October 1997 Vol 25 No 10

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL STAFF

Publisher Tam Paberezny

Editor-in-Chief Jack Cax

Editar Henry G Frautschy

Managing Editar Golda Cox

Art Director Mike Drucks

Computer Graphic Specialists Olivia L Phillip Jennifer Larsen

Mary Premeau

Associate Editor Norm Petersen

Feature Writer Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers Jim Koepnick LeeAnn Abrams

Ken Lichtenberg

AdvertisingEditorial Assistant Isabelle Wiske

EM ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC OFFICERS

President Vice-President Espie Butch Joyce George Daubner

PO Box 35584 2448 Lough Lone Greensboro NC 27425 Hartford WI 53027

910393-0344 414673-5885

Secretary Treasurer Steve Nesse Charles Harris

2009 Highland Ave 7215 East 46th St Albert Lea MN 56007 Tulsa OK 74145

507373-1674 918622-8400

DIRECTORS John Berendt Gene Monis

7645 Echo Point Rd 115C Steve Court RR 2 Cannon Falls MN 55009 Roanoke TX 76262

507263-2414 817491-9110

Phil Coulson Robert C Bob Brauer 28415 Springbrook Dr 9345 S Hoyne

Lowton MI 49065 Chicogo IL 60620 616624-6490 312779-2105

John S Copeiand 55 Oakey Av Joe Dickey

28-3 Williamsburg Ct Lawrenceburg IN 47025 Shrewsbury MA 01545

812537-9354 508842-7867

StanGomoiI 7724 Shady Hill Dr Dale A Gustafson

1042 90th Lane NE Indianapolis IN 46278 Minneapolis MN 55434

317293-4430 612784-1172

Jeannie Hill 1708 Boy Oaks Dr

Robert Uckteig PO Sox 328

Albert Lea MN 56007 Horvard IL 60033 507373-2922 815943-7205

Dean Richardson Robert D Bob Lumley 6701 Colony Dr 1265 South 124th St

Madison WI 53717 Brookfield WI 53005 608833-1291 4141782-2633

SH Wes Schmid Geoff Robison 2359 Lefeber Avenue 1521 E MacGregor Dr Wauwatosa WI 53213 New Haven IN 46774

414771-1545 219493-4724

George York 181 Sloboda Av

Mansfield OH 44906 419529-4378

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Gene Chase EE Buck Hilbert

2159 Carlton Rd PO Box 424 Oshkosh WI 54904 Union IL 60180

920231 -5002 815923-4591

ADVISORS Steve Krog Roger Gomoll

1002 Heather Ln 321-12 S Broadway Hartford WI 53027 Apt 3

414966-7627 Rochester MN 55904 507288-2810

David Bennett 403 Tonner Ct

Roseville CA 95678 916-782-7025

Straight amp Level l Espie Butch Joyce

2 AlC News

3 Aeromail

4 ACNolunteers Trish Dorlac Page 8

8 Mystery Plane HG Frautschy

9 Pass It To Buck EE Buck Hi lbert

10 EAA Oshkosh 97-Antique Classic ScrapbookHG Frautschy and Norm Petersen

21 Flying Milkstool Indeed 1 Page 10HG Frautschy

25 What Our Members Are Restoring Norm Petersen

Page 21

29 Welcome New Members

30 Vintage Tr ader Membership Information

FRONT COVER The Grand Champion Classic airplane of EAA Oshkosh 97 is this beautiful 1955 Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer restored by partners Kenny Brown and Joe Fleeman of Lawrenceburg TN A project that included original interior fabric (the reor seat cushion is the original seat not a reproduction) it had members smiling and remembering the fabulOUS 50s EAA photo by EAA Chief photographer Jim Koepnick shot with a Canon EOS-l n equipped with an 80-200 mm lens 1250 sec ili on 100 ASA slide film EAA Cessna 210 phota plane ftown by Bruce Moore

BACK COVER Along with Mister Mulligan middot master craftsman Jim Younkin Springdale AR created the twa Mullicoupesmiddot you see here The p lay on words highlights the fac t that the airplanes are not replicas of particular airplanes but a design of Jim s that combines the large size of Mr Mulligan with the personality of the Monocoupe Powered with a Pratt amp Whitney R-985 engine swinging a Hamilton-Standard prop the two Mullicoupes were a big hit on the fligh tline at EAA Oshkosh The red airplane was finished by Jim Younkin while the blac k aircraft with red scallops was fin ished by Monocoupe enthusiast and restorer Bud Dake o f St Louis MO EAA photo by EAA Chief photographer Jim Koepnick shot with a Canon EOS-ln equipped with an 80-200 mm lens 160 sec f20 on 100 ASA slide film EAA Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore

Copyright copy 1997 by the EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc All rights reserved VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center 3000 Poberezny Rd PO Box 3086 Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices The membership rate for EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc is $2700 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $1500 is for the publication of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation POSTMASTER Send address changes to EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 FOREIGN AiND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surtace mail ADVERTISING - AntiqueClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken EDITORIAL POLICY Readers are encouraged to subm~ stories and photographs Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor No renumeration is made Material should be sent to Ed~or VINTAGE AIRPlANE PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 9201426-4800

The words EAA ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION EAA ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are reg registered trademarks THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohib~ed

STRAIGHT amp LEVEL by Espie Butch Joyce

Recently I was reading the newsletter from AntiqueClassic Chapter 19 in westshyern Colorado They are in the process of selling their Chapter project a Taylorcraft After having someone agree to buy this airshycraft the prospective buyer must have had a title search conducted and found an old lien against the title When the Chapter looked into this matter they found that the loan company was no longer in business What now I can feel empathy for the efshyfort that it will take to straighten out this mess

Several years ago I purchased a Cessna 172 with the idea of putting it on leaseshyback with a FBO operator I ran a title search on it and the FAA indicated that all was OK I sent in the request to change ownership and received a new registration in about four to five months again everyshything was just fine according to the FAA

After having this 172 on lease-back for about a year I decided that maybe I should sell it and upon showing it to several differshyent prospects one person got serious enough to have a title search done Then the call came I would like to buy your plane but there is a lien on this aircraft from a loan company in New Jersey I replied that it must be a mistake because I have a clear registration in my name for the airplane

Not to worry I can straighten this out by having my own title search done and show this person that he made a mistake I thought The report came in and guess what N-number had a lien against it filed by a New Jersey loan company In checkshying with the FAA I discovered that just beshycause the aircraft has a lien on it the FAA will still issue a new certificate of registrashytion

Humm OK Why Ill just call the listed loan comshy

pany and ask them to remove the lien was my next thought

My call to directory assistance did not help matters as Sorry sir I cannot find a

listing for that business was the response r could see that this was not going to be

a good day The lien paperwork was 20 years old I

called a buddy who I knew in the area the company was located at one time and he sent me to another person who referred me to another individual At last J find out the company was the credit union for Hamilton Standard It looked like we were making headway except that they had sold the loan business to a bank located in another city After chasing down this bank - it had merged with another bank - we discovshyered the paperwork was still around but it was located in New York Great

More phone calls progressed through four or five people to the point where I was told the bank did not loan money for airshycraft purchases or for any other aviation reason thank you and good-bye To make a long story short I finally talked to someshyone who would give me enough time on the phone to exp lain my problem Unfortushynately the person at the bank who I really needed to talk to was on vacation for the next 30 days Have you ever known a manager who has been on vacation for 30 days who would be interested in this type of problem

I final lucked out when this lady lisshytened to my problem and explained that these old records had long since been done away with They could not write the FAA and release the lien but that she would write a letter stating that this lien had long ago been satisfied and was no longer in force and then I could do whatever I wanted with that information I wrote the FAA and sent in the money $5 or $10 (beshylieve me this is the most important part) and a copy of the letter and got the papershywork straightened out The new owner is happy with the 172 and I am happy Hopeshyfully my experience will give some of you some resolve - it can be done

