Vintage Airplane - May 2006

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - May 2006

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2/44

y

M A

N E

VOL. 34, No.5 2006

1 Straight Level

by Geoff Robison

2

VAA News

4 Bucker Lite

Lightened Bucker biplanes were

used to set Czech national records

by Pat Quinn

6 Antique Instruments

Some clever solutions to

measuring flight

by

H.G. Frautschy

9 Vintage Aircraft

in the

United Kingdom

The Shuttleworth Collection

by H.G. Frautschy

2

Standard Issue

or

Customized

Take Your Pick

Dan Wood and his Takes-a-Lickin -and-Keeps-on-Tickin C-170

by Budd Davisson

Jack Russell Rescues a 170 and Makes It His Own

by H.G. Frautschy

24

rass It

To

Buck

Dear Buck,

by Buck Hilbert

26 The Vintage Instructor

What goes around comes around

by Doug Stewart

28 Restoration Corner

ST FF

E Publisher

Tom Poberezny

E Editor-in-Chief

Scott Spangler


3/44

GEOFF ROBISON

PR

ES IDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT S

SO

CIATION

E convention

thoughts

With the flying season

now

in full

swing, I have been

out doing

my

spring thing by knocking off

the

rust

that

gets attached

to my

flying skills

over the long Midwestern winter. I typ

ically start by flying a

bunch

of touch

and-go

landings and

some

simulated

short-field takeoffs. And

then

I finish

off with some short-field landings,

turns

around a pOint,

and some

slow

flight maneuvers. It always feels good

to get back into the full swing of things

with

both

of my flying

machines

. By

the time you read this,

both

of the an

nual inspections will hopefully have

been completed in the Cessna 120,

and

the 170A. Both annuals are anticipated

to go well. The spruce-up of the C-120

continues to go pretty well, and again,

by the time you

read

this

column

hopefully it will be at

the

interior shop

for all the finishing touches. My favor

ite

tin

bender should have the wheel

pants

and

the lower cowl finished later

this week, so

the

paint shop can get to

work on the new finish. The top cowl

was in the worst shape, and the tin

man

did a really nice job of fabricat

ing a new replacement center section,

ley came up with a great idea of printing

a removable insert to the magazine that

will feature a convention program spe

cific

to

the Vintage area of operations.

So be sure to remove it from your maga

zine

and

bring

i t

along to AirVenture for

an opportunity to

save you and

your

guests some steps while visiting the

VAA

grounds. I'm guessing that a good num

ber of members will learn of several ac-

tivities in this program

that

you were

previously unaware of. If you forget to

bring it along, or maybe you just don't

want

to

alter your copy of

Vintage r-

plane that's fine, because we intend

to

do

an

overprint of these program pages

and have

them

available to the

mem

bership in

the

Vintage Red Barn for

your convenience. After all, the new

catch

phrase for the

Vintage

area at

Oshkosh this year is "Vintage aircraft;

not

just a lifestyle, it's an adventure."

Speaking of the 2006 event, my e

mail box has been pretty active for sev

eral

months

now with

members

who

have shared their displeasure with our

200S policy of parking only Classic air

craft directly south of

the

Antique dis

play area and the Theater in the Woods.

drivers choose

to

arrive early to be as

sured of a camping space in this popu

lar area. So, you will all be pleased to

learn we have chosen to rescind policy

for at least the short term to again al

low access to Contemporary campers in

this area. Please be aware

that

this spe

cific area

is

strictly available

on

a first

come, first-served basis for our members

camping with their vintage aircraft.

We

do intend to

occasionally revisit our

aircraft parking layout in future years;

however, major changes are unlikely

until

additional camping facili ties be

come available further

south

on the

field. Although I have

communicated

with a good

number

of folks who took

the time to write or call, I also wanted to

apologize to anyone else who was unex

pectedly displaced to the south because

of this 200S policy change.

Also, while we're on the top iC of new

facilities, be sure to come visit us at the

Tall

Pines Cafe again this year

and

check

out our brand new kitchen facility down

near the Ultralight area of operations.

The new facility will

now

house the en

tire cooking operation for

the

cafe and

shou ld prove to be a much more effi


4/44

EAA s

Advocacy,

Members Help Bring Change

to F

Medical

Processing

Backlog reduction is fi r

st

goal

Among the most important

issues

facing the pilot community has been

the

FAA s

backlog

in

special issuance

medical certifications, as well as the

cost

and

difficulty associated with ob

taining

and renewing

a special issu

ance medical.

That's why EAA is

committed

to

finding a solution to the special issu

ance process that affects or will affect

many of its members. The issue came

to a head at

EAA

AirVenture Oshkosh

200S,

when

the

majority of questions

fielded by

FAA

Administrator Marion

Blakey at her

annual

Meet the Admin

istrator session were from pilots con

cerned or upset about delayed special

issuance certificate applications.

After

EAA

AirVenture 200S, EAA s

Aeromedical Advisory Council, a

group of volunteer flight surgeons

who serve as a reservoir of aeromedi

cal expertise to EAA and its members,

developed a

plan

to attack the prob

lem . Based

on this proposal submit

ted to the FAA last December,

EAA

officials received an invitation from

FAA

Associate Administrator Nick

Sa-

batini and

new

FAA

Flight Surgeon

Dr. Fred

Tilton to

visit

FAA head

quarters in Washington, D.C., for the

purpose of discussing the recommen

dations. A review

of new

agency ac

tions in response

to

EAA s proposal

affairs;

and

Doug Macnair,

EAA

vice

president of government affairs.

EAA's recommendations to

the

FAA for

improving

medical certifica

tion

processing were

summarized in

four points:

. Review

of

examination intervals

(e.g.

,

one

year instead of six

months

for

first class examinations,

and

five years

for

third

class medical certificates).

. Review of special issuance medi

cal conditions with the potential for

complete

elimination

of some and/

or reduced reporting requirements

for others.

. A

super

AME concept,

includ

ing

the

delegation

of

additional

review and approval authority to avi

ation

medical examiners

(AMEs) who

are willing

to

assume the responsibil

ity

and

have

demonstrated

compe

tency in

aeromedical disposition.

• Review of the third class medi

cal certification system with consid

erations

ranging

from

elimination

of

the certificate

to

more relaxed medi

cal requirements.

Sabatini said

EAA's

recommen

dations

were

right on target. The

FAA

responded with

a series of ac

tions intended to

address

the

spe

cial

issuance medical certification

backlog. The

actions

the

FAA

has

proposed,

or

are

continuing

to

work

on behind the

scenes, address all

of

EAA s

recommendations.

The FAA is taking these immedi

ate steps to ease

the

special issuance

(AASI) process.

This process allows

medical

examiners to

renew special

issuances directly instead of sending

them to the FAA for review.

• Undertake an extensive

commu

nications effort to educate medical

examiners and encourage them

to

participate more fully in the AASI

process.

This can

dramatically

ease

the renewal of special issuances.

The

FAA is enlisting EAA, the EAA Aero

medical Advocates, the Civil Aviation

Medical Association, and other asso

ciations

to

assist in distributing infor

mation about the new AASI program

and

to help encourage

both doctors

and

medical certificate

applicants

to

take

advantage

of

the

program in

stead

of

deferring the renewal of spe

cial issuances

to

the

FAA.

• The FAA has pledged to address

EAA s

longer-term recommendations

for increased certificate duration and

explore opportunities for greater del

egation

of

authority

from

the

FAA

to

the

aviation medical

examiner (EAA s

super AME proposal). These pro

posals are

long-term

efforts because

they require additional rulemaking,

but

the

agency is willing to undertake

significant changes

in

these areas.

