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8
CONTENTS
Straight& Level/Espie"Butch"Joyce
2 A/CNews
3 ExperiencesWithJr.lGeorgeCrum
6 RememberingTonyLeVier/
John Underwood
8 SettingTheFloatOnA
Stromber gNAS-3INealWright
12 DebSnavely' sStinson lOA!
H.G. Frautschy
17 Bristol BoxkiteReplicaPartIII
SamBurgess
21 TheWorthingtonCollection!
John Underwood
25 PassittoBuck/BuckHilbert
26 MysteryPlane/H.G. Frautschy
28 MembershipInformation/
ClassifiedAds
29 WelcomeNewMembers
30 Calendar
Page 17
FRONTCOVER...This is DebbieSnavely's1941Stinson lOA. pickedastheBest
Monoplaneofthe1998Sun 'nFun EAAFly-In. DebbieandherhusbandBill run
theNotionalStinsonClub(108Section). EAAphotobyJimKoepnick. shotwith
a CanonEOSInequippedwithon8O-200mm lens. 1160 sec.@ f20 onFuji Sensia
....
100ASAslidefilm.EAACessna210planeftownbyBruceMoore.
BACKCOVER..."CaptainEddie"is the ofthisJockMoseswatercolorpoinffng,
awardedonExcellenceribbonduringthe1998EAASportAviationArtCompe-
tition.Jockcanbereachedat7320N.W. 19thSt., Bethany.OK73008-5670.
SeeAIC Newsformoreinformation.
Copyright 1998 bytheEMAntique/Classic DivisionInc.All rightsreserved.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE IISSN 00916943) is published and owned exclusively by the EMAntique/Classic Division.Inc.of the Experimental
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EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher
TamPoberezny
Editor-In-Chief
JockCox
Editor
He nryG.Frautschy
ManagingEditor
GoldaCox
ContributingEditor
JohnUnderwood
ComputerGraphicSpecialists
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StaffPhotographers
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EAAANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION,INC,
OFFICERS
President
Vice-President
Espie"Butch"Joyce GeorgeDaubner
P.O. Box35584 2448loughLane
Greensboro, NC27425 Hartford.WI53CJ27
910/393-0344
414/673-5885
Secretary Treasurer
SteveNesse Harris
2009HighlandAve. 7215East46thSt .
AlbertLea.MN 51:1XJ7 Tulsa.OK 74145
507/373-1674 918/622-8400
DIRECTORS
JohnBerendt GeneMorris
7645EchoPointRd. 5936SteveCourf
CannonFalls.MNfS:X:R Roanoke.TX 76262
507/263-2414 817/491-9110
Phil Coulson RobertC."Bob"Brauer
28415SpringbrookDr. 9345S.Hoyne
Lawton.MI49065 Chicago.IL60620
616/624-6490 3121779-2105
JoeDickey
JohnS.Copeland
55OakeyAv.
1ADeaconStreet
Lawrenceburg.IN 47025
Northborough.MA01532
812/537-9354
StanGomoil
7724ShadyHill Dr.
104290thLane.NE
Indianapolis.IN 46278
MN55434
317/293-4430
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612/784-1172
RobertUckteig JeannieHill
1708BoyOaksDr. P.O.Box328
AlbertLea. MN51:1XJ7 HaNard. IL60033
507/373-2922 815/943-7205
DeanRichardson RobertD."Bob"Lumley
6701 ColonyDr. 1265South 124thSt.
Madison.WI 53717 Brookfield. WI53005
608/833-1291 414/782-2633
S.H.'Wes"Schmid GeoffRobison
2359LefeberAvenue 1521 E. MacGregorDr.
Wauwatosa.WI53213 NewHaven.IN 46774
414/771-1545 219/493-4724
GeorgeYork
181 SlobodaAv.
Mansfield.OH44906
419/5294378
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
GeneChose E.E."Buck"Hilbert
2159 Rd. P.O. Box424
Oshkosh. WI 54904 Union.IL60180
920/231-5002 815/923-4591
ADVISORS
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1002HeatherLn. 321-1/2S.Broadway
Hartford,WI53CJ27 Apt.3
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507288-2810
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SugarGrove. IL6D554.Q656 Roseville.CA95678
630-466-4931 916-782-7025
STRAIGHT& LEVEL
by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE
This issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE is
printed just before the EAA Convention
at Oshkosh and we are able to have a
number of August issues to share with
new members who join during the Con-
vention. If you're one of those new
members reading this column for the first
time, welcome!
If you're reading this while at the Con-
vention in Oshkosh, be sure and visit the
Air Adventure Museum, and take in the
display of the collection of art created by
Jim Dietz, one of the EAA "Master Artists"
in the annual Sport Aviation Art Competi-
tion. It's quite a show, located just to the
right at the base of the stairs as you walk
in the museum. Don't miss it!
Over the years the EAA has in fact
grown to become a very large organization
encompassing many different aviation in-
terests. Because of these, there have been
special interest groups formed that cater
to a particular segment of the overall
EAA membership. I am proud to say that
the Antique/Classic Division is a very
good example of an aviation special inter-
est group. If my memory serves me
correct, the International Aerobatic Club
was the first group to come under the
wing of the EAA, with the Antique/Classic
Division and Warbirds of America fol-
lowing shortly thereafter. You only need
to look over the airport at Oshkosh during
AirVenture '98 to see how diverse indi-
vidual aviation interests have become. Over
the years, when these speciality groups
were formed, there was a lot of work to
do, and to help give each an identity, logo,
name, merchandise, and other products
came about through the leadership of the
individual groups such as the Antique/
Classic Division.
I guess by now you are wondering
where I am going with all of this informa-
tion. Well, several years ago, as all smart
corporations must do, you have to think
about your future and also clean up some
past work. The EAA Board formed a
committee to put together a strategic plan
for the future of the EAA and all of its
speciality groups. It is just this past year
that you as a member have started to see
the results of this effort.
The new EAA logo was one of the
first visible signs of this ongoing effort,
and the next item that you may have no-
ticed is that the official name of the
annual EAA Convention is now EAA
AirVenture '98. A good deal of this has
been made possible by bringing highly
qualified individuals on board to fill
some areas on EAA's staff. In the past,
areas such as marketing and merchandis-
ing were handled by people who often
had to wear a couple of hats in their vari-
ous areas of responsibility on EAA's
staff. Now, people are in place to help the
special interest areas.
