(Photo by Ted Koston)

THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE

By E. E . "Buck" Hilbert
President, Antique-Classic Division
ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION TO ENTER lAC AEROBATIC CONTEST AT FOND DU LAC
To better understand and relate to the lAC Division a Spin, Loop and Roll Contest will
be flown during the lAC contests this year at Fond du Lac. lntereste? Antique-Classic Division
members can participate, be judged and possibly carry home a trophy and/or achievement
award. Acceptance of pilot and his aircraft will be at the discretion of the lAC Technical
Committee and these details are being fina lized.
Pre-requisites are simple - besides courage, a currently packed chute, insurance, solo
and current membership in the Anti que-Classic Division. An achievement award goes to all
contestants and trophies to the top three.
This could be the fun or funniest educational session ever, depending on how its taken.
It's an excellent opportunity to meet and greet fellow EAA members of another Division, to
show and be shown. Approached with an open mind and patience we can learn something
and at the same time enjoy it.
More details will come later, but write now if you'd like to enter.
2
(PhotobyTed Koston)
VOLUME 2 - NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 1974
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Shades of 1928 . . .Dave Jameson ............................................................ 4
The Wallace Touroplane....................................................................... 11
Around the Antique/Classic World ...... . ... . ....... . ..... .. . . ... ..... . .. . .. .. . .. . .... . ... ..... 14
Peter Bryn - The Travel Air King ................ ..... .... . ...... .. . ........ . ...... . .. . .... . .19
ON THECOVER ..Taperwing Waco BACK COVER . ..John Glatz's Clipwing
Photo by Jack Cox Monocoupe.
WILLARD F. (,I"'HMt
PhotoJ bv Ted Koston
I4Q27 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. ..
HOW TO JOIN THE ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION
Membership in theEAA Antique-Classic Divisionis open toall EAA members who havea special
interest intheolderaircraftthatarea proudpartofouraviationheritage.MembershipintheAntique-
Classic Division is $10.00 peryear which entitlesone to 12 issues ofThe Vintage Airplane published
monthly atEAAHeadquarters. Each member will also receive a special Antique-Classic membership
cardplus one additionalcardfor one'sspouse or otherdesignated fami ly member.
Membership in EAA is $15.00peryear which includes 12 issues ofSPORT AVIATION. All mem-
bershipcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:EAA, Box 229,Hales Corners,Wisconsin 53130.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Publisher- Paul H. Poberezny Editor- JackCox
Assist ant Editor- Gene Chase Assistant Editor- Golda Cox
ANTI QUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT- VICE PRESIDENT
E. E HILBERT J. R. NIELANDER.JR.
8102 LEECH RD. POBOX2464
UNION. ILLINOIS 60180 FT. LAUDERDALE. FLA. 33303
SECRETARY TREASURER
RICHARD WAGNER GARW. WILLIAMS,JR.
BOX 181 9 S 135 AERO DR., RT. 1
LYONS.WIS. 53148 NAPERVILLE,ILL. 60540
DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
DOROTHY CHASE. EAA HEADQUARTERS
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE i s owned exclusively by Anlique ClaSSic Aircralt . Inc. and is published
monthl y at Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Permit pending at Hales Corners Post
Office, Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53130. Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft . Inc. are
$tO.OO per 12 month period 01 which $7.00 is for the subscription to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. All
Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc. members are required to be members of the parent organization, the
Experi mental AircraftAssoci ation. Membershi p is open toall whoare i nterested in aVI.ation,
Postmaster : Send Form 3579 toAntique Classic Aircraft,Inc. , Box229,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130
Copyright C 1974 Antique Classic Aircraft. Inc. All Rights Reserved
3
(Photo byGo/da Cox)
Dave Jameson taxis in for the 1968 EAA Fly-In atRockford, Illinois. The subjectof the article below,
this is, perhaps, the most historic of all Wacos. The Taperwing won the 1928 Transcontinental Air
Derby with famous racing pilot Johnny Livingston at the controls and was later flown by many of
the famous names of the 1920s and 1930s. Dave Jameson later sold the Waco to Fred Grothe of
Shakopee, Minn. who, in turn, laterdonated the plane to the EAA AirMuseum. It is presently being
refurbishedfordisplay.
SHADES OF 1928
.. . OR...
I'VE JUST FLOWN
A TAPERWING
By DavidJameson (EAA 15612)
4322 Bellhaven Lan'e
Oshkosh, Wis, 54901
1962, , ,
Well, man so you've just flown a Taperwing!
Me - I don't even know what you' re talking about, so
explain please.
Um-m-m, I can see you were born 20 years too late,
but, shucks, I really don' t mind going into details.
You see, my birthday was 42 years ago. I grew up
during the depression years, and I grew up looking up,
for I can't remember the day that airplanes and flying
haven' t been a part of my dreams.
Depression years .. ,
My allowance, when there was one, hit a high of 25c a
week, and I had no trouble spending it. None at all.
There were Aero Diges ts and Popular Aviation magazines,
and, in between, model kits.
Maybe, in September of 1928, you remember the great
Transcontinental Air Race, But then, maybe you don't, for
these were great years for aviation, and so many long dis-
tance, transocean flights made a more las ting impression
than did the races, so let me say a littl e about the 1928 dash.
4
These races were really a part of the Los Angeles
National Air Races. Sort of got them off to a flying start,
you might say, All entrants took off from New York, and
John Livingston, flying a J-5 powered Waco Taperwing,
managed to win the race with a total time of 22:56:59.
John's time was the fastest of all entrants and all classes,
and he brought home the bacon to the tune of $13,910.00.
Quite a bundle, even in these times, and almost a fortune '
then.
50, you see, these races were important, especially
to the aircraft manu facturers, for each wanted his product
to win, and to share in the glory and honors - and orders -
that were sure to follow. And so it was that the Waco
Aircraft Company, of Troy, Ohio, already one of the best
known and trusted aircraft builders in the business, de-
cided that this race was really worth winning, and the idea
for the Taperwing was born and brought into being.
It was sometime in the summer of 1961 that I learned
that the owner of "my" Taperwing wanted to sell the plane.
I
,
I
(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)
Dave Jameson, right , and his son Dave, Jr. shortly after the flight from Buffalo to Oshkosh described
in the text. The Taperwing has a Wright R-760-E engine under a Stinson Reliant cowling that was
purchased new from the factory. The aircraft was modified to its present configuration around 1946
or so - the cowling, rounded fuselage, tailwheel and "I" struts (built by Matty Laird) were added at
that time. Compare present photos with the aircraft in its original configuration.
Stored for years in Buffalo, New York, it just happened
that our family planned to visit there, and the owner
agreed to hold the plane, and my deposit, until we could
have a look for ourselves.
Completely disassembled, but apparently complete,
I learned that the ship had last been flown right after
World War II, and then put into storage. Complete with an
air show 'sunburst' design, and a larger than original
engine, it was, in spite of the accumulated dust and dirt,
an impressive looking airplane. Within minutes I had
bought the plane, and was given the name of a local firm
who would be willing, and capable, of rebuilding and re-
storing my gem.
Time passed. There were annoying problems. Some
wires needed replacing. Where, after so many years, did
one find the proper replacements? Also, we tried, but still
haven't found, a useable gas gauge for the fuselage-
mounted tank. So far a float gauge has been used, but
this is inadequate - especially for inverted flying!
During this period I received one of the biggest shocks
I ever hope to have. It came in the form of a letter from
Stan Fliss, the rebuilder. As I opened the letter, a news-
paper clipping fell to the floor. Picking it up, I spread it
open and saw a news picture of the still burning remains
of a hangar . No one had to tell me which hangar it was.
I just sat down and said, " Oh, No! "
It didn't seem possible that thi s could be happening,
so I opened the letter to get the horrible details. Stan's
very first words were, "Don't worry, Dave. The plane is
all right!" Fortunately, the wings were being worked on
at another location, and Sheldon Bl eyle, a 19 year old
employee, managed to get the fuselage rolled out of the
hangar by himself, although he later had to be treated
for smoke inhalation!
It soon became apparent that it would be impossible
to get the plane finished during the winter of '61-'62,
so I waited for spring and summer, hoping, and looking
forward to the day our postman would bring the letter
saying, " It's finished, come and get your Waco."