As many of you know the Monocoupe is the airplane that fl[st got me interested in Antique and Classic aircraft and then the AntiqueClassic movement In 1969 I purshychased a 1936 90A that had been converted from a Lambert 90 hp engine to a Lyshy

coming 160 hp engine Im pretty sure it was one of the very first conversions of this type back then Now this conversion has become commonplace and I might say that it also makes the 90A a real hot rod perforshymance-wise The aircraft that I am standshying in front of in my picture above is a Monocoupe 110 Special N 15E I had the pleasure of helping the late Dick Austin of Greensboro North Carolina restore this airshycraft some years ago

Ive been trying to get to it for the past two years and this time I made it Norma and I attended the 70th anniversary of Monocoupes Fly-In held at Creve Coeur Field St Louis Missouri September 18shy21 President Bob Coolbaugh of the Monoshycoupe Club put together a very well orgashynized and educational fly-in The theme this year was Monocoupe Madness III or Monocoupes to Mullicoupes Bob with the help ofR V Adams a former Monoshycoupe employee (Parts Manager) had a number of the former factory employees present

They related a number of great stories to us most of which we hadnt heard before I must mention that Al and Connie Stix of Creve Coeur Field had everyone over to their home for a lavish dinner and social on Thursday night They treated everyone great Thanks AI and Connie Ifyou are interested Bob Coolbaugh puts out what he calls a mostly monthly newsletter dues are $1500 per year Call him at 703590shy2375 or e-mai l tomonocouperolscom Bob thanks to you also for a good time

We continue to have people hand propshyping their aircraft and because they didnt take the time for the correct precautions it got away from them damaging aircraft and property Guys this costs everyone when this happens A ten or 15 foot rope does not cost that much Lets be more careful out there

Lets also keep this One-on-One memshybership campaign a success Ask a buddy to join the AntiqueClassic Division so they too can enjoy our good times Lets all pull in the same direction for the good of aviashytion Remember we are better together Join us and have it all

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

STRAIGHT amp LEVEL by Espie Butch Joyce

Recently I was reading the newsletter from AntiqueClassic Chapter 19 in westshyern Colorado They are in the process of selling their Chapter project a Taylorcraft After having someone agree to buy this airshycraft the prospective buyer must have had a title search conducted and found an old lien against the title When the Chapter looked into this matter they found that the loan company was no longer in business What now I can feel empathy for the efshyfort that it will take to straighten out this mess

Several years ago I purchased a Cessna 172 with the idea of putting it on leaseshyback with a FBO operator I ran a title search on it and the FAA indicated that all was OK I sent in the request to change ownership and received a new registration in about four to five months again everyshything was just fine according to the FAA

After having this 172 on lease-back for about a year I decided that maybe I should sell it and upon showing it to several differshyent prospects one person got serious enough to have a title search done Then the call came I would like to buy your plane but there is a lien on this aircraft from a loan company in New Jersey I replied that it must be a mistake because I have a clear registration in my name for the airplane

Not to worry I can straighten this out by having my own title search done and show this person that he made a mistake I thought The report came in and guess what N-number had a lien against it filed by a New Jersey loan company In checkshying with the FAA I discovered that just beshycause the aircraft has a lien on it the FAA will still issue a new certificate of registrashytion

Humm OK Why Ill just call the listed loan comshy

pany and ask them to remove the lien was my next thought

My call to directory assistance did not help matters as Sorry sir I cannot find a

listing for that business was the response r could see that this was not going to be

a good day The lien paperwork was 20 years old I

called a buddy who I knew in the area the company was located at one time and he sent me to another person who referred me to another individual At last J find out the company was the credit union for Hamilton Standard It looked like we were making headway except that they had sold the loan business to a bank located in another city After chasing down this bank - it had merged with another bank - we discovshyered the paperwork was still around but it was located in New York Great

More phone calls progressed through four or five people to the point where I was told the bank did not loan money for airshycraft purchases or for any other aviation reason thank you and good-bye To make a long story short I finally talked to someshyone who would give me enough time on the phone to exp lain my problem Unfortushynately the person at the bank who I really needed to talk to was on vacation for the next 30 days Have you ever known a manager who has been on vacation for 30 days who would be interested in this type of problem

I final lucked out when this lady lisshytened to my problem and explained that these old records had long since been done away with They could not write the FAA and release the lien but that she would write a letter stating that this lien had long ago been satisfied and was no longer in force and then I could do whatever I wanted with that information I wrote the FAA and sent in the money $5 or $10 (beshylieve me this is the most important part) and a copy of the letter and got the papershywork straightened out The new owner is happy with the 172 and I am happy Hopeshyfully my experience will give some of you some resolve - it can be done

As many of you know the Monocoupe is the airplane that fl[st got me interested in Antique and Classic aircraft and then the AntiqueClassic movement In 1969 I purshychased a 1936 90A that had been converted from a Lambert 90 hp engine to a Lyshy

coming 160 hp engine Im pretty sure it was one of the very first conversions of this type back then Now this conversion has become commonplace and I might say that it also makes the 90A a real hot rod perforshymance-wise The aircraft that I am standshying in front of in my picture above is a Monocoupe 110 Special N 15E I had the pleasure of helping the late Dick Austin of Greensboro North Carolina restore this airshycraft some years ago

Ive been trying to get to it for the past two years and this time I made it Norma and I attended the 70th anniversary of Monocoupes Fly-In held at Creve Coeur Field St Louis Missouri September 18shy21 President Bob Coolbaugh of the Monoshycoupe Club put together a very well orgashynized and educational fly-in The theme this year was Monocoupe Madness III or Monocoupes to Mullicoupes Bob with the help ofR V Adams a former Monoshycoupe employee (Parts Manager) had a number of the former factory employees present

They related a number of great stories to us most of which we hadnt heard before I must mention that Al and Connie Stix of Creve Coeur Field had everyone over to their home for a lavish dinner and social on Thursday night They treated everyone great Thanks AI and Connie Ifyou are interested Bob Coolbaugh puts out what he calls a mostly monthly newsletter dues are $1500 per year Call him at 703590shy2375 or e-mai l tomonocouperolscom Bob thanks to you also for a good time

We continue to have people hand propshyping their aircraft and because they didnt take the time for the correct precautions it got away from them damaging aircraft and property Guys this costs everyone when this happens A ten or 15 foot rope does not cost that much Lets be more careful out there

Lets also keep this One-on-One memshybership campaign a success Ask a buddy to join the AntiqueClassic Division so they too can enjoy our good times Lets all pull in the same direction for the good of aviashytion Remember we are better together Join us and have it all

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

AC NEWS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

compiled by H G Frautschy

TYPE CLU BS Once again we will be including a copy

of our Type CLub listing in the December issue of Vintage Airplane as well as upshydating that list on our web page part of EAAs web site at httpwwweaaorg We will be sending out reminder cards to those clubs already on our list including those who have not updated their listing(s) in the past two years Clubs that are no longer active and have not updated their listing via the self addressed stamped postcards weve included in our mailings over the past two years will be dropped from the 1998 list so please be certain to return the postcards With so many clubs adding EshyMail addresses and web sites wed like to include that information in the club listshyings If youre the person listed at the conshytact for your Type Club you can expect your mailing sometime in mid- to late Ocshytober

AERONCA CHAMPS AND CHIEFS

Charlie Lasher who started the Aeronca CLub oh so many years ago has created two companion volumes to his Champs and Chiefs book of over ten years ago Champs and Chiefs - Book Two and Book Three continue the spirit of the first volume and expand on the technical information included in it Contact Charlie for pricing at 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765 407678-3467

Charlie will also send copies of his added information regarding the current American Champion Service letter No 406 which details inspections of wood spars installed in Champs Charlie is conshycerned that the uninitated might mistake the laminations of Aeronca spars for cracks in the spars and he adds his opinions to the American Champion information Send Charlie a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) at the address noted above for a copy of his spar inspection sheets

