neglects and pilot mistakes.
“But look at me now! In only
the past few years, because of my
weight, I have become eligible
for something called ‘light sport,’
which enables some pilots to fly
me all over again with a new en-
ergy. And this is yet another breath
of goodness to my life, a life that
could have ended so easily so many,
many times.
“Squeak if you must, but only
when you really, really need grease.These times, by the standards of most
of the world, are still quite grand.
“A salute to you all. And now,
I’m going to sleep.”
The Piper J-3 Cub’s Story
“My line of aircraft came from
poverty, from the low ebb of the
early 1930s and from a hard-hit ar-
ea—rural central Pennsylvania.
“Nothing from this situationsuggested success for our line, and
yet this is where we found it, when
a reluctant oil man essentially in-
herited my aircraft factory as a bad
debt. In an unlikely startup, he sim-
ply became determined that he was
going to ‘make the best’ of it all.
“The aerodynamics of the Piper
line were made as if in reaction to
poverty, with the most elemental
design possible: a slow, flat-bottom
wing that wrought every shred of
lift it could from its modest power-
plant. Lift, lift, lift—it turned any-
thing it could find into an asset,
clinging tenaciously to the winds
themselves as if to say, ‘Give me a
dime of forward , and I’ll give you
back a dollar of up.’
“Popular as I became, in the be-
ginning, times were tight. There were
days at the factory when a customer
came to pick up one of my ances-tors and it would have no engine in-
stalled. It was at the town’s railroad
depot waiting for a check. Some Piper
personnel would take the buyer to an
orchestrated lunch while others took
the payment check, presented it atthe railroad, claimed my engine, and
took it to the factory and installed
and flight-tested it—all without the
buyer even knowing!
“My Cub yellow paint was not
originally the beautiful pigment
you see now, but was colored with
a more drab, sulfur powder the fac-
tory could get for almost nothing
from the Pennsylvania hills.
“Elements of my design have
taken on a cute and emblematic
identity—my ‘clamshell’ doorsthat I am soloed from the rear
seat, and the cork-and-wire fuel
gauge from my simplistic gravity-
feed fuel tank. But all of this im-
age is incidental; these features
were each built into me for a gritty,
must-do purpose.
“My small engine was, in fact,
a bold new design, made at a time
when aircraft engines were large,
round, and expensive. It would
probably not have been a success
except for the harsh times. My en-
gine enhanced frontal view, mak-
ing my more modest cabin design
workable. All of these designs hap-
pened together, and they collected
a host of brilliant personnel—all of
whom somehow made their biggest
steps in the hardest of times.
“There are so many Ameri-
can manufacturers who started
in the early 1930s and who haveendured. From that pit, from that
low ebb, they—including my mak-
ers—found a grain of survival and
created what would become a long-
lasting success.
“By 1940, the year in which I was
made, Piper’s numbers had swelled
so large that it could advertise to
‘outsell all other light aircraft com-
bined.’ No other American factory
has been able to make that claim
before or since.“And with the decades, my name
went on to become an emblematic
name for what a lightplane is.
“I am evidence of the saying of
architect Frank Lloyd Wright that
‘humanity built most nobly in time
of scarcity, when so much more was
needed to build anything at all.’
And so, my makers, by the gritty
nature of what was thrust on them
and by ferocity of effort, proved
that the worst of times can be madeinto the best.”
“Give me a dime of forward , and I’ll
give you back a dollar of up .”
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Inducted in the Army Air
Forces (AAF) and assigned
to Air Transport Command—Ferry Command, the AAF
recognized Frank’s experi-
ence, even as a young man of 20
years. For large aircraft such as
bombers and transports, radial en-
gines ruled, and Frank had plenty
of experience maintaining and
operating them. A position as a
copilot/mechanic/flight engineer
was the right place for his talents.
And that is where he went; he
eventually became one of the fa-mous AAF “Flying Sergeants.”
Frank told us, “Ford was produc-
ing a B-24 every eight hours in those
days. If it was to become a ‘Hump’
airplane, it went to Memphis. If it
was a bomber, it went to another lo-
cation to be reassigned. We picked
up all of ours at Memphis.”