Sometime or other all aircraft and engine logs prior
to 1942 had been lost, and neither myself, nor the previous
owner, knew the early history of this aircraft. It was some-
time, on a cold winter night, that I made an important
discovery. Looking through the November, 1928 issue of
Aero Diges t, one of many such old aviation magazines I
have saved, or collected, I came upon a Waco advertise-
ment. It showed a friend, Johnny Livingston, one of the
best known racing and test pilots of thi s, or any other, era,
standing beside a Waco Taperwing. The ad went on to say
that John had just won the Transcontinental Air Race,
and all Sweepstakes prizes, with this plane. I looked at
the picture again. Clearly visible on the rudder was the
license number - X 7527. "Holy smokes", I said, as I sat
bolt upright, "could it be?"
Now the logs were still with the plane, in Buffalo,
but golly, I must have something! Then I remembered the
bill of sale. Opening the desk drawer I located the bill,
upsi de down. Quickly turning it over, I noted: Waco CTO,
Serial A 33, License No. NR 7527!
The Transcontinental Race Winner was mine!
Or was it? As I thought more about this, it occurred
that maybe, for some reason unknown to me, the original
plane may have been destroyed, and mine may just have
inherited the same registration number.
How could I find out for sure? Certainly - the FAA
records section. Within minutes a letter had been written
and, with exuberance to spare, I continued to write. First
a letter to Livingston, and then one to the Waco factory,
5
to see what their records might reveal.
The first to answer was Livingston. John told of Waco
having built four of these new Taperwings, all just for the
race, and he and X 7527 had managed to beat everyone's
time, including Bob Cantwell, who flew a Lockheed Vega.
Next came the reply from Waco. I was told that, to
the best of their knowledge, I apparently owned the race
winner. Then, by and by, came the best news of all. Mr.
Robert E. Forbes, Chief, Aircraft and Airman Records
Branch of the FAA, replied that since September 15,
1928, one - and only one - plane had ever carried our
registration number. Here was the very final word. I
really did own one of the best-known planes of the "Golden
Age of Flight", and soon I could tryout these wings my-
self.
Finally in mid-October, the word came! I took a com-
mercial flight to Chicago, and spent the night with my
friend, Bill Dodd. Now it just happens that Bill is a darn
good aerobatic pilot, and the Taperwing had made a rep-
utation for being one of the greatest aerial performers
of all time, so I had asked Bill if he would like to share this
adventure with me.
Being perfectly truthful, though, perhaps besides Bill's
good company, what I really wanted was a personal
friend on hand to see my 'test' flight. One who would
applaud if things went well; one who would help gather
up parts if they didn't.
In any case, Bill was as anxious to get started as I was,
so the next morning we grabbed a Viscount from O'Hare
and arrived in Buffalo around 11:00 a.m. Stan Fliss met us
at the terminal and soon we were on our way to see the
Waco for the first time since restoration.
Earlier Stan had told me that, since his own hangar
had burned, he had rented another building on an aban-
doned airport, and I shouldn't be surprised at the absence
of paved runways.
When we got to the field our first attentions were
drawn to the Taperwing, for it was certainly a beautiful
sight. Done over in linen, with International Orange color,
and white 'sunburst' design outlined in blue, it was almost
6
(Photo From T. C. Weaver Collection)
Johnny Livingston in 1928 with the
trophy he received for winning the
Transcontinental Derby that year.
Notice the special racing windshield
on N-7527. Before the race, there
was a lot of grumbling by other con-
testants that the four Taperwing
Wacos were "special speed jobs"
rather than production models. The
protests were over-ruled, however,
and Johnny went on to outrun every-
one - even a couple of Lockheed
Vegas!
the image of Al Williams' famous Gulfhawk designs.
Very soon, though, both Bill and I shared the same
thought - "Where's the airport?". This really wasn't a
happy thought, for, having flown for over 25 years, I had a
sinking sensation that we were on the airport. We just
couldn't recognize it because of distractions such as high
weeds, bushes, no runways, and trees in the middle of the
field which were taller than the airplane! To say that I
had a rather reluctant optimism, would be to understate
the case.
Seeking advice in preparation for this day, I had
written or visited all my friends who had flown Taper-
wings. The advice received ranged from "You're crazy,
hire someone", to Livingston's tongue-in-cheek remark,
"Don't try slow rolls on takeoff until you are high enough
for the wingtips to clear the ground." There were also
three offers from fellows who wanted to do the job for me,
for fun. Hah! If those three could see this patch right
now, I'll bet the ranks would thin down!
But - you can't love old airplanes and not want to share
the thrills and adventure that those early day pilots lived
on, so I had long since decided that this test flight was all
mine, and we began a careful, preflight inspection of the
airplane.
It was apparent that Fliss and his boys had done a good
job, so, with the inspection over, there was only one thing
to do. I got my helmet and goggles from our baggage. As
I was putting these on, one of the A & E's asked if I didn't
think the ship rated a white scarf, but none was available,
so I made myself at home in the open cockpit.
The weather was on the mild side and I was sitting
there in my Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes (white shirt and
tie yet) finding that it took just a bit longer to get ready,
in this early type convertible, than it did in newer, "in-
door" type airplanes. First we had to get the right number
of cushions under me, then adjust the seat .belt, then the
shoulder harness. By then I was perspiring, but this was
nothing compared to the temperature I felt after pumping
on the wobble pump for a minute or two! Finally, though,
everything seemed ready, and "Contact" was called. After
( Photo Cou rtesy of Joe Juptner)
Above. X-7525 as it ' appeared when owned by Johnny
Livingston. Although we refer to this model Waco Taper-
wing today as an ATO, the aviation press of 1928 called
the plane a " Sport Waco ", " Waco 10-7" or a " Whirl -
wind 10."
( Photo Courtesy of Joe Juptner)
Below. Johnny Livingston and X -7527 (as it was desig-
nated then). The wire-braced, cross-axle landing gear was
a temporary rig for the race - later replaced by a split/
oleo arrangement.
just one or two ' props', the 350-horse Wright leaped into
acti on, and I signaled for the chocks to be removed fr om
the wheels. Thi s done, I pl anned to taxi down a narrow,
ci nder roadway, which ran across the fi eld, and which was
to be my takeoff strip. I tried to become accustomed to
the strange rudder bar and "spur" type brake levers,
which ran hori zontall y back fr om the bar, and upon whi ch
I could res t my heels. Well , dad, I can tell you right off -
these brakes and myself didn' t become immediate fri ends,
but I found, in our taxi tests, that the pl ane had excellent
rudder control, so I prepared for the bi g moment. Having
made two short takeoff star ts, I lined up for the big one,
and said to NR 7527, " Ole boy, let' s both pretend that
I'm Johnny Livings ton, and we' ll turn thi s flight into
pure pl easure."
Well , I knew both of us needed a lot more convincing
than that, but the time had come, so I eased the throttl e
wi de open.
Now you have noticed, fr om the pictures, that when
the Taperwing is in a three-point positi on there is some
restri cti on to good, forward visibility. Like zero, zero, for
instance! Thi s being true, and since the runway (?) was
only 8 ft. wi de, it seemed a good course of acti on to get
the tail up immediately, if not sooner, and thi s was done.
At this point everything was goi ng just fine, when
POWIE, those 350 horses reall y took hold, and we were
airborne' Man, this was terrific. There just was n' t a soul
on earth I would have swapped places with, and, as we
passed over Bill and the other fellows, I had the bi ggest
ear-to-ear gri n I' ve ever worn.
One circle of the fi eld, and we continued to climb, as
we prepared for a few flight tes ts. Once the exhilarati on
of the takeoff had worn down from 100% to around
99 99/100%, I noti ced that the wings tended to ' fall off'
just a mite, due, undoubtedl y, to the fact that there was no
dihedral. Evi dentl y thi s condition was slight, for this was
the last time I noticed it. The assumpti on would have
been that one began automatically to compensate for it,
and it no longer was noticeabl e.