CUB CLUB - L4 W ING

Theres now a new editorpublisher for the L-4 Grasshopper Wing He is Bill Collin Rt 2 Box 619 Gould AR 71643 phone 501 263-4668 Write to him dishyrectly if you wish to renew your membershyship or join the L-4 Wing as the L-4 Wing is no longer affiliated with the Cub Club The club will continue to maintain inforshymation blueprints manual field approvals etc for those of you who have the military version of the Cub The Cub Club can still 2 OCTOBER 1997

be reached co John Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook RD Remus MI 49340 517561 -2393

POBJOY NIAGRA V

Via E-Mail we recieved a note from Dr Dudley E Smith who is searching for a Pobjoy Niagra V engine for use in a replica he is planning on building of the Flagg Racer If anyone can help the doctor in his search you can contact him by phone at 405325-1094 or 405325-1088 (Fax)

MCDOWELL STARTER

Charlie Lynch who works for Sikorsky Aircraft when hes not restoring his Tayshylorcraft is looking for a McDowell starter for his project Installation drawings and any other information would also be welshycome They were standard items on the Aeronca Chief and an option on the postshywar Taylorcraft Chiefs that still have them are pretty rare and rarer still for the Taylorcraft but youll never know who has one unless you ask Make Charlies day by call ing him at 203239-7596 (home) or 203386-5959 (work) if you can lead him to one of these starters

WILEY HAUTALA - 1935-1 997

EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $35 for one year including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION Family membership is available for an additional $10 annually Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $20 annually All major credit cards accepted for membership

ANTIQUECLASSIC Current EAA members may join the Antique Classic Division and receive VINTAGE AIRshyPLANE magazine for an additional $27 per year EAA Membership VINTAGE AIRPLANE magshyazine and one year membership in the EAA AntiqueClassic Division is available for $37 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included)

lAC Current EAA members may join the Intemational Aerobatic Club Inc Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $40 per year EAA Membership SPORT AEROBATICS magashyzine and one year membership in the lAC Division is available for $50 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARshyBIRDS magazine for an additional $35 per year EAA Membership WARBIRDS magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $45 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included)

Veteran seashyplane pilot and float rebuilder Wiley Hautala of Ely Minnesota passed away on Sepember 7 1997 from a massive heart attack

Born in Tower Soudan MN on August 10 1935 to Ernest and Elna Hautala Wiley was named after the famous pilot Wiley Post who died in a plane crash in Alaska just five days later on August 15 1935

An Army Paratrooper during the Koshyrean War Wiley attended Northrop Instishytute to earn his A amp P rating and later added all the flight ratings Returning to Ely MN he flew bush for many years inshycluding several with Pat Magie before settling into the float rebuilding business where his keen knowledge of all kinds and types of floats was legendary

Wiley is survived by his wife Doris a daughter Michelle his mother E1na two brothers and a sister He will be sorely missd by a host of friends in the seaplane world - Norm Petersen

EAA EXPERIMENTER Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERshyIMENTER magazine for an additional $20 per year EAA Membership and EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine is available for $30 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS

Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars Add $13 postage for SPORT AVIATION magazine andor $6 postage for any of the other magazines

EAA AVIATION CENTER PO box 3086

Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 WEB SITE httpeaaorg

wwwflyinorg E-MAIL Vintage eaaorg PHONE (920) 426-4800

FAX (920) 426-4873 OFFICE HOURS

815-500 mon-fri 1-800-843-3612

MEMBERSHIP DUES TO EAA AND ITS DIVISIONS ARE NOT TAX

DEDUCTIBLE AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

VINTAGE

AeroMail ALASKA ROBIN HISTORY

Dear Ed Gelvin The article about your Alaska Robin

in the most recent issue of Vintage Airshyplane by H G Frautschy was of particular interest to me

For 8-12 years I have been compiling the history of aviation in the Wausau area from 1911 when the first local man flew here to the present time The articles phrase The Robin arrived in Alaska in 1939 set off an alarm bell and when I rushed to my newspaper item collection I found the enclosed news article from the Wausau Daily Record-Herald on February 20 1939

Not being sure it was the same plane I went to my copies of Archie Towles logshybook and found that he flew 922K for the first time in 1938 and it had a Challenger 185 hp engine Furthermore he was listed as the owner in the 1939 list of certificated aircraft in Wisconsin

Also the daily airport log kept by the managers wife Margaret Towle shows that Curtiss Robin 922K was flown into the Wausau airport at least four times in May and June of 1938 by John Cullen ofMedshyford a small town 30 miles northwest of Wausau I assume that Cullen was the owner during that time

A list of certificated aircraft owners in Wisconsin for 1936 shows the owner of Robin 922K to be the Manitowoc Air Sershyvice in Manitowoc Wisconsin a town on the shore of Lake Michigan

You may already have some of this inshyformation but if not I thought you would be interested in this coincidence I have over 700 photos in my collection but have not found one of 922K probably because Archie Towle apparently owned it a relashytively short time

I congratulate you on your efforts to reshytrieve and restore 922K It is a marvelous accomplishment

Sincerely Robert C Wylie EAA 78593 AlC 23300

TOWER INTRUSION Airstrip Tractor and Mower Possibly

For Sale Please call after the fight My brother-in-law arrived at my farm the

other day in his old 7 AC As soon as he could shut down the throbbing A-65 and disshymount he came running to me with a large brown envelope My thoughts flashed from his winning the lottery to a new set of plans for the next project The contents held none

of these nor anything good at all About two weeks earlier they had noticed some construction just to the south of their runshyway As the equipment got larger and heavshyier they decided to investigate What they found could change their lives forever

Crown Network Systems Inc of Pittsshyburgh Pennsylvania had started to prepare a site including an access road for a 525 foot AGL 1945 foot MSL tower This tower would be located only 1584 feet south of the runway at the Thermal G Glidshyerport owned by the Gehrlein family in Erie Pennsylvania

Now a lot of you know this place It has been an airport for over 40 years Its origins go back way before 1957 when the elder Larry Gehrlein had a dream to build and operate his own glider operation A lot of blood sweat tears and years by the enshytire family made the Thermal Gone of the few and certainly the finest early soaring sites in this country

Today two of Larry s sons Jay and Rod still maintain the airport on a private basis They also use the location as the base of operations for Gehrlein Products a certified repair station for sailplane repair including the latest technologies used in construction today These people are into aviation - trust me A quick walk and some nosing into the hangars will reveal a Heath Baby Bullet Aeronca C-3 Pitts Volmer Baby Ace Cub Champ Newport replica gliders ultralights balloons and too much memorabilia to mention

This new tower will be located directly on the downwind leg of their east-west sod strip It is definitely a hazard to air navigashytion but the Gehrleins were not included in the FAA Aeronautical Study Mailing I also have a private airstrip of my own that has been in existence for over 40 years Now all of us out there who mow all of that grass just for the love of it should take note The FAA does not recognize a prishyvate airstrip as part of our airspace system that we so dearly pay for every April 15th (Not to mention each and every gallon of Avgas) The study for this Obstruction To Air Navigation in this case went to the commercial airports (two) in the neighshyborhood Some other interesting facts in this case This airport is located on the highest ground just south of Erie where the communications business has created a TV alley

Years ago the same problem faced the Gehrleins which prompted a legal battle The Gehrleins won that one The tower

went to the antenna farm on the north side of their airport At that time the local township which is still in business today put a law on the books stating that no strucshyture can interfere with the operation of any airport Now how do projects like this get started with laws on the books and federal studies not completed

I flew this downwind the other day in my C-170 and the site is ready for the steel with the tower bases and neat little buildshyings all completed And the deadline for FAA comments was still ten days away Crown Systems knew that with their size power and resources they could not lose this one Oh yes we did not even mention the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Dont bother although they are great at sending the private airport renewal bill right on time I hope that you aviators living in other states get getter support from your aviation departments

On the bright side all of the aviation community involved with this MESS feel that they have won Round One The local newspaper printed a great article sympashythizing with the Gehrleins A local TV stashytion showed up at the field a day before the township meeting was scheduled to address this problem Jay couldnt get the 7AC out of the barn fast enough to provide aerial shots At the meeting it was evident that the local residents were really becoming aware of the situation The opposition to the new antenna location was unanimous