Frank talked about going to
Memphis, Tennessee, to pick up
new B-24s that had been con-
verted to tanker ships by instal-lation of special fuel tanks for
long-range flights and to carry
fuel from India into China. These
aircraft were designated C-109s—they were essentially Consolidated
B-24 ships constructed under con-
tract by Ford, but stripped of all
armament, bomb racks, etc. Some
of these ships had their plastic
nose and tail gun turrets faired
in with sheet metal to make a
smooth rounded nose and tail. InMemphis these aircraft were fit-
ted with welded aluminum fuel
tanks in the nose and in the bomb
bay areas. These tanks could carryan additional 2,900 U.S. gallons
of fuel, and the aircraft’s fuel sys-
tem could be plumbed into the
tanks to provide extra-long range
to ferry them from Miami, Flor-
ida, to India. These aircraft were
developed specifically to supply
the fuel needs of the B-29s oper-
ating out of China to bomb Ja-
pan. Frank indicated that the
Laird Company manufactured the
aluminum fuel tanks, while theGlenn L. Martin Company fitted
collapsible Mareng fuel cells in
the last of the modified aircraft.
Some of the C-109s were fer-
ried directly from Memphis to
the Azores, then on to North Af-
rica, and eventually Burma/India.
Other ships were ferried to Pan
Am Field in Miami or Dinner Key
in south Florida, then across the
Atlantic to the Azores and North
Africa, landing at Libya or Trip-oli. Frank indicated he made a
16 JANUARY 2011
My Friend
Frank RezichPart IV
The war yearsBY ROBERT G. LOCK
PHOTOS COURTESY OF REZICH FAMILY COLLECTIONFrank with his trademark unlit cigar in his mouth,
standing next to a Consolidated C-109.
“I got
sent through
basic school and
wound up in theAir Transport
Command—
Ferry Division.”
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
couple of flights across the Atlan-
tic Ocean. In a telling statement
Frank said, “I made a couple of
mistakes. I should have stayedwith Pan Am.”
In the first photo in this arti-
cle you can see Pan Am Field in
Miami, Florida, as it appeared in
1945. The terminal and hangar
complex and parking ramp are to
the left of the photograph. Dinner
Key was located nearby and was
designed for amphibian and sea-
plane operation only. All Pan Am
seaplane operations began and
ended at this base. It was fromthis Pan Am Field that Frank fer-
ried British aircraft to North Af-
rica prior to his induction into the
military in 1943.
Frank recalled his induction and
service in the military. “I got sent
through basic school and wound
up in the Air Transport Command
– Ferry Division. I took two C-46s
and a C-47 to India. Whether you
flew right seat or not depended
on whom you had for a CO [com-manding officer]. They used to
take the crew chief and make him
the copilot. On the B-24s you
would have a three- or four-man
crew. A lot of the time we wouldget some of those green copilots,
and the old man would say, ‘Frank
you go.’ I can remember delivering
four or five C-46s and some Vega
Venturas, but I don’t remember
ever going to the Boeing factory.
I remember going to the Douglas
factory and to the Curtiss factory
in Buffalo and also to St. Louis. I
remember going to the Douglas
facility at Daggett, on the Mojave
Desert, to pick up some A-20s in1945 to ferry over to Europe.”
The C-109s were used to ferry
fuel to B-29 bombers stationed
in China, which were to be used
to bomb Japan. There were many
frightful moments flying a fully
loaded C-109 across the Hima-
layan Mountains, the famous
“Hump.” Frank flew as a flight en-
gineer on a fuel-laden C-109. His
rank was sergeant.
Frank was eventually based inthe Assam Valley region in India.
U.S. bases were in Shamshan Agra
and Teagon, India. Missions carry-
ing fuel to China were across the
Himalayan Mountains in the areathat featured the highest moun-
tain in the world, Mount Everest;
after cresting the mountains, the
flight path took them into Kun-
ming, China. Occasional fuel
stops had to be made in Burma on
the return trip.
There are several stories that
emanated from his time in the
service, and a couple will be docu-
mented here.
“I have some pictures some-where where we lost the entire
nose case and propeller of the out-
board engine while in flight. I re-
call the same situation when I was
a flight engineer on C-54s near
the end of the war.”
Speaking about maintenance on
the C-109s, Frank recalled, “Engine
overhauls were done by a company
in Calcutta called Indian Aviation.
We were lucky to get 500 or 600
hours out of the engines. We usedto have to take off down the As-
Pan Am base in Miami, Florida.
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18 JANUARY 2011
sam Valley. One day we took of f
and about 100 feet the first engine
craps out—blows up.
It blows a piston and all the s—t
comes out. We get it feathered, but
not too far down the road,
the second engine on the
same wing fails. Both guys
[pilots] were standing on op-
posite rudder with both feet.