Annual

EAA

Business

Meeting

July

9

at EAA AirVenture

In accordance with its bylaws, the

Experimental

Aircraft Association

will

hold

its

annual

business

meet

ing at 10 a.m.

on

Saturday, July 29,

at


5/44

Friends of

the Red

Barn Campaign

Many services are provided to vintage aircraft en

thusias ts at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking

airplanes to feeding people

at

th e Tall Pines Cafe

and

Red Barn, more than 400 volunteers do it all. Some

may ask,

If

volunteers are providing

the

services,

where

is

the expense?"

Glad you asked. The scooters for th

e flightline crew

need repair and batteries, and the Red Barn needs

paint, new windowsills, updated wiring, and other

sundry repairs, plus we love

to

care for

our

vo

lunt

eers

with special recognition caps and a pizza party. The

list really could go on and on, but no

matter

how

many

expenses we can point out, the

need

remains

constant. The Friends of

the

Red Barn fund helps pay

for

the

VAA expenses at EAA AirVenture, and is a cru

cial part of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.

Please help the

VAA and

our 400-plus dedica ted

vo

lunt

eers make this

an un f

orgettable experience for

our many EAA AirVenture guests. We've

made

it even

more fun to give this year, with more giving levels

to

fit each person's budget,

and

more interesting activi

ties for donors to be a part of.

Your contribution now really does make a differ

ence. There are six levels of gifts and gift recognition.

Thank you for

whatever

you

can

do.

Here are some of

the

many activities the Friends of

the Red Barn

fund

underwrites:

• Red Barn Information Desk Supplies

• Participant Plaques

and

Supplies

• Toni's Red Carpet Express Repairs

and

Radios

• Caps for

VAA

Volunteers

• Pizza Party for

VAA

Volunteers

• Flightline Parking Scooters

and

Supplies

• Breakfast for Past Grand Champions

• Volunteer Booth Administrat ive Supplies

• Membership Booth Administrative Supplies

• Signs Throughout

the

Vintage Area

• Red Barn

and

Other Buildings' Maintenance

And

More

Thatlk-

You

Items by level

Name

Usled:

\ \ n t a g e , W e b ~

at Red Bam

Donor

Appreciation

Cerlilicale

Actess

to

Volunteer

Center

Special

FORB

Badge

Two

Passes

to

VAA Volunteer

Party

Special

FORB

C

p

Breakfast at

Tall

Pines Cafe

Tri-Motor Ride

Certificate

Two Tickets to

VAA Picnic

Close

Auto

Parking

Diamond

,

1,000

X X X X X X

2P,opItfF,.1I\

2

Tickets

X

Full

Week

Platinum,

750

X

X

X

X

X

X

2PeopIeIfIlIII\

2Tlckets

X

2Days

Gold,

500

X

X

X

X X X

1

Ponoo/F,.II\

1Ticket

Siver

,

S SO X X X X X X

Bronze, 100

X X X X

loyal

Supporter

, 99

&

Under

X

X

VAA Friends

of the

Red Barn

Name

__________________

______________

________

_______________EAA ____ VAA

___

_

Address

____

__________________

____

_________________________________________________________


6/44

ucker

Lite

Lightened ucker biplanes were used to

set Czech national records

I

n

the

Cold War days of the

1960s, Czechoslovakia was a

firm Communist member of the

Eastern Bloc and civilian flying

as

we

know it didn't exist. Virtually

all private aviation was via the aero

clubs

throughout the country and

was administered by the military.

The aero clubs were equipped with

the indigenous version of the Bucker

Jungmann, the

Aero C-104, powered

by a 10S-hp Walter Minor engine.

Y

PAT

QUINN

the 1,000-kg class in the L-40 Meta

Falcon during the same time period,

many were set with Aero 104s in the

FAI

(Federation Mronautique In

ternationale) C-la

class of

SOO

ki

lograms (1,102 pounds) of gross

weight To qua lify for

the SOO-kg

class, three Aero 104 biplanes were

stripped of all unnecessary weight,

including the front cockpit instru

ment panel, seat controls, and wind

shield. All three then had

the

front

With its lightly clothed pilot,

Karel

Balasek, on board,

OK-AXF

weighed less

than

1,102 pounds 500 kg) when it

set

a

SOO-kilometer 310_7-mile)

speed

record

of

93.

21

mph

on October

19, 1961.


7/44

cockpits faired over. The standard

empty weight of an Aero C-104 was

859 pounds, and the three clubs were

able to somewhat reduce this weight.

The

entry

from

the

Central Avia

tion School at Vrchabi, OK -

AXF,

was

equipped with an enclosed rear cock

pit. Aeroklub Jihlava su

bmitted

a

lightened entry, OK-AXG. Aeroklub

Kladno equipped its

mount

with

a

140-hp M332 engine. This engine

is

now marketed as the LOM M332.

On June

17, 1960, Helena Rum

lerova flew the stripped and tuned

OK-AXG to a C-1a world record al

titude for women

of

18 553 feet.

When the luncheon to celebrate

her

record

achievement

was fin

ished that day, Rumlerova returned

to

the

airport

and was shocked to

find

the

SVAZARM

had

already de

stroyed OK-AXG .

Fifteen months later,

the

M332

powered

OK-AQR started

setting

national records over a four-day in

terval. September 11, 1961, was the

busiest day of all. Eva Leignerova

flew into the record books at 129.6

mph

over

3-kilometer and

15

kilometer courses

thereby set

ting

national records for women.

Leignerova followed that up with a

record of 129.1

mph

over a 100-kilo

meter closed course.

Karel

Jares also

set national records for men on the

same day in

OK-AQR on the

3-kilo-

Helena Rumlerova received

a

bouquet

of

flowers

after setting a world altitude

record.

While she was at a

celebratory

luncheon her mount

for the

record

OK-AXG was chopped up

and

de-

stroyed by

government

officials.

meter and IS-kilometer courses with

identical speeds of 129.6.mph. Jares

then flew OK-AQR to a new national

C-1a altitude record of 23,589 feet on

September IS, 1961.

Balasek set a new

record

of

93.21

mph

over the 310.7

mile course with

the stock-powered

Aero

C-104, but in

the late fall

air

he

nearly froze to death

doing so!

On October 19, 1961, pilot Karel

Balasek, who weighed less than 130

pounds, was attempting to break the

national

C-1a speed record over a

500-km course in

OK-AXE

His crew

rolled the aircraft onto

the

certified

scales, and then removed everything

possible from the airplane, but it was

still just a little bit over

the

1,102

pound (500-kg) maximum weight.

Balasek then

removed

his clothes,

including his shoes until

he

was

wearing only his shorts, undershirt,

and socks. Finally, 7 ounces under

the

500-kilogram requirement,

Bal

asek set a new record of 93.21 mph

over the 31O.7-mile course with the

stock-powered Aero C-104,

but

in

the la te fall air, he

nearly

froze to

death doing so

In

the

end

the government

de

stroyed

the other

two aircraft, but

these were impressive records set in

lightweight biplanes.

Footnote: Joe Krybus, a Czech ex

patriate,

is

the

foremost expert

on

Bucker aircraft

in

the United States

and

perhaps, in

the

world. He op

erates a shop at the Santa

Paula

Airport in California, where he re

stores, supports, and builds Bucker

aircraft. This story represents

many

years of Joe s research, and I write

it with a great deal of

gratitude

to

him

for the information.

Editor s Note: Pat Quinn owns and

pilots a Lycoming 0 360 powered

Spanish built

Jungmann

, which he

hangars at the historic Santa Paula

Airport in California.


8/44

tique

Instruments

Some clever solutions to measuring flight

BY

H.G.

