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DECEMBER
VOL 37, No. 12
2009
CONTENTS
2
News
4 2009 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee
Stephen Pitcairn
6
One Outstanding
Stinson Flying Station Wagon .
. . . Soon to be joined by its sister ship
by Sparky Barnes Sargent
13
Peach State Aerodrome and Candler Field Museum
A tangible tapestry of time
by Sparky Barnes Sargent
2
A
Country
Boy's Dream
The story of Aircraft By Shue
by Dick Crenshaw
24 Light Plane Heritage
The Dormoy Bath Tub
by Jack McRae
6
What
Our Members
Are
Restoring
Ray Lemmon's Stinson 108
by H.G. Frautschy
28 Chapter Locator
ST FF
EAA Publisher
Tom
Poberezny
3 The Vintage Mechanic
Director of EAA Publications
Mary Jones
Fuel and oil systems
Executive
Di rector/Editor
H.G. Frautschy
by Robert G. Loc k
Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman
Photography
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
by H.G. Fra utschy
34
Mystery Plane
Advertising Coordinator
Sue Anderson
Classified Ad Coordinator
Lesley Poberezny
Copy Editor Colleen Walsh
36
Vintage Book Reviews
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heVintage Instructor Column
The Vintage Instructor
column will
be
taking
a brief break during the
winter
months
as
we revise
the
edi
torial
calendar
related
to that
fea
ture. Due
to
the pressing needs
of
his business, Doug Stewart will
no
longer be writing the column. Doug
began writing for our then-new col
umn, The Vintage Instructor in
Janu
ary of 2003. We
thank
Doug for his
efforts as the leadoff batter,
and
we wish
him
well in
the
future.
Vintage
irplane
Magaz
in
e
With
the announcement
by
EAA
of the ending of publication of
Sport Pilot
&
Light-Sport Aircraft
and
the incorporation
of
the
content
of
that magazine
into a
new EAA
Sport Aviation a few
VAA members
have
wondered
aloud
i f there are
any
similar
planned
changes
to the
division publications,
and in
par
ticular
to Vintage
Airplane. In short,
the
answer is no.
VAA and
its board of directors rec
ognize that
one
of
the
most visible
and anticipated member
benefits
is our
monthly
magazine,
and
that
its
publication
as a printed maga
zine
is
important to
each member.
While
continuing to print
Vintage
Airplane we will explore
other
tech
nologies
to
further
enhance
mem
bership, including
EAA s online
community at www.Oshkosh365.
and may it always
be
so."
Treasurer C
ha
rlesW
Harris Retires
Citing personal reasons, VAA Treasurer Charles
W.
Harris has
an-
nounced his retirement from the VAA board of directors, effective im-
mediately. Prior to making his retirement announcement, Charlie had
advised the board
he
had not felt well for several months.
On
medical
examination
he
was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder
that is being treated successfully, and a full recovery is expected.
In a letter to his fellow direc-
tors, he wrote:
It has been a unique honor
and rare
privi
lege
to
have
served EAA the Vintage Aircraft
Association board, Paul, Tom ,
and
the entire
leadership and
membership
of EAA
and
VAA.
I will be
most
happy to assist
in any transitional matters with
those elected or named to suc-
ceed
me
.
My
very best
wishes to all of the officers and
directors of the Vintage
Air-
craft Association in
the
years
to come. Vintage
is the finest
such organization
in
the world,
Harris, who has also stepped down from his volunteer efforts dur-
ing EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, has been a member of the board since
being elected in
1988,
and he has served as
VAA
treasurer since
1996.
An
inductee
of
the
VAA
Hall
of
Fame, Charlie has served the
membership
on
a national and local basis for more than 35 years.
We've been in regular
contact
with Charlie over the
past
couple of
weeks; he is home and tells us
he
has had significant improvement
on
the road to recovery. We all wish him well
http://www.oshkosh365/http://www.oshkosh365/
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feedback noted. Those comments
were exactly what EAA needed to take
back to its wireless partners and sup
pliers to make things better in 2010.
We'll continue to survey EAA mem
bers and AirVenture attendees to de
termine
the best way
to meet
the
demand next year. Look for updates
as
we
make progress over the winter
and use your ideas to make things
better
on
the Net next summer
Members im to Resurrect
Bugatt
Racer
Two Oklahoma EAA members
Scotty
Wilson, EAA snss and
Gregg Carlson,
EAA 101S379-are
hoping to create a true replica of the
Bugatti Model 100 racer. The sleek
machine was built by famed auto
mobile maker Ettore Bugatti and en
gineer Louis de Monge to compete
in an air race before the outbreak
of World War II, but it
wasn't
fin
ished in time.
When the
German
army marched on Paris in June
1940, the project was abandoned
before the airplane ever
flew.
Even
tually, it was brought
to
America by
car aficionado
Ray
Jones to acquire
its engines. In 1996, the aircraft was
donated to EAA, and it's on display
at EAA s AirVenture Museum.
In mid-October Wilson and Carl
son came to
EAA
to
identify the
plane's airfoil using a "Profiler," an
electronic plotter that rolls along the
wing's surface, transferring data to a
computer for analysis. Because there
is no comprehensive set of drawings
covering the entire aircraft, "the only
way to build one is to backwards en
Scotty Wilson, left, and Gregg Carlson meticulously plot the original Bu-
gatti wing in attempts to determine its NACA airfoil. EAA has the airplane
displayed in the AirVenture Museum.
the F-16 s by 40 years.
Construction
of the replica
started
in May. The fuselage shell
is finished, and Wilson expects to
complete the empennage and fuse
lage over this winter.
The replica racer is being built
to
accommodate the Bugatti SOB en
gines modified for aircraft use, turn
ing
two
metal, ground-adjustable,
contra-rotating Ratier propellers,
but the likely powerplants will
be two late-1990s/early
2000s
BMW engines.
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Scouring the
nation for at
least one
example of
the Pitcairn
Mailwing
series of
biplanes was
one of
Pitcairn s
passions.
Here he pilots
the PA 8M
Super
Mailwing
(right), with
the PA 6
Super
Mailwing,
along the
shore
of
Lake
Winnebago in
1997.
S
ephen Pitcairn,
the son
of
the aviation entrepreneur
Harold Pitcairn, founder of
Pitcairn Aircraft, preserved
his father s legacy by restoring Pit
cairn aircraft
and donating
to
many
aircraft
endeavors.
He had a
deep
love for aviation
and
attained his
pilot certificate around 1940.
Because of the effects of a child
hood illness,
Stephen
Pitcairn was
rejected from military service, but
he
was able to fly with the Civil Air
Patrol along the
East
Coast of the
United
States searching for enemy
submarines. For a short time he flew
DC-3s for Eastern Air Lines. In the
1950s
he
was
denied
his
FAA
med
ical certificate. During
this time he
put
his energies toward antique cars.
When
he finally got his medical cer
tificate back
in the
1970s,
he
began
buying and restoring Pitcairn aircraft.
Stephen Pitcairn
served EAA as
a
member of the
EAA
Foundation
board of directors from 1982 through
1990. After
the
restoration
of
EAA s
Ford Tri-Motor was completed
he
made
possible the
construction of
EAA s
Pitcairn Hangar
on
Pioneer Air
port. The hangar serves
as
the perfect
place
to
tell
the
story of his father s
company Pitcairn
Aviation
and
stands
as
a grand location to display
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Steve and his friend and mechanic for many of his projects, Mike
Posey left) of posey Brothers Aviation , as they assembled the
Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro Miss Champion before
it
was flown for the
last time
and
placed
on
display at the M AirVenture Museum.
Mike Posey and Steve with the Pitcairn PA-8M
Super Mailwing in the background.
After regaining . . J
c
IS
A medical certifi
ate, Steve and his Mail .
regular attende wings. became
East and M·d es to many flY-inS
in
the
I west.