As we climbed, I fl ew towards my next airport, onl y a
few mil es away, where, by and by, we' d land for more
gas. Once in view, and with 3000 ft. of oxygen and hydro-
gen benea th us, we "S" turned for cl earance, and began
stall tests. Power back, strai ght ahead with increasing
back pressure. Up and up comes the Wright, to perhaps 30
degrees, but no stall ! A slow settling, and then back to
flying. Well , this was too gentle to believe, so we tried
again. Both forward, right and left, with and without
power, but never once a cl ean break.
Man, thi s was child' s play. Anyone could fl y thi s critter,
so off came the power, and we spiraled down for our first
landing. I hoped that Dodd, and all the others, had had
time to drive over to thi s fi eld, and could see the landing.
My next thought was more realistic, for it occurred that
maybe it would be best if no one saw it, and how ri ght
the thought was!
Here we had a nice paved runway, maybe 20 ft. wide,
and long, Dad, so around into our final approach we
turned.
Holy mackerel, the patch was los t under that long nose,
and I reali zed that things were speeding up on me, but
couldn' t see how another time around would improve any-
thing. I crossed controls for a real, old-time side slip,
and managed to kick it out just before contact was made.
Well , undoubtedl y "Contact" is the ri ght word, fo r
when we got lined up and came back on the sti ck for a
flar e out, there was n' t any! It's true, the nose came up,
but that pl ane settled straight through for the fastest
bounce I'd had in a long time, and then we sashayed up
the runway, fir st ri ght, then left , until we taxi ed to the
pump. I'm happy to say, none of "my" group was on hand
to witness thi s controll ed cras h. They arrived jus t as I shut
off the engine. It was hoped that, by being careful , I
could impl y that the landing had been uneventful , and in-
stead I talked of the terrific fl yi ng characteristi cs which
were evident in the plane.
7
(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)
Above. Johnny Livingston in 1968 at the EAA Fly-In at
Rockford, Illinois. That big smile was there becauseJohnny
had just flown NC-7S27 for the first time since 19281
He now lives in Florida and still flies regularly - in-
cluding the initial test hops of Pitts and other hot home-
builts.
(Photo by Oshkosh Daily Northwestern)
Below. DaveJameson, right , receives one of many trophies
he has won over the years for his tremendous collection
of antique aircraft. This one, being presented by Gene
Chase, is for Dave's Lockheed Vega " Winnie Mae."
From the movies which were made at this time, I
gather that most of the bystanders got a charge out of my
enthusiasm. I couldn't stop talking about the thrill of
flying the plane, and was reliving a good bit of it for any-
one who would listen, and doing it all with a good bit of
hand and arm waving to emphasize flight attitudes.
I wanted Bill to fly the plane now, but couldn't per-
suade him to do it. Just a few miles away was a good sod
field, and we decided this would be a fine spot for me to
shoot landings, so we got fitted up again and flew over.
On the way I gained plenty of altitude, and tried another
series of stalls, as well as a number of other glide'imd
power-on maneuvers, and again realized that here was
quite a machine. I'm sure the grin was permanently 'set'
by this time.
The only way a sharp stall could be gotten was to raise
the nose so darn high that it simply had to fall through in
order to regain flying speed. There seemed to be little
tendency for a wing to drop, under any circumstance,
and it was found that beautiful turns could be made by
using ei ther stick or rudder!
It was time now to try landings again, for the first
attempt was very much on my mind, and I wanted to try
to work this thing out. The first approach had been made
at 80 mph, so it was decided to move this up to 85 in
order to get some flareou t before touchdown. However, the
increased air speed didn' t seem to help this, or the fol-
lowing approach which was made at 90 mph. "
After three or four tries, I taxied up to where Bill had
been shooting movies, and asked him to try it out. Bill,
by then, had stood my big grin and the beautiful sight of
that Taperwing just about as long as he could, so, after
talking about the things I had found, Bill took over and
shot a few landings himself.
That night, in our motel room, we talked for hours about
the day's experiences, and decided that the only way to
stop that continuous, fast settling through on landings,
was to use power. Sometime, very late at night, we finally
stopped yakking and went to sleep.
8
Now originally this had been a 3-place airplane, but for
years previously it had been used for air show work,
with the front cockpit filled with a smoke system tank,
and a streamlined cover made to ' fill in' the opening.
This tank had now been removed, per my request, but it
meant that we would have to remove the cover, rig some
kind of windshield and install a seat belt, in order for us
both to fly back home in it. All this was done by the next
morning, and by 11:00 a. m. Bill and I were ready, despite
the passing of a cold front and quite low ceilings, to
start our trip home.
Overshoes, insulated underwear, extra shirts and
coats, mufflers, gloves, helmets and goggles. All well and
good, but how, now, does one climb into those cockpits?
It wasn't easy, but with help from many we finally made
it. Soon we were off the ground, headed around Buffalo
and the local control zone, and down the southern shore
line of Lake Erie. Navigation could hardly have been simp-
ler. Follpw Erie to its southern end, fly west to Lake
Michigan, north to Lake Winnebago.
But, as we left Buffalo the ceilings were quite low,
and we were only a few hundred feet over the New York
State Thruway when it occurred that we were probably
a menace to automobile traffic! We were using Bill's gos-
; i ~ r t sys tem for communication between us, and now
started laughing as we imagined the startled expressions
of drivers at seeing an old biplane taking the Thruway
to Pennsylvania!
I decided to lean more to the lake side of the rou te,
despite Bill's remark about not having floats on the plane:
Now the ceilings rapidly increased as we flew through
the front, and at 2000 feet we could easily see the Canadian
side of Lake Erie, perhaps fifty miles away. Of course
this big visibility was due to the cold air mass which we
had entered, and no one had to tell us that it was cold,
for it was getting harder and harder for us just to talk,
with our faces becoming stiff and cold.
Sometime before leaving Buffalo, Bill had kidded me
about how much warmer he would be than I, because he
(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)
A close-up of Johnny Livingston and a passenger sometime in 1928. Johnny was general manager of
Midwest Airways and was the largest Waco dealer in the world. He also handled Monocoupes and went
on to develop the fabulous Monocoupe 110 Special, the "Clipwing" as it is most commonly known.
Before he retired to become chief test pilot for Waco in the late 1930s, Johnny was one of the most
successful racing pilots of all times.
was nearer the engine, so I thought when Bill's head
disappeared under the cowling, that maybe he was taking
off an extra sweater! Every little while an arm, or elbow,
would become visible, then disappear again. Later I learn-
ed that he wasn't taking something off, but was instead
trying to get more on! I'll never understand how he man-
aged to get the extra clothes out of his baggage, remove
his outer jacket, put on the sweater and then replace the
jacket, but some 15 minutes later Bill's head reappeared
again, as we merrily approached Cleveland.
Cleveland. Should we detour far to the south, and
bypass the city, its airports and its T.V. towers, or con-
tinue on the north, or lake side, and greatly shorten our
trip and possibly eliminate more hazards than the lake
contributed.
We chose the lake, took some fine movies as we flew
past, and watched as a North Central Convair flew past
our nose.
When we left Buffalo, it had been our plan to stop for
gas, leg-stretching and personal thawing at Sandusky,
but as we flew along I suggested that we make our first
stop beyond the half-way mark to Chicago. This would
insure an adequate gas supply to carry us in on only 0ne
stop. Well, this was a noteworthy idea, it was just too b d ~
that it hadn't occurred before the flight started. Then we
could have adequately planned our stop and double
checked it with the Airman's Guide to insure gas and
food service when we landed. As it was, we goofed but
good. Two fields were chosen. As we flew over the first
it appeared to be abandoned, so we were forced further
off course to the next one. Upon arrival we could see
this field being used, so a landing was made.
Too bad.
The field was brand new, it was Sunday, and all the
operator's friends were paying him a visit, while we stewed
over the lack of service. It was necessary for us to run an
extension cord to the pumps to make them operative, and
then service our own plane.
While we were doing this, the operator was "gassing"
with his friends, and each time a car drove up he ran to
meet the car, dove to the front right side, and kissed the
driver's wife or girl friend. Then he showed everyone
around.
By now Bill was fit to be tied, and wanted to take off
again without putting any gas in at all. I really wanted
to hang around and watch just a bit longer, for I was sure,
from the expressions some of the drivers were giving
'kissing Dan', that sooner or later one would clobber our
friend, and we could operate the field ourselves, which,
except for kissing the girls, we seemed to be doing any-
way.