FRAUTS

CHY

S

i nce man be- ment makers began

gan

flying, he s

filling requests from air-

wanted a

way to

craft manufacturers

and

quantify

the experience

pilots who needed

to

of flight. know more.

Was the

airplane

turn

- As aviation matured

ing a lot or just a little?

as an

industry,

new

And what direction was companies started to

fill

it headed? The hiker and

the

needs of

the

aircraft

the

mariner had

a solu- manufacturers. Founded

tion which was quickly in 1917 Rieker Instru

adapted by aviators.

ment

Company

(now

A

magnetic

compass

known

as Rieker Incor

pivoted on a jeweled LEE NN BR MS porated), Philadelphia,

pin wi t h

th

e movemen t

Th;;RiieiUeriLii4iiiViaitiOii1i1cliilOinet;r,iiijiiiiidWCfumiiYiiieSisaHmrue;-

Pe n nsyIvan ia has been

dampened by a slightly company

for

decades. busy filling orders for its

viscous fluid, did

the spirit-filled

glass levels

trick pretty neatly. There was quite

and

inclinometers for 89 years. Af-

a bit more however

to

measure. ter its founding during WWI avi-

Was the airplane in a skid or a ation

products soon

became one

slip? The aviator

could

feel

the

ef-

R i e I ~ e r

Inc

_

of

its

primary product

lines

and

fect in the seat of his pants or the Rieker

quickly became

known for

slipstream

on

his cheek but with its high quality and innovation. InII 1 h

the

propeller blasting the air back Stl

l11 a

~ e S

t e

fact it remains

in

business

to this

in a

whirling

horizontal tornado, day supplying not only aviators

the effect wasn t always felt i f

the fal11.iliar

slip s I ~ i d but also

the

commercial and indus


9/44

alone instrument or

as

the

ball

portion of a

turn

-

and-bank

gyro

in

strument.

Its PMA'd

1040

manual inclinom

eter (we know it

as a

slip/skid

indicator) is

still

in

production and

used on

new manufac

tured aircraft.

I asked

the

folks from

Rieker to

send

us a few

samples so we could see

what

goes

on

inside,

and

not

surprisingly, I could

see a few

things

hidden

from view

that

are key to

the

success of

the

indicator. For the

normal slip/skid

indicator, glass

is

blown in

a

mold

to produce a con

Sistently shaped

curved tube.

The

size is

critical,

since a steel ball

will

be

dropped

into the

tube

be

fore it

is

filled

with

clear

fluid

(normally

alco

hol). The

top

is

then sealed

by

a

glass blower, with

now

you

know-one

end

houses

the expan

sion chamber.

Each

tube

is

then

set

in

potting compound

within

a

cast and ma

ch i n ed a l u mi n u m

housing that has

been

painted. Then

the

letter

ing cast in

them is

filled

with

a wipe

'n' white

paint. For some appli

cations, a pair of lubber

lines may be included to

indicate

when the

incli

nometer

is

centered. Typ

ically, that's

done on the

units intended for

use in a turn-and

bank

indicator or

an aviation slip/

skid indicator.

Rieker

has

in

dicated it will re

build

the

glass

portion of

any

indicator manu

factured

by

it.

You can contact

the company at

www riekerinc com

or by calling 800

497-4523.

ur ing

the

1920s,

aviation

More commonly used in antique

aircraft

before the widespread use of gyroscopic in·

struments

,

spirit

levels

wit

h a bubble w

ere used to

in

dicat

e

th

e inc

lination

of

the air·

plane in

roll.

Asimilar unit was

installed in

the

Ryan

NYP

The pirit o

Sf.

Louis.

a small

amount

of air left

in the

very

top

of

the

tube's small umbil

ical. The airspace serves

s an

ex

pansion

chamber,

and

as a clever

way to keep

the instrument's

vis

ible

portion

free

of any

air

bub

LEE NN BR MS

The larger Rieker 1030, which has the same 10-degree graduations

as the smaller

1040.

The hand

·

blown

glass

tube with

a

steel

ball is

the heart of

the alcohol

-

filled

aviation

slip/skid indicator.

instrumentation

became far more

sophisticated with the introduc

tion of

the

gyroscopiC instruments

built by Sperry. Still,

the

spirit

level was well regarded,

particu

larly for flight in visual flight rules

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


10/44

Acopy of the t

ube

used in the vertical pitch indicator shown on the Spirit s panel.

When

the nose pitches

down

, the fluid

in

the tube

facing

the

pilot descends

,

and is read

on a graduated

scale mounted with th

e

tube

on

the in

st

rument's case. The opposite is true for

the aircraft

in a climb. The kink in the lower tube serves as a fluid move

men

t

da

m

per

,

while

the

disc

-

shaped

part

of

the

tube

is

a

fluid reservoir.

Rieker units were relied

upon

for

both pitch and roll

information,

albeit

with

some

inherent limita

tions. One of the most famous in

stallations seen in

the

1920s was

the

use of a pair of Rieker glass tube

instruments on the panel of the

Ryan

NYP The Spirit

o st

Louis.

As a

young

boy I understood the

operation of the curved,

inverted

spirit level at the top of aT-shaped

pair of tubes mounted dead cen

ter in the

Spirit s

panel.

After all,

it

was

just

like

the

level

my dad

had used so

often when

we were

building

things in the basement,

but the vertical tube was a bit of a

mystery to me, and I never gave it

much thought, until I was looking

at the photos

as

you read along. So

simple, but very clever.

For the Rieker P-1917 Degrees

Inclinometer used in the

Spirit o

St

Louis

and many other aircraft of

that

period,

a

triangle of tubes

is

formed by the glass blower,

with

a

disc-shaped reservoir chamber

on

one

leg,

and

a small

kink formed

a

bit

further

down

the same tube.

Both the kinked restriction and the

reservoir chamber are

on the

lower

leg of the triangle. The tube is filled

about

halfway

with

dyed alcohol.

At

first, I thought the liquid might

be

antifreeze, since

it

resembles a

certain

brand-name

product, but

I was assured it

has always been

plain

old alcohol with a bit of yel

true

as

the airplane's nose is pulled

up in a climb. The small restriction

in

the

lower tube acts as a damper,

allowing the

alcohol

to pass by

without causing the fluid

to

exces

sively

jump up and down in

the

visible

portion

of

the

tube.

With

it, Charles Lindbergh and other pi

lots who were

challenged

by their

aircraft's configuration were able

to

accurate ly

determine

climb or

dive angles

and the

aircraft's rela

tive trim.

Considering

its

limitations,

the

spirit level-based degree inclinom

eter worked particularly well. The

fluid

is

still subject to acceleration

errors,

so

in

low-visibility flight

conditions the

spirit levels cannot


11/44

The Shuttleworth Collection

BY B.G.

FR

UTSCHY

PHOTOS BY D AVID M READY

A number of

years

ago, VAA member David

in labeling each slide

with

the aircraft name,

Macready,

of

Rugby, Warwick, Great Britain,

registration markings, and the event at which

was kind enough to send us a three-ring binder

the photograph was shot. We ll present the vin

chock-full of slides taken at various vintage

tage aircraft shot by David in a few more

issues

aviation events in the United Kingdom. David s

of Vintage Airplane

Let s get started with his

photographs are great, and

what made them shots taken at the Shuttleworth Collection in

doubly useful was his careful attention to detail

Old Warden

Park

, North Biggleswade.


12/44

The Percival

Mew

Gull

G-AEXF

was badly dam

aged

after

an

engine failure but

was

expertly

restored by

Hawker

Restorations.