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t was a fairly short hop from
Antiquers
Aerodrome
in Del
ray Beach
to Sun 'n Fun for
Richard Preiser and
his
Stin
son, but
it
was a decades-in
started a family. Being dO-it-your
seifers
at heart, he
and
his wife,
Peggy, decided
to
go
into their
own
printing business. The sale
of
the
Corvettes
funded
that venture, and
1947
ad
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after a brief conversation, he sent
Gene a deposit for
the
Stinson, sight
unseen-and
then
asked Peggy for
permission to buy it.
this manner: "New America's first
personal/cargo' plane See
the
new
Stinson
Flying
Station
Wagon.
Re-
inforced 24-cu.-ft. cargo compart
ment
in 2-tone
plywood
paneling
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a
height
of 7 feet 6 inches
in
level
attitude. It weighs
1,320
pounds
empty and has a useful load of
1,080 pounds. Its maximum struc
tural cruising
speed
is 126 mph,
with
a
cruise speed
around
108
mph-just right
to
enjoy
some
fresh air from its sliding windows.
With a SO-gallon fuel
capacity
(a
25-gallon
tank
in each wing)
and
a
10-gph fuel burn, it offers a range
of around 540 miles.
If you look carefully at the Stin
son's
wings,
you'll
notice
slots
in
the leading edges, which increase
the airflow over the ailerons at high
angles of attack, thereby providing
greater stability and control. And
the slightly offset vertical stabilizer
(for the 1948 model) helps counter
act the torque of the 165-hp Franklin
engine. Slotted wing flaps
enhance
takeoff performance, and landings
were
cushioned
by the
cantilever
gear's
oleo-spring
shock absorbers.
The Model 108-3 Flying
Station
Wagon sold for $6,484 in 1948, ac
cording to aviation historian Joseph
Juptner U.S
. Civil Aircraft
Vol.
8).
Touted as
being roomy and
soundproofed, with
quick
takeoffs
and
slow landings, Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft Corporation fur
ther enticed its targeted share of
the market by advertiSing that be
ginners
can solo this spin-resistant
Stinson in only about
eight hours'
flying
time " and thereby offered
a "special flight
plan
for
business
and
professional
men
...
your
Stin
son
dealer
will teach you to fly,
free-up to
and
including solo. It
Kevin Proodian (kneeling) and
Richard Preiser these longtime
friends are both aficionados of
Stinson 108-3s.
of its first owner. Later,
while
Rich
ard was focused
on
his family and
printing
business, NC6364M was
doing touch-and-goes between var
ious owners from Nebraska to Flor
ida, and
then on to
Ohio, where it
languished for a
number
of years.
Gene
Engelskirger, who restored
the
airplane,
wrote this
about
NC6364M:
"[It had] been
around
the Cleveland
area since 1972
and
was tied down
next
to
my
first res
About a month
after I bought
64M I thought
'Wou
Id
n't
it
be
neat
to
have two
airplanes with
consecutive
serial
num
b
'
rs
.....
Richard Preiser
battery drain hose originally went
through the empty hole, and a ser
vice bulletin put it where it is now.
This was to eliminate acid on
the
gear leg paint.
• Franklins
had
red lettering on
the
rocker covers. [But]
not
in
the
later
production
years, according
to
[the late Charlie Hart], a former em
ployee of Franklin Aircooled Motors.
•
A
lot
of
Stinsons have cowling
props on both sides. [But]
per
the
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Left: Stinson
he
interior
and panel of NC6364M.
Below left and above:
Close up views
of
panel.
what
is perhaps the Stinson's
gentleman in
California
who
was parting
out several Stin
sons had one
that
still
had
the
latches
on the position
lights.
Then the only
thing
we were
missing was
the
ceramic insu-
lator that goes
on
the tail,
and
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he aileron hinge fairings are made
of
cast aluminum
Baggage capacity in this compartment is
1
pounds
and other
items include an Ameri
King AK-350 encoder, a Bendix/
minum
spars are riveted together,
making it hard to replace
the
spars.
the
Stinson
and fly
it
together
to
Florida . I t was a
memorable
occa
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make
the
transi tion from tricycle to
tailwheel, and Kevin actually made a
pOint to go flying
on
windy days, be-
cause Antiquers has trees on one side
and a tower
on
another
side, so you
really have
to
know
how
to
handle
the airplane.
The aircraft is very forgiving, said
Kevin,
adding,
I
tell people it is like a
four-place Piper Cub-the same wing
planform, a Hershey bar with round
wingtips. The takeoff
and landing
speed is 80
mph
, and it stalls at 61.4
mph, with flaps down. It
's
a very hon
est airplane, and very affordable.
Richard's delight in flying his
Wagon is obvious,
as
well
as
his dedi
cation to keeping the airplane in top
notch
condition. Since he's
owned
it, it has been awarded the 2008
Best
Restored Classic (101-165 hp) and
2009
Outstanding
Classic Aircraft
(9/1/45-12/31/55)
at Sun 'n Fun.
ll in the Details
There are
numerous
fine details
that
make NC6364M's
restoration
an award winner-and since a casual
observer
may
not even be aware of
some of these items, Kevin shared his
knowledge about them. Everything
is
original to this airplane, minus the
Cleveland wheels and brakes, he
ex-
plained. They came from the factory
with Goodrich brakes. This airplane
has the original-type split windshield,
paint
scheme,
and
polished alumi
num
trim. The headliner is complete
with the original dome light and ele
vator/rudder trim controls. The 108-3
was
available in two colors-the Stin
son Maroon or
Blue
only, with Diana
plained
that they
are different from
most because they have two fastener
strips
on the
back
side
and four
small, raised vents
on
the
front.
Richard humbly confesses that,
af-
ter he
bought
NC6364M
and
began
thoroughly observing all of its de
tails, I told Gene
that
I didn't pay
him
enough for
all the
detailed work
that was done on
i t he is
a
super
nice
guy,
and he got a chuckle out of
that
. I paid his price,
but lowe him z
UJ
money-you know what I mean?
To
«
see the work he did, I know he didn 't
UJ
make a dollar an hour.
li
Stinson Sister Ships
n
Throughout their lives, the n
Preisers have worked hard for
what
:
they have, and they derive a
deep
-
satisfaction
from
achieving their
hands-on goals-whether
it's
run
ning a successful business, remod
eling their home, or their
latest
endeavor-restoring
an
airplane .
My wife and
I
took
a
six-room
house and
made
it
into
a gorgeous
mansion, explained
Richard,
smiling. My wife
and
I
painted
it
inside
and
out, we did all
the
wood
working
together,
and we bought
186
tons of
bricks
and made our
own driveway. That took about
six months of laying the
sand
and
shell rock foundation, and then the
brick with
our own
hands.
So
it's just
natural that
Richard
feels a bit uncomfortable accepting
compliments for NC6364M.
Now
he
's determined
to restore
its sis
ter ship with his own hands,
and
to that end, he's keeping his hand
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Close up view of the inspection plates.
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Photo of Stearman Model 6L Cloudboy flying,
by
Jeff Jeffares.
Patrons enjoying the cuisine
in
the Barnstormer s Grill.
A
1928
Stearman C-3B alights C-3B slowly S-turns
past
a field of
gently
on the
long grass runway
at
colorful vintage
airplanes,
sun
Peach State
Aerodrome
as a 1929
light glinting from its
polished,
Curtiss Robin s Wright )6-5 coughs
hand-spun
spinner. The stately bi
1930s-style
hangar where an
ami
able
crowd
of folks
has
gathered.