Please keep in mind that the Boards of
Directors are very much involved in what
is going on with the changes you will be
seeing as they filter down throughout the
speciality groups and your Antique/Clas-
sic Division . The strategic planning
Committee was formed out of directors
and membership (volunteers) and a few
people from the staff.
As president of your Division, I have
been able to see in advance some of the
improvements that are coming down the
road, and I personally feel that as a mem-
ber, you will be as pleased with them as I
am. All of the membership will benefit in
the future as we continue to promote Vin-
tage Aircraft and Vintage Aviation.
What can you do? I'd ask you to help
us grow by asking your friends to join the
Antique/Classic Division. By supporting
your fellow members in this way, we will
all benefit.
One thing that has changed is the way
that EAA bills for membership renewals.
The renewal system now being used has
aligned your renewal date for all of your
EAA related memberships. For instance,
when you receive your renewal notice, it
now includes your EAA membership dues
as well as your Antique/Classic dues.
There have been a few members who
were concerned about having to pay this
total amount at one time. For them, they
can choose to pay via a credit card, and
then pay as they wish. If you find this re-
newal process a hardship, r would
appreciate it if you would let me know
about how this change is effecting you, as
we continue to listen to our members.
This issue of Vintage Airplane has a
very interesting article about two individ-
uals' relationship with a Curtiss-Wright
Junior. "Experiences With Jr." gives us
the unique perspective of what it was like
to build your own airport and fly from it
as a teenager before WW-II.
This month we've got a technical arti-
cle on setting the float on a Stromberg
NAS-3 , thanks to the work done by the
Cessna 1201140 club. We try to bring you
as much of this type of technical informa-
tion as we can in Vintage Airplane. You
just won't find this type ofinfornlation in
all ofthe other magazines!
There is a great deal of talent in the
field when it comes to working on our
older aircraft. If you know of an individ-
ual who has information such as this
NAS-3 article, please encourage them to
share this information with us to pass
along to others. From Sun 'n Fun is a
great report with beautiful photos of Deb
Snavely's Stinson lOA for all to enjoy.
Deb- nice airplane! In the article "The
Worthington Collection" by John Under-
wood, there's a photo of one of our
members, one taken a long time ago.
Captain Johnny Miller (retired Eastern
Airlines) is shown as a young record-set-
ting aviator. Today, Johrmy continues to
fly his Baron and Bonanza and he's 93
years young. Check out the "Welcome
New Members" page to see if someone
you asked to join has done so. Hope you
all had the chance to enjoy AirVenture
' 98. Be careful out there, let's all pull in
the same direction for the good of avia-
tion. Remember we are better together,
Join us and have it all !!!
Butch ....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
A/CNEWS
compiled by H.G. Frautschy
"CAPTAIN EDDIE"
Jack Moses of Bethany, OK created thi s
watercolor painting based on a black and
white photo of Captain Edward V. Ricken-
backer taken in Nove mber of 1918 in
France. At the time, EVR was commander
of Aero Squadron 94 and was America's
"Ace of Aces," with 26 confirmed victories.
Jack was born in Oklahoma City, OK in
1925, and as a child growing up, he read of
Rickenbacker's exploits in the air and as a race
car driver. Naturally, Jack admired him and
in tribute to EVR, he has done this painting.
Jack can't remember when he didn't
draw. He says that after he grew out of his
cowboy suit in grade school, he drew noth-
ing but airplanes. He was a tail gunner on
Navy patrol bombers with squadron VPB-
201 in WW-I1, and whil e working on hi s
masters degree in art at Oklahoma Univer-
sity, he was recalled to active duty for the
Korean war. After Korea, he worked as a
commercial illustrator for the next 42 years,
retiring in 1995.
He's continued to draw airplanes all that
time, and during the last reunion of the
Lafayette Flying Corps in 1983, he was
made an honorary member (# 19) for hi s
contributi on of hi s artwork to the reunion
held in Colorado Springs that year.
Jack does have 8x I 0 color photographs
of this painting available for $10 each - you
can write to him at the address shown on the
Contents page.
APRIL SOLOS J-2
Members may reca ll the story we pub-
li shed in the January 1998 issue of Vintage
Airplane about Robert Stewart, Sr. and the
Piper J-2 Cub he restored, the same Cub he
and his brother Don had owned and learned
to fly back in 1939. That was quite a story in
itself, and now there's another chapter to
add to the story. Mark Stewart, one of
Robert 's two sons, has flown the J-2, and
now his daughter has as well. April Stewart
(Below), who tumed 16 this past may, soloed
the J-2 during the evening of June 26, 1998
at Sentimental Journey in Lockhaven, PA at
Wi ll iam T. Piper Memorial airport.
April had accumulated 13 .6 hours of
dual instruction prior to her solo from in-
structor Al Murray of Albany, NY. As
April taxied out for her solo flight , a crowd
of 150 onlookers crowded the flight line to
witness the event. In the crowd were her
grandparents, her dad, uncle Bob and many
CFII's, the FAA, airshow announcer
Ro scoe Morton, and man "old pros" to
check out the latest Cub pilot. The crowd of
spectators didn 't faze April at all , as she
performed her three terrific full stop land-
ings. April made three-point landings and
made the pros envious by "greasing it in"
and rolling out in less than 300 feet. The J-2
has a 37 hp Continental A-40, with a singl e
mag and no brakes.
After the fli ghts, April was greeted by a
huge round of applause and 25 or more peo-
ple signed her logbook, including Bill Piper,
Jr.. Needless to say, April was just delighted
with her newly acquired flying skills and
Grandpa and Dad were equally thrilled. Her
grandfather's advice after her solo? "Now
it' s just a matter of practice. For the rest of
your life - every time you go up-you're
going to learn something new."
Congratulations, April!
10n1 CAMPAIGN
We'd like to add out thanks to members
Jerry McKnight and John Pickney for being
the latest additions to the Antique/Classic
Divisi on's lonl campaign honor roll. Both
have each sponsored a new member and
helped our Division grow, and at the same
time, made themselves eligible for some
great prizes to be awarded During EAA Air-
Venture '99. Prizes to be awarded include a
Garmin GPS 195, an aviation handheld trans-
ceiver and an aviation headset, along with
other Antique/Classic merchandise.