Guess what The township supervisors have now changed their thoughts from whatever motivated them to let this project get underway in the first place Amazing what the voters can do to politicians thinkshying After the meeting the supervisors apshyproached the Gehrleins and said that they had evoked a cease and desist order against the construction Crowns attorshyneys were on the phone the following morning

Your aviation alphabet associations can help you save the private airports Now get ready for Round Two

Gene D (Pete) Engelskirger EAA 394286 AIC 18337 HinkleY OH A phone update with Pete mentioned

that more positive steps have been taken to stop the construction othe tower includshying a second visit from the local TV station The Township to their credit realizes and admits they made a mistake in approving

(Continued on pg 28)

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

ANTIQUECLASSIC

WORKSHOP TENT by

Patricia Trish Dorlac

George Meade AlC Workshop chairman instructs Carl Campbell in the exact art of ribshystitching

Don Marrissette co-chairman of the Workshop tent and Dane Volzke examine a crack in a Cessna 170 axle using a Spotcheck tool kit

before you head off to the EAA Forums up north of the Control Tower be sure and check out the Workshop tent next to the Red Bam Operating every day during the Convention even the day before this is a great place to get your hands busy and learn the

techniques you need to know to FINISH that long overdue project

The AC Workshop is manned by the fLne gentlemen from AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 out of Wauwatosa Wisconsin There is no need to doubt the capabilities of these men They have earned their expertise through good old hands-on experience Every Tuesday they travel to the Kermit Weeks Hangar and volunteer They have put in over 5000 hours working on planes including the B-17 and P -51 They even beefed up the ribs on the Curtiss Robin Here is a partial list of the things you could have learned this year at Oshkosh

Safety wiring including bolts and turnbuckles Spray painting with outside air respiration Crack and Leak Detection Metal Shrinking Metal Forming Acrylic Windows including cutting drilling and polishing

Fabric Work

While the division provides the tent tables and chairs this group usually brings everything else used in the workshyshop This year they received supplies donated by PolyFiber Magnafiux Fast Tech and US Industrial Tool amp Supply Company OUf thanks to these fme supshypliers

Although absent this year Airtex usushyally puts a new interior into a Cessna 170 President Don Stretch already has secured a Cessna 170 to work on at next years Convention If you need to learn how to do your interior take advantage of this wonderful opportunity

If you have always wanted to know

4 OCTOBER 1997

more about the Curtiss OX-5 this is the place to see parts and engines from this flying machine There are several other old engines around if you have questions or just want to see them Red Perkins has been our expert on the OX-5 and his absence this year left a great void Red learned to fly in a Jenny and later helped to maintain the engine in Dale Crite s 19l1 Curtiss Pusher

Paul Poberezny had the idea of the AntiqueClassic Division providing people

Red Perkins (left)with a hands on aircraft restoration experishy discusses t heence and the Workshop Tent was brought Curtiss OX-5 withinto existence Chairman George Meade one of the manywas approached by Art Morgan about 10shy visitors in the 12 years ago and with the help of other AIC Workshopdedicated foLks got it off to a great start tent Rich Fischler is the vice-chairshyman and Clarence Schreiber and Don Morrissette are the co-chai rmen Other people who keep this operation going all week include Demosthenes Staver and Jerry Cutsforth The time and effort these genshytlemen put into the workshop tent is greatly appreciated by the many of us who need to learn skills that just are not taught at the local community college

George says that the greatshyest benefit they get is helping someone else Someone can come in to learn how to do something and can walk away having mastered the skill by havi ng the opportunity to actually do it with people who are experienced and can teach them One of the interesting things that was taught this year was an approac h for crack and leak detect ion Referred to a lso as the

AlC Chapter 11 representatives who help make the AlC Workshop tent operations run soaerosol container method it smoothly f rom left to right are George Meade (Chairman) Bob Whitehouse (visitor)consists of three easy steps Demosthenes Staver Jeff Custforth Don Morrissette (co-chairman) and Clarence Schreiber I) Spray item that you are (co-chairman)checking for leaks with a cleaner and wi pe clean 2) Spray item with a red penetrant and wipe off with a clean cloth 3) Spray with a white developer that will show bleed red in areas with cracks

One of the most interesting years was when there was a Pietenpol project that kept people involved all week long The owner was an older gentleman (in his mid-80s) who desired to see it finished so that he could fly it Workshop was able to complete a great deal of it in the two years they had it that is only two WEEKS in Oshkosh time In just that litshytle amount of time with a lot of enthusishyastic volunteers they were able to ready the wing for painting and remove the original muslin fabric (on since 1930)

Jon Goldenbaum of Poly-Fiber conducts the fabric covering seminar in the AlC Workshop tent

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

from the fuselage and prepare it for recovershying George said the participation was great partly due to the high rate of interest The owner was there helping out as well

If you have decided that NEXT year is the year you are going to get that project done be sure to go by the Workshop Tent and glean some knowledge from this great bunch of volunteers

TRAM TIME IN THE ANTIQUE CLASSIC DIVISION Rich Fischler (left)

As if the Workshop Tent was not enough and Clarence for the members of Chapter 11 another Schreiber listen in Chapter project was completed this year on the fabric disshyDave Broadfoot (who has also cussion been a volunteer in the workshyshop tent) bought and convertshyed a trailer for our area He installed smaller wheels and added a ramp to enable wheelshychair access although many others also enjoyed this welshycome respite from walking Many other members from the chapter helped with the weldshying and other areas of conshystruction on this trailer What a great idea Hats off to the fine folks in Chapter II for helping to make Oshkosh a better place to be

EARL NICHOLAS BACKSTAGE VOLUNshyTEER OF THE YEAR If you have not met Earl

you probably have not been to Oshkosh Earl has done everyshything from flight line operashytions to manpower to the Aerogram not to mention everything else If something Donald Hyra yet another member of AlC Chapter 11 volunteers some time operating the needs to be done chances are Tram Earl is the one that wi ll be asked to do it Every time I was in the Aerogram building this summer someone was looking for Earl Earl could you please and naturally as soon as he could Earl would take care of the request Earl actually brings the equipment for the Aerogram operations and troubleshoots all computer problems No wonder Earl was the Backstage Volunteer of the Year for this years Oshkosh extravaganza It is people like Earl who make it just that THANK YOU EARL FOR ALL YOU DO

RANDY HYTRY FLIGHTLINE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Recognized at this years annual Antique Classic Volunteer party as the Masterful Man Who Moves Heavy Metal Planes Randy has been a point opera tor on the flightline for many years He commutes daily and this year worked typical Oshkosh hours in spite of his involvement with a great band Uazz and a ll that good stuff)

Anna Osborn Jason Hartwing and Earl Nicholas the 1997 AntiqueClassic Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the year

6 OCTOBER 1997

Randy congratulations on your award and THANK YOV for all of your years of service

WOW WHAT A PARTY

Special thanks to all who helped me with this years volunteer party TIM FOX and the entire security team Exceptional pizza delivery DAVE and NANCY BELTZ and BOB HVNT Drink and tent set up GLORIA and PAUL BEECROFT Cake pick up and delivery WALT BOSEPHUS DORLAC Assistant extraordinaire SUE and DWAYNE TROVILLION For preparing door prizes BOB LUMLEY Providing video entertainment of the BEST group of volunteers

Harvey Highspeed AKA Dave Beltz lent a whimsical air to the goings on in the AlC area this year In the tradition of Wheres Waldo members were kept busy all week keeping an eye out for Harvey Thanks Dave

GEOFF ROBISON and EARL NICHOLAS Printing up award certificates LINDA BETZOLDT Premier cake cutterserver MIKE KOST A Dual instruction assistant STEVE ICEMAN WHELAN Ice delivery CHAPTER 11 For allowing us to invade their space AVA Generous sponsors DUBIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS for your gracious acceptance of your certificates (Editors Note Trish will give me an aw shucks look when I

say this but she missed one essential element of the volunteer party - her In addition to her instructional duties training new Flight Line Volunteers Trish spent her abbreviated stay at the Convention chasing down additional stories for the Volunteer column and coordinating the plans for the AIC Volunteer party Three cheers for Trish Dorlac organizer extraordinaire - HGF)