Children are leaning over a wooden
picket
fence, waving
at
all the pi
lots, and
antique autos,
tractors,
and
even
a horse-drawn carriage
line the
parking
lot. Inside, melo
dious notes from
a
player piano
entwine with the hunger-stirring
aroma of freshly baked pies straight
from the
ovens
of the
Barnstorm
er s Grill, where
a
virtual smor
gasbord,
ranging
from salads and
sandwiches to seafood
and
filet mi
gnon,
is
served. Laughter
and
chat
ter resound
through
the
eatery,
spilling
out onto the
patio s locals
and
visitors alike join in
the
fun of
reliving
the era
of
early
aviation,
here in rural Williamson,
just
30
miles south of Atlanta, in
the
heart
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Looking Back
Back in
1909
, a businessman
by
the
name of Asa Griggs Can
dler (who owned the Coca-Cola
Company
at
the time) opened a
new
racetrack
near
Hapeville,
Georgia. Situated in a wide-open
field, i t was also the
perfect
loca
tion
for aerial exhibitions,
which
were held
there
in 1910 and 1911.
Eventually, more attention was fo
cused on the practical aspects of
aviation, and
another gentleman
from
the
local area,
James
H. El-
liott, decided to lease the racetrack
and prep some additional acreage
for airplane use. Elliott opened
his flying business
there
in 1919
and sold
the field in 1923.
The
following
year, a couple
of local
aviators-Doug Davis and Beeler
Blevins-began
prevailing
upon
Atlanta's mayor, Bill Hartsfield, to
recognize the business value of avi
ation . Davis established his own
flying circus,
and
he and Blevins
each built
their own
hangars at
Candler Field, thereby establish
ing a base of
operations
for their
separate flying businesses. And
fi-
nally, in
1925, Mayor
Hartsfield
acknowledged that Candler Field
was indeed a good location for t-
lanta 's airport. Four years later,
the
city
purchased
the airfield, which
eventually evolved
into
today's
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Interna
tional Airport.
Candler Field Museum
Ron Alexander is
the man
be
hind Peach
State Aerodrome
and
Delta Air Lines pilot with a gentle
and easygoing personality,
he is
also a
highly driven entrepreneur.
He's established
numerous
success
ful aviation businesses (see sidebar),
yet
he
wanted
to
realize at least
one
other ambitious
dream-building
an
antique
airplane museum that
The overall objective
is for you
to
walk
into
this museum
nd
feel
like you're stepping
back
into th t
era.
e also
w nt
people to
enjoy riding in
n
old
car,
in
a horse-drawn
carriage,
nd
flying in
n
old airplane.
- Ron Alexande
would be
just a bit unusual. For
one,
he
wanted to
pay
tribute to a
particular era of aviation
and
his
tory-that being
the
late 1920s
and
early 1930s-in an er ting mu
a living
museum
was necessary to
create the
tangible tapestry of time
he
desired. With that in mind,
some of the
things
we have
are not going to be pristine
or
award-winning
airplanes
or cars,
but they're going to be functionaV'
Alexander
explained.
The over
all objective
is
for you to walk
into
this
museum
and feel like you're
stepping back
into
that era. We also
want
people
to
enjoy riding in an
old car,
in
a
horse-drawn
carriage,
and
flying in an old airplane.
J
Another key thread that adds
depth
and
texture to this tapestry
is
Alexander's belief that to make
this
kind
of museum work, you've
got to have other than aviation
people
come out
and support it.
You need to include those
who
are
involved in
antique
automobiles,
tractors,
and even vintage cloth
ing-and
just
include everything
involved in that era.
Since Atlanta is his
home
base,
he
decided that preserving its rich
local
history would
be ideal.
He
knew that Davis, a 1920s aviator,
was
from the local area and had
built the first
hangar on
Candler
Field. So I
thought
that a logical
thing
to do would
be to develop
Candler
Field as it
existed
in the
late 1920s and early 1930s/' he
said, and focus on that.
That
idea blossomed into a
mul
tifaceted project.
Alexander
re
searched the history
of
Candler
Field and found some photographs
of what
it
looked
like
in the
early
1930s. Then he
started
looking
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939
DC-3A antique autos, and a Davis airplane.
Bird s-eye view of the Stearman C-3B and Curtiss
Robin.
C
andler
f
ield
- tuseum
Concept drawing
of
the Candler Field Museum complex.
physically
accommodate
a
variety
of hangars
and
buildings. Peach
State Airport, as it has
been
called,
has been
here
since 1966,
he
ex
plained,
and I
finally discovered
that the 100 acres
adjacent
to
it
was for sale
at
a fairly reasonable
price.
So I
decided to purchase
the
entire package and
develop
a por
tion
of
it as Peach State Airpark to
help pay for the runway.
We
didn't
have
an
architect put
it
together; I
just visualized it in
my mind,
and
gineer, said
Alexander.
He has
collected antique
aviation mem
orabilia
and old airplanes
, too.
He's
donated
two KR-34
biplanes,
which will be
restored, and
an
OX-S Robin,
which
is currently
undergoing restoration.
We have
a
mechanic who works with
vol
unteers to help
restore and
main
tain
the
museum airplanes.
As
a work
in
progress,
the mu
seum
will continue
to
evolve, and
the next building
slated
for con
otating
Exhibits
Just as a shuttle carries new
threads
back
and forth to weave
fabric, Alexander plans
to
breathe
vitality
into
the museum 's
tangi
ble
tapestry by continually rotat
ing the exhibits of airplanes, autos,
and tractors .
So
at any given time,
visitors will hopefully be able to see
something they haven't yet seen
and perhaps even be able to go for a
ride or flight in it. What we try to
do
is get people to put airplanes on
loan to us for a while, explained
Alexander, and rotate them
in
and
out. For
example,
we
had
a guy
with an
Aeronca
Champ
here
for
a while ,
and
the Curtiss Robin is
owned by a local pilot [Richard Ep-
ton] who flies it
on
a regular basis.
To
date,
airplanes in the rotat
ing exhibits include a 1929 Curtiss
Robin, a
1928
Waco CSO, a 1928
C-3B Stearman, a 1930
Stearman
L Cloudboy, a 1939 Douglas DC
3A, and
a 1941
Stearman
PT-17 .
Barbery's OX-S Robin will join
the
others
when
its restoration
is
com
plete,
as
will a 1918 Curtiss IN-4D,
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
19/44
The Stearman C 3B.
Even
though they re on display inside, each of the
antique autos are operational.
plane
in
1991. Ri
ght
now
we use it
for
training
and some promotional
work, but it doesn't fly more than
about SO hours a year or so.
Alexander acquired
the
Stear
man C-3B about 10 years ago from
antiquer
friend Jim Friedline . I
had a PT-17 that was destroyed
in
a
tornado, and
I
traded Jim my
busted-up airplane for the C-3B. I
flew it a couple
of
years,
and
at the
time, I was
one
of the
three
own
ers of Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings
in
California. We had a restora
tion company that we had started
out
there
at Flabob
Airport,"
re
called Alexander,
"and
a
young
man
by
the
name of Brian New
man
did
a large
bulk
of the resto
ration on the airplane.
Of the aircraft he has, Alexan
der treasures one in
particular-not
only because it handles very nicely,
but
also
because there
weren't
many
built. Smiling, he said, The
most
unique and rare airplane
I
have is my square-tail 1931 Stear
man Model 6L
Cloudboy,
with a
Lycoming 220.
It
was
designed
as
restaurant portion of the
field.
Walking trails wind
through the
airpark, and there are runway lots
as well as a few
lakefront
lots on
site. Owners design
their
homes
and hangars to be
constructed
with a Vintage-style exterior, in
keeping with
Peach
State's over
all
theme.
Yet
the aerodrome
is home to
more than just
the
museum and
airpark
residents-it 's also
head
quarters for
the
Georgia chapter
of
the Antique
Airplane Associa
tion
and EAA
Chapter
468. The
newly formed Georgia
Cub
Flyers
have
adopted
Peach State as
their
home base as well; they held
their
first
fly-in here in August 2009,
with
nearly
30
Cubs
and
more
than a hundred
Cub
aficionados
attending. Other
groups
also meet
here-including the Flying Grif
fins,
which
is a radio-controlled
model
airplane club, and
shhh
the
Quiet
Birdmen.