For your first recruited new member, as a
sponsor you'll receive a stylish collector's
cap featuring the A/C logo. Recruit two
members, and you'll receive an AlC jacket
patch and a free videotape. Sign up three new
members and you'll also receive a FREE
one year AlC Division membership renewal.
Use the enclosed insert to send in your
sponsored memberships, or you can call 1-
800-843-3612 to join the Division. Be sure
to give your sponsored member your EAA
number and have them mention your name
and number as your spon sor in the An-
tique/Classic Ion I campaign.
Thanks for helping your Division grow!
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
CHAPTER29SCHOLARSmPS
EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 29 in Liv-
ermore, CA will be awarding $1 ,000
scholarships to support outstanding students
pursuing knowledge in aviation technolo-
gies. Pl anned to be an annual scholarship,
thi s year's awards will be presented during
the Hayward Air Fair '98 at Hayward air-
port over the Labor Day weekend,
September 4-5.
For information, call 1-925/455-2300
and ask for the Scholarship Coordinator.
120/140 CONVENTION
This year's International Cessna 1201140
Association's convention will take place in
Chino, CA. September 24-27 are the dates
for the event, based at Chino airport, (CNO).
Fly-outs, fOlUms, shopping and jUdging will
all be part of the fun. If you're interested in
the littlest Cessnas, and need more informa-
tion, contact the local hosts, John and Eloise
Westra, Ontario, CA 909/947-4456.
-Continued on the inside back cover-
2 AUGUST 1998
by George Crum
"Grumpy" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" adorned the nose of George and Bob Crum's Curtiss-Wright Junior, a li ght plane that
gave them a couple of summers of unforgettable memories.
It
was in 1935 that brothers Bob
and George Crum became in-
terested in learning to fly .
World War I had advanced aviation
and resulted in substantial public and
private interest in flying. It was the era
of the Ford Tri-Motor airplane, the
crop duster, the Piper Cub and increas-
ing commercial air transportation. Bob
and I were caught up in this increased
interest in flying and decided to learn
to fly and see where it would lead us.
We took lessons at the Sacramento
Airport trom instructor Vic Russell. Af-
ter eight hours of instruction we soloed
in a Piper Cub. We earned a solo pilot's
license. Some 10 years later, Bob joined
the Army Air Force, earned his wings
and became a flight instructor during
World War II. I went on to qualify for a
private pilot's license.
Back to the story. Having learned to
fly , we decided to see if we could ac-
quire an airplane. Seems like a tall
order since these were depression
times, but it turned out to be relatively
easy. We learned that a Mr. Tabor of
Esparto had a Curtiss-Wright Junior
for sale. I jokingly referred to as the
third model the Wright brothers made.
Actually, it was a Class I aircraft.
There were two open cockpits, dual
controls, with the engine located be-
hind the single wing making it a pusher
type aircraft. It was powered by
a three-cylinder Szekely engine. The
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
engine designation was SR03 . The S
stood for Szekely, the engine manufac-
turers name, the R stood for radial
engine, the 0 stood for overhead
valves, and the 3 stood for three cylin-
ders. Cruising speed was 65 miles per
hour. We had between us $375; how-
ever, Mr. Tabor wanted more. So in
order to make the deal, we had to in-
clude our boat, outboard motor and
trailer. The purchase was made and
now we had an airplane.
But where do you find an airstrip
when your father has all-orchard prop-
erty? Well, we had a neighbor, Teddy
Heinz, who grew mostly grain and had
a 160 summer fallow field that he
kindly let us use. With our father's
land preparation equipment, we
smoothed down runways, taxi strips
and tum circles.
From the air, the field had the out-
line of an airport. Aircraft flying over
this area would discover what looked
like an airport pattern that did not ap-
pear on their maps. Often-times they
would circle to get a better look and
occasionally they would land.
One pilot who landed his plane was
flying a WW-I Jenny. He discovered he
had a two foot by six inch tear in the fab-
ric on his biplane's wing, so he decided
to fly to Sacramento and get it repaired.
Walter Jorgensen, the local Shell
Oil Company distributor, supplied us
with aviation gasoline in 55 gallon
drums. Aviation gas was cheaper than
gas for autos, since there was no high-
way tax on aviation gas!
Walter also gave us a Shell Oil
Company windsock to indicate wind
direction for landing and taking off.
When we installed the windsock we
really felt like we had an airfield.
Our Curtiss-Wright Junior was a lot
of fun to fly. It would become airborne
after a short run and take very little
runway to land. Instrumentation con-
sisted of a gas gauge and an oil pressure
gauge. There was no altimeter for de-
termining altitude, no airspeed indicator,
no radio, no rate of climb and no com-
pass. As the saying goes, we had to fly
by the seat of our pants.
We asked our aunt Martha, who was
an artist, to paint on the nose of the plane
a color likeness of Grumpy, one of the
4 AUGUST 1998
dwarfs in the Disney production, "Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs." We
were proud of that insignia.
Our mother didn't worry about our
flying as long as we would fly over the
home after we took off. I guess she fig-
ured so far, so good. She had plenty of
spunk and brother Bob took her up.
After a flight over the local area, Bob
landed. When asked how she liked the
flight, she replied, "Just fine," and con-
tinued by saying "next time I go up I
plan to keep my eyes open."
Besides flying for the fun of it, we
did one useful thing with our airplane.
A grain farmer contacted us and told
us he was missing two dumps of grain
sacks released from his harvester. You
see, in those days, grain was not bulk
handled, but rather sacks were filled
with grain on the harvester, sewn
closed and dumped down a slide to be
released when the slide held about
10 sacks.
We agreed to fly over his field and
see if we could locate two dumps of
sacks. We flew for some time and saw
nothing. Then all of a sudden we spot-
ted a dump of sacks. This gave us the
correct perspective regarding the size
the sacks would appear from the alti-
tude we were flying and immediately
spotted the second dump of grain sacks.
We gave the grain farmer the loca-
tion of his two dumps of sacked grain
and he was happy, and we felt pretty
good about it too!