Shown here

at the Shuttleworth Military

Pageant

in August

2001 this is the same airplane flown by Alex

Henshaw

in his historic flight from London to

Cape

Town South Africa in February 1939. It

is

owned

by

Desmond Penrose of The Real Aero

plane

Co. of Breighton.


13/44

The oldest flying aircraft

in

the United Kingdom,

this is an original 1912 Blackburn Type DMono

plane, powered by a 50-hp Gnome rotary

engine

.

First constructed by

Robert

Blackburn's com

pany in 1912 after an

order

was

received from

Cyril Foggin, it

was

used by

Foggin

to deliver the

orkshire ost newspaper from

Leeds to York

in

July 1913. Crashed and

abandoned

in

1914 by a

subsequent

owner,

the

late

Richard Shuttleworth

discovered

the aircraft

buried

under a haystack.

After buying the haystack to obtain the aero

plane, he took it

back

to his airfield at

Old War

den

and

began restoration. His untimely death

delayed the restoration's

completion until 1949,

when

it was

finished

by L.A. Jackson. It was

first

flown

by

Group

Captain A.H. Wheeler

on Sep

tember 17, 1949, and it remains airworthy. It is

flown

when the

air is calm

in the

early evening.

In 1963 Daryl Zanuck

of

20th Century Fox approved the production

of

a movie set in 1910 which centered

around a mythical air race between London and

Paris Re

l

eased

in 1965

hose

Magnificent Men in

h

eir lying

Machines

became a classic for

its

broad comedy and excellent

use

of

replica aircraft for the flying

scenes

.

The

movie was rece ntly released on DVD.

ir

Commodore A.H. Wheeler was tasked w ith coordinating the creation of

nine replica aircraft five

of

which had to be f lown. Within six months

he

had seen to the construction

of

the

aeroplanes

of

which three

of

each example had to be built. Here are

two

of the replicas that we re constructed for

the film and subsequently purchased by the Shuttleworth Trust

The

first

is the

Bristol Boxkite replica, flown

in

the movie as an "American airplane."

The replica

was built by

Miles Aircraft, with

George

Miles

himseH serving as its test pilot.

The constructors of

the

replica

had

planned

on using a Rolls-Royce

(Continental)

A-65

engine, but it ran too hot while being

run

as a

pusher

at high speeds, so the decision

was

made to re-engine the aircraft with the

C-OO. Even

still,

the main fuel

jets had to

be

reamed out

to

make

the

engine run

a

bit

richer, to

aid

in

cooling

It

is

shown here in

preparation for flight during the Sunset Dis

play 3

at

Old

Warden in July

1999.


14/44

Standard Issue

Dan Wood

and

his

Takes-a-Lickin -and-Keeps-on-Tickin

C-170


15/44

r

Customized

some logic to his argument. The

original

1948 170 was so

quickly

and completely eclipsed by

the

licopter by

the Brantly

test pilot,

his uncle Elton Barnum. Plus, his

father

had

flown Taylorcrafts dur

for a while and am now a supplier

quality team leader at General Mo

tors in Spring Hill, Tennessee.


16/44

Intended to e the

planes could be

just

four-place

airplane

as reliable and pro

any

Cessna

120/140

vide exactly the same

pilot

could

handle,

utility as newer ones,

from a distance the

and I found that re

first version of the

ally attractive.

Cessna 170 could

The 172

had

set

J: easily e mistaken for

the

s

tan

dar d for

( )

3 its smaller brethren

the

Wood family in

~

,

.; ;

Dan

Wood

above) did all of the

metalwork with his son, Nick.

As is always the case with avia

tion, the

birds

of a feather

thing

kicks

in,

and

you begin

making

friends you would never have found

if it hadn t been for airplanes. In so

doing, you

often

find yourself dis

covering new facets of aviation.

I hung out with some

friends

f ·1· .

terms

uti Ity, so It

was a foregone conclusion that the

Champ wouldn t last long. It was

fun,

but

the Champ was just too

small and too slow. My son, Nick,

and

I

started flying

and

camping

earlier

in the

172,

and

after one

camping

trip

in

the Champ, it was

obvious that more room

and

speed

was needed.

We began looking for a four

MIKE

STEINEKE

I found a straight 170 in Georgia

that was flying reasonably priced. It

was pretty rough and needed lots of

TLC. Lots of it.

I liked the fact that the airplane

had never been painted. Plus the

skin

was

good

enough

to polish,

which I also found

enticing

.

The

airplane did have some damage his

tory, but it was a little hard to figure

out exactly what had happened to

it from looking at the logs. I was ly

ing in my tent relaxing at Oshkosh

this year

when

I heard a gentleman

getting more

excited

the

closer

he

got to

my airplane. He turned out

to

be the pilot who

had

owned the

airplane

in

1985

when

the

tornado

totaled it.

John

Startz owned

this

airplane

in

Houston, Texas, and

he


17/44


18/44

More

outstanding

metalwork

y

Dan

and Nick Wood is

evident

in

this

shot

of their engine com-

partment.

Russell handed

him

an

envelope.

In

it was his

last

rent

check

all

torn

up.

He said, "It is

your

hangar

for as

long

as

I am alive."

While

not

i

ntendin

g to c

reate

a

perfect

stock Cessna 170,

the

Woods airplane

maintains the feel of the

airplane as

it

was in the late 194 s.

well more

than

half

a century, it

is

bound to

have

had

its fair share

of incidents, but you'd think get

ting scrambled by a tornado would

be enough for an airplane. But fate

wasn t finished with

the

Wood fam

ily C-170.

In

2000

a friend was flying

it

when

the engine

quit

cold. I t

turned out there was a slug of wa

ter in

the

fuel.

e

got it down okay,

but

it

went up on

its nose. Thank

fully, it didn't hit a hangar, or we

would have been right back where

this particular airplane

started.

I t

did, however, get the cowling,

the

prop,

the

landing gear, and a

few

other

items. So, even

though

I

wasn't

looking for a project air

plane, right at

that

moment, that s


19/44

A

modern

set of ra

dios is

installed

in

the

lower

left

corner of

he instrument

panel,

which otherwise

looks

stock, complete

with

a new reproduction of

the plastic

panel with

a

graph paper

style

insert in

the

lower

center.

exactly what we had.

One of my

aviation

buddies

that

got

me

interested in vintage

taildraggers is Jay Cavender. Jay

is

an

IA and operates

Classic Flight

Inc . in Brooklyn, M ichigan.

We

took

the

wings off

and

got

i t

ready

to rebuild it.

We

decided this would

be

the

obvious time

to do

some of

those things we'd

been wanting to

do all along.

The wings and

engine

were left

in Jay's care, and the fuselage

went home to Tennes

see.

When the Wood

family first

moved

to Tennessee

and

started looking

for

a

hangar, they met

a person

who

would

become a good friend

and inspiration. Russell

Puckett owned

an

airport

in Eagleville, Tennessee, and

he

had

a hangar across the road for $30 per

month. I t became normal to stop and

talk to

Russell

and his wife, Nora,

al-

most every time Dan went flying.

The rounded tail sur

faces

are another

distinctive

charac

teristic of the 170.

when

I

told

him that I

wasn't

put

ting

it back

in there

I

continued stop

ping

by

and

talk

ing

airplanes until

he passed away last

year

at

96 years young.

I still see

him

sometimes

at 6,500

AGL.

When

we started

work,

the

goal

Apair of A-framed

wing

struts

and

fab

ric-covered wings

are

your irst clue

this

is

the

Cessna

170 not the single-strut,

all

metal taper wing Cessna 170A that

was

to follow.

Bob

had redone his panel and

steered Dan

to Joy Warren with

the Cessna 120/140 Association

who makes

the reproduction

plastic panels that

dominate

the lower part of most vin

tage Cessna panels.