I had also been dreaming of a nice modern restroom, as
we hummed along, but was told that the plumbing hadn't
been connected yet. We were advised that, when we
taxied out and reached the far end of the strip, that we
would then be out of sight of ' most' of the peop1e, and
might care to tarry there for a while before take-off.
"Just great!" , Bill says, as he considers the least humane
way of doing this fellow in.
Finally William put in just twenty gallons of petrol,
we paid, and then propped the plane to save the operator
any further trouble, and proceeded to take off to the
nearest field in order to get enough gas to continue.
Naturally, this next nearest field was north, 90 degrees
of course, and we found, after landing, that it had no
service facilities whatever. Well, Bill started talking again,
but since the engine was still running I couldn't hear him,
so I probably missed out on some unusual language.
This time we selected a field south of our course - not
90 degrees though. Maybe only 65 or 70. Thankfully we
arrived and found all the 80 octane we needed, with candy
bars and pop for ourselves. As soon as the three of us were
filled, we headed west again. By now our ETA for Chicago
was murdered. We had not only lost time visiting all the
9
airfields, but we had been flying, since Buffalo, into the
teeth of a Southwester, and our ground speed had suf-
fered drastically. It was apparent that we'd have to land our
non-electrical Taperwing before sunset, so a close track
was kept. of our position, with one finger always on the
nearest aIrport.
As the setting sun sank slowly in the west, we were
southwest of South Bend, Indiana, and decided to divert
and land there for the night. After landing and getting
our bird hangared, we called a cab and asked to be taken
to a good motel - preferably one with steam heat, hot
air heat, electric heat and two fireplaces! After a long,
hot shower, and a toddy made from some mountain dew
which we happened to have found in the emergency kit
of my luggage, we left for a nearby restaurant.
Next morning we were back at the municipal about
9, all decked out in our Arctic garb and ready for the journ-
ey to Chicago. While Bill had the plane refueled, I called
weather and found that winds were 20 knots, on the nose,
to Chicagoland! From there to Oshkosh the weather wors-
ened, but I'd face that when I came to it.
Our captain on this leg of the journey was Mr. Bill
Dodd, with Jameson sitting uncomfortably in the mail
compartment.
The air was cold, and the strong headwind very tough.
At least I'll say the air was rough, for I was having a
grand old time yelling insults to Bill, via the gosport.
I was asking for a smoother ride, a hot cup of coffee,
and to please have the girl turn up the heat in the front
passenger compartment. Otherwise, I warned the captain,
I'd certainly consider taking the train my next time out!
Bill finally pulled his gosport tube loose, and flew to
Chicagoland airport without my caustic comments and ex-
pert advice.
Flying past a patch like O'Hare is always stimulating.
T d a ~ we nearly unscrewed our heads, swiveling first one
dlfection, then the other. I've never figured why we little
guys have to watch out so for those big guys, anyway. I
10
(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)
An interesting episode in the history
of N-7527, this shot taken in 1930
shows Paul Rizzo (center, in Sweater)
shaking hands with the famous Italian
racing pilot, Major Mario Di Bernardi.
Rizzo owned the Waco from 1930
through 1931 and had just loaned
Di Bernardi the aircraft for an aero-
batic performance. The hand shaking
is for the spectacular show put on by
the Italian. Major Di Bernardi won the
1926 Schneider Trophy and held the
world's absolute speed record from
1926 through 1928. Paul Rizzo paid
$2,200 for the Taperwing and was
allowed $2,000 for it on a trade-in on
a Sikorsky S-38 in 1931. Rizzo used
the plane for air show work and had
small fuel tanks mounted on the
landing gear for inverted flying -
an early inverted fuel system! During
this period the Waco had a black
fuselage with International Orange
trim, wings and horizontal tail. The
struts and other exposed metal sur-
faces were chrome plated. What a
beauty it must have been!
certainly wouldn't want to land with one of them draped
across our nose, and with the trouble they sometimes have
with little old birds, I know they would not want to tackle
something as big as ourselves!
Bill lives just a few miles from the airport, so after a
buzz Job (not once below 500 ft.) to alert the citizens,
he proceeded to make a beautiful landing, in what turned
ou t to be 30 knot winds!
Now, as an accommodation to me, for I would fly to
Oshkosh alone, the wind shifted to N.W. , and it was
plain that the whole weather picture was deteriorating.
After a quick bit of lunch, I called weather. Winds 30
to 35 knots, lowering ceilings, marginal. Well, I decided
that I'd give it the big try. There were no compunctions
about dOll1g a 180, if it became necessary, so away we
went, _the Taperwing and 1.
Bill and his dad took off right after us, in their P A-ll,
and followed for several miles while Bill took in-flight
?"ovies of the Waco. As we flew north the ceilings did
ll1deed become lower, though horizontal visibility, in the
cold front, remained unlimited.
I was getting darned cold, and wished the wind would
shift 180 degrees to get me home in a hurry, but this
didn't happen. Finally, after an hour and forty minutes,
and a ground speed that proved to be only 70 mph, we
got to Oshkosh and landed at Billy Brennands airport on the
south side of town. I was so cold and stiff it was hard to
get out of the plane, and later Bill had to dial my home for
me, in order that the family would know I was back.
This brought to an end one of the most memorable
flying experiences in my life. Perhaps you can imagine,
as you look at the pictures, the fun and thrill of flying
such an old and famous aircraft. It was impossible not to
reminisce, as we flew along, of all the places and persons
this proud old plane had known. There is still much that
is not know of its flying life and its former owners.
If you can add to this knowledge, I would certainly
appreciate hearing from you .
Golden Oldie of the Month ...
4027 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22
OHIO 44ISS
THE WALLACE TOUROPLANE
The picture above is photocopied from Vol. 2 of Joseph Juptner's U. S. CIVIL AIRCRAFT, Aero
Publishers, Inc., 329 Aviation Rd. , Fallbrook, Cal . 92028 - the " antiquer's bible. " The plane is
NC276K, Ser. No. 12 ... owned today by Jim Frost of Tulsa . See pictures elsewhere.
Folding wings, landing gear mounted by means of
universal joints, two throttles - one for each front seat,
linoleum floors (!) . .. these are just a few of the features
that set the Wallace Touroplane apart from its contempor-
aries in the aviation world of 1928. The June 18, 1928
issue of AVIATION brought the neat little 2-3 place high
wing monoplane to the attention of the aviating public:
MANY FAVORABLE comments nave-been made on the
Wallace Touroplane, now being put into production by the
Wallace Aircraft Co., Chicago, Ill. It is a light, two or three
place, folding wing monoplane with the occupants sitting
in a closed cabin under the wing. The two place model is
powered with an80h. p. Anzani engine and differs from the
three place model only in engine installation and seating
arrangement. The three place design is powered with a 120
h. p. Anzani engine with the mount such that a 125 h. p.
Ryan-Siemens, 130 h. p. Fairchild-Caminez, or 220 h. p.
Wright Whirlwind can be substituted. The two place plane
weighs 1500 lb. empty and has, it is stated, a high speed
of 97.1 mph over a measured course. The landing speed is
43.1 mph and climb 670 fpm. The three place model with
an Anzani engine weighs 2000 Ibs. loaded and has a top
speed of 120 mph with a landing speed of 48 mph.
Perhaps one of the most interesting features of the
Touroplane is the wing. It employs an S.T.Ae. 10c air-
foil tested in the Eiffel wind tunnel. According to figures
supplied by Stanley Wallace, designer of the plane, it has
a maximum absolute lift coefficient of 1.56 (Ky - .00399)
and a minimum absolute resistance coefficient of .0175
(Kx - .0000301). The maximum LID is 19.6. The airfoil
is of moderately thick section with a decided Philips
entry and slightly depressed trailing edge. Including the
ailerons, the wing area is 205 sq. ft. The span is ?>7 ft.
and chord 5 ft. 10 in. Structurally the wing is of conven-
tional design, constructed so that it may be easily folded.