But
that's
not all. Since Alex
ander's
vision
encompasses
more
than
antique
airplanes,
the
local
neighbors.
We 've
had
a
couple
of aviation events,
but
we've also
had a chorale, chamber of com
merce
meetings,
and it's mostly
general events like that. The lo
cal
community,
including the
county
commissioners, has really
embraced
this
museum.
They're
very
pleased
to
have
us here,
and
this is
the
very first
museum
in
Pike County. They think it's great,
and we get real
good
support from
them. Ninety percent of the peo
ple
who
visit here are non-aviation
people." That means that more
people are
becoming
familiar with
grass
strips and airplanes, which
helps foster a positive public per
ception of general aviation.
You re Invited
A variety of special events are
held throughout
the
year at
the
museum,
and aviators
as well as
the general public are warmly wel
comed. A first-time vintage week
end was
held
in September 2009,
complete with
visitors in
period
costume, music
provided by a
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
20/44
n Alexander
just can t
imagine life
without flying. When
he
was a
cadet
in
the Civil Air Patrol at age 14, he took a
ide
in
a C 119 Flying Box
car
and
knew
he was meant
to
be a pilot. He soon soloed an
Aeronca
Champ
near his home in
Bloomington,
Indiana, and
earned
his flight instructor
rating
.
By
the time he entered
the
Air Force
in 1964, he
had
already logged
800 hours
. His five
years
in
the
Air Force
included
one tour in
Vietnam,
flying
the C 7 Caribou.
In 1969,
he
started flying for Delta Air Lines
Ron Alexander and his Stearman
C-3B, inside Candler
Field
Museum.
Aeroplane Company
out of our
hangar at Cedar Ridge. I also
bought a Stits distributorship
from a local person, because Ray
Stits wasn t sure he wanted me to
be a distributor. Then
in 1992
, I
bought Stits-I owned it outright
myself for a few years. Then I
had
a partner-Jon Goldenbaum,
who still manages Poly-Fiber
and
we ended up merging
Ceconite into it, so
there
were
three of
us that owned
it
.
He also started a technical
center
in
Griffin, Georgia,
during
that
time. "
When
I owned Alexander Aeroplane, I discovered that
the best way
to
sell products was to teach people
how to use
them
. So we
started
a workshop
program, formally teaching people
how to
do fabric
covering, composite
and
sheet metal work, welding,
and so forth. Ultimately it became the SportAir
Workshops,
and I sold
it to
EAA. And in 1996, I sold
Alexander Aeroplane to Aircraft Spruce."
His
recent
endeavors include his composite
repair company, Atlanta Aerospace Composites,
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
21/44
I guess my
thing
in life,' if I have to
have 'a thing,' is
to
start something,
and
then
once I
get
it up
and
running,
let somebody else
have it." Reflecting
for a
moment,
he laughed again
and
commented,
"Sometimes it's
not
all successful
I enjoy taking
risks; it's
partly
the
challenge, and
it's also because
I enjoy creating
something
from nothing.
What
makes
it
possible is
the
people who work for
me. I hire my people based entirely on
their
atti tudes-not their
resumes at
all. I
want to know them, spend some
time with them,
and
I
want
them
to
have good, positive attitudes.
We
do
build every single business based on
customer service."
Alexander's primary passion, above
all else, is simply flying. Smiling
and
laughing wholeheartedly, he
declared,
"It's my life You know, I don t
know
what I'd do
if
I
couldn t
fly. o me,
there s nothing
better
than taking
one
of
these biplanes out and flying
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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The story
o
ircraft By Shue
BY
DICK
CRENSHAW
and
his dual-instruction
lessons
with
his
brother
Charlie
and
other
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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Left: Prior to being covered, this is the completed
structure of AI Shimer s UMF 5.
The interest
in
Waco airplanes be
gan in 1964 when John
purchased
his UPF-7
basket
case. He was still
working at AMP at this time, and
the
restoration became a seven-year,
part-time weekends
and
nights proj
ect. In May
of
1971, the
plane
flew
for the first time since 1946.
Grand Champion at the National
Biplane Association Expo in 2007
and
Reserve
Grand
Champion
in
2003, 2005, and 2006.
I t
was Best
In Class-Waco open cockpit at the
National Fly-In in Blakesburg,
Iowa, in 2004,2005, and 2007. Also
listed were five other awards re
John s UPF-7 was the first of five EAA Oshkosh award winners. The five
airplanes so
honored at the annual
EAA
fly-in are:
ear
Model N Number
Owner
1972
UPF 7
NC3016S
John Shue
1986
UPF 7
NC32183 Dr. Criss Kidder
2000
UPF 7 NC32084
Loel Crawford
2000
UPF 7
NC29303
Dick
Ash
2008 UPF-7
NC32071
Jack Hill
The awards were
not
limited to Os-
hkosh; Jack Hill s
UPF 7
won best
in
show at
the
Burlington, North Caro
lina, fly-in and
was
also Grand Cham
pion at the 2009 Sun
n
Fun Fly-In.
All of the above aircraft were based
on
the East Coast at
the time
they
were displayed at
the
EAA
Fly-In in
Oshkosh. That
had me
wondering if
there were
any
Shue-restored Wacos
west of
the
Mississippi River receiv
ing recognition. I contacted Gary
Pe-
tersen
in
Walton, Nebraska,
and
got
quite a surprising response.
Gary s UPF-7, NC39743,
won
ceived in
the
Nebraska area.
To
date the
Shues have restored
10 Wacos, and many
of these
air
craft have
been
winners at regional
air
shows
and fly-ins. It is hard
to
keep track
of the
awards since
many
of these planes
are not
located in
the
Pennsylvania area.
Scott learned the aircraft restora
tion
trade by working
with his fa
ther.
By
the
time they
reached Loel
Crawford s UPF-7 (NC32084),
he
was pretty
much
the lead man. Scott
has restored
and
completed
the
last
three winning aircraft on his
own
Aircraft,
and
Kreider Riesner was a
subsidiary of Fairchild. Charlie was
also heavily involved
in
recovering
one of the more unique
airplanes
to come through the Shue shop. I t
One of only four built, and the last one to survive, this is a 1935 8-17E
8eechcraft Staggerwing, serial number 49 John Shue spent a consider
able amount of time restoring the cabin biplane.
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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One of the many UPF-7 restorations done by the Shues, this is NC29996,
a UPF-7 owned by Sion Bass of Georgia.
John Shue s UPF-7 the one that started him on the path to becoming
an
acknowledged expert on the aircraft, was first restored in 1972
The
father-and-son team is now restoring it for the second time.
with technical advice
and
final as
sembly
help
from his father. Scott
is known
as Mr.
Detail.
Wings,
in addition to complete restoration
projects, are his particular specialty.
aircraft .
To
keep
the
FAA
happy,
the
emergency locator transmitter
is
there
,
but not in plain view-an
other
effort
to
keep
the
airplane's
appearance
as
original
as
possible.
John retired from
his electric l
engineer
position
with AMP
Incorporated in
1987. His
son
Scott
left the
comp ny
in 1990; however
t
his
young
ge
it w s a
c reer
ch nge rather
than a retirement.
Award
and
PAAS
Antique Grand
Champion
award. Since originally
writing this article,
EAA
AirVenture
2009
has come
and
gone. Joe
and
his
RNF
won
the
Vintage Aircraft
As
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
25/44
Jack Hill s Waco UPF 7 serves as the backdrop for John (left) and Scott
Shue, the father-and-son duo responsible for some of the most beautiful
Waco restoration in recent memory.
Scott Shue has a special affinity for building wings. These are
just
a few
of the wings he s buil t for
Waco
restorations.
exhaust system.
He is
also restoring
the
two cockpit interiors, including
the rebuilt engine
and
flight instru
cludes
any
individual piece or com
plete assemblies such
as
wings,
vertical fins,
center
sections, fuse
ing today, this aircraft
is
powered by
a W-760-2
Wright
engine,
not the
R 985
Pratt Whitney. This aircraft
passed through a series of owners who
had hoped
to restore it,
but
for
the
most part it remained in storage until
it came to the Shue shop in 1986.