We refinished every

thing on the

panel

in

the

interior

in

original

colors

and


20/44

since

the root

cause

of the

incident was

water in

the

fuel, some

corrections

had

to

be made.

"The original rag wing 170s

have two

12-gallon,

Cessna

140

tanks in

the

right

wing,

but only

one

on

the

left. This

airplane

had

been modified

and had

a

fourth tank in the

left wing. However,

only

two

fuel drains

were

installed.

So

,

water can

get

trapped in

the

outboard

tanks, and you

have no way of draining it

out.

We

decided

to

add addi

tional

fuel drains

to

the out

board tanks

to

get

the fuel

out.

Then

we added Monarch

fuel caps to

keep

the water

out in the first place. Field

approvals

were received for

both modifications.

When the gear was bent

back, it really did a number

on

the

forward

lower fuse

lage, so we

had

to do some

surgery

in

that area. My son,

Nick, and I

did

all the

met

alwork ourselves, with Nick

doing

the

bucking bar du

ties, something of which he is

very proud.

The rest

of the airplane

was

actually

fairly

clean

in

side, considering its age,

but

naturally

some

stuff

was

worn.

We installed

new seat

tracks and

did

some detail

work, like painting the

en

tire interior so it matched

the

Silver

French

Gray that was

son, I just

think

it looks better

on that airplane."

Regardless of

what

kind of

airplane we're talking about,

i f

it has

the

original alumi

num

wheel pants and they are

polished, everyone who sees

the

machine gives it a mental

thumbs-up, and that

is

definitely

the

case

with the

Wood 170

The

wheelpants

were

bought a

couple

of years

ago, and they were

painted.

I stripped the paint and re

moved all

the

filler

and

found they didn't

seem

to

be that

bad

underneath, so I

took

them

to

one of the met

alworking shops at Oshkosh

2004. There I spent some

time with

Shawn

Miller of

Miller

Custom

Metalcrafting

who

runs one of the forums,

and

he showed

me how to

work

the

metal

with a

dolly

and

slapper.

I learned a lot

from him in a very short

time,

and

after a couple of

weeks working on them in

my

basement,

I

had

a re

spectable pair

of wheelpants.

It was

amazing

to

watch

the

surfaces

start

to come back

up level. (Editor S Note: In

the VAA

etal

Shaping

tent

located just south of the V

Red Barn,

Shawn

Miller

will

be

demonstrating metalwork

again during EAA AirVenture

Oshkosh 2006.)

"My

great-great-granddad

was a blacksmith, so I guess I

Jack Russel l

escues a

17 nd Makes It

His O w n

BY H.G.

FRAUTSCHY

hen

you look through the

restoration

photo album

compiled

by Jack Russell,

you

quickly

realize

that

most amateur-built airplane

kits

have more

components riveted together

than

his Cessna 170

did when it

was disas

sembled

during restoration There are

times

in every restorer's life when the project feels


21/44

an

Aeronca

Chief to use

for his commercial rating.

Nice

airplane,

but he re

alized

he d

have

trouble

meeting the requirements

since the Chief lacked

a

radio.

On

to plan

B,

in

this

case a Cessna 140 he

bought and flew to obtain

requirements of five years

of maintenance experience

and

500 hours of multien

gine time. He was pleased

to find he d been chosen

out

of

the

three

and went

on

to fly

the

Gulfstream

G- I and the newly acquired

Gulfstream G-II serial no.


22/44


23/44

ida. His grass strip airport is

only

12 miles

north/northwest

of the

Shuttle Landing Facility runway at

the Kennedy Space Center. You can

imagine

the

view

during

a rocket

launch

s you would expect with an air

plane found

in

a saltwater coastal

environment,

as

Jack disassembled

the airplane he found surface corro

sion. Now he had to make a choice;

should

he

scrap

the

project

or

dig

in

and

start restoring?

He

chose t

he

latter, but there were days when

he really questioned whether

he d

made the right decision.

Not surprisingly, there's one fe l-

low

whom

Jack credits with mak

ing

the

project possible, his friend

Gene Day.

While

Jack was the

cleaning-up and refinishing fellow,

Gene did the metalwork, and Jack

says he really was the backbone of

the operation. If it were not for this

79-year-old spark plug,

he

doubts

the

project would have

been suc

cessfully completed.

Along with Gene, who's been in

aviation

maintenance

all his life,

Gene's wife, Bonnie, was also in

volved in the teardown and repair

of the airframe.

It

was her work

that

showed the crew just how badly cor

roded the original wings were. The

wings nearly brought the project to

a halt. It became clear

that

unless a

new set of serviceable wings could

be found, the labor involved in the

other wing was just more

than

they

could bear. Jack had to make a de

cision; should he simply scrap the

The

instrument

panel

has

a

solid

period

feel

with

a

few cus

-

tom

additions like

the

powder-coated

piano switches

at

the

center

panel

and

the

custom-engraved

bone-colored plastic

panel. Detail at

right.

Buckskin sad

dle

and

camel

were the colors

o the AirTex in


24/44

as a

mirror to

shave .

We

were re

luctant to

prime

them. They were

that good. Primed in the same way

as the fuselage,

the

metal-structure

wings were covered in new Dacron

polyester, and painted to match the

fuselage. All of the paints used were

Randolph products, including the

Tennessee

Red

base color with Las

Vegas

gold trim.

Starting at the tail cone, the fuse

lage skin rivets were drilled out and

the

airplane disassembled right

up

to the baggage compartment.

All

of

the skins except one (which had a

surface patch they didn't like) were

salvageable, but each

had

to be

stripped of any paint, cleaned with

metal brightener, and alodined for

corrosion resistance. Then the skins

were painted wi th a zinc-chromate

epoxy primer.

The aft fuselage skins were a start;

from

that

point, every component

on

the airplane was removed, disas

sembled, and evaluated for airwor

thiness. Jack was happy to find the

A

Grimes

retractable

landing light

is

pow

-

ered by a GO amp

alternator the only

major change to the

accessory section

of

the newly overhauled

Continental C 14S

.

Jack says was

done

for

precau

tionary reasons. The

crankshaft

was

also

replaced, when i t was

deemed the original crank

was

marginal

when it

came

to

passing

inspection. The engine's acces

sories also passed

inspection,

but

were

certainly due for overhaul,

and were sent to Kelly Aerospace

in Alabama for their work and

yellow

tags. The original 20-amp

generator was replaced

with

a 60

amp alternator, also from Kelly

Aerospace. Finally, at

the

nose of

the airplane, the fixed-pitch prop,

which is original

to

the airplane,

was sent to Space Coast Propeller

in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where it

was checked and recertified.

As the work progressed, all of the

flight instruments were checked,

and

with

the

exception

of the

big,

heavy old gyros, each was

over

hauled and kept. All the engine in

struments were replaced with UMA

instruments, and the panel was re

stored with correct-looking left and

tom fitted

to

the installation. The

new installation included

circuit

breakers that replaced the origi

nal fuses

in

their proper locations.

There is a separate sub-panel for the

avionics, located in the left panel,

near the Garmin GPS.

You

can't help yourself from be

ing

drawn to

the

center panel

of

the

post-war Cessnas. The plastic

panel on Jack's is expertly machined

and laid out with neat, tidy mark

ings. Each of the push/pull controls

knobs was duplicated from the origi

nal plastic. Then they were powder

coated to match the red color of the

exterior, as were the piano switches

at the bottom of the panel.

Buckskin, camel, and saddle were

the colors of the new AirTex interior

which was installed in 2004, which

worked well

with

the

red

and

gold

exterior chosen for the exterior. The

interior side panels were sent off to

AirTex,

where

new fabric

match

ing the older interior was installed.