After a summer of flying, we realized
we would have to store the Curtiss-
Wright Junior for the winter since our
runways became mud. We removed
the wings and stored them along with
the fuselage in a bam.
The next spring we assembled the
wings on the fuselage and we were off
flying again. We noticed, however, that
the fabric covering on the wings looked
rough. Fortunately, the aeronautics in-
structor of the Sacramento Junior
College agreed to replace the fabric on
the wings at no cost to us in order to
give his class experience in aircraft
maintenance.
When we picked up the recovered
wings, the instructor said, "You don't
mean to say that you flew your plane
with mud in the wings?!"
This surprised us, but upon reflec-
tion we realized it was possible since
Putah Creek had overflowed its banks
that winter. This silt in the wings veri-
fied that the floor of the barn had
flooded, depositing silt in the wings. I
guess our guardian angel flew along
with us.
We put the recovered wings back on
the Curtiss-Wright Junior and had
many happy hours of flying that sum-
mer, and some not so happy.
A teenager with a solo pilot's li-
cense and a few flying hours under his
belt is about as dangerous as a teenager
who has his first driver's license and a
few miles under his belt. So it was
with me. I thought of myself as a dare-
devil pilot.
One fine Saturday morning I de-
cided to take our Curtiss-Wright Junior
up. Naturally, I set a course for Davis,
where my best girl resided on the north
edge of town - the corner of eighth
and B streets. I located her residence
and flew over the house and found she
was riding her horse, Tony, on the
field north of her home.
Being a daredevil pilot, I flew low
over the field, cut the throttle and
called out, "Hi Jo, hi Jo." Tony didn't
think too much of the antics of the
daredevil pilot and became a little hard
to handle. Little did I know that Jo 's
father, Professor Robert F. Miller of
UC Davis, who I hoped would some-
day be my father in law, was also
taking a very dim view of the antics of
the daredevil pilot.
Jo heard me call to her and waved. I
thought the field below looked fairly
level so I circled around 'til I was
headed north, cut the throttle and
landed. Tony lost his fear of the air-
plane since it was not moving and the
engine was not making noise. Jo rode
Tony to the plane and we had a nice
conversation.
When it was time to take off, I no-
ticed the ground was a bit soft. There
were power lines at the end of the field
to clear, and there was a strong north
wind. But what the heck, this is no
problem for a daredevil pilot! I was
slow in gaining speed due to the soft
dirt and the headwind from the north,
but at last was airborne. However,
there was a problem. The power lines
at the end of the field were getting
close and I figured I couldn't gain
enough altitude to clear them, so I de-
cided to abort the takeoff and land. I
cut the throttle, and the strong north
wind stalled the plane, which dropped
about 50 feet , breaking off one of the
two landing gear wheels.
Well , needless to say, the daredevil
pilot was disgraced, mortified and hu-
miliated in front of his best girl.
Joe rode Tony over to the plane. I
was uninjured physically but destroyed
mentally. She asked ifI would like a
ride on Tony to her home so I could
call the ranch for help. So I climbed on
Tony behind Jo and left the field feel-
ing exactly like the part of Jo's horse I
was riding on!
Oh, and the Curtiss-Wright? We
came back with one of the flatbed
trucks from my dad's ranch, took the
wings off and hauled the airplane
home. Fortunately, all I did was break
the landing gear tubing on the right
wheel, so a good welding job took care
of that problem. And Jo and her father,
the professor? Well , he and I got to be
pretty good friends after I graduated
from UC Davis and had become a
Naval officer. I guess he felt there was
enough substance in this young man
that he could overlook his daredevil
pilot antics and grant him permission
to marry his daughter. Jo and I have
been happily married for 54 years and
have raised three great sons.
The Last Flight of the
Curtiss-Wright Junior
It was in the summer of 1936 my
brother Bob and I decided it was time
to sell our Curtiss- Wright Junior air-
plane. This was a hard decision to
make because we loved to fly. How-
ever, we needed to concentrate on
getting an education and earning some
money. Flying and caring for an air-
plane took too much time and money.
Our sale price was $375. A man
from Fairfield agreed to our price so
we arranged for him to come to our
makeshift airport and take possession.
That day we were putting in as much
flying time as we could. After all, we
were going to part with an old friend.
The buyer of the airplane arrived at
the airfield in mid-afternoon while
Bob and our mechanic friend, Jeff
Davis, were taking the last flight of the
day before turning the airplane over to
the new owner.
They were flying over Dixon at
1,500 feet when the three-cylinder ra-
dial engine mounted behind the wing
failed. The slip rings that hold the con-
necting rods to the crankshaft failed,
leaving the pistons disconnected. The
top piston moved down in the crankcase
until it was part way in the cylinder
and partway in the crankcase. The
crankshaft, turning at several hundred
revolutions per minute, suddenly
stopped turning when the crank throw
encountered the top piston, causing the
propeller to shear its key in the pro-
peller shaft and un sc rew the nut
holding the prop on the shaft.
The propeller, now free of the prop
shaft, was still turning. On its down-
ward flight, it cut a foot and a half
section out of one of the four control
tubes that form the fuselage, and it just
missed the control cables. A Dixon
man watering his lawn and observing
this strange aircraft watched the pro-
peller descend and land some 60 feet
away from where he was standing.
Back to the Curtiss- Wright Junior
without a propeller several hundred
feet in the air. Jeff panicked and pulled
back on the stick. Bob realized this
was wrong since the plane would stall
and spin to the ground, so Bob pushed
forward on the stick. Jeff pull ed back
on the stick and the plane was describ-
ing a wave motion through the air.
Finally, Bob pushed the stick for-
ward and held it there. Jeff let go. Now
Bob was in control and looked for a
suitable field north of Dixon in which
to land. He saw Sievers ' alfalfa field
just ahead and figured his glide angle
was just right for him to make and
landing on the firm ground between
the rows of baled alfalfa hay.
Bob executed a perfect dead stick
landing. Then he called the ranch. Our
dad and I left the ranch for the scene of
the forced landing on Sievers Road.
We thought we were going at a fast
clip when a car passed us, going even
faster and with a propeller sticking our
of the rear window! Did this mean that
other parts were scattered around the
countryside?