The frame-up
restoration
was
accomplished using new wood
throughout the
aircraft.
One
of
the
Shues hard and
fast rules is
that
they
never use
or
repair old wood;
it has to be
new.
A new
mohair
interior has been installed, along
with
a
complete panel
of restored
instruments
from that time period.
The
instrument
panel is a
thing
of
beauty
unto
itself. All
aluminum
sheet
metal parts have
been
newly
fabricated using
the
original pieces,
when
available,
as
patterns.
Presently
John
is
again restor
ing his personal
UPF 7
, the aircraft
that started t
all
back in
1964. It
has
been
close
to
40 years since its
original restoration was completed,
and
John felt it was time.
In addition to his Waco project
he is restoring a J-3
Cub
for
an
old
friend, Bob Bittner.
If
this was
not
enough, there is a second]-3,
John s
personal plane, which is about half
way
to
completion.
John also
spends
a great deal of
time on
the
telephone helping
out
fellow Waco owners with techni
cal
information
and
personal
ad
vice based
on
his experience in
the
restoration business. He is always
ready
to help anyone with
aircraft
problems or questions.
For
those of you who do
not
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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Light Plane Heritage
PUBLISHED IN E Experimenter FEBRUARY 95 7 MAY
989
THE
DORMOY
BATH
TUB
The Dormoy Bath Tub was one
of
the
simplest
and
probably
least
expensive successful
lightplanes
ever
built.
This airplane was de
signed
and built
by Mr.
Etienne
Dormo
y,
then
of
the Engineering
Division
of
the Air Service at Mc
Cook Field
near
Dayton Ohio. I t
was flown in the
lightplane events
at
th
e 1924
and
1925
National
Air
Races by Mr. Dormoy in competi
tion with
the
Driggs Dart , Powell
Racer, and Mummert Sportplane.
The
m a
in
purpose of
the
design
YJ ACK M cR E
EAA
93
tube longerons with
diagonal
wire the windsh ield . The nacelle was
bracing. The
cockpit
space
was
of
steel-tube
three
-
Iongeron con
very small,
and
for the 1924 Races
struction with sheet aluminum
the tachometer was mounted in covering . The tail surfaces were of
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
27/44
This Is
the
Dormoy Bath Tub in its original form when
It was Introduced y Etienne Dormoy
in
1924 Power
was a Henderson four cycle motorcycle engine.
EM RCHIVES
steel tubing covered with fabric.
The
wing was of conventional
two-spar wood and fabric construc
tion. The wing bracing was unusual
in that the lift truss consisted of a
single steel
tube
on each side
with
two additional flying wires per side
to resist
the
torsional loads. The
lift struts and center-section struts
were round tubes with balsa fair
ing. The fuel tank was mounted in
the
wing section. The aileron con
trol system was
unconventional
in
that the aileron balance
cable
went forward from the aileron
horn to the
top of
the
wing where
it entered a small curved
tube
that
guided the cable
outside
the
wing
to
the
leading edge of
the
wing.
The cable
then
continued
inboard
along the
outside of the leading
edge through several fair leads to
a turnbuckle located at the center
line of
the
airplane.
The landing
gear
consisted of
a
hinged-axle member
and
a
com
pression strut
on
each
side
with
rubber-cord shock absorbers. Drag
loads were
taken
by
two struts
on
each side
running
fore
and
aft from
the
axle to the single lower longe
ron of the nacelle.
The engine was a converted four
cylinder Henderson
motorcycle
engine
that
developed
about 20
hp
at 2300 rpm.
An air
scoop
was
mounted on the left-hand side
to
provide better cooling of
the
cyl
inder
heads. This engine installa
tion proved
to be
very
reliable at
the
1924 National Air Races where
the Bath Tub competed in all three
lightplane
races
and won the Rick-
en backer Trophy Race of 140 miles
at an average speed of 70
mph
and
with a
fuel
consumption of 40
miles per gallon. The ship finished
second and third respectively in
the other
two
lightplane races.
The Bath Tub had a gross weight
of 425 pounds and a wing area of 85
square feet. The light wing loading
of 5
pounds
per square foot made
the
little ship difficult to fly
in
rough
air. The wing span was 24 feet and
the
length was 13 feet 5 inches.
After
the
success
at
the
1924
National
Races
Mr Dormoy
rede
signed
the fuselage for better per
formance at the 1925 Races. The
tail
booms
were done away
with
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
28/44
ayLemmon s tinson
108
O
or
back cover photo and
the photos
you see
on
these pages were
sent
to
us by
member
Ray Lem
mon
E 42686
,
V 717946
of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Ray
is
a longtime
E er and
re
tired
United
Airlines
captain with
a
number
of
airplane projects to
his credit, including a Piper Super
Cruiser, which
he rebuilt in
1973
74,
and
a
Beechcraft D-17 Stag
BY
H.G. FR UTSCHY
Above: A quick run down
the
snow-covered runway
shows
the Stinson
is ready for flight when
the
weather breaks.
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
29/44
The post-World
War II pe
riod was a time of great op
timism
in
general aviation,
and the advertising
of
the
day often showed dapper
owners/pilots using their
new aerial station
wag
ons to further their busi
ness interests. It was
no
coincidence
that
names
such as the Sedan, Sta
tion Wagon, Super Cruiser,
and other automotive-style names were added to airplanes
of
the
day. The
expectation that the airplane was expected to replace
the car for many businessmen, combined with the marketing
that
flying
was nearly as easy as driving a car, made great fodder for the advertis
ing industry.
restoration was
com-
pleted
in
2004, a
tragic
accident
that resulted
in Coates later passing
away due to his injuries.
Ray
Lemmon
bought
the airplane
and be-
gan
work.
The
dam-
age to the airplane was
confined mostly to
the
front of the fuselage, re-
quiring weld repairs
to
the
fuselage, a
new
fire-
wall, and a
new
engine
mount for the
Franklin
engine, plus all
of
the
sheet metal
forward
of
the baggage door. The
right
wing
also required
repairs, as
did
the land-
ing
gear.
When the welding
repairs were done and
it came t ime to
start
A close-up view of the repaired section
of the fuselage, including the back
of the instrument
panel
and
cockpit
controls. The box on the left is the
glove/map
box
while
on
the right the
box has
been converted to serve
as
a position for the
radio. The two
verti
cal channels
in
the foreground
are
the
mounts for the battery holder.
Once the 108-3 was moved to Old
School Aviation at
Van
Sant Airport,
covering work could
be
completed.
Here the tapes are having the
edges set on the lower fuselage
prior to final silver and finish coats.
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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Chapter Locator and Info
Visit the VAA
chapter
nearest
you and
get to
know some
great
old-airplane enthusiasts
You
don t
need to
be a pilot
to
join
in the fun, just have
a
love
of the
great airplanes
of yesteryear.
CALIFORNIA
Hayward, CA V 29
Meeting: 2nd Thurs., 6:00
p.m.
Hayward Airport Executive Hangar
William
Field, President
Phone:
925-463-0589
E-mail: [email protected]
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento,
CA
V 25
Meeting:
2nd
Sat.,
9:00
a.m
.
See
chapter website for location.
David
Magaw, President
Phone: 916-488-0455
E-mail:
pittsjlyers1s@yahoo
com
www.Vin25.org
CAROLINAS
VIRGINIA
Walnut Cove, NC
V
3
Meeting: Contact
President
ILLINOIS
Lansing,
IL, V
26
Meeting: Contact
President
Peter
Bayer,
President
Phone:
630
-
922-3387
E- rna iI: [email protected]
INDIANA
Auburn, IN,
V 37
Meeting: 4th
Wed., 7:00
p.m.