Plenty of care went into the instal


25/44

If

you want the very best value for your insurance dollar,

AUA

simply cannot be beat. I appreciate AUA's close bond with the

vintage/classic airplane. They understand hand-propping and

grass runways and offer an excellent multi-plane discount.

- ichard awley

Richard and

n

awleyand Bailey

Conifer CO

• Soloed a 1-3 Cub in 962

• Pilot for Southwest Airlines

or over

2 years

• Former Vice President

of the

International Cessna 95 Club


26/44

I've been reading your articles on

propping techniques and accidents

and

enjoying

them

immensely.

They've stirred up some old memo

ries I'd like to share with you.

Although

I

never

flew airliners,

as

you

did,

our

careers have some

similarities. I guess that's not so un

usual for guys of our generation.

I started as a

line boy

and me

chanic's helper

in

1945 and

then

entered the Navy

upon

graduation

from high school

in

1946. I was as

signed to carrier

duty

(USS

PHILIP

PINE

SEA

CV-47)

and eventually

became a member of

Air

Group 20,

Squadron

VBF-20

. We were operat

ing Grumman

F8F

Bearcats at

the

time; what an airplane

that

was

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I worked as a line boy at Smith

Field, in

Fort Wayne,

Indiana; I

learned to fly, and lived

in

Hun

tington, a

small town

about 25

miles

southwest

of there.

I was working for AIRGO, and

E.E. " BUCK" HIL ERT

Dear

Buck

through a couple of times without

success. Then he called for

OFF.

With

his left

hand on

top of the

right blade

and

his right hand

un

der the left blade, he began screw

ing the engine through about

four

or five compressions. BRAKES and

CONTACT, he cried,

and

the

en

gine

started.

When

all of this was

over, I pulled

him

aside and asked

him what he'd have done

had

the

engine started while he was twist

ing

with

both hands. I got a smart

reply

as

he turned and walked

away; so I forgot about it.

About a month or so later, I

quit

AIRGO to work for Pierce Aviation,

which was next

door.

One day

while I was working in the shop I

heard a siren just outside our door.

On

the

ground lay Larry, writhing

in agony in front

of

a

Luscombe.

Fortunately, he was not seriously

injured, but I'd bet

that

was the last

time he

ever

did the two-handed

prop twist

plane when I

got there.

I noticed

that there were no chocks avail

able,

and

I reminded

him

of this.

I called for SWITCH OFF, THROT

TLE OPEN. Getting

the

proper

re

sponse,

I

pulled

the prop through

several blades, and then , THROT

TLE CLOSED, BRAKES, and CON

TACT;

again the proper response. I

gave a

mighty

pull on

the

prop

and

the

engine

started-WIDE

OPEN

I

jumped back and to one side. For

tunately

for

me

, Johnny was hold

ing the brakes.

As

I jumped back I fell down.

As

I

pulled myself

up

again, I looked be

hind me;

about

50 feet away stood

Jack Barrens, a CAA inspector from

South Bend, Indiana, who witnessed

the

whole

episode. He turned and

walked on, shaking his head.

Later I

went to

the

restaurant

for

lunch,

and who

should

sit

down

next to me

but

Mr. Barrens. I tried

to look

invisible

but

wasn't

suc

cessful.

He looked at

me,

shook


27/44

sitting next to them. An

instruc

tor and student

walked

out

to

the

Luscombe.

Once the student

was

situated

in the

cockpit, the instruc

tor went to

the

prop to

get

them

started.

Again,

the

aircraft

didn t

want to

go "OFF"

and

"OPEN,"

the

instructor

shouted.

The

stu

dent, a

man

in his late 50s or early

60s, with

about

three

hours

of dual

time , repeated

the commands.

When

the instructor pulled it

through,

it

star ted-also

wide

open. The instructor jumped

to

his

left as the

plane lurched

forward .

Grabbing the wing strut, he began

yelling instructions

to the

student,

who at

this

pOint was

paralyzed

with fear. Around

and around they

went, each time getting closer

and

closer

to our Chief.

Finally,

with

smoke

coming

off of his shoes,

the

instructor dropped to

the

ground,

and

the

plane took

off across the

airport, still wide open.

The student

immediately be

gan a

turn and

headed back for

the

flightIine , this time directly at both

of our Aeroncas. Realizing this

wasn't

too

good

he

started reversal,

and

this time

the Luscombe's Sil

flex

landing

gear flexed the

wrong

way

and

folded

under

the fuselage,

bringing

the story

to

a

close-one

damaged

Luscombe,

one horri

fied student (who never

did

solo),

one instructor who needed

a

new

pair of shoes, and two fortunate

Aeronca Chiefs

In November 1946 our Air

Group left

the

carrier for

our

shore

a

year earlier and

was

beginning

to

learn

the

facts

about

fixed base

operation. The

field

had been

built

during

or just

prior to the

start

of

World

War

and

was

used

as a

training

base,

probably

CPT

or

WTS. I t was a pretty

little

grass strip

with

a nice

hangar

and

shop, classrooms,

and

a

restaurant

on the second

floor.

At the time

the GI Bill was

making

business

pretty

good.

George had three

or

four Cubs;

two

Luscombes,

one of

them

on

floats;

and

a Republic Sea

Bee. There was a channel that par-

One

da

y

during the

winter of

1946-47,

the

girls

, as we

referred

to the

m,

came out to

fl

y.

The

weather

was

n' t

too

great,

but good

enough

for

local

flying, and it

learn their names,

but they were

always

friendly

and pleasant to

be around. They would come out

on

Saturday mornings, and

if the

weather

forecast

was

good, you

might

not

see

them

again until Sun

day evening;

that

little J-2 saw most

of

the

New England landscape

One day during

the

winter of

1946-47,

the

girls,

as

we referred to

them,

came out

to

fly The weather

wasn t too

great,

but

good

enough

for

local flying,

and it

was

cold

They

asked a man

who

was wear

ing

one of

those

heavy sheepskin

lined

bomber

jackets that were sold

surplus

from World War II

if

he

would mind

getting

them started,

and

he obliged

them.

After the little

Continental

was

running, apparently the

girls

wanted to

tell him

something,

and

he stepped

back

to

see

what they

wanted.

When

they

finished talk

ing, he

walked

around

the

front

of the

plane

again and walked

too

close

to the

idling

prop.

I t caught

him

on

his left shoulder, narrowly

missing

his left

ear. The impact

knocked

him down and

shattered

the

prop. The

bomber

jacket saved

his bacon; all

he suffered was a

bruised shoulder.

I

don t

think it

even

tore the

jacket,

but

the girls

had

to

buy

a

new prop

.

I learned

to

fly

in

1944,

in

a J-5

Cruiser. I've

spun

a lot

of

props

in

my

lifetime,

and

never

minded

do

ing it. I

had

a good instructor

who

demanded the

best from me

and

also demanded that

I learn

and


28/44

BY DOUG STEWART

What goes around comes around

Walking out to

my

car I looked up

at the

sky. (Isn' t ment.)

As

for the external pressures,

my

son was com

it so easy

to

pick out the pilots in a crowd? They're the ing home for spring break, so although a

short

flight

ones

who

always have their heads bent back, looking was preferable to a long car ride, it wasn't a "got to, got

up

at the

sky.