Just a little further down Sievers
Road, we spotted the plane in Sievers'
alfalfa field. It looked as it always did
except there was no propeller and there
was a hole a foot and a half in diame-
ter in the fuselage. Thank goodness
Jeff and Bob were unhurt thanks to
Bob's skilled handling of the controls.
Much later, while Bob was a flight
instructor in the Army Air Force, he
experienced power failure in both en-
gines of an AT-II upon takeoff. He
attempted to start both engines,
moved the personnel from the nose of
the plane to a safer position, and exe-
cuted a perfect dead stick wheels up
landing from which all personnel
walked away without injury. The
Army Air Force examining board hear-
ing indicated that he had followed all
prescribed procedures to bring the
plane to a safe landing.
Needless to say, the buyer from
Fairfield was happy he wasn't the
one at the controls when the engine
blew up!
We ended up selling our Curtiss-
Wright Junior for $75 to a fellow in
Marysville who wanted it for parts.
Whatever the cost, the experience
and knowledge we gained from our
Curtiss-Wright Junior adventure was
well worth it.
Bob joins me in expressing the ad-
miration we have for our parents, who
allowed us to spread our wings and fly.
Postscript: I did continue to fly for
a while after we sold the Junior, earn-
ing my Private Pilot 's license in
the Civilian Pilot Training Program
(CPTP) . Bob, as I mentioned, served
in the Army Air Force, and then later
in the Air Force Reserve. In later
years, we found we had difficulty
making time for flying, with the de-
mands of our new families and our
farming enterprise, but we've long
cherished the lasting memories that
Curtiss- Wright Junior gave to a cou-
ple of neophyte aviators. ....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Then and now-TonyLeVierandthe Schoenfeld Firecracker. In thisshot from 1939,taken duringtheNati onalAirRaces atCleveland over
Labor Day weekend, Tony shoehorns himself intothetinycockpit ofthe Menasco-powered racer. The young man in the knickers and cap
seemsjustas interested inthephotographer! JohnUndElfWoodCollection
REMEMBERING
Tony LeVier
He was one of my icons, beginning c.
1939, when I attended my first National Air
Races at Cleveland. We lived in Erie, Penn-
sylvania, which was, in California terms,
just up the road. I got to go to the races with
my Dad in an American Airlines DC-3,
which I like to think was piloted by Ernie
Gann. I don ' t actually remember much
about the races, only the military presence
and all the war talk. Anyway , that year
Tony finished second in the Thompson,
which was the main event insofar as the
spectators were concerned, and that's where
he first shows up in the scrapbook I kept.
I didn' t get to know LeVier until I went
to work for Lockheed in the '50s. They as-
6 AUGUST 1998
byJohn Underwood
signed me to F-104 engineering, which was
for me the best of all possible places to
work, even for the guys at the bottom of the
pecking order. LeVier, Lloyd Stearman,
Fish Salmon et al were frequently on the
premises and very often the talk was about
air racing, because my section was near
where all the old racing hands congregated.
We also had a bunch of ex-Luftwaffe jet pi-
lots, so the coffee breaks were always
entertaining.
In those days I had a half interest in a
Monocoupe, N6730, which subsequently
caught LeVier's eye. One day he walked
pass the hangar, stuck his head in the door
and hollered, "Hey, that's myoid airplane!"
Itwasn't, but he had flown it more than he
had his own Monocoupe, which was
NC6724. They were sister-ships, both based
at old Alhambra Airport when Tony was
flying anything he could get his hands on.
Hey, LeVier's logbooks were a delight
to peruse. There was never an airplane that
intimidated him to the extent that he would-
n't try to fly it if the opportunity came his
way. Indeed, LeVier's confidence was such
that he came to believe early on that the air-
plane he couldn't handle had yet to be built.
There was, for instance, the time he per-
suaded the Schmuck brothers that they
needed another test pilot for their new Kinner
powered Sportster, which they hoped would
soon be coming off the production line by
the dozens, if not the hundreds. It was still
an experimental airplane, but had already
been sold to a gentleman named Dessieux.
One day Tony took the Sportster up for
an airing with Dessieux ensconced in the
back seat. He wanted to take a tum at the
stick, so LeVi er relinquished the controls
and they climbed away from the field at an
angle which see med excessive and in-
creased with each passing moment until the
Kinner quit cold. LeVier grabbed the stick
and got the nose down, but the Sportster
was sinking too rapidly to clear power lines
at the end of the field. The wires arrested
all forward progress and the plane plum-
meted nose flfst to the road below. Luckily,
it didn' t bum and neither occupant was in-
jured. As far as I know, that was Tony's
first prang of any consequence. He was to
have many more in practicing hi s profes -
sion, some of them very nearly fatal.
When Tony retired in 1973, he decided
to breathe new life into N6730. The Mono-
coupe was by then sadl y in need of a full
measure ofTLC and it took him several
years to make it airworthy again, even with
a considerable amount of help from the
aforementioned brothers Schmuck.
Unfortunately, NC6730 turn ed out a
whole lot heavier than it had been in 1930, as
was Tony himself. He'd added brakes, a tail
wheel and a beefier spar for the wing, plus a
few pounds of personal avoidupois. It was
too overweight for passenger work and only
hi s daughter, Toniann, got a ride before it
was donated to the National Air and Space
Museum, which gave it to the California Mu-
seum of Science & Industry in Los Angeles.
In his career as a test pilot, which proba-
bly lasted longer than anyone else's, LeVier
flew more than 260 types of aircraft. The
heaviest was the C5A and the smallest was
the V J-24 hang-glider, which weighed
about 80 pounds.
Tony once told me his favorite airplane
was the Schoenfeldt "Firecracker," which
carried him to fame in 1938 when he won
the Greve Trophy Race. UnfOltunately, on
the landing roll-out the tiny wheels tripped
him up when he tried to taxi from the turf
to the cement, which was raised several
inches. The result was a broken spar. That
cost him his very good chance of also win-
ning the Thompson Trophy. The following
year he fmished second in the Thompson,
but was having cooling troubles he had not
had in ' 38.
LeVier had other favorites, too, depend-
ing on who he was addressing and as a
speaker he was very good. Listening to
LeVier was always entertaining, even if
The post-war period was
a busy one for Tony. The
classic post-war Goodyear
racers, the "Cosmic Wind"
series, were built by Tony
LeVier and Associates.