The center section extends beyond each side of the fuse-
lage and its trailing edge hinges about the rear spar to pro-
vide a recess for the trailing edge of the outer panel of the
main wing. The outer panels are attached by vertical pins
at the spar points and at the fittings for the wing brace
struts. The pins in the forward spar and at the lower end of
the forward strut can be removed and the wings rotated
about the rear spar and rear wing brace strut points. To
support the front spar, when the wings are folded, the for-
ward bracing strut is attached, at its lower end, to a fitting
on the rear strut.
The wings are contructed of wood, using solid section
Posey spruce spars and built up Warren truss ribs. The
spars are not routed and are the same size, front and rear.
The ribs are made of 5116 in. square spruce caps trips with
1/16 in. mahogany gusset plates glued and tacked to the
ribs at the joints. These ribs were tested at New York
University and found to have a wide margin of safety over
the required load. The drag truss wires are 10-32 swaged
wire. They are double, one set of wires lying in the plane
of the top of the spars and the other set at the bottom.
Compression struts except at the point where the wing
panels are hinged to the center section, are formed by
gluing and nailing spruce strips to either side of a former
rib, in the plane of the top and bottom drag trusses.
The compression strut at the center section is an N made up
of three pieces of 3/4 in. by .035 in. steel tubing. It is made
integral with the fittings which attach to the front and rear
spars of the wing panels. The wings are covered with
Flightex fabric and tape and reinforcing tape is pl.aced
over the ribs.
11

Golden Oldie ofthe Month .
In thesidesofthecentersection, which projectbeyond
the fuselage, are the fuel tanks of 14 gal. each. Thus, the
main fuel load is carried outside the fuselage yet on the
center of gravity and all fuel lines are outside the cock-
pit. However, iflargerenginesareused,anadditionaltank
is carried in the front of the fuselage. The center section
spars are of greater depth than those of the outer wing
panels. Theyarelevelwith thetopsofthecapstripsofthe
ribs while those in the outer panels are centeredbetween
the top and bottom of the rib, as a spar the full depth
ofthe wing wouldbetoo heavy. The entire upper partof
the center section is covered with birch plywood, which
replaces the center section drag wires. The lower part of
the front spar is cut away to a depth of two inches over
the width of the fuselage to permit better vision. Swaged
ti e rods are run along each spar, through the center sec-
tion, connecting the wing hinges.
The external wing braces are of streamline Kawneer
steeltubing, weldedalongthetrailingedge. It iscadmium
plated for protection andappearance. Universal jointsare
used in making connections to the wings in the case of
bothstruts,andto thefuselageinthecaseoftherearstrut.
The fuselage is rectangularinsection with four longer-
ons and Pratt truss bracing and wires. The members are
all seamless steel tubing with none smaller than 5/8 in.
by .035 in. in the side truss or in the engine mount. The
smallestmembersin thetopandbottom trussesare1/2 in.
by .035 in. The tubes in the bottom truss, to which the
wing braces are attached, are reinforced with 7116 in. tie-
rods. The rear of the upper part of the fuselage, or turtle
deck, is built up of spruce cap strips. The engine mount,
on the front, is of welded steel tubing. .It is pinned to the
fuselage atfour pointswithnickelsteelboltsandis readily
detachable for thesubstitutionofanother engine.
Aside by side seating arrangement, with dualcontrol,
is used inboth planes. In thelargermodelthe thirdseatis
slightly to the rear and in the center of the cabin. There'
is a ten inch space between the two forward seats. The
seatsareheavilyupholsteredandquitecomfortable. Safety
beltsareprovidedandtherearemetalboxesfor tools under
the forward seats. By folding up the rear seat, a luggage
compartmentof12cu. ft. is afforded.Therearetwodoors,
oneoneachsideofthefuselage,allowingeasyentranceor
exit. Triplex safety glass windows are used, giving ample
vision in all directions. The floors are covered with lin-
oleumandthewallsareinsulatedtodeadennoiseandkeep
out extreme temperatures. There is a dome ceiling light
in addition to the concealedlight onthe Elgin unitinstru-
ment board. All standard instruments are provided, as
required by theDepartmentof Commerce. Onlyone stick
is used for the dual control, though there are two pairs
of rudder pedals. The stick has a short cross member at
the topso thatit isconvenientto both seats. Two throttles
are provided, oneoneachsideofthefuselage. Therudder
pedal control is quite original; the foot rests are mounted
offcenteronthepedalcolumn. Normallythefootisinline
with the pedal column, but when it is desired to use the
wheelbrakes, oneslidesone'sfoot towardstheoutsideand
thus twists thepedal, actuating thebrake through a series
of cables andbell cranks with an Ahrenscontrol mounted
on the landing wheel. The pedals actuate the rudder
through cables in the usual manner. Push rods and bell
cranks are used for the othercontrols except the stabilizer
adjustment, which employs an Ahrens control actuated
from between theseats ofthecockpit. All thecontrols are
hiddenbelow the flooring.
The control surfaces are constructed of welded steel
tubing, therudderandfin being interchangeable. The fin
and horizontal stabilizer are made in the same jig but
usedifferent fittings.
The landing gear is ofthe divided type employing an
oleo and spring type shock absorber. The members are
attached to thefuselage longerons, andmountedwithun-
iversal joints with lugs of cast manganese bronze. It is
claimedthatbyhaving thechassismountedwithuniversal
joints, the fuselage is relieved of twisting strains when
landing, andif thechassis shouldbeinjured or wiped off
inan accident, adjoining fuselage membersareless likely
to be distorted. All bolts are nickel steel. The front
chassis strut, whichcontains theshock absorber, is round
steeltubingcoveringwithaluminumfairing. Therearstrut
is a streamline tube welded along the trailing edge. The
axleis chromemolybdenumsteel tubing, heattreated to a
strength of 130,000 lb. Bendix wheels and brakes are
used.
Specifications of the Wallace C-2 Touroplane, as
suppliedbythe manufacturer, areas follows:
Length overall . ..... . .. . . ... . ... . .. 23 ft. 6 in.
Height overall ...... ................7 ft. 6 in.
Wing Span .. . ... ....... ... .. ....... . ...37 ft.
Chord. .. ... .. . .... . ....... . .. .. . .. 5 ft. 10 in.
Wing area including aileron......... 205 sq. ft.
Aileron area.... ... .. . .... .. .. ... ....31 sq. ft.
Stabilizer area .......................22 sq. ft.
Elevator area .... . . . .... ....... ......16 sq. ft.
Rudder area.......................... 8 sq. ft.
Fin area... . ... .... .... . .... . .... ... . . 6 sq. ft .
Weight emptywith80h.p.
Anzani engine .. .. ......... . .. . .....850 Ibs.
Useful load ........................... 650 Ibs.
Pilot..... . .. . .. . .... . ..... . . . ... ..... .160 Ibs.
Fuel..................................160 Ibs.
Oil ..... .. .. . ... . ... .. ... .... . .... ... ... 30 Ibs.
Actual pay load . ...... .... . . ... .. 2 passengers
Gross weight loaded .................1500 Ibs.
Rated horsepower .....................80 h .p.
Fuel capacity .......................... 28 gal.
Oil capacity ............................4 gal.
High speed ... . ....... .. .. . .. . .... 97.1 m.p.h .
Landing speed.. . . . .................40 m.p.h.
Climb at sea level ..................670 f.p.m.
Service ceiling.... .... ... ....... ..... 11,000 ft.
Cruising speed. ........... .. ..... . ..82 m.p.h.
Stalling speed . . . . ..... . ... . ... . ...43.1 m.p.h.
Time to 10,000 ft .. ..... .. ...... . .... ..35 min.
Range . . .... . . . . . . . ... .. . . ...... . .....500 mi.
Fuel consumption at
cruising speed ............. 5 1/4 gal. per hr.
Oilconsumption at
cruising speed . .. . ...... . ....40 gal. per hr.
Aftersomeexperimentationwiththeprototype,X4253,
mainly involving the installation of various engines in-
cluding a MacClatchie Panther and the already venerable
OX-5,Wallace finally settledontheKinnerK-5 as thestan-
dardTouroplane powerplant.
TheKinnerTouroplaneBreceivedATCNo.119inMarch
of 1929 and limited production began. During this same
period, however, negotiations were already well along
toward merging the Wallace company with E. E. Porter-
field's American Eagle Corporation of Kansas City. After
12
Golden Oldie Of The Month
the merger, production was moved to Kansas and the
Touroplane was produced as the "American Eagle 330."