Perhaps because

of the sound

of a distant

to " flight.

engine

high above, or

perhaps

because of what the There were enough check marks

on

the

PAVE

check

wind

is

doing on the ground, or maybe because of the list to indicate a no -go situation. And since I subscribe

quality of the light. But for what to the philosophy that there

ever the reason, pilots are always

s

for

the

external

might be old pilots (Yikes, some

looking skyward

when

t

hey

are might say I fit that category), and

ground-bound.)

there might

be bold pilots,

but

pressures, my

son

was

In

this particular

situation

I

there

are

no

old, bold

pilots,

I

was heading to my car to make a

had

decided to drive rather

than

ominghome for

trip to the

other

side

of

the state to

fly.

to pick up my son. I had planned But darn it! Looking at the sky,

spring break, so

on

flying,

but the briefer had

it sure didn't look like

the

fore

said, in definite terms, "VFR not

cast was anywhere near accurate

although a short flight

recommended."

So

now I was go

today. If only there

had been

ing to

spend

the better part of a

some PI

REPs

(pilot

reports) to

day in my car. Looking at

the

sky

was preferable

to

a

aid

in my

decision. When I had

I couldn't help but think: What

asked

the briefer if

there

were

was the briefer talking about?" He

long

car ride, it

any PIREPs for my route (not that

had said VFR flight was not rec

we ever question

the

credibility

ommended because of AIRMET

wasn't a "got to,

of a briefer), he had responded

(airman's

meteorologica

l infor

that

there were none. It

got me

mation) reports for moderate tur

got to " flight.

to thinking

about why,

when

we

bu lence, mountain obscuration, most want or would like a PIREP


29/44

take. I

think that sometimes

the

reason

pilots

don't

file

PIREPs is

because

they've

looked

in

the

AIM

and

it makes it appear

as

if

the

process

is much

more

dif

ficult than it really

is.

And what a shame

that is.

For PI

REPs

are

one

of

the

greatest tools we have in determining

what

is

actually

going

on

with

the

weather. It's

not

telling us

what

some

inanimate computer model has

thought

would hap

pen. It's

not

telling us what some highly educated

and

experienced meteorologist

has

contemplated might

happen

. A

PIREP

tells us exactly

what is happening

,

where it

is

happening ,

and when

it

is

happening.

Let's

take

a look

at

what

's

involved with

filing a

PIREP,

whom

we

should

file it with,

and what should

be included

in the

report. It's really quite easy

and

sim

ple. Remember that

the important thing is that

we are

all helping each

other

by filing them.

Let's begin with

whom

we should

file

our report.

At

the top

of

the

list is

EFAS,

more

commonly known

as

Flight Watch. You can reach it on 122.0 virtually any

time

you are above 5,000 feet

mean

sea level

(MSL).

You

can also

file

a report with any air traffic control

fa-

cility, be it Tower, TRACON (approach control) ,

ARTCC

(Center), or

any

Flight Service Station.

You

could even

file a

PIREP

by

telephone,

calling flight service after

you have landed.

If

we look

in

the AIM

we see

there

is

a

long

list of

things

that

should be reported,

and the

order

in

which

they should

be reported. The important thing

to

re

member here

is that

you do not have to report all those

things,

and

even if you

don't

use

the

suggested order,

the

person taking

the

report will organize it for you.

What

the AIM

says is this: start with

the

nearest VOR

or airport,

then

the

time (either Zulu time, or minutes

ago), altitude,

and

aircraft type. (Another way of think

ing of this

is

where [three dimensionally],

when, and

who.) This

information is

important because it gives

relevance to

the

report.

Next,

the AIM

requests

cloud

type, coverage, and

height, followed by visibility

and any

restrictions to

visibility, such as haze, smoke, or dust.

Then

it asks for

precipitation type

and

intensity,

the

temperature,

the

lots in making their go/no-go deciSions, or formulating

an alternate plan of action . (It also

is one

of the best aids

the

meteorologists have in assessing what

the

weather is

really doing.)

So

a simple report such

as

this, "Down in

the

Hungabottom valley,

the

wind at Broken Tailspring

Field was blowing over 20 knots

out

of

the

southwest,"

might

be

the

real deciding factor for some pilot plan

ning

on

heading there for

that

mega-dollar burger.

I

can't

encourage all of you

in

strong

enough

terms

to

not

be

shy

when

it comes to filing a

PIREP.

Even if

you are of

an

anti-authority mentality

(as

I sometimes

find myself) ,

there is

one rule we can't escape.

What

goes around, comes around!

If

you find yourself wish

ing there

had

only

been a

PIREP

to help you make your

go/no-go decision, ask yourself,

when

was

the

last time

you filed one?

I f

we

want

to

get

them,

we are also

going to

have

to give

them,

even if it is

only to

say: "Cub November

One

Charlie Echo (NICE), over the jewel intersection

at

2,000 feet, it's

CAVU

and

the

ride is smooooth!" If

we

all started

doing

this more often, we'd really know

when

there are blue skies

and

tail winds!

Doug Stewart is the 2004 National CFI o the Year a

Master

Instructor

and a designated pilot examiner. He oper-

ates DSFI Inc. (www.dsflight.com) based at

the

Columbia

County Airport

lBi).

-

7k

BUnRATE

SYST M

lot

\

VINT GE

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


30/44

BY BUCK

HILBERT

AND

RON

FRITZ

EAA

21,

A C

5

EAA

9448,

A e

7

Current Editor's Note: This issue of

Vintage Airplane

contains the second

in

a series of

nine

articles pertain

ing to

the

restoration of

antique

and classic airplanes. They were originally written

in

the mid-1980s by di

rectors of the

then-named

Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and are still relevant for today's vintage aircraft

enthusiasts; most of

our

current membership was not part of

the VAA when

these articles were first presented.

Our members have years of experience

and

a tremendous amount of talent; however, it's likely everyone will

learn

something new

from each article. Please let us hear from you; write

to

H.G. Frautschy, Editor,

Vintage

Airplane P.O.

Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, or e-mail

[email protected]. HGF

Original Ed

tor s

Note:

This

is

the

second

in a series of articles per

taining to the restoration of an

tique and

classic airplanes.

The

subject

matter

will range from se

lecting

a

project to test

flying the

finished product.

Officers and directors of the An

tique/Classic Division have ac

cepted

the

responsibility for

many

of

the

articles,

but

contributions

will be provided by

others

as well.

As the

series

progresses,

if

read

ers wish

to

share

their

ideas, tech

niques,

etc., they are encouraged

to do

so. Just because a subject has

been presented

doesn't mean the

matter is closed.

We

plan to publish

supplemental information on the

various subjects, and we look for

ward to reader input.

Some

of

the material present

may be

"old hat"

to

those

who

have

been in

the

vintage airplane

hobby

or business for

many

years,

Selecting and Buying

by Buck ilbert

See

it? It's the ragged-lookin' blue

one

with all

the

patches

and

multi

color

paint

splotches Yeah

That's

the one

How

many

times have you heard

those words or similar ones

when

a

fellow aficionado points out an air

plane

that

has

been

sitting at

the

lo

cal airport for years,

in

an obviously

neglected

condition . This could

be a perfect project for a

potential

restoration.

It might

be a rag-wing

Luscombe, a T-craft, Champ, an

Ercoupe, Cessna 170, or whatever.

There it sits-an example of decay

ing aeronautica, just begging to be

taken into your

family.

If adopted

and

started on

the

road to recovery,

it could be made useful and

grand

again,

to

make

someone

happy.

It

could teach

one

of

the

kids

"how to

do

it" and

maybe

learn to fly, and

to

spark the"airplane disease bug"

and she

will have

him

call

when

he comes

in

. You oblige, and sure

enough, after you've nearly forgot

ten about

acquiring

this project

,

you get

the

call. Mr. Pilot's story is

a familiar

one.