We went maybe 30–40 miles
down the valley and finally
got it turn ed around andlanded it. We dumped all the
fuel we could to make the
airplane lighter, but even so
the airplane was st ill very
heavy. I think I st ill have
some of the pieces at home
somewhere in a cigar box.
Everybody had failures—
that was our biggest risk, an
engine failure on takeoff.”
T h e r e w e r e h u m o r -
ous moments that Frankrecalled. “One day I was
climbing on board the
C-109, and there was a
young copilot who de-
manded I discard my ci-
gar. I told him it wasn’t
lit, but he insisted I throw
it away before the flight.”
Frank educated him im-
mediately. “Follow me,
sonny, and let me show
you something.” Franktook the young man be-
hind the flight engineer’s aft
bulkhead and pointed to a device
attached to the structure. “See
that? It’s an auxiliary hydraulic
pump. Now you stand there and
watch it carefully while I throw
the electrical switch.” When the
electrically driven motor started
there were sparks emitting from
the unit, which was located lessthan a foot from a fuel tank loaded
with 115/145 fuel. Frank came
back and said, “See that, sonny?
My unlit cigar won’t ignite that
fuel tank, but that thing sure as
hell will. Nothing more was said!”
Near the end of the war, as the
Allies continued to gain ground
moving toward Japan, the B-29s
based in China were moved to
Guam and Saipan in the Mari-
ana Islands. Long-range bombingwould dispatch from these new
bases, and the China bases were
eventually abandoned. When fly-
ing the Hump to China was no
longer required, Frank went back
to ferrying aircraft wherever they
were needed.
Frank was released from mili-
tary service after the war ended
in 1945. Frank remembered what
happened in December 1946: “I
came home. No job. Just a littlebit of discharge pay in my pocket.
t
s
[
Frank served as a crewmember on the C-109, the aerial gas truck used to supply bases in the China/
Burma/India (CBI) theater of operations. The airplane had to gain an altitude of at least 19,000 feet
to clear the mountainous terrain between India and China.
Perhaps taken when the end of the war was
in sight, a young Frank Rezich, who so honor-
ably served his country and became a mem-
ber of the “greatest generation.” No cigar,
but is that the neck of a bottle that obscureshis necktie? He sure looks happy!
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
Mike came home first. What the
heck, I find Mike is running a beer
business for the southwest side of
Chicago. Mike said come to work
for me, driving a beer truck de-
livering Blatz beer. I tried it for a
couple weeks, but things didn’twork out.”
So Frank went back to doing
what he did before the war. The
first airplane that Frank purchased
after his discharge was a Civilian
Pilot Training Program (CPTP)
Waco UPF-7 that had been ground
looped. It was disassembled andhauled on a trailer to the fam-
ily house for rebuild. The family
shop was in the house basement
and storage was in the converted
two-car garage. Frank completed
repairs to the fuselage by replac-
ing the right landing gear and the
damaged tubing structure aroundthe gear attach area. He found a
Frank’s first airplane he purchased in 1942: a CPTP Waco UPF-7.
Frank’s nicely restored Waco UPF-7, NC32087.
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20 JANUARY 2011
set of good lower wings, re-covered
and assembled the airplane, test
flying it and storing it at Willie
Howell’s Airfield south of the Chi-
cago Municipal because of the mu-
nicipal airport’s expanded size and
higher traffic density.Frank’s UPF-7 was only the sec-
ond airplane owned by other than
brother Mike. Up until this time,
Mike owned all the family air-
planes. Nick bought a Culver Ca-
det new from the factory in 1942,
before Frank bought his Waco.
The Culver was the only new air-
plane the family purchased. This
same Culver has been returned to
the family, as Nick’s son Jim now
owns it. (We’ll have more on it inPart 7.)
Thanks to the 50-foot gate
near the Rezich home on La-
Porte Street, Nick bought a sur-
plus Vultee BT-13 ship to use as
a “commuter” when he briefly
worked for Stinson Aircraft in De-
troit after the war. The airplane
was taxied to the family shop,
where it was converted to civil-
ian status and received a CAA li-
cense complete with registrationnumber NC9535H. Nick’s son Jim
remembered, “They tried a spe-
cial clear coat on the polished sur-
faces, but it didn’t work, so the
airplane ended up getting painted
a sand/tan topcoat color.” Frank
painted a red stripe on the fuse-
lage side and around the nose ofthe engine cowling. He would also
have to paint the civilian registra-
tion number on the rudder. The
airplane was later modified as a
skywriter, and Nick had a contract
to write “Muntz TV” over Chicago
one summer. He got some help
from one of his friends, but had
problems when he wrote the ‘Z’
in Muntz backward!” We’ve in-
cluded a shot from Frank’s col-
lection of the BT-13 behind theRezich home. Note the woo d
wings standing against the build-
ing, on the right side of photo.