Thanks everyone See you next year

(Above) Our Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year is this smiling fellow Randy Hytry This shot is parshyticularly rare as 1) Randy is inside and 2) he is sitting down He can be found during almost every daylight hour directing aircraft traffic at the AlC Point Fondy during which he rarely has a chance to sit Fortunately his wry sense of humor helps keep everybody on their toes down in the south half of the AlC parking area

Geoff Robison accepts his Keeping the Cool award from Tim Fox and Dave Beltz during the annual AlC Volunteer party one of the benefits of volunteering during the Convention

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

ANTIQUECLASSIC

WORKSHOP TENT by

Patricia Trish Dorlac

George Meade AlC Workshop chairman instructs Carl Campbell in the exact art of ribshystitching

Don Marrissette co-chairman of the Workshop tent and Dane Volzke examine a crack in a Cessna 170 axle using a Spotcheck tool kit

before you head off to the EAA Forums up north of the Control Tower be sure and check out the Workshop tent next to the Red Bam Operating every day during the Convention even the day before this is a great place to get your hands busy and learn the

techniques you need to know to FINISH that long overdue project

The AC Workshop is manned by the fLne gentlemen from AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 out of Wauwatosa Wisconsin There is no need to doubt the capabilities of these men They have earned their expertise through good old hands-on experience Every Tuesday they travel to the Kermit Weeks Hangar and volunteer They have put in over 5000 hours working on planes including the B-17 and P -51 They even beefed up the ribs on the Curtiss Robin Here is a partial list of the things you could have learned this year at Oshkosh

Safety wiring including bolts and turnbuckles Spray painting with outside air respiration Crack and Leak Detection Metal Shrinking Metal Forming Acrylic Windows including cutting drilling and polishing

Fabric Work

While the division provides the tent tables and chairs this group usually brings everything else used in the workshyshop This year they received supplies donated by PolyFiber Magnafiux Fast Tech and US Industrial Tool amp Supply Company OUf thanks to these fme supshypliers

Although absent this year Airtex usushyally puts a new interior into a Cessna 170 President Don Stretch already has secured a Cessna 170 to work on at next years Convention If you need to learn how to do your interior take advantage of this wonderful opportunity

If you have always wanted to know

4 OCTOBER 1997

more about the Curtiss OX-5 this is the place to see parts and engines from this flying machine There are several other old engines around if you have questions or just want to see them Red Perkins has been our expert on the OX-5 and his absence this year left a great void Red learned to fly in a Jenny and later helped to maintain the engine in Dale Crite s 19l1 Curtiss Pusher

Paul Poberezny had the idea of the AntiqueClassic Division providing people

Red Perkins (left)with a hands on aircraft restoration experishy discusses t heence and the Workshop Tent was brought Curtiss OX-5 withinto existence Chairman George Meade one of the manywas approached by Art Morgan about 10shy visitors in the 12 years ago and with the help of other AIC Workshopdedicated foLks got it off to a great start tent Rich Fischler is the vice-chairshyman and Clarence Schreiber and Don Morrissette are the co-chai rmen Other people who keep this operation going all week include Demosthenes Staver and Jerry Cutsforth The time and effort these genshytlemen put into the workshop tent is greatly appreciated by the many of us who need to learn skills that just are not taught at the local community college

George says that the greatshyest benefit they get is helping someone else Someone can come in to learn how to do something and can walk away having mastered the skill by havi ng the opportunity to actually do it with people who are experienced and can teach them One of the interesting things that was taught this year was an approac h for crack and leak detect ion Referred to a lso as the

AlC Chapter 11 representatives who help make the AlC Workshop tent operations run soaerosol container method it smoothly f rom left to right are George Meade (Chairman) Bob Whitehouse (visitor)consists of three easy steps Demosthenes Staver Jeff Custforth Don Morrissette (co-chairman) and Clarence Schreiber I) Spray item that you are (co-chairman)checking for leaks with a cleaner and wi pe clean 2) Spray item with a red penetrant and wipe off with a clean cloth 3) Spray with a white developer that will show bleed red in areas with cracks

One of the most interesting years was when there was a Pietenpol project that kept people involved all week long The owner was an older gentleman (in his mid-80s) who desired to see it finished so that he could fly it Workshop was able to complete a great deal of it in the two years they had it that is only two WEEKS in Oshkosh time In just that litshytle amount of time with a lot of enthusishyastic volunteers they were able to ready the wing for painting and remove the original muslin fabric (on since 1930)

Jon Goldenbaum of Poly-Fiber conducts the fabric covering seminar in the AlC Workshop tent

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

from the fuselage and prepare it for recovershying George said the participation was great partly due to the high rate of interest The owner was there helping out as well

If you have decided that NEXT year is the year you are going to get that project done be sure to go by the Workshop Tent and glean some knowledge from this great bunch of volunteers

TRAM TIME IN THE ANTIQUE CLASSIC DIVISION Rich Fischler (left)

As if the Workshop Tent was not enough and Clarence for the members of Chapter 11 another Schreiber listen in Chapter project was completed this year on the fabric disshyDave Broadfoot (who has also cussion been a volunteer in the workshyshop tent) bought and convertshyed a trailer for our area He installed smaller wheels and added a ramp to enable wheelshychair access although many others also enjoyed this welshycome respite from walking Many other members from the chapter helped with the weldshying and other areas of conshystruction on this trailer What a great idea Hats off to the fine folks in Chapter II for helping to make Oshkosh a better place to be

EARL NICHOLAS BACKSTAGE VOLUNshyTEER OF THE YEAR If you have not met Earl

you probably have not been to Oshkosh Earl has done everyshything from flight line operashytions to manpower to the Aerogram not to mention everything else If something Donald Hyra yet another member of AlC Chapter 11 volunteers some time operating the needs to be done chances are Tram Earl is the one that wi ll be asked to do it Every time I was in the Aerogram building this summer someone was looking for Earl Earl could you please and naturally as soon as he could Earl would take care of the request Earl actually brings the equipment for the Aerogram operations and troubleshoots all computer problems No wonder Earl was the Backstage Volunteer of the Year for this years Oshkosh extravaganza It is people like Earl who make it just that THANK YOU EARL FOR ALL YOU DO

RANDY HYTRY FLIGHTLINE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Recognized at this years annual Antique Classic Volunteer party as the Masterful Man Who Moves Heavy Metal Planes Randy has been a point opera tor on the flightline for many years He commutes daily and this year worked typical Oshkosh hours in spite of his involvement with a great band Uazz and a ll that good stuff)

Anna Osborn Jason Hartwing and Earl Nicholas the 1997 AntiqueClassic Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the year

6 OCTOBER 1997

Randy congratulations on your award and THANK YOV for all of your years of service

WOW WHAT A PARTY

Special thanks to all who helped me with this years volunteer party TIM FOX and the entire security team Exceptional pizza delivery DAVE and NANCY BELTZ and BOB HVNT Drink and tent set up GLORIA and PAUL BEECROFT Cake pick up and delivery WALT BOSEPHUS DORLAC Assistant extraordinaire SUE and DWAYNE TROVILLION For preparing door prizes BOB LUMLEY Providing video entertainment of the BEST group of volunteers

Harvey Highspeed AKA Dave Beltz lent a whimsical air to the goings on in the AlC area this year In the tradition of Wheres Waldo members were kept busy all week keeping an eye out for Harvey Thanks Dave

GEOFF ROBISON and EARL NICHOLAS Printing up award certificates LINDA BETZOLDT Premier cake cutterserver MIKE KOST A Dual instruction assistant STEVE ICEMAN WHELAN Ice delivery CHAPTER 11 For allowing us to invade their space AVA Generous sponsors DUBIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS for your gracious acceptance of your certificates (Editors Note Trish will give me an aw shucks look when I

say this but she missed one essential element of the volunteer party - her In addition to her instructional duties training new Flight Line Volunteers Trish spent her abbreviated stay at the Convention chasing down additional stories for the Volunteer column and coordinating the plans for the AIC Volunteer party Three cheers for Trish Dorlac organizer extraordinaire - HGF)