Some re-design was done at American Eagle . . . that
resulted mainly in increasing the weight by an incredible
600 pounds over the prototype! Still powered by the 100
h.p. Kinner, one can easily imagine what happened to
the little airplane's performance!
(Photo by Gene Chase)
Right . The Touroplane with one wing
extended to flying position.
thousanddollar price cutthe following year. A companion
model, the E-430, was the same airframe as the D-430
fitted with a 165 h.p. Continental A-70 radial. A $400
cheaperprice than the Wrightpowered D, helped little or
noneat all, and in due time, all production of the Touro-
plane/American Eagle series was ended. Big, lumbering
monoplaneswereoutatAmerican Eagle ... the next pro-
ject was the ultra-light "Eaglet."The only Wallace Touro-
plane your editor knows to exist today is the one pic-
tured here in skeleton form. It is owned by Jim Frost
(EAA1053), 249E.33rd Place, Tulsa, Okla. 74105. Perhaps,
wewill see this extremely rarebird fly again someday.

Probably at least in partbecause of the poor flying -
andsales- performanceoftheModel330, AmericanEagle
made the decision to upgrade the design to a four place
powered by a five cylinder, 165 h.p. Wright J6-5. This
aircraft, the American Eagle D-430, was type certificated
on March18, 1930 and offered for sale ata price of7,395
post-Wall-Street-Crash-dollars. Fewweresold,evenaftera
( Photo by Gene Chase)
Left. Jim Frost's Wallace Touroplane,
NC-276K, Ser. No. 12. The folding
wing Stits Playboy in the background
also belongs to Mr. Frost. He utilizes
the folding wing to the hilt - both
aircraft are kept at his home.
WILLAR:J F. SCHMlrr
ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22
OHI.O 44t;3.tI
13
AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD
SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS PARTS AND
NEW YORK-PARIS FLIGHTSURVIVAL
EQUIPMENT DISCOVERED BY RYAN
HISTORIAN EV CASSAGNERES
By Ev Cassagneres
Cheshire, Connecticut06410
Ten years have gone by now since I initiated the pro-
ject on the history of the Ryan Aeronautical Company, the
aircraft they built and the people who flew them. Many
people have been contacted for historical information and
material, and all the effort put forth has proved most
fruitful on more than one occasion. My collection, all
Ryan, is now bulging at the seams, and is more than likely
the larges t on the subject in the world, including any-
thing now in the fil es of the Smithsonian's National Air
and Space Museum in Washington, D. C.
Thousands of hours have been spent in correspondence,
phone calls and personal contacts, and have been some of
the most enjoyable hours of my life, next to, of course,
those hours spent with my wife and two children. But I
must say, never have I been so elated as when in 1968 I
had the opportunity to meet Charles A. Lindbergh, who
has shown an interest in this project. But that is another
story in itself, to be told in some future issue.
However, next in line on being elated certainly has to
be when I discovered parts of the Spirit of St. Louis and
the survival equipment carried on that famous flight from
New York to Paris in 1927. Here's the story.
The NYP (New York-Paris flight and the plane) phase of
this project is a big one, and many untold facts and un-
printed photographs have been found. Many people who
were directly or indirectly associated with the success of
the flight have been contacted and have cooperated 100%
to make this a success, and I am very grateful to them for
thi s.
One such person, for whom I had searched for several
years, is Mr. Kenneth Lane. With the help of an airline
pilot friend of mine, Captain Walter Hill (owner of Ryan
ST, N-17349), I finally located Mr. Lane living in the Miami
area of Florida in the winter and up in the northern New
England s tate of New Hampshire in summer.
One day last July, I telephoned Mr. Lane at his summer
home and discussed my desire to come visit with him for
an interview concerning his part in the NYP flight. He was
most interested and extended an invitation to come there
to see him, which I did. While presenting question after
question and taking notes as fast as I could, Mr. Lane very
casually mentioned to his wife, "Say, don't we have some
parts to the Spirit of St. Louis up in the barn someplace?"
And with that, I exclaimed, "You have WHAT?" It wasn't
long before he was climbing the ladder up to the loft of
the barn. Before this he also mentioned that he thought
he had a "kit bag" containing the survival equipment
carried on the flight, and that he would look for that too.
Well, in a few moments he came down with a cardboard
box, about 14" square in size. When we opened it up,
there they were, actual parts of the Spirit of St. Louis.
We spread everything on the floor in his living room and
went over each piece individually to try to identify them.
14
(Photo byOshkosh Daily Northwestern)
Nottheoriginalsurvivalkitdescribedin EvCassagnere's
story, but rather Dave Jameson's display atOshkosh a
couple of years ago. The Spirit of St. Louis replica is
nowin the EAA AirMuseum.
Several parts we could not identify. This is the first time
Lane had looked at it all in over 30 years, so his memory
was really taxed. Mr. Lane is about 83 years old now.
Of course, one of the first questions I asked Mr. Lane
was how in the world he ever acquired it. The story was
most interesting.
Mr. Lane was with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation
in New Jersey when Lindbergh appeared at Roosevelt
Field to prepare for the flight. He was Chief Engineer in
charge of Aircraft Design, then. The company assigned him
and three others (Ed Mulligan, Ken Boedecker and Dick
Blythe) to assist wherever necessary on the aircraft and,
of course, on the engine. As a result, Lindbergh became
very close to these men, a friendship which has lasted
until the present time, and he put his complete trust in
them and their capabilities.
When Lindbergh returned to the United States aboard
the U.S. cruiser Memphis, and docked at Anacostia Naval
Air Station, Washington, D.C., he was immediately re-
quested to attend numerous dinners and other formal
and social functions. The Spirit needed to be assembled
for his forthcoming good will tour of the United States
and Central South America, and he just did not have time
to do this. He immediately called in Lane to completely
supervise the reassembly, and in so doing turned over
the box of parts and survival equipment to Lane to take
home for safekeeping until he returned. They certainly
were not needed on these upcoming flights. And there
they stayed, all these years, until discovered in the
summer of 1973.
Now, as I sat there in Lane's living room I thought to
myself, " I wonder what in the world he plans to do with
it a\l?" I asked him this question. He really had not given
it much thought, he said, and I immediately suggested
that it would be most unfortunate if it ever drifted into the
hands of someone in the family who did not know what
it was or thought it to be junk and would then have it dis-
posed of, or that it could somehow get into the hands of
some collector, who would immediately put some fantas-
tic price tag on it all, and then who knows where it would
end up.
I told him I felt it really belonged with the airplane at
the Smithsonian in Washington. And, of course, he agreed.
And then I said that for the opportunity to document,
photograph and write up a full report on it all, I would be
happy to hand carry it there for final storage and possible
display. He thought that a good idea and turned it all over
to me.
When I telephoned him in October of 1973 to ask about
the survival equipment, he said that he had found it. A
couple of days later my wife and I took a two day vacation
trip up through New Hampshire, stopped by to see Mr.
and Mrs. Lane and he turned this equipment over to me.
I now have it all here at my home in Cheshire, Connec-
ticut. I have since photographed it, but have still to identi-
fy every piece. My next move now is to telephone Lind-
bergh and set up an appointment for him to view the parts,
hoping he can finally identify them ... after all, who else
can now?
As soon as this is done, they will be hand carried,
by myself, to Washington, D.C. and turned over to the
National Air and Space Museum.
One more step has been made in the recording of avia-
tion hi story, and like the now popular saying, " tell it
like it is" CAN be recorded and told, like it really happened.
This will be told in the final story of Ryan in the American
A viation Historical Society Journal and later in book form.