Jim remembered , “The wooden
wings in the background are most
likely from Gordon Israel’s ‘Red-
head’ racer. One day Mike decided
to clean up and threw them in the
burn pile.”
Ready to proceed with his life,
it was time to move away from
home. Frank recalled, “I lookedaround the airport, but there
wasn’t much happening, so I
checked with United Air Lines.
Well, United said come work for
us as a junior flight engineer. But
that is a bus driver’s job, so you
can get laid off every six months.
I thought, ‘I can do better thanthat.’ So I stayed home and started
calling around and found a hangar
just west of Chicago, a little ways
on an airport that has a quarry on
it—Stinson Airport. Okay, I can go
over there and work as an A&E.
There were guys buying up these
surplus airplanes. Aha, we want
to convert them for civilian use.
So I opened the hangar—Rezich
Aircraft—and the first and biggest
jobs I had were Howard airplanes.So I worked that shop because it
was right up my alley. Then Nick
talked me into building a racer. I
started that in 1946.”
Next month, in Part 5, Frank de-
signs the Rezich brothers racer for
the Cleveland Air Races and is re-
quested to join the Ford Motor
Company as a technical representa-
tive on the Pratt & Whitney R-4360
radial engine, which was being built
by Ford under a licensing agreementwith Pratt & Whitney.
Mike Rezich bought this BT-13 for a commuter airplane to run back and forth from Stinson Aircraft outside of
Detroit and the south side of Chicago.
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22 JANUARY 2011
Light Plane Heritage
published in EAA Experimenter December 1990
Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se-
ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF
THE LONGREN BIPLANEBY JACK MCRAE
Albin K. Longren was a self-
taught pilot from Topeka, Kansas,
who started building and flying his
own airplanes in 1910. In 1919 he
formed the Longren Aircraft Cor-
poration of Topeka and in 1920 de-
signed and built the New Longren,
a side-by-side two-seat biplane that
featured a well-streamlined, semi-
monocoque fuselage of molded fi-
ber. The wing panels, which were
braced by a Warren truss system ofstruts, could be folded back against
the fuselage, giving an overall width
of 9 feet. The engine was originally
a three-cylinder, 60-hp Lawrance,
but later models used the six-cylin-
der Anzani engine.
The molded fiber fuselage was said
to have a strength-to-weight ratio
double that of plywood, and to be
highly resistant to splintering. The
combustion point of 650°F made it
relatively fireproof. Ash longeronsand frames were used for reinforce-
ment. The cockpit was entered
through a door that was designed to
retain the strength of the fuselage.
The wings used a modified U.S.A.
No. 2 airfoil. The spars were built
up “I” sections of spruce. The wing
ribs had a plywood web and ash cap
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strips. Ailerons were used on the up-
per wing only and were interchange-
able, with control by torque tube.
Swivel fittings allowed the wings to
be folded without affecting the con-
trols. When folded, the wings were
braced to the fuselage to allow tow-
ing to the airport by car.
The tail surfaces were of a thicksection for rigidity, with rudder and
elevators operated by torque tubes.
The elevator controls were entirely
enclosed in the fuselage, and the
rudder had only a short length of
control cable exposed.
The landing gear was of the cross
axle type supported by streamlined
V-struts on each side and used rub-
ber cord for shock absorbers.
The New Longren was intended
to be a business and pleasure air-
plane of moderate price ($2,465) for
the individual owner. The low cost
of maintenance and small storage
space required were big advantages.
The U.S. Navy was experiment-
ing with small airplanes in the early
1920s and purchased three of the
New Longrens “to test the servicing
performance of molded fiber con-
struction; a potential answer to faster
and cheaper construction.” After sev-eral years of testing, the Navy decided
to buy additional airplanes from Lon-
gren, but by that time the company
was no longer in existence. It had
been unable to compete with the low
prices of the World War I surplus air-
planes that were then available.
The New Longren reportedly flew
and handled well, and at a flying
meet in Kansas City in November
1921, it won the looping contest
with 38 loops. The takeoff distancewas 125 feet, and the landing run
was 75 feet. It was reported that a
total of six were built.