Thanks everyone See you next year

(Above) Our Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year is this smiling fellow Randy Hytry This shot is parshyticularly rare as 1) Randy is inside and 2) he is sitting down He can be found during almost every daylight hour directing aircraft traffic at the AlC Point Fondy during which he rarely has a chance to sit Fortunately his wry sense of humor helps keep everybody on their toes down in the south half of the AlC parking area

Geoff Robison accepts his Keeping the Cool award from Tim Fox and Dave Beltz during the annual AlC Volunteer party one of the benefits of volunteering during the Convention

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

more about the Curtiss OX-5 this is the place to see parts and engines from this flying machine There are several other old engines around if you have questions or just want to see them Red Perkins has been our expert on the OX-5 and his absence this year left a great void Red learned to fly in a Jenny and later helped to maintain the engine in Dale Crite s 19l1 Curtiss Pusher

Paul Poberezny had the idea of the AntiqueClassic Division providing people

Red Perkins (left)with a hands on aircraft restoration experishy discusses t heence and the Workshop Tent was brought Curtiss OX-5 withinto existence Chairman George Meade one of the manywas approached by Art Morgan about 10shy visitors in the 12 years ago and with the help of other AIC Workshopdedicated foLks got it off to a great start tent Rich Fischler is the vice-chairshyman and Clarence Schreiber and Don Morrissette are the co-chai rmen Other people who keep this operation going all week include Demosthenes Staver and Jerry Cutsforth The time and effort these genshytlemen put into the workshop tent is greatly appreciated by the many of us who need to learn skills that just are not taught at the local community college

George says that the greatshyest benefit they get is helping someone else Someone can come in to learn how to do something and can walk away having mastered the skill by havi ng the opportunity to actually do it with people who are experienced and can teach them One of the interesting things that was taught this year was an approac h for crack and leak detect ion Referred to a lso as the

AlC Chapter 11 representatives who help make the AlC Workshop tent operations run soaerosol container method it smoothly f rom left to right are George Meade (Chairman) Bob Whitehouse (visitor)consists of three easy steps Demosthenes Staver Jeff Custforth Don Morrissette (co-chairman) and Clarence Schreiber I) Spray item that you are (co-chairman)checking for leaks with a cleaner and wi pe clean 2) Spray item with a red penetrant and wipe off with a clean cloth 3) Spray with a white developer that will show bleed red in areas with cracks

One of the most interesting years was when there was a Pietenpol project that kept people involved all week long The owner was an older gentleman (in his mid-80s) who desired to see it finished so that he could fly it Workshop was able to complete a great deal of it in the two years they had it that is only two WEEKS in Oshkosh time In just that litshytle amount of time with a lot of enthusishyastic volunteers they were able to ready the wing for painting and remove the original muslin fabric (on since 1930)

Jon Goldenbaum of Poly-Fiber conducts the fabric covering seminar in the AlC Workshop tent

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

from the fuselage and prepare it for recovershying George said the participation was great partly due to the high rate of interest The owner was there helping out as well

If you have decided that NEXT year is the year you are going to get that project done be sure to go by the Workshop Tent and glean some knowledge from this great bunch of volunteers

TRAM TIME IN THE ANTIQUE CLASSIC DIVISION Rich Fischler (left)

As if the Workshop Tent was not enough and Clarence for the members of Chapter 11 another Schreiber listen in Chapter project was completed this year on the fabric disshyDave Broadfoot (who has also cussion been a volunteer in the workshyshop tent) bought and convertshyed a trailer for our area He installed smaller wheels and added a ramp to enable wheelshychair access although many others also enjoyed this welshycome respite from walking Many other members from the chapter helped with the weldshying and other areas of conshystruction on this trailer What a great idea Hats off to the fine folks in Chapter II for helping to make Oshkosh a better place to be

EARL NICHOLAS BACKSTAGE VOLUNshyTEER OF THE YEAR If you have not met Earl

you probably have not been to Oshkosh Earl has done everyshything from flight line operashytions to manpower to the Aerogram not to mention everything else If something Donald Hyra yet another member of AlC Chapter 11 volunteers some time operating the needs to be done chances are Tram Earl is the one that wi ll be asked to do it Every time I was in the Aerogram building this summer someone was looking for Earl Earl could you please and naturally as soon as he could Earl would take care of the request Earl actually brings the equipment for the Aerogram operations and troubleshoots all computer problems No wonder Earl was the Backstage Volunteer of the Year for this years Oshkosh extravaganza It is people like Earl who make it just that THANK YOU EARL FOR ALL YOU DO

RANDY HYTRY FLIGHTLINE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Recognized at this years annual Antique Classic Volunteer party as the Masterful Man Who Moves Heavy Metal Planes Randy has been a point opera tor on the flightline for many years He commutes daily and this year worked typical Oshkosh hours in spite of his involvement with a great band Uazz and a ll that good stuff)

Anna Osborn Jason Hartwing and Earl Nicholas the 1997 AntiqueClassic Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the year

6 OCTOBER 1997

Randy congratulations on your award and THANK YOV for all of your years of service

WOW WHAT A PARTY

Special thanks to all who helped me with this years volunteer party TIM FOX and the entire security team Exceptional pizza delivery DAVE and NANCY BELTZ and BOB HVNT Drink and tent set up GLORIA and PAUL BEECROFT Cake pick up and delivery WALT BOSEPHUS DORLAC Assistant extraordinaire SUE and DWAYNE TROVILLION For preparing door prizes BOB LUMLEY Providing video entertainment of the BEST group of volunteers

Harvey Highspeed AKA Dave Beltz lent a whimsical air to the goings on in the AlC area this year In the tradition of Wheres Waldo members were kept busy all week keeping an eye out for Harvey Thanks Dave

GEOFF ROBISON and EARL NICHOLAS Printing up award certificates LINDA BETZOLDT Premier cake cutterserver MIKE KOST A Dual instruction assistant STEVE ICEMAN WHELAN Ice delivery CHAPTER 11 For allowing us to invade their space AVA Generous sponsors DUBIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS for your gracious acceptance of your certificates (Editors Note Trish will give me an aw shucks look when I

say this but she missed one essential element of the volunteer party - her In addition to her instructional duties training new Flight Line Volunteers Trish spent her abbreviated stay at the Convention chasing down additional stories for the Volunteer column and coordinating the plans for the AIC Volunteer party Three cheers for Trish Dorlac organizer extraordinaire - HGF)

Thanks everyone See you next year

(Above) Our Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year is this smiling fellow Randy Hytry This shot is parshyticularly rare as 1) Randy is inside and 2) he is sitting down He can be found during almost every daylight hour directing aircraft traffic at the AlC Point Fondy during which he rarely has a chance to sit Fortunately his wry sense of humor helps keep everybody on their toes down in the south half of the AlC parking area

Geoff Robison accepts his Keeping the Cool award from Tim Fox and Dave Beltz during the annual AlC Volunteer party one of the benefits of volunteering during the Convention

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

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This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

from the fuselage and prepare it for recovershying George said the participation was great partly due to the high rate of interest The owner was there helping out as well

If you have decided that NEXT year is the year you are going to get that project done be sure to go by the Workshop Tent and glean some knowledge from this great bunch of volunteers

TRAM TIME IN THE ANTIQUE CLASSIC DIVISION Rich Fischler (left)

As if the Workshop Tent was not enough and Clarence for the members of Chapter 11 another Schreiber listen in Chapter project was completed this year on the fabric disshyDave Broadfoot (who has also cussion been a volunteer in the workshyshop tent) bought and convertshyed a trailer for our area He installed smaller wheels and added a ramp to enable wheelshychair access although many others also enjoyed this welshycome respite from walking Many other members from the chapter helped with the weldshying and other areas of conshystruction on this trailer What a great idea Hats off to the fine folks in Chapter II for helping to make Oshkosh a better place to be