Tony himself flew SIN 101,
N20C to a forth place fin-
ish in the first Goodyear
race in 1947. This photo
was taken in 1949.
EAAlGeorge Hardie Collection-
Pete Bowers photo
you had heard the story before. Anyway, I
think he was equally fond of other air-
planes, bei ng intensely loyal to Lockheed
and Kelly Johnson, but the "Firecracker"
was such that he often spoke of wanting to
write a book about it. Incidentally, the racer
survi ves, thanks to Ed Maloney, and is
domiciled at Chino at The Planes of Fame.
LeVier was a Lockheed test pilot for 33
years. Before that he made hi s li ving as a
fli ght instructor and racing. LeVier had a
LeBlond-Porterfield in 1935, but things
were pretty slow until he came up with the
idea of the 5-minute lesson. Five minutes
was what it took the Porterfield to fl y the
pattern at old T&A (Telegraph & Atlantic),
fro m takeoff to landing, and it was time
enough to run a student through the basic
maneuvers, except spins. The 5-minute les-
son cost 50 cents and it brought in enough
customers to stay in business, just barely.
Eliminat ion of the stall-spin acc ident
became LeVier's great crusade. He himself
very nearl y augered in with a passenger in
NC6730. He was turning onto final at the
old Monrovia Airport when the passenger
got hi s long legs entangled with the control
stick, which was easy to do in such a
cramped cockpit. Hi s buddies watched in
horror as the Monocoupe disappeared be-
hind an elevated railroad embankment, then
reappeared making a wobbly climb-out.
LeVier's recovery had been too low to be
seen from the airport. His legs were a little
wobbly, too, when he heaved himself from
the cockpit a few minutes later.
In later years, havi ng formed an organi-
zat ion known as SAFE, which was an
acronym for Safe Action in Flight Emer-
gencies, LeVier lobbi ed for better training
standards. To him the notion that it wasn't
necessary to learn spin recovery technique,
because modem airplanes are mostly spin-
proof, was asinine if not criminal when
applied to the training syllabus.
He almost made it to hi s 85th birthday,
but a long battle with cancer finally con-
cluded, and Tony left us with only
memories and photos of a Golden Age of
Aviation icon. ...
This shot was taken during EAA's "Golden Age of Air Racing" program, a highlight of the
1991 EAA Convention. Thanks to Ed Maloney of the Planes of Fame museum, EAA members
could see Tony and the Firecracker reunited once again. The racer is part of the Chino, CA
museum's collection. John Underwood Collection
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
STROMBERG
CARBURETORTOOLS
by NEAL F. WRIGHT
Fromthe Cess na 120/140Newsletter
Vintage A irplane Editor's Note:
While it's not generally recommended
that carburetor overhauls be done by
owner/operators, these additional tips,
used in conjunction with the
Bendix/ Stromberg Carb Overhaul
manual, can help you and your AI or
overhaul shop do an overhaul on your
Stromberg NA-S series carbo These in-
structions are not a complete description
ofthe overhaul and testing procedures,
nor do they replace any procedures in
the Stromberg manual. Be certain to
checkfor applicable Service Bulletins
as well. They may include SB's 71,
73, 74, 76,79and 84. After overhaul,
be certain to check the "float drop"
sometimes referred to as "needle lift ..
perSB 84.
Finally, a reminder concerning the
various needles used in the carb during
its service life. Originally, the NA-S3
series used a stainless steel needle rest-
ing in a sharp-edged seat. When that
combination didn't proved to be very
durable, they went to a synthetic rubber
needle tip resting in a new, radiused
seat. The rubber used on the tip was
not neoprene, contrary to what has
been commonly written. Later, after-
market versions ofthe needle, not made
by the original manufacturer, were
made with neoprene at the tip, and
they were the subject ofa service bul-
letin issued in 1963. At that time, the
needle was replaced by the original
manufacturer with one tipped with
Delrin, a plastic impervious to aro-
matic fuels. None of the neoprene
tipped needles should be used-and
the older Bendix produced parts with
the correct rubber tipping should have
been scrapped years ago, due to age.
Only the Delrin tipped needle is cur-
rently produced by the manufacturer
who has the rights to the Bendix line of
carburetors, Precision Aeromotive.
CARBURETOR FUELHEIGHT-SETTING
TOOL FOR THE STROMBERG NA-SlA1
When the Strombergneeds someold-fash-
ioned know-howto accomplishanoverhaul,
these tips and toolswill help you andyourAI
todo thejob.Notethatsomeartistic liberties
are taken inorderto makethe sketchesunder-
standableratherthanaccurateas to relative
sizesoftheparts.
The tool illustratedhere is madefrom a
pieceofaluminumangleand the dimensions
shownare whatcameofusing apieceabout
thatsize-theonlycriticaldimensionsare
thoseofthe lengthofthe "fingers."The ideal
distancefrom thetop edgeofthe bottomhalf
ofthe carburetorto thefuel levelwhenthe
thicknessofthegasketsunderthe inletseatis
13/32"(0.406),from the Strombergbooksand
service letters.Withoutatool like this, it is
verydifficultto properlyassessthe fuel level
becausethere isn'tmuchspace, notmuch"see-
ing"space,andthefuel "JUMPS."
One ofthe nicewordstaughtinphysicsis
"meniscus,"and it means thearchedinterface
ofanyfluid to the wall ofitscontainer.How
FIGURE1
NOTES
1. MATERIAL IS 0.125" ALUM. ANGLE.
2. BREAK ALL EDGES.
3. SEE TEXT REGARDING LEG CUTOUTS.
4. THE CENTER LEG IS 13/32 (00406").
THE SHORTER LEG IS 0.374" AND THE LONG LEG IS 0.430".
EACH OF THE END LEGS IS SHORTER OR LONGER THAN
THE DESIRED LENGTH BY 2164" (1/32").
8 AUGUST 1998
KEEPTOOL
CENTERED
BETWEEN
CARB BODY
ANDFLOAT.