Longren remained in the airplane
business, however, and in the early
1930s built a very attractive two-
place, all-metal biplane in Kansas
City, using the Martin 120-hp engine.
He subsequently worked for the Spar-
tan Aircraft Company in Tulsa and
then moved to California, where he
manufactured hydraulically operatedmetal-forming machinery.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
Specifications of New Longren Biplane
Weight Empty 550 pounds
Useful Load 500 pounds
Gross Weight 1,050 pounds
Wing Area 189 square feet
Wing Loading 5.55 pounds/square foot
Power Loading 17.5 pounds/square foot
Maximum Speed 96 mph
Range 250 miles
Reference:
Aviation magazine, September 19, 1921
Aerial Age Weekly , September 26, 1921
Flight magazine, June 8, 1922
Aircraft Yearbook , 1923
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24 JANUARY 2011
B
orn into an aviation fam-
ily—his father was a pilot,
aircraft owner, and owner
of Martinsville’s first air-
port—Morton literallygrew up in and around airplanes and
was flying long before reaching the
legal age. (He soloed at age 10.) After
college and military service with the
Army Signal Corps (Korea), he em-
barked on what would become a suc-
cessful business career, which allowed
him to become the owner of a long
succession of aircraft, ranging from
modern types such as Bonanzas, Co-
manches, and Meyers 200s to vintage
Wacos, Travel Airs, Howards, Mono-coupes, and many, many more.
Of special significance were a num-
ber of prototypes and racing aircraft
that Morton searched out, restored,
and preserved for posterity by donat-
ing them to aviation museums. In-
cluded were the following:
The Crosby CR-4 that competed in
the Greve and Thompson Trophy air
races in the late 1930s. Morton dis-
covered the racer on a farm in North
Carolina just days before it was to behauled away to a dump. He had it re-
stored and donated it to the EAA Air-
Venture Museum at Oshkosh.
The Keith Rider Jackrabbit that
competed in Greve Trophy races in
the late 1930s. It ended up as a signon a California restaurant—until
Morton purchased it, had it restored,
and donated it to the EAA AirVenture
Museum in Oshkosh.
The prototype Ryan SCW was lan-
guishing somewhere in Mexico untilMorton was able to locate it, bring it
2010 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee
Morton W. LesterEAA 55178, VAA 14BY JACK COX AND MORTON LESTER
Lester Airport was a Piper dealer, and this pre-WWII photo shows their first
J-5 Cruiser. Morton and his father are standing by the ship with Morton’syounger brother perched on the engine.
-
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Will Rogers and Morton share a similar philosophy
when Rogers said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.”
Well, Morton never met a plane he didn’t like. Whis-
tlin’ Dixie was his Twin Beech. It began life as an Navy
SNB. When people would ask what that stood for,
Morton simply replied, “Secret Navy Bomber.” Today
this ship is in Tullahoma, Tennessee, after Mortondonated it to the Beechcraft Heritage Museum.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
The Monocoupe had such a rich heritage that it is in a
class by itself. This is Morton and his clipped-wing Mono-
coupe 110 Special. He says, “It was a fun airplane, and
each flight was a thrilling and exhilarating experience.”
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26 JANUARY 2011
back to the United States, restore it to
flying condition, and donate it to the
EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh.
Morton purchased a derelict air-
craft that at the time was believed
to be the prototype Johnson Rocket,
saving it from being junked. He sub-
sequently sold it to Leonard McGinty,
who had it restored. After Leonard’sdeath, the airplane was purchased by
the Swift Museum Foundation. Sub-
sequent research has revealed that
the airplane was initially the Swift
prototype and, later, after some mod-
ifications, was re-designated as the
Johnson Rocket prototype. It will be
displayed in the Swift Museum.
Several other vintage aircraft,
among them a Travel Air 6000 and
a Beech 18 military version, have
been placed on loan by Morton to
other aviation museums.
In addition to owning and restor-
ing vintage aircraft, Morton has been
active for decades in the activities of
various aviation organizations. He
was instrumental in the creation ofthe Virginia Aviation Museum in
Richmond. He served 10 years on
the Virginia Aviation Board, having
been appointed by three Virginia
governors. Morton served 35 years
as a board member of the Blue Ridge
Airport Authority, with 23 years as
chairman. He also served as a direc-
tor of the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In Lake-
land, Florida, for many years.
Morton was an early me