Auburn
Airport
Chapter
Hangar
Drew Hoffman,
President
Phone: 260-693-9747
E-mail: drewhof [email protected]
Website: www.VAA37.org
KANSAS
Overland Park, KS V 16
Meeting: 2nd Fri., 7:30 p.m.
Contact president for
location.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.Vin25.orgmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.VAA37.orgmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.Vin25.orgmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.VAA37.org
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
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Albert
Lea, MN, VAA
13
Meeting:
2nd
Thurs., 7:00
p.m.
Albert
Lea Airport FBO
Paul Stieler, President
Phone: 507-377-2291
E-mail: pstieler@smig net
NEBRASKA
Plattsmouth, NE VAA 31
Meeting:
1st
Sat.,
10:30
a.m.
Plattsmouth
Airport Term Bldg.
William Kroeger,
President
Phone: 402-331-3887
E-mail:
pilotwill@cox net
NEW HAMPSHIRE
North
Hampton,
NH, VAA 15
Meeting: 2nd Sat.,
11:00
a.m.
Hampton Airfield
John Maloney, President
Phone: 603-580-2590
E-mail: ejjmik@comcast net
NEW JERSEY
Andover, NJ
VAA
7
OHIO
Columbus,
OH
VAA
38
Meeting: 2nd Sun., 1:00 p.m.
Contact
president for location.
Perry
Chappano, President
Phone:
614-496-3423
E-mail:
polestar@ameritech net
OHIO
Delaware,
OH
VAA 27
Meeting: 3rd
Sat.,
9:00 a.m.
Delaware Municipal Airport
Terminal
Building
Martin
Mcintire,
President
Phone: 740-362-7228
E-mail: wjmcintire@cs com
Website: www EAAdlz org
OHIO
Troy, OH
VAA 36
Meeting:
Contact President
Richard Amrhein, President
Phone: 937-335-1444
E-mail: dickandpatti@aol com
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa,
OK
VAA
10
Meeting: 4th Thurs., 7:00
p.m.
Hardesty
South Regional Library
Joe Champagne, President
Phone: 918-257-4688
E-mail: skypal@groveemail com
TEXAS
Spring,
TX
VAA 2
Meeting: 4th Sun.,
2:00
p.m.
Dry
Creek
Airport
Fred Ramin, President
Phone: 281-444-5309
E-mail:
lredramin@sbcglobal net
WISCONSIN
Brookfield, WI,
VAA
11
Meeting:
1st Mon., 7:30 p.m.
Capitol Drive
Airport
Office
James Brown,
President
Phone:
262-895-6282
E-mail: jb191o@wi rr com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.EAAdlz.orgmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:///reader/full/www.EAAdlz.orgmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
32/44
BY RO ERT G LOCK
uel
and
oil
systems
Our subject for this issue is fuel
and
oil systems.
So
systems
are
similar
to
gravity
feed
but operate at
a
let s get started with some basics. There are two types
higher carburetor
fuel
inlet
pressure. This pressure is
of fuel systems-I gravity feed and pressure feed (both boosted
by
an engine-driven, vane-type fuel pump .
can
be carbureted),
and
2
injected
(always pressure The
pump
pressure
is
adjustable; I usually set
the
pres
feed). Unless modified, all older aircraft used a carbu sure to
the
middle of
the
range of operat ion. Most sys
reted system. There are two types of oil systems-wet tems of this type operate at 3-5 psi, so I set
the
pressure
sump
and
dry sump. Most older aircraft used dry
sump at
4 psi . There
must
be
an emergency
backup
pump,
systems because
they
were powered by radial engines.
which may
be
hand-operated
(wobble) or electrically
Dry sump systems carry
the
oil
in
driven. When the
pump
is op
an external tank, while wet
sump
erated
it
should
not
raise
fuel
systems carry
the
oil in the
main
pressure above the
maximum
al
crankcase of
the
engine. lowed. There will be a
bourdon
Gravity
feed
type
fuel gauge
to indicate
fuel
GRAVITY
FEE
D FUEL SYS-
flow
pressure . Gauge pressure
carburetors
will not work
TEMS: Gravity feed fuel systems
should be taken at the inlet to
are the most common among
the
carburetor.
older aircraft. They are simple in
on pressure
Now, let s start at
the top
of
the
operation
and
require no engine
system
and
work down.
driven or auxiliary
fuel
pump.
feed
systems,
Gravity
feed systems
operate at
FUEL TAN
K:
Originally made
a very low
carburetor
inlet pres
from Terneplate
and
soft-soldered
and
pressure
feed
sure,
generally 0.5-1.0
psi.
The
together, these tanks were heavy
pressure depends on
the
height
when
compared
with aluminum
.
carbs won t work on
of the fuel tank above the car
Terneplate
is thin
steel
sheet
the
rear cockpit) ,
the
gascolatorlstrainer will remove
diameters for radial engines up to 225 hp
are
3/8
inch,
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
33/44
sediment
before it
enters the
carburetor.
There is
a
means to drain
water
condensation
from
the unit.
It
mayor may not be
the
lowest
point
in
the
system. The
correct nomenclature for this
unit
is gascolator.
SHUT OFF/SELECTOR VALVE: Located on the
aft side of
the
firewall,
the
fuel valve directs
and
shuts
off fuel to
the
carburetor. The valve
shou
ld be plainly
marked
to show
fuel quantity
in each tank,
and the
pointer should show
from which tank the
engine
is
drawing. The valve
must
positively
shut
off
the
fuel.
There must be positive detents in
the
valve so
the
valve
feels as
though
it "snaps"
into
place. Remove
the
fuel
line
to
the
carburetor
and
ensure there
is
no
flow
of
fuel
with the
valve
in the
"off" pOSition. I f
automo
tive fuel
is
used, check
the
inside diameter of
the
flex
ible hose from the gascolator
to
the carburetor; I use
a
3/8 inch
or
l/2-inch
wood
dowel
rounded
on
one
end to accomplish this task. Because of additives to
the
gasoline, automotive fuel can cause swelling of flexible
lines. This check should be done at each annual inspec
tion. Swelling of the inner-tube diameter can cause fuel
starvation to the engine, with disastrous results.
CARBURETOR:
Often overlooked
during
restora
tion is the
type of
carburetor to
be installed. Gravity
systems use a
carburetor
capable of
operation
at low
fuel pressures. Gravity systems often work at fuel pres
sures up
to
1.0 psi. The
carburetor overhaul manual
will tell
you
which part-numbered carburetors are
gravity feed and
which
are pressure feed . As the fuel
enters
the carburetor, it is again
strained.
At
the
fuel
inlet there is
another small screen that sho
uld be
periodically
inspected, particularly
during the
an
nual inspection.
ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS:
Pumps are usu
ally a vane-type pump, the sliding
vanes
producing
a low positive pressure. A
means to adjust
pressure
is
included on
the pump.
The drive
shaft
has a "shear"
section to protect
the
engine in case of
pump
seizure.
and
for engines to 450 hp,
1/2
inch. I use
the
Boeing
Stearman as an example
when
there
is
no factory data
on
fuel line size. The Stearman used fuel lines
that
are
1/2
inch
in diameter.
TROUBLESHOOTING: Other
than checking
screens
and
looking for leaks, there isn't
much
to look
for. Always check lines for chafing; chafing
can
even
tually cause a
hole
to be
rubbed into
the line. Sump
drains may continually leak
as
seals wear or debris col
lects
in the
drain seat area. Pressure systems should be
monitored
on the pressure gauge for
any
changes in
operating
pressure. A
lowering
of the
pressure could
indicate
pump
wear.
OIL SYSTEMS:
All
radial
engines
were
equipped
with
dry
sump
oil systems. Dry sump systems
had
an
external oil tank, while wet
sump
systems
had
the
oil
contained
within the
engine
case. Now, let's look
at
the
system
components
in detail.