EARL NICHOLAS BACKSTAGE VOLUNshyTEER OF THE YEAR If you have not met Earl

you probably have not been to Oshkosh Earl has done everyshything from flight line operashytions to manpower to the Aerogram not to mention everything else If something Donald Hyra yet another member of AlC Chapter 11 volunteers some time operating the needs to be done chances are Tram Earl is the one that wi ll be asked to do it Every time I was in the Aerogram building this summer someone was looking for Earl Earl could you please and naturally as soon as he could Earl would take care of the request Earl actually brings the equipment for the Aerogram operations and troubleshoots all computer problems No wonder Earl was the Backstage Volunteer of the Year for this years Oshkosh extravaganza It is people like Earl who make it just that THANK YOU EARL FOR ALL YOU DO

RANDY HYTRY FLIGHTLINE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Recognized at this years annual Antique Classic Volunteer party as the Masterful Man Who Moves Heavy Metal Planes Randy has been a point opera tor on the flightline for many years He commutes daily and this year worked typical Oshkosh hours in spite of his involvement with a great band Uazz and a ll that good stuff)

Anna Osborn Jason Hartwing and Earl Nicholas the 1997 AntiqueClassic Behind the Scenes Volunteer of the year

6 OCTOBER 1997

Randy congratulations on your award and THANK YOV for all of your years of service

WOW WHAT A PARTY

Special thanks to all who helped me with this years volunteer party TIM FOX and the entire security team Exceptional pizza delivery DAVE and NANCY BELTZ and BOB HVNT Drink and tent set up GLORIA and PAUL BEECROFT Cake pick up and delivery WALT BOSEPHUS DORLAC Assistant extraordinaire SUE and DWAYNE TROVILLION For preparing door prizes BOB LUMLEY Providing video entertainment of the BEST group of volunteers

Harvey Highspeed AKA Dave Beltz lent a whimsical air to the goings on in the AlC area this year In the tradition of Wheres Waldo members were kept busy all week keeping an eye out for Harvey Thanks Dave

GEOFF ROBISON and EARL NICHOLAS Printing up award certificates LINDA BETZOLDT Premier cake cutterserver MIKE KOST A Dual instruction assistant STEVE ICEMAN WHELAN Ice delivery CHAPTER 11 For allowing us to invade their space AVA Generous sponsors DUBIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS for your gracious acceptance of your certificates (Editors Note Trish will give me an aw shucks look when I

say this but she missed one essential element of the volunteer party - her In addition to her instructional duties training new Flight Line Volunteers Trish spent her abbreviated stay at the Convention chasing down additional stories for the Volunteer column and coordinating the plans for the AIC Volunteer party Three cheers for Trish Dorlac organizer extraordinaire - HGF)

Thanks everyone See you next year

(Above) Our Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year is this smiling fellow Randy Hytry This shot is parshyticularly rare as 1) Randy is inside and 2) he is sitting down He can be found during almost every daylight hour directing aircraft traffic at the AlC Point Fondy during which he rarely has a chance to sit Fortunately his wry sense of humor helps keep everybody on their toes down in the south half of the AlC parking area

Geoff Robison accepts his Keeping the Cool award from Tim Fox and Dave Beltz during the annual AlC Volunteer party one of the benefits of volunteering during the Convention

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

Randy congratulations on your award and THANK YOV for all of your years of service

WOW WHAT A PARTY

Special thanks to all who helped me with this years volunteer party TIM FOX and the entire security team Exceptional pizza delivery DAVE and NANCY BELTZ and BOB HVNT Drink and tent set up GLORIA and PAUL BEECROFT Cake pick up and delivery WALT BOSEPHUS DORLAC Assistant extraordinaire SUE and DWAYNE TROVILLION For preparing door prizes BOB LUMLEY Providing video entertainment of the BEST group of volunteers

Harvey Highspeed AKA Dave Beltz lent a whimsical air to the goings on in the AlC area this year In the tradition of Wheres Waldo members were kept busy all week keeping an eye out for Harvey Thanks Dave

GEOFF ROBISON and EARL NICHOLAS Printing up award certificates LINDA BETZOLDT Premier cake cutterserver MIKE KOST A Dual instruction assistant STEVE ICEMAN WHELAN Ice delivery CHAPTER 11 For allowing us to invade their space AVA Generous sponsors DUBIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS for your gracious acceptance of your certificates (Editors Note Trish will give me an aw shucks look when I

say this but she missed one essential element of the volunteer party - her In addition to her instructional duties training new Flight Line Volunteers Trish spent her abbreviated stay at the Convention chasing down additional stories for the Volunteer column and coordinating the plans for the AIC Volunteer party Three cheers for Trish Dorlac organizer extraordinaire - HGF)

Thanks everyone See you next year

(Above) Our Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year is this smiling fellow Randy Hytry This shot is parshyticularly rare as 1) Randy is inside and 2) he is sitting down He can be found during almost every daylight hour directing aircraft traffic at the AlC Point Fondy during which he rarely has a chance to sit Fortunately his wry sense of humor helps keep everybody on their toes down in the south half of the AlC parking area

Geoff Robison accepts his Keeping the Cool award from Tim Fox and Dave Beltz during the annual AlC Volunteer party one of the benefits of volunteering during the Convention

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

The July Mystery Plane was a repeat from 1989 as pointed out by a few readshyers It was the Paramount Sportster of 1931 Designed by Ralph Johnson the Sportster was fitted with a pair of floats at the request of Joseph Behse Paramounts founder who felt an airplane from the Great Lakes ought to be fitted with floats First flown on April 10 1931 it was placed on display during the National Airshycraft Show in Detroit in mid-April 1931 On May 16 1931 Behse and mechanic Whitney Merritt took the Sportster up for a demonstration flight It didnt last longshythe airplane climbed to only about 150 feet before it entered a right tum and dove into the water of the Saginaw River killing Merritt and Behse

Answers were received from Herb deshyBruyn Bellevue WA LF Bud Rogers Deland FL Lennart Johnsson Eldsberga Sweden and Robert Pauley Farmington MI who wrote the artic le accompanying the answer published in the June 1989 isshysue of Vintage Airplane

Send your Mystery Plane correspondence to Vintage Mystery Plane EAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Arriving just a day too late to make it in the September i ssue was a note from Dick Simpson of Birmingham AL He enclosed this photo of Huff-Daland Petrel No 62 as the engine was being run up prior to final assembly Restored by EAA Chapter 152 it is on d isplay in Birmingham s Southern Museum of Flight

This month s Mystery Plane is from the collection ofCurt Szymanski Mukwonago WI Hisfamity has had afew glass plate negatives ofthe early days ofaviation in their possession for many years We have no clue as to the photographs locashytion nor do we know the aircraft type Answers need to be at EAA HQ no later than November 26 1997 for inclusion in the January issue ofVintage Airplane

We are still open to your suggestions for Mystery Planes and you can send in your candidates to the address shown at the end ofthe article

Plane by HC Frautschy

(Above and below) The Paramount Sportster powered by a 110 hp Warner engine and according to our resident float expert Norm Petersen fitted with a pair of Airshycraft Products Co (APC) floats Light yellow with a black stripe the Sportster looked pretty good but its looks didnt speak for its flying characteristics - it crashed only a month after being completed killing the company president and a mechanic

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 8

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

by EE Buck Hilbert EAA 21 NC 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Its coming back yeah There it is on the overhead Another one of the switches and gadgets so prevalent of these DC-6Bs

I m sitting in the right seat of a Cargo DC-6B up at Anchorage Alaska Ive come up here on National Aeronautical Asshysociation business and when I saw the tail number I had a sudden bout with past memory This is one of my United airshyplanes I haven t been near one for many years I must look at this one

Sitting in the right seat seems natural All the switches and direct reading gauges are right where they should be I close my eyes and begin to recite the old memory bank

Engine failure on takeoff- throttleshyfeather-mixture-firewall shut off- runs through my mind The other procedures committed to memory so many years ago come surging through Small wonder I muse after all I had flown from this seat almost ten years and accumulated about 7500 hours That should make some sort of permanent imprint right