FUEL
FIGURE2
FLOAT
float, and the carburetor body. Un-
less there is a gap between the tool
and the wall of the carburetor as
shown, two things can modify the ap-
parent depth, and these are: 1) the
slight radius of the tool corner can sit
up on the edge of the carburetor,
making it easy to misjudge the height
of the fuel, and 2) that bugaboo of
the action of capillary action by fuel
between the wall and the tool will
force the fuel to climb a surprising
amount. There isn't much play room
between the wall of the carburetor
and the float, so we are talking here
about a 1116 or 1/8" separation of
tool to wall.
The four scenes of Figure 3 illus-
trate the four possibilities of the fuel
level - much too low, next, deep
enough to touch the finger which is
2/64" (2/64ths are used here because
the tolerances of the level and the
thickness of the gaskets under the
seat are discussed ill 64ths by
Stromberg, so I have stayed with
their convention), and then what ap-
pears to be about the right depth
since both the too-long and the just-
right fingers are immersed in the
fluid, but the too-short finger is not.
Finally, the other extreme of having
all three fingers in the fuel, indicat-
ing that the fuel level is too high by
at least 2/64".
CARBURETOR
NOZZLETORQUING TOOL
The tools shown in Figure 4 al-
lows torquing the nozzle; without a
tool such as this, a secure attachment
to the nozzle during tightening is im-
possible unless one has a deep, deep
socket wrench which will fit the noz-
zle. The tool shown here is easy to
make if one has access to a torch
since the wrenches can be easily bent
in the vise once made red hot. If you
are really good at buying wrenches,
you could get a combination wrench,
with the box end for the nozzle and
the open end the correct size to fit
your torque wrench, normally 3/8 or
112" - if the open end is not exactly
the size needed to fit the torque
wrench, the open end can easily be
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CARB BODY
NOTE:NOTTO SCALE.
THISVIEWISINTENDEDTOSHOWTHERELATIONSHIP
OFTHE FUEL, DEPTHTOOL, FLOATANDCARB BODY.
extreme the meniscus is is a function
of its viscosity and the cleanliness of
the wall where the top of the fluid
touches it- for gasoline, with a low
viscosity, there is a significant menis-
cus formed at the interface of the
fuel and whatever tool is used to
probe its level. Because the fuel
seems to jump as the tool touches the
surface of the fuel, it is difficult to
determine the actual level of the fuel
as closely as you would wish when
considering the range of tolerance
Stromberg specifies, but this tool
makes it easier because it has a fin-
ger which is just right, a little long,
and a little short of the ideal 13/32".
Note that there is a separation be-
tween the fingers; if you assume that
a stair step arrangement for the fin-
gers would be easier to make and
would be just as good, be forewarned
that the meniscus which forms on the
long finger as it dips into the fuel
will lead to a capillary movement of
the fuel which makes it appear that
the shorter finger(s) is the actual
depth, but when you make the tool as
shown with the separation, there is
no capillary action between fingers
and so you get the best assessment of
the level. The usual caveat of: "break
all edges" is included on the sketch,
and it is important to make sure that
are no burrs on the bottom ends of
the fingers because any little projec-
tion would start the climb of the fuel
on the finger.
To Make The Tool , see Figure 1,
plus remember:
1. The cutouts between the legs
are necessary to prevent the gaso-
line from "jumping" from one leg to
the other.
It is important, whatever tool is
used to measure the depth of the fuel,
to make sure the measurement is
made away from the wall of the car-
buretor. Now take a look at Figure 2.
This illustration shows the relation-
ship of the fuel, the depth tool, the
FIGURE3
USINGTHE FUELLEVELTOOL
(Seetextforcompletedescription)
CARB BOWL
CARB BOWL
WITHIN 2/64" OF CORRECT DEPTH - FUEL JUMPS TO
FUEL LEVEL TOO LOW - FUEL DOES NOT TOUCH
FORM MENISCUS AT LONGER TOOL FINGER.
TOOL FINGERS.
CARB BOWL CARB BOWL
FUEL LEVEL IS CORRECT - 0.406" (13/32") FROM TOP FUEL LEVEL IS AT LEAST 2/64" TOO HIGH - FUEL
OF BOTTOM HALF OF CARB BOWL TO FUEL SURFACE. JUMPS TO SHORTEST TOOL FINGER.
FUEL JUMPS TO CENTER TOOL FINGER AT FUEL LEVEL.
10 AUGUST 1998
opened to the correct size with a mill
or simply a good file and some pa-
tience. Itis important to torque the
nozzle, just as it is critically neces-
sary to torque the needle valve seat.
In order to be able to properly
tighten and torque the nozzle, we
took a box end wrench and bent it
such that it could fit down in the ven-
turi on the nozzle. The end without
the hex opening was shaped such
that the torque wrench can get a pur-
chase, and this was made easier by
cutting a 3/8" slot in that end.
The fuel inlet needle seat, made of
brass, looks something like the one
shown in Figure 5.
FIGURE4
I
"--\.:_-
- - - - - - ~ = = ~ = = ~
OFFSET
" I
I
NOTTOSCALE
ACOMBINATIONOR BOXENDWRENCH IS HEATEDANDBENTTOALLOW
THEBOXENDTOTORQUETHEFUELNOZZLEINTHEVENTURI. THEOPPOSITE
ENDOFTHEWRENCH ISSHAPEDTOALLOWA3/8"OR1/2"TORQUE
WRENCHTOENGAGETHETOOL.
REMEMBERTOCALCULATETHETORQUEVALUEOFTHEFUELNOZZLE
WITHTHEOFFSETDIMENSIONOFTHISSPECIALTOOLTAKEN INTOACCOUNT.
FIGURE5
Ithas two portions of a wide slot
which are to be used to install and
torque or remove the seat. Screw-
drivers the size necessary to properly
fit in the slot remainders are few and
far between, but it is important to
use something with a wide enough
and thick enough blade that there
will be no tear-out or burring.
CAUTION: Don' t use the wrong
size screwdriver bit - trying to in-
stall the seat with a regular
screwdriver or by only engaging one
side properly will most likely result
in a burr or distortion of the needle
seat, requiring its replacement.
We recommend the following
tool. This tool (see Figure 6), a bit
made to be used with a socket
wrench, is just the ticket for in-
stalling or removing the needle seat
since the size of the blade ensures a
snug fit inthe split slots of the seat.