ENGINE DRIVEN OIL PUMP: These
pumps
were
gear type and had two functions: 1) to provide positive
oil pressure
to the
engine, and 2) to scavenge oil from
the
engine sumps and
return it
to
the
tank. Therefore
the
scavenge side of
the pump had
twice
the
capacity
as the
pressure side. The engine-driven
pump
contains
a suction inlet check valve,
the
purpose of which
is
to
block oil from
entering the pump when the
engine
is
not
running.
However, i t seems that
i f the
oil
tank
is
mounted
above
the pump
inlet, oil will seep around the
check valve
and
flow
into
the
lower cylinders, creating
the
dreaded
hydraulic
lock Always
turn the
prop at
least 14 blades before starting. I f
in
doubt, remove
one
spark plug from
the
lower cylinders, start
and
run
the
engine with
the
plugs out,
then shut
down
and
reinstall
the
plugs. Then clean
the
engine
and
fuselage of all the
oil that was blown
out
of the lower cylinders
OIL TANK: Most small, single-row radial engines
carried from 4
to
8 gallons
of
oil.
The amount
of oil
cool the oil before it re-enters the engine. Oil coolers are
ing some type of failure. J've heard stories of metal con
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
34/44
equipped with a thermostat valve
that
directs oil through
the cooler
when
a certain temperature is reached. Oil
coolers are best repaired by sending them
out
to a repair
shop for overhaul
and
test. Coolers were made of brass
and soft-soldered together during assembly.
LINES FITTINGS : HOSE: Since
they
carry lit
tle or no pressure, oil lines are
made
from 3003 alu
minum tubing
usually 1
inch in
diameter.
The ends
are
beaded to accept hose
and
clamps. The fittings
are brass or
aluminum and
are coded AN840, AN842,
and AN844. Hose is Mil-H-6000, which is fuel- and
oil-resistant. Clamps
are
stain
less-steel
worm-type
clamps.
Worm-type clamps
tend
to stay
round when tightened, while
the older clamps will move
to
The
chafing
pressure, one
should
investigate
an
out-of-round
condition
when
and
locate
the
real problem. This
over-tightened.
Note: Use only
of oil lines
can
could be easier said than done,
as
enough torque on
the clamps
to
some
disassembly
of
the
engine
stop
seepage
,
and no more
. Do may be required.
cause
failure
not over-tighten clamps. Normal
torque for clamps is a mere 20-25
C
HOOS ING OIL
: The
fol
with disastrous
results.
nch-pounds. When assembling
lowing represents
my opinion
the aluminum
tubing,
the
tubing
There will be
other
opinions,
and
should
not touch and the maxi
Check ll lines
one
should choose
what
he or she
mum separation should
be
one thinks
best for
the
engine. J have
tube diameter.
for
security,
chafing,
always
broken in
a
newly
over
hauled engine
with
pure mineral
INSTRUMENTATION: Pres oil, either SO or 60 weight, what
and leaks.
sure
and temperature
gauges are
provided in the cockpit to
mon
itor
oil.
These
gauges are
bour
don-tube type,
the
pressure gauge
being connected to a pressure port on
the
engine case by
a flex line
to the
firewall,
then
to the instrument by alu
minum
tubing. The temperature gauge has a shielded
line filled with a liquid, which vaporizes and expands
as
the oil temperature increases; this
is
what
is
known
as
a
vapor-pressure indicator. Methyl chloride is a
common
fluid used in
the
sensing bulb. The sensing bulb at
the
tamination in
a newly
overhauled
engine,
only to
be
found that it came from
the tank
or cooler
and not
the
newly overhauled engine. A flexible line should always
be installed from
the
engine
to the
firewall to sense oil
pressure. A synthetic rubber hose
is
recommended.
TROUBLESHOOTING: Once
the
pressure has been
set
at the
pressure
pump,
it
should only
vary in pres
sure
due to temperature.
The oil system in
an
engine
is complex,
and on
Single-row radials,
only one pump
is used
to
pressure
and
scavenge
the
oil. Oil will seek
the path
of least resistance, so if a clearance between
two
parts
increases,
the
oil will
be
pushed through at
this
point.
This will cause a drop in oil pres
sure.
Rather than adjusting the
ever
the
overhaul manual recom
mends. Assuming
the
engine had
some test-stand time, I generally
run
the
new engine long
enough
to
check for
operation and
leaks.
Then
test flight
at
a
high
power setting for
one
hour;
then
check all screens
for
contamination.
At
10 hours of time I drain
and
re-
place
the
oil, check
the
screens,
and do
a cylinder leak
age check of the
engine
and also a close inspection of
the engine and
controls. The
next
oil
change
is
done
at 25 hours of time. The oil is drained, cylinder leakage
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
35/44
Jim Ostrich
a
Mesa,
o
• Pilot
since
1980
• Also has a Beech T 34 ,
North
American T 28C,
L 29
Delfin
Jet
and
a
North American built
L 17
A
Norma and
the folks at U Insurance are
friendly, helpful, and most importantly they
get the BEST RATES out there for antique /
taildragger insurance. They worked with me
to get a check pilot in the local area to where
I purchased the aircraft, to get me safe and
competent in the aircraft Beech 18) and have
been great ever since. I have owned the
C-45 (BE-1 8) for two years
and
love flying
it.
- Jim Ostrich
ky
.
l nd
Airport
in the
S
18) t Catalina 5 fo his 0
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
36/44
BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY
THIS MON
TH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES
TO
US
ROM GORDON LACOMBE OF KENOSHA, WIS ONSIN .
Send
your answer
t o EAA,
Vintage Airplane P.O . Box 3086,
Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3086. Your
answer needs to be in
n o l
ater
t han January 15 for inclu sion
in
the
March 2010
iss u e of
Vintage A i rplane.
Yo
u
can
also
send your
re
sponse via e-mail.
Send
your
answer
to
Be sure
to
inclu de you r
name
p lu s
yo
ur city
and
state
in
the
bo
d y of your
no
t e and
put
(Month) Mystery Plane in the
sub j
ect
line.
SEPTEMBER'S
MYSTERY ANS
WER
Mexico, before attend
ing
St.
Peter's College at
Jersey City, New Jersey,
where
he
studied engi
neering for three years.
Radical
is,
per
haps, the
best
word
that describes
the
1921
Remington-Burnelli
RB-1 T.
T.
Remington
the concept of blended wing-bod
ies dates
at
least
as far
back
as
1909,
when
Dr.
Hugo Junkers proposed the
notion. In any case, the
RB-1
(built by
the Remington-Burnelli Aircraft Corp.
at Amityville, Long Island, New
York)
was powered by two 420-hp Liberty
V-12s
buried inside the fuselage. The
biplane wings spanned 74 feet, and
the
14-foot wide (at
the
front) fuse
Harvey was
the official historian for
countered
trouble over Rhode
Is
lin took
up where
Burnelli left off,
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
37/44
United Aircra{t/United Technologies
for
many years.-Ed.
Burnelli
did
not quit
with
the
destruction of the
RB-l,
although
Remington
had
enough
by 1924
and
pulled out of
their
partnership
early in
the
construction of
the
RB
2. Burnelli's second lifting
body,
the
RB-2
(the September
2009
Mys-
tery Plane),
was
an incremental
im
provement over
Burnelli's
original
design. The fuselage, now covered
with corrugated
duralumin,
had
a
volumetric capacity of 14 feet by 15
feet
by
6 feet 6
inches.
The
rectan
gular
construction
of the Burnelli
fuselage was also
considered
to
be
an advantage in case of a crash, due
to
the added structural
strength.
Relocating to Hartford, Connecti
cut, Burnelli
now
joined forces
with
Thomas Garvan, of the Garvan
Pa
per Company. Designed as a
cargo
aircraft,
and dubbed The
Fl
ying Show-
room
by flying with a Ford Model T
the RB-2 now
a product of
the
Gar
larger than the
RB-l. With a span
of 80 feet, a
length
of 46 feet,
and
a
height of 19 feet 6 inches, the
RB-2
weighed 9,800 pounds empty and
16,500
pounds loaded.