AERONCAC-3ADDENDUM
Dear Buck:
Thanks for the copy of Vintage Ai rplane. I read the
article about your Aeronca C-3 and I know how you must
have felt on your first flight. I've been working on mine
since '64 and still have a long way to go. Although I'm
the third owner of mine, and it is complete in every respect,
it was beyond any doubt the most "balled up" C-3 that
was ever made. When I stripped it down, I found the
fuselage was 6" to the left on fuselage tram from behind
the cockpit to the tail post. After cutting every bay behind
the cabin, I then straightened the fuselage out and added
new tubing where needed. When I installed the engine, I
found one side of the engine mount was 3/4" shorter at
the lower mount (you guessed it, it was pointing the engine
to the left). Then to top it off, the top mount was pointing
the engine 3/8" up. I've just about finished getting the
mount straightened. I might add, Buck, I have the drawings
and dimensions for the C-3 motor mounts, if anyone ever
needs them. Actually, I have the complete original "Engine
and Airplane Hand Book." It covers all drawings, toler-
ances, parts numbers, "cost", (boy, what dreaming one can
do looking at those prices!), parts break down, top over-
hauls and majors on the E107A, E113, El13A-B-C engines.
Also, parts break-down on the Zenith carb, Stromberg
carb and Bosch magneto.
I had a copy made of the most important pages of the
original hand book and put them together in a loose leaf
notebook. I'll loan this out for copy only upon receipt of a
$20.00 deposit, which will be returned if the book is re-
turned in good condition. I hate to have any money in-
volved but it's only for assurance of return and in good
condition. I wouldn't want it used in a shop where it
would become soiled - just for copy. The original was
in good shape so copies could be made.
There are several other pieces of information I'd like
to pass along which I'm sure Aeronca people would be
interested in.
I'm able to repair some crankshafts that have been
cracked. It all depends on just how bad the crack is as to
whether a legal repair can be made. There is a machine
shop here that can repair broken and cracked crankshafts.
They have been very successful in rewelding broken truck
cranks. I just finished repairing a shaft last week. The weld-
ing and magnafluxing cost $22.50. Machine work cost
$12.00. I think this is darn cheap when it comes to saving
a shaft.
I'm also engineering repair on shafts that are broken.
This is for front drive only. No throws. I don't have any
cost on this as of now. It depends on which method the
FAA O.K.'s and getting one sent through a shop for cost
estimate. From drawings alone, several machine shops
have given me estimates from $200.00 to $275.00. This
would depend, too, on how many shafts I could get at one
time to repair.
I'm trying to find some place that would make com-
plete new shafts from the new metals we have for shafts
today. This is a simple crank and can be made. The biggest
problem is the quantity. The least quantity they will make
is ten and they would prefer twenty-five. So I would need
pledges from at least ten people before I can get any action.
Off hand the cost would be approximately $350.00 to
$475.00. This might seem like a lot of money but according
AROUND' THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD
15
AROUND THE ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC WORLD
Aeronca Potpourri - Photo from EAA files.
to the 1935 price, they cost $160.00 each. I don't know of
anything that hasn't raised at least four times over that
period.
I have an E-113 engine I would like to trade for a
E-113C. The reason is that my C-3 is a 1936 model and
used the E-113C engine. Somewhere along the way the
E-113 was installed which was used on the early C-3 colle-
gian finished in duo-tone green fuselage with orange
wings. Secondly, this had the open valves and it just
couldn't be used out here in Arizona with all the dust and
dirt. This was probably the hotest of all the Aeronca
engines. The heads were of a hemispherical design with
a .100 inch larger valve diameter and around .090 to .100
higher valve lift. The last time I ran the engine, it turned
up 2450 rpm static.
The engine has not been run for 12 years and would
need a complete major. As far as I know now, the shaft
is O.K. This is the way I would have to trade ... for
an engine that also needed complete major. There might
be someone who has an E-113C that has an early C-3 they
would want to keep original as possible. I know that this
is a slim chance, but hope you will pass the word around.
The E-113 was the type engine tha t was used in the C-1 that
was built for racing and aerobatics.
I have the front part of a 1936 C-3 fuselage . It is a
complete framework from engine mount to splice joint
..
behind the cockpit. I would like to trade for an E-113 A-B-
or C engine. It would all depend upon the condition of
the engine as to what r would add to it. I have an extra
set of landing gears, shock struts, wheels and brakes but
no 3x7x16 tires. Have instrument panel (no instruments
except original tach), floor boards, seat, can make doors,
repairable elevator and stabilizer, can make upper cowl,
fire wall and one extra set of 3" Goodyear wheels and bear-
16
ings. The front fuselage section has about 30% new tubing
with the rest of the tubing in good shape. All new tubing
on the center backbone. All wing fittings are new and will
be sandblasted and Glid-Plate primed. Wish you would
pass this information along. I'm not interested in selling
outright. Would much rather trade for E-113 A-B- or C
engine - believe I can get paperwork as I have the tag
from the instrument panel with the serial number and
model.
I have a place in California that will duplicate pistons
in any size for the Aeronca engines. These are top grade
forged pistons made for high heat and stress. They cost
about $50.00 a copy which is about the cost of most alc
pistons. You must have an old piston for weight and design
along with exact cylinder diameter.
I may have an extra wing for sale in the fu ture -
have to repair 2 wings for repairable wing and 1/2 wing.
No ailerons. Speaking of ailerons, if someone can come up
with some .012 2024 5.0. aluminum, I might be able to
build ailerons. r have dies made to form skin but no .012
aluminum. Anyone know where I can get this? I can
build wings, but these would be expensive. Anyone inter-
ested, would work on an estimate. No curiosity seekers,
please.
r need one 3x7x16 air wheel tire if anyone has one
they are not going to use. Will buy or trade.
r can make a complete 'set of bulkheads - birch or
mahogany.
r have possible useable 3x8x18 tires and tubes (2 each)
for sale or trade. Will sell or trade only upon approval;
they are weather-checked, but no breaks. Also,
wheels and brakes if needed (Goodyear multi-disc).
r have the Historical Aviation Album on Aeroncas, so if
information is needed I might be able to supply.
I know where a K fuselage and landing gear are loca-
ted. Fuselage, doubtful use behind the cockpit but could
be used for a pattern. Might be bought for $75.00 -
$85.00 (?).
I read in your "President's Page" where stick and rag
men were getting hard to find. I've spent over 40 years
with s.tick andrag. I wishIcouldfind someonewhocould
dogoodphotoworkanda writeuponcoveringandwood-
work. Ifeel Ihavea world of know-how, butdon'tknow
how to pass it on. I've had 3 Grand Champion planes in
that many years, plus a number of best in class. My last
complete cover job won the best dope finish for a Pitts at
the Oshkosh Fly-In this year. You might know the ownel
- WaltTubb.
I see so many new processes on the market. True,
they save time but that's about all. I've got dope jobs
that were done in 1943 that were still good in 1967. Even
in Arizona I can get 10 years, if I can do them my way.
I have a method of tying the knots on the inside of the
wing which really helps in looks and speed without a
strengthloss.
I have a tool I call a "scraper" which is made from
an old file. It is very useful in removing fuzz and knots
from Grade Aand Irish linen- also to smooth out brush
marks when build up is about complete. It also works
well in feathering out patches and pinked rib tapes. The
nice thing about scrapers is the speed. It will cut sanding
down to 1/4 once you learn to use them. You take a small
8" or 10" file to a machine shop and have one side sur-
face ground. Break the file in 2 pieces and shape on a
bench grinder. The only bad thing is, you must have a
bench grinder. Actually, with themoneysavedfrom sand-
paper, you can afford to buy one. Ican scrapeabout .025
of dope off a square foot of surface in about 3 minutes.
Try that with even wet sandpaper. Another nice thing
about them is they ride on top of fabric and do not cut
and scratch like sandpaper. Everyone who learns how to
use these scrapers- and it's easy- won't use anything
else. They are notthefinal answer, however- some fine
sandpaper should be used in the end. I've used these
scrapers on a nitratelbutyrate combination and never
usedonepieceofsandpaper.Theyalso workwellin clean-
ing varnished wood for glue preparation. They should be
keptsharp for bestresults- takes about 20 to 30 seconds
to sharpen, once you learn how.
I hope I've been able to pass on some information to
you and to all who own Aeroncas. I will be glad to pass
on anything I know to anybody about airplanes. I don't
have any secrets. My knowledge is open to anyone and
everyone. Ibelieve theonlywaywecankeep antiqueand
experimentalaviationprogressingistoshareandhelpeach
other. I'm not a man of monetary wealth, but I believe
I have wealth ofaviation knowledge which makes up for
money. I wantyou to feel free, or anyoneelse, to pick my
brain wheneveryou need.