Tools like this are readily available
from all socket manufacturers - we
believe it is necessary because of the
importance of properly torquing the
seat - if you don't do that "little"
step, there will be an insidious leak
via the threads of the seat which will
defy a search.
We hope these tips will help you
and your AI and/or overhaul shop
perform a long lasting, accurate
overhaul of your Stromberg carbure-
tor. They're very good carbs, but
they can be deceptive - simple in
concept, they need accuracy when
work is performed on them. ....
PARTIALCROSSSECTION-
STROMBERG NEEDLESEAT
FIGURE6
3/8OR1/2"DRIVE
FLATSCREWDRIVERBIT
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
THE FIRSTVOYAGER
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
DebbieSnavely, A&P
Lake Placid, FL
National Stinson Club (108 Section), and
between the two of them, the 108 series of
airplanes is very well covered in the type
club world. She really appreciated the ag-
gravation and everything else he put up
with while she rebuilt the little lOA. "Men
have a tendency to want to help, and then
they do it." (Rats - we've been busted,
guys- HGF.) "Bill let me do it, so I really
want to say thanks a lot to him," Deb re-
The three-place Stinson lOAVoyager was a popular pre-WW-II airplane, with 500 examples
builtbeforethewarpreemptedproductioninWayne, MI.
called with a grin.
She's owned the project for eight years,
ever since Rusty and Melinda Barnes passed
along the lOA to her. With the exception of
a couple of small items, it was a complete
airplane, and was in pretty good repair. The
wooden horizontal stabilizer had been com-
pletely replaced. The elevators on the lOA
are steel tube with pressed steel ribs, as is
the rudder. There was a little repair work to
be done on the tail structures, but nothing a
general and thorough cleaning up and re-
painting couldn' t handle. Debbie did all this
work as the airplane was restored, putting
her A&P skills to work in a practical mode.
She earned her A&P license in 1989, having
spent time with George Heinley, who used
to work for the Franklin Motors Company.
Deb and Bill, who had been an A&P for
many years, bought their home from George,
and Deb spent a lot of time bugging George
when she was a youngster. "How does that
work?" and "Why do you do it that way?"
were all questions she used to ask the older
man. She learned a lot from him, and later fig-
ured that an A&P would give her a certain
amount of independence from having to rely
on others when it carne to maintaining her air-
planes. She's got her own hangar, complete
with a white floor that her husband says is as
bright and shiny as the neatest shop of a corpo-
rate FBO. The hangar is guarded by five real
watch-peacocks. Deb says they let her know
very quickly with a lot of screeching, as only
a peacock can, if anyone is near her hangar.
Being married to Bill as another A&P
(he has his LA.) with great welding ability
was certainly an asset, as Deb imposed on
his skills for the repairs needed on the fuse-
lage. There were a few spots on the
fuselage that did need a little work, but
nothing unexpected - they were of the
"rusted out lower aft longerons" variety.
The fuselage on the 1OA is a steel tube
truss with a set ofwood formers and stringers
added to fill out its shape. That much wood-
working can be a formidable challenge for
some restorers, but Deb dove right in, re-
Bill Snavely, husband of restorer Debbie Snavely, flies the lOA (Debbie had to return to Lake Placid
to attend to business) in the early morning hours east of Lakeland. Debbie's restoration of the
Voyager was honored with its selection as the Best Monoplane of the 1998 Sun 'n Fun EM Fly-In.
placing what she needed, and using much of 108 series. "Most people don't understand
what was available. She feels the wood- them ... so most people buy a Continental or
working can be intimidating for some Lycoming and are perfectly happy with it."
people, as can dealing with the Franklin en- Deb enjoys working on the Franklin, and in
gines that power the lOA and its later kin, the fact it's all she flies behind these days. An
14 AUGUST 1998
Arnold Greenwell
interesting sidelight is the installation of a
McCauley controllable propeller, originally
used by the factory as test prop for one of the
options available on the lOA.
Deb's work running the National Stinson
Club (108 Section) has helped her and Bill
knock out some misinformation about the
airplanes and their power plants. It also
helped while she was rebuilding the lOA.
One day a fellow in the club called and told
Deb he had a 6 inch Grimes landing light
Arnold Greenwell
(the type that are motor driven into position)
but what he really needed was a 9 inch ver-
sion of the same light. That was just what
Deb needed to hear-she had a 9 inch, and
was willing to trade. The little Voyager got
its correct landing light.
On another occasion, Deb was keeping
watch in the Type Club tent at the Sun 'n Fun
EAA Fly-In when another member asked her
if she was still looking for the distinctive
etched, stainless steel decorative emblems
used on each side ofthe fuselage forward of
the door. "Why, yes," was her reply. The
member told Deb where they were, so Deb
scooted right over only to find the vendor
closed. A return the following morning met
with di sappointment, as the emblems had
been sold. Crushed, she returned to the Type
Club tent, and within the hour the member
returned. "Still need these?" he said. The
thoughtful man had bought them to be sure
Deb got them, and made them available to
her for a reasonable price.
Deb set out from the beginning to restore
the airplane as original as possible, and to
help accomplish that goal, she started with
the headliner. It turned out to her satisfac-
tion, so she redid the interior upholstery in a
ribbed whip cord that duplicates the Laid-
law broadcloth used in 1941. The Stinson
logo was embroidered on the aft bulkhead
access hatch, and on the side pockets up for-
ward in the cockpit. The center instrument
panel woodgrain was duplicated by Bennie
(Left) The clean landing gear of the Voyager
can trace its heritage to the larger Reliant
series. The landing shock loads are handled
by a pair of "Springdraulic" shock absorbers
mounted in the fuselage. The original plane
came equipped with Hayes hydraulic brakes.
Debbie has chosen to replace them with
Cleveland drum brakes, due to the difficulty
in maintaining the Hayes brakes.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Estes and Brad Hindall using the original
process. A couple of concessions were
made in the fitting out of the instrument
panel. An RST Nav/Com was installed,
along with a Narco transponder. Deb also
added an original factory option - brakes
for the right side pilot.
In the center of each control wheel is an
original Stinson factory salesman lapel pin.
The lOA was a pretty advanced airplane
for its size and market. Many big plane fea-
tures trickled down to the littlest Stinson
from the "big boys," including three-position