Either his wife ob

jected to his flying because

it

made

her

a nervous wreck, or he lost his

medical, or he couldn't afford the

annual, or whatever,

but he is

will

ing to sell for a price

Lo

and be

hold

that price

is

equitable to

what

you

had in

mind.

So

the

next move

is

up

to

you. Now

where

do

you

begin? First

you

tell Mr. Pilot

you

want

to

look

a

little more before

you

jump, and

he agrees

to meet

you at the airplane on Tuesday.

Great Next we line up our

friendly mechanic

to inspect the

plane on Tuesday to tell us whether

we have a good deal or not. A slight

problem

arises when we learn our

mechanic and

his

frau are

off

to

Cancun

for a little frolic in

the sun


31/44

HOMEBUILDER WORKSHOP

SCHEDULE

May 19-21

Griffin,GA

(Atlanta Area)

May 20-21

Denver, CO

June 9-1 1

Arlington,

WA

• TIG Welding

•

RV

Assembly

• Repairman LSA) Inspection- Airplane

Come

or

the

weekend

BUILD FOR A LIF

IME

HANDS-ON

ally get himself into a trap by using

the above

approach.

Or

he

co uld

approach this in a rational

manner

and come out ahead on the deal.

One

of

the

grea te st

trap

s

the

potential restoration candidate

should be

made

aware of is

th

e

"love affair." Love is blind Most of

us know that from firsthand expe

rience. Love can cause

one to

over

look faults

and

problems

that

could

be seen instantly if

one

wasn't in a

fog.

So,

if you have

my

problem, a

love affair for every airpl

ane

I see,

you

can

really get yourself into a

pickle barrel.

Your best bet

is

to pay Mechanic

Bangup,

who at

least has

eno

ugh

sense

to

try to make his business

pay. If you have a hang-up

on

a par

ticular airplane because it's pretty,

or you've conjured up

an

image in

your

mind

that it's

the

perfect air

plane for you even though you 've

never flown,

ridden

in, or worked

on one, maybe you d better see

your analyst

and take his

adv

ice.

You should at least investigate

the

characteristics of

the machine and

talk

to

knowledgeable people

who

have had experience with one be

fore

you delve any

fur

th er in t

o

your pocketbook.

If you decide you can t live with

out it and

you ve convinced your

family

and they re

as

enthused

as

you are,

and the

kids

think

it's go

ing to be neat to have an airplane

in the

garage,

and

everybody

you

know is pushin you

into

going for

it,

then

do it

June 10-11

Aug. 12-13

Corona, CA

Arlington, WA

Aug. 19-20 Indianapolis, IN

Aug. 26-27

Sept. 8-10

Sept. 8-10

Oshkosh,

WI

Frederick, MD

Griffin,GA

•

RV

Assembly

• Fabric Covering • Sheet Metal

Basics

• Electrical Systems Avionics

• Introduction to Aircraft Building

• Fabric Covering • Sheet Metal Basics

• Electrical Systems Avionics

•

Gas

Welding • Composite Construction

•

RV

Assembly

• Repairman LSA) Inspection- Airplane

• TIG

Welding


32/44

get

somebody

in the FAA Aircraft

Records

Section

at

Oklahoma

to

check

the files and

make sure

no

liens are on the machine. This is

doubly

important

because you

might be well

along

in the resto

ration

before

learning a bank in

Arkansas

holds

a

lien against

the

plane. Make certain it's going

to

be

your airplane and

nobody

else's.

[AOPA has a great aircraft title ser-

vice HGFJ

After

you re

sure

that

Mr. Pilot

isn't sellin' you a pig

in

a poke, look

the plane

over carefully. To really

get to know an airplane takes more

than

just a good preflight. Impor

tant factors are the

length

of

time

the machine

has been sitting,

how

long it's been since

the

last annual,

Mr.

Pilot's attitude

and

manner,

and

how

complete his

paperwork is.

There may be

an

underlying motive

for his wanting to sell. Maybe there

is an airworthiness directive (AD) of

major consequence

that is

overdue,

like a spar

mod

with a time limit on

it

or an engine mod

that requires

splitting

the

case

to pin

the

bear

ings

or

a

major

aircraft

or engine

bulletin that

could be

costly and

time-consuming.

If

obvious

repairs

to

the struc

ture are noted, such

as

spar splices,

tubing welds, etc., be sure these are

covered

by

one

of

the Form 337s

that

are a part of

the

records file.

If

no

record exists, you'll have

to

con

vince

the

airframe

and

powerplant

(A P) mechanic with an inspection

authorization (IA)

who s going to

logical for

the AD

check. Many oth

erwise

competent mechanics

have

severe writer's cramp,

and

a typical

log entry will read, 1/ All ADs com

plied with

through

75-21 (or some

such date). You

might

assume from

that statement that

you need

not

concern yourself with anything

earlier

than that

date.

Unfortu

nately, many ADs prescribe

an

in

spection of a specific part or area at

hourly

or

calendar

intervals until

I USED THAT TIME

TO

GET BETTER

ACQUAINTED WITH

THE MAN AND TO

FORM A FRIENDSHIP

THAT TRIGGERED A

FEELING THAT

HE

WAS

PASSING

HIS BELOVED

POSSESSION

ON

TO

SOMEONE WHO

CARES, AND I DID!

fied?

Then

you can proceed, know

ing

the ownership

is free

and

clear,

you have

all the

paperwork, the

ADs are up

to

date

as

to

the

last an

nual, and there

aren t

any major

structural or

engine

ADs outstand

ing. [Nowadays you can have your

local mechanic look them up on his

computer since he most likely sub

scribes to

one of

the

electronic

records

services.-HGFJ

You

haven t

got the

mechanic

with

you, so let's

assume you

are

on your own.

You

plan to do

a

complete

rebuild

on

this thing, so

you're only interested in

the

down

to-earth

basic pieces.

At

this

point

you don t

care about the rag and

the upholstery or the glass,

side

panels, or windshield.

What

you

re-

ally

want

to know

is

if

the

weather

and age has

been kind to

the old

bird. Get yourself a

note

pad, screw

driver,

and

flashlight.

The cabin/cockpit

area comes

first. Have raccoons built a

home

in

the

fuselage? Have

the

mice eaten all

the

insulation out of

the

side panels

or off

the

wiring? Are

the control

cables all

rusted out?

Is the

hard

ware in some semblance of recogni

tion, or

is

it gone?

Is

the

instrument

panel complete or rebuildable?

What

does

the tach read?

If

i t

has a primer, does it leak? Does the

engine

turn over,

and

are

the

con

trols free? Are the radios over age

and

beyond

the point

of

no

return?

Pull

down

the back partition and

look back toward

the tail post. A

flashlight will be really

handy

here.


33/44

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34/44

enough

to

determine if there are

cracks or deformities?

Is

the hard

ware rusted or corroded? Do you

like what you see?

That's

the

real clue.

If

you

don

't

like what

you

see on any

of this,

then pick

up

your marbles and walk

away. They can't make you buy it

And if you feel deep down

there

is

just

too much wrong

,

then

take a

hike. This goes for any part or piece

of

the airplane.

Sure, money

can

rectify

a

lot of wrongs

,

but

you

should

have

made up your mind

long before this how

much

you are

willing to shell out.

An

important

consideration at

this pOint

is the

dollar value of

the

finished

product.

How much will

you have to spend to get it

into the

salable condition? How

much

labor

will it take? Does the simple arith

metic

compute? Use your com

mon

sense.

It

may be better to find

a plane certificated

and

flying

and

spend a couple of extra bucks to as

sure yourself

you

have

what

you

want. It's up to you.

Next crawl

under the

belly

and

check for old oil streaks and/or ac

cumulated

Documents

Vintage Airplane - May 2006