I'm almost always home at night, so if anyone wants
to call, the number is 602/944-5882. I rarely get to bed
before two o'clock in the morning (Mountain Time),
so don'tworryaboutlatecalls.
Thanksagain for thecopyofThe Vintage Airplane and
rememberingofmy help in the Aeronca article.
Sincerely yours,
Joel Qualls
2902 West Alice
Phoenix, Ariz. 85021
OREGON TAYLORCRAFT
DearJack:
The enclosed print of myoid T'Craft turned out so
" pretty"I thoughtIshouldsenditto you. Itook thesnap-
shot at Vernon Sudbeck's place (N. E. Nebraska, near
Hartington)while en route to Oshkosh '73.
I know you are undoubtedly "swamped" with photos
from others whoare equally as proudof their planes, but
this old girl has taken mefrom Oregon to Oshkosh twice,
andwithits1946 ferry trip, hassurmountedtheContinen-
tal divide five times, so I'm really proudof her.
Sincerelyyours,
Gene Parker
P.O. Box 1298
Medford, Ore. 97501
AVRO PROJECT
DearSirs:
I'manA&Pstudenttryingto find helpandinformation
on a restoration project. Ihave a 1922 AVRO 594 biplane
(maybe the pursuit model). I am minus fuselage and en-
gine. I am rebuilding the wings (equipped with Handl ey
Page slats) and tailfeathers, the landing gear floor pan
(the area of the floor only that mounts the stick and
rudder controls), flying wires, 1 airspeed indicator (Mark
IV Newman Guardia LTD W. 1 No. 2533/B.W.), seats, and
other hardware. I'm lost as far as what it is other than
whatIhave.I'vebeentoldshetakesa125-165h.p. Menasco
inverted inline but that could be a replacement. I'm now
waiting for replies to give me something that I can start
this project.
Ineeddrawings, blue prints, specs, pictures, historyof
this typealc and personal experiences with this type plus
partsand engines.
If you couldgive someaddress.es of persons whoIcan
talk to ...Thanks.
Sincerely,
Milo A. deGrassi
1080 BestRd.
HOJlister, Calif. 95023
AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD
17
LAMBERT PARTS
I JUST CAME across seme arlcient mags, carburetor, and
an oil tank for a Monocoupe 90A. They are parts I once
bought together with a spare engine for a 90 h. p. Lambert
that I wish I still had' With all the money floating around
this country, you'd think somebody could resurrect one of
those fine old radial engines. Open cockpit airplanes need
radial engines!
Just returned from Dayton with a beautiful little Con-
tinental A-40 restored to better than original. Hope to get
going on my Heath Centerwing real soon now. All I need
now is a pair of old style Cleveland wheels (6:00x6) like
the old Champ and Chief had with the shoe type brake.
Let me know anytime you find some.
Lloyd Gabriel
Rt. 2, Box 440A
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 49783
Jack Gardiner's Curtiss replica.
CURTISS PUSHER
Dear Buck:
Last time I talked or wrote to you was in October 1972-
and that was about Breezy N-6G which left in the great
June line squall in Burlington this summer.
I bought another Breezy right after that in Oregon, flew
it for a year and sold it this past September to one of the
FAA inspectors in Santa Monica.
And now to the point of the matter - Since you're
the indicated El Presidente of the EAA Antique and Classic
Division, I'd like to join, pay my dues'or whatever, get the
triangular patch with the Wright Flyer and all because ...
I own one of the only remainin'g true copies of the original
1911-1912 Curtiss Pushers. Mine made in 1960 by Carl
Mueller of Sacramento who was a mechanic and flew for
Glenn Curtiss at his winter flying camp in North Island,
San Diego during the years 1911-1915.
Mine has the original awkward Curtiss airfoil, the
pigeon tailed triangular horizontal stabilizers, the lateral
balancing rudders mounted mid-distance between the
wings, the non-steerable nosewheel, rudder bar - the
whole bit except for the powerplant. And that's a massive
Franklin 65 h.p. that gives me 45 mph top speed and 40
mph stall.
The aircraft sinks whenever out of the wind - it sinks
a turn is initiated due to high drag created by
the lateral rudders, as Curtiss called them and it does a
number of other cute things. But I dearly love it and per-
haps some day next spring you can watch it operate.
Best Long Winded Regards,
Jack Gardiner
Box 133
Mill Valley! Cal. 94941
A BEAUTIFUL CHIEF
Dear Sirs:
Please find enclosed a photo of our recently restored
Aeronca Chief Model 11AC.
The owners are Keith Locke (EAA 75247) and Clarence
Hydorn, both of lola, Kansas. We both work for the lola
Fire Department and work every other day, thus we were
able to complete this project in only 4 1/2 months.
The airplane is as near factory original as we could get
it, even to using the original Aeronca Emblems and num-
bers from the old fabric for patterns and making stencils
to apply the new ones. It has all the original instruments
and hand starter, which works beautifully, and certainly
gets a lot of attention when used.
We are extremely proud of our bird and are looking
forward to bringing it to Oshkosh 1974.
Yours very truly,
Keith Locke, EAA 75247
910 North Sycamore
lola, Ks. 66749
P.S. The photo is by "K" Studio, lola, Ks.
KUDOS
Dear Paul:
I wish to thank you, your staff and fellow members
of the EAA for the fine job that they're doing to preserve
flying for the little guy who just owns a plane and Hies for
the enjoyment of it.
In the short period of time that I've been associated
with he EAA, I've met some of the finest and most con-
genial people that I could ever hope to know. Neeclless to
say, this has made my love for airplanes and flying much
more enjoyable.
I know you like for your members to keep you posted
on what aircraft they are working on. My interest seems to
fall more along the line of classics and antiques. I have
just completed my Aeronca 65CA and I am presently work-
ing on my Rearwin 9000L. I also have an Aeronca C-3
that I someday hope to find enough parts to put this old
bird back in the air.
Keep up the good work! We fun fliers need you.
Sincerely,
Richard C. Frye
Box 145
Elderton, Pa. 15736
18
1917 Standard No. 6948 with a 4-cylinder, Hail Scott Two 1917 Standard J-1s. 6948, left, is equipped with a
A7 A (5 114" bore, 7" stroke - 100 hp. at 1400 rpm) . Curtiss OXX.Q engine and 163, right, has a Mercedes
The Hail Scott was later replaced with Curtiss OXX.Q. Benz.
PETER BRYN - THE TRAVEL AIR KING
Most dedicated antique airplane buffs have heard of Peter Bryn of Dazey, North Dakota. He's
the fellow who had the foresight to collect a whole farm full of now rare antique aircraft - mostly
Travel Air 4000s - down through the years. Now, of course, each of his old timers is a very valuable
artifact of aviation's Golden Age.
Recently, Mr. Bryn sent along the pictures you see here. Some are of aircraft he has owned, some
are of aircraft he sti ll owns. In any case, we sincerely thank him for the opportunity to share
the photographs with all of you.
WILLARD F. SCHrv;;ii'
AO.2Z ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22-
DI WQ..AND.. OHIO ~ _
, ,.'\.
4000 It .. II h d 110 W 1929 Travel Air 2000, N-{)66H, with a Curtiss OXX.Q.
1929 T raveI AJ( . ongtna y a a arner. - .. "
N ( /I th !"ttl "b bbl " f . . . h . George A. Battles IS the pilot. Peter Bryn stili owns this
a Ice a . e leu e amngs tn t e upper wtng one. Notice the brakeless wire spokedwheels andthe grass
where the tie rods attach. piledup in frantof the tail skid. Those were the days!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JUNE 1316 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - National Staggerwing Club
JULY 31 - AUGUST 6 . -OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - NEW DATES -
Fly-In. Contact W. C. "Dub" Yarbrough, Lannom Mfg. Co., Box 500,
22nd Annual EAA International Ay- In Convention. Largest and best
Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388.
Antique and Classic gathering anywhere. Make your plans and res-
ervations early.
Back Issues Of The Vi ntage Ai rplane
Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at .SOc each. Copies
still on hand at EAA Headquarters are:
June 1973 August 1973 October 1973 December 1973
July 1973 September 1973 November 1973 January 1974
19