Powered
by
two British Galloway Engineering
Atlantic engines of 500 hp, the
RB-2
had
a V
MAX
of 102
mph.
A subsidiary
of Beardmore,
the
Galloway Atlantic
was a V-12
based
on
BHP
cylinders
and
a twin Puma block. It first
ran in
October of 1917 and was built in the
dozens for
the
de Havilland D.H . 15
and
Handley Page V
1500.
In fact,
land when it ran out of
fuel
and
crash-landed in a
swamp
. The wicker
cha
ir s, mounted
only temporar
ily, created
havoc during the land
ing
when
passengers
where
tossed
about the cabin.
Luckily,
they only
suffered
minor
injuries. After repair
at
the
Broad Street location,
the
air
craft was
returned to
Brainard Field.
Photos taken
of the interior
appear
to show
that
at
l
east one
Ford
auto
was carried
by
the
RB-2. Another
source states
that
the
aircraft
toured
the
United States carrying
an
Essex
coupe and eight
passengers. In 1964,
the
sign of
the
Garvan-Burnel li Air
craft Corp. was
found on the prop
erty. Unfor
tunat
ely, the fate of
the
RB-2 is unknown to
this author.
After
the RB-2
Burnelli
continued
to
refine
his
concept
and
built
sev
era l more
lifting
fuselage designs
through
the
end of
World War II.
Burnelli died
on
22
June
1964
at the
age of 69,
on
Long Isl
and,
New York.
For
many
years Chalmers
H. Good
complete with conspiracy
theories
on who
was
trying to
kill Burnelli's
work. In
more
recent years, aI/12th
scale
flying model of the RB-2
has
been
successful ly flown,
and
plans
for a radio-controlled model
of the
RB-2 are being offered for around
$25.
Perhaps
not
the bonanza
Bur
nelli
had hoped for but
still
an
inter
esting model airplane.
Regards,
Wesley
R.
Smith
Springfield, Illinois
Other correct answers
were re
ceived from Toby Gursanscky, Syd
ney, Australia;
Glenn Robinson,
Lagro, Indiana; Wayne Muxlow,
Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Alan Bu
chner,
Pine
Mountain
Lake, Cali
fornia; Joe Stamm,
Chagrin
Falls,
Ohio; Russ Brown, Lyndhurst, Ohio;
Wayne Van
Valkenburgh,
Jasper,
Georgia;
Tom Lymburn, Princeton,
Minnesota;
and Ev Cassagneres,
Cheshire,
Connecticut.
van-Burnelli Aircraft Corp., was even
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -
Well, for fabric-covered
airplanes, anyway .. we
got
the
idea from Ponce.
It's called rejuvenation, and it works great with re l
dope
finishes.
Spray our
rejuvenator
overaged dope;
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
38/44
Hunger for
the
Sky
By
Sparky Barnes Sargent
A Hunger for the Sky
recounts the
paths of nine women from age 28 to
98 who,
through
desire and passion,
found their
own
unique way into the
world of aviation. Each story begins
at childhood and finishes with what
the
women aviators are doing today.
Sparky Barnes Sargent takes you on a
journey through their trials
and
tri
umphs
to reaching their goals. You'll
find yourself connecting with and
rooting for each woman.
This book explores the different
aviation careers each
woman
chose,
the path
she took,
and
in some
cases, the
path
she paved . Some
found aviation
early
on,
but oth
ers discovered it late in life. You'll
get to
know
Evelyn Bryan Johnson,
beyond aviation. These women have
been there, they've done it,
and
you
get to hear it in their
own
words.
One lesson that rings loud
and
clear
throughout
this book is
that
with
hard
work, determination,
and
commitment, you can
do
anything
you set your sights on.-Kristy Hemp
(Editor s Note: I en joyed reading
Sparky s book as well, as [ do all her
articles,
but
one biography really
got
my
attention. The story
of
Vi Blowers
was delightful. She
is
a la _ from Ohio
whom [
first
met
over a decade ago
at
Oshkosh when she displayed the KR-21
she owned with her friend Brown Dil
lard.
t
was as fun to read as
it
is
to
sit
and chat with
Vi in
p
ersonf-HGF
Harold
F
Pitcairn-
and his son,
Stephen.
Thanks
to
his
dedication to
the
history of
early American aviation on the
East Coast of the
United
States,
and
to
the story of
Pitcairn in
particular, he
was
asked
by
the
Pitcairn
family to
thoroughly
re
search the
records of Pitcairn's avi
ation
companies,
beginning with
the
fixed
base operator
founded
by
Harold,
all the way
through
the arduous patent litigation that
finally ended years after Harold
Pitcairn's untimely passing.
The book,
comprised
of
729
pages, is an
in-depth
review of the
correspondence by Harold and his
contemporaries
in
the
industry,
both as an operator of a
pioneer
ing airmail line and as
he
founded
the
Autogiro business
in
the United
States.
In
reading the correspon
dence it's clear that Harold Pitcairn
was a man
dedicated
to
the
prom
ise of safety the Autogiro seemed to
possess,
and
that
despite
financial
and legal hurdles
that often
would
have stopped
others
cold, he kept
at
it until his
end.
Harold
F Pitcairn-Aviator,
Inven
tor
and Deve loper
of
the Autogiro
isn't
a quick read, and it isn't intended
to be so; it's a deep historical refer
ence
that
is
quite readable thanks
to
Gunther's smooth
transitional
text
and
the
conversational style
of
Pit
cairn's letter writing, with a gener
ous sprinkling of sharp photographs
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
39/44
Drive one.
WE SPEAK
CAR.
And People Like What We're
Saying.
2010
Ford
Fusion
America's most fuel efficient mid-size sedan
each
tate
continued from page
7
EM calendar of
Aviation
vents Is
Now
Online
EAA's online Calendar of Events
is
the go-to
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 2009
40/44
the Easter Bunny, various air
plane
gatherings
(Aeronca,
Cub,
70
mph fly-in), and
a Veterans
Day fly-in. Alexander
himself
is a
Vietnam
veteran
who
received the
Distinguished Flying Cross for a
resupply mission
he flew for Spe
cial Forces.
SO that s
a real pas
sion
for me,
he emphasized.
lilt's
real
important
that
the
veterans
be
recognized
from World War
II
on
up.
That s
the main
event
we
have here, as far as
I m concerned.
And
we
get
a
big
response
from
locals with
that, and that s
what
we re
looking for.
We re
here for
everybody,
and that s the
crux
of
i t -we
are
not exclusive to avia
tion people.
Captivated by
the
intrigue
of a
bygone era,
visitors both young
and young-in-spirit find themselves
drawn
to
Peach State Aerodrome,
home of Candler Field
Museum.
Once there,
they
each
contribute
their own
richly
textured threads
to this tangible tapestry of
t ime
whether their
interests are
antique
wings
or
wheels
or
just
old-time
family fun.
Rides are available
(by
prior arrangement)
in a Waco
YMF-5
on
the
weekends from
June
through September, and for
those
who crave just a bit
more time
in
the air, Tim Preston offers
on-site
tailwheel instruction
in
his J-3 Cub
and
Stearman
. All are welcome
to
visit
and
fly
through the
Georgia
skies,
or simply
relax
and let the
southern
breezes caress their coun
To
start
receiving
e-Hotllne
thiS
week,
VISit
www.EAA.org/newsletters
,
.
_
.
spot on the Web
to
list
and
find
aviation
events
in your area,
The
user·friendly
,
searchable format
makes it the
perfect web-based
tool for
planning
your local
trips
to
a
fly·in.
In
EAA
's
online Calendar
of
Events,
you
can
search
for events at
any
given
time within
a
certain
radius of
any airport by
entering
the identifier
or
a
ZIP code,
and
you can further
define
your search to
look
for
just the types
of events
you'd
like
to
attend.
We
invite
you
to access
the
EAA online
Calendar
of Events
at