Well things change and you move on My next step was jet flying and the Carshyave lie From there it was back to Douglas again and the DC-8s- still in the right seat Then the time came when a Captain vashycancy opened up and it was back to the DC-6

Talk about shock Ground school was a refresher course a pleasant return to old fashymiliar terminology of manifold pressure rpm boost pumps and the like No more thrust lever and high pressure fue l cocks and tail pipes This was the real flying where you counted eight blades turned the switch on got it running on the primer brought in the mixture called oil pressure and let it idle while you started the other three

When you took the salute and reshy

9 OCTOBER 1997

PASS db BUCK

leased the brakes the airplane moved You didnt have to add throttle idle was power enough On the run up pad you took about ten minutes to go through the entire proceshydure of checking the props the mags all the gauges manual auto feather reversing and anti-detonation injection sys tems Then and only then you went through about a 21 item pre-takeoff check list called the tower and it was time to go

Here is where the memory items were reviewed As you took position on the runshyway your mind was arming itself to the disaster position Engine failure on takeoff procedures run through your mind You brief the crew as to what you plan to do in the event of an emergency The pilot flyshying will FLY the airplane The pilot NOT flying will handle the emergency along with the Flight Engineer After the situashytion is under control the deci sion to return to the airport or any further action will be the Captains choice

All this was coming back to me as I sat there in that right seat I was living my past and thinking of all the wonderful and sometimes not so wonderful people Id flown with in those years and hours so long ago It didnt seem like that long ago it felt like Id come home But then I thought of that upgrade to Captain

After jet flying for four years the first shock in the school was the ever so complishycated systems reviews The cabin air-conshyditioning and pressurization- crude yes and not too effective on the ground the lack of an APU (auxiliary power unit) to provide ground air-conditioning the comshyplications of things like engine oil quantity Hey the jet measures its oil consumption in pints Here we tolerate gallons

And so on The review brought back memories I hadnt thought of in the past four years and the FAA oral was a piece of cake It lasted four hours and 15 minutes The company check pi lot objected strenushyously to the detail the FAA inspector was going through and was shocked at his reshyply Im learning things about this airshyplane I never knew - he has long passed the oral Im getting an education

What he didnt know or appreciate was that I had grown up career-wise with this

airplane I had spe nt days at the United Airlines maintenance base following the airplane through major maintenance I watched an airplane taxi into the overhaul dock and over the next seven days be comshypletely disassembled down to the bare airshyframe Every piece came off all the wiring and plumbing was either replaced or reshyworked The structures were X-rayed dye checked Eddy Current or Sonic inspected and the bare airframe was given a clean good as new

The engines prope llers and all the acshycessories were off going through the acshycessory overhaul and engine shops while the airframe work was being done The landing gear came off the airplane was brought back and the reassembly began The disassembly took two and a half to three days the reassembly of all the overshyhauled and inspected parts and roll-out for flight test took four and a half or five days

When it came out of the base there wasnt any term other than new to conshytend with Resplendent in new upholstery new paint newly overhauled engines proshypellers and accessories all new hydraulics hey- it was a NEW airplane again

And I was right in the middle of all that Id check out a pair of coveralls and get right in there with the wrenchers the accesshysory overhaul people the hydraulic and enshygine shops the propeller boys and the inshyspectors I knew what every weep hole and ram air duct on that airplane was for and I was ever so proud of the job the crews at the maintenance base in San Francisco did

Anyway after the oral came the check ride and that was a shocker We had simushylators for all the practice stuff like proceshydures both standard operating and emershygency and flying the simulator was tough because it was all instruments no visual references and you flew it all the time It didnt exhibit the natural flying characterisshytics of the airplane It wasn t supposed to If you could do a reasonable job of operatshying the simulator you could fly the airshyplane

But the proof was in the final flight check That part after the engine out on takeoff the air work stalls steep turns

(Continued On Page 33)

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

97

(Below) The Classic Judging crew consisted of (front row left to right) Joan Steinberger Jerry Gippner Kevin Pratt John Swander and Frank Moynahan In the back row we have Clyde Bourgeois Larry Keitel Frank Bass George York John Womack Carol Womack Steve Bender Dean Richardson Chuck Johanson Paul CO Stephenson and Shy Smith

Built especially for Tex Rankins Hollywood Air Aces the diminutive 1938 MG-2 Special has been restored by Jim Moss of Graham WA Another of the crowds favorite airshy

(Above) Our Contemporary Judges this year were Jeff Anderson Tim Greene Becky planes it was presented with the Champion Greene Rick Duckworth Dick Knutson Dan Knutson and Art Anderson Antique Custom Built trophy

10 OCTOBER 1997

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

AntiqueClassic Jcrapbook by HG Frautschy and liorm Petersen

Volunteers fill many jobs during the Convention and one of the biggest groups who give their time are the Antique Classic and Contemporary judges A thankless job at times they give their time willingly

(Left) The Antique judges are from left to right starting in the front row Bob Wilson Don Coleman Steve Dawson Gene Morris Xen Motsinger Jerry Brown and in the back row Dale Gustafson Bill Johnson Dave Clark Dave Morrow Ken Morris Phil Coulson and Dave Anderson Represented by the hat in front is Mike Shaver

(Below) The Grand Champion Antique for 1997 is Tom Wrights (right) Beechcraft Stagshygerwing D17S anshyother extraordinary

E Staggerwing restorshy~ ation by Bern Doc Vocke and his crew ~ in Sandwich IL It was last years Reserve

Grand Champion

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Left) The Cunningham-Hall PTshy6F (F is for freighter) has been resurrected by Greg Herrick and the folks at HO Aircraft in Anoka MN Part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum of Anoka County Airport it had been kept from harm for many years by Gene Frank of Caldwell Idaho who has saved many an antique airplane from oblivion The Cunningham-Hall was awarded the Bronze Age Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane trophy

It was a double scoop week for Greg as along with the Cunningham-Hall he was able to display the newly restored Buhl Sport Air Sedan Model CAshy3DE Designed by the famous Ettienne Dormoy (of Dormoy Bathtub fame) this Sport Air Sedan was used by the Packard Motor Company to demonstrate their airshycraft diesel engine The Buhl was selected as the Antique Silver Age Runner-Up While on the flightline the two airshyplanes constantly had a crowd around them

Tim Talen of Springfteld OR was partced way down past row 120 with his Stinson HW75 but the judges knew where he was and they had a great time pouring over his extensive restoration book A beautHul piece of wortlt Tims Stinson was given the Bronze Age Champion trophy

Ken Uchtenberg

12 OCTOBER 1997

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Right) WF Bohannan of Columbus OH and his son Bill Jr of Carefree AZ pause in front of their 1936 Waco YKS-6 that was recently restored Neatly rebuilt the YKS-6 has long been a favorite of Waco fans everywhere

(Below) The WW II era Champion in the Antique category is this D17S Staggershywing Beech owned and flown by Stephen Johnson Bloomington IN Stephen even had a model of his Staggerwing on display alongside the original Mike Stankos Gemco Aviation Youngstown OH did the beautiful restoration of the Beechcraft

(Left) Worked on by the late Bud Kilbey South Bend IN and finished by Ted Davis for Buds son Mark this 1930 Waco ATO Taperwing is the 1997 AntiqueClassic Silver Age Champion Bud had worked on the project for many years and its comshypletion serves as a way to honor him a well respected restorer Many members will recall Buds Fleet restoration of a number of years ago

A busmans holiday sort of project Steve Dyer (left) his son Jim (right) and daughter Wendy rebuilt this Beechcraft Staggerwing (below) so well it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion troshyphy Steve is the proprietor of Univair the supplier of PMAd parts for many of our vintage airplanes

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Right) Lori and Bob Kitslaar Luxemburg WI have enjoyed their custom Stearman the Flying Dutchman for a number of years Bobs latest addition to the Stearman is the slick looking spinshyner and engine fairing reminiscent of the combination used on the Stearman C3 Built with a craftsshymans touch the addition looks great on their custom biplane

(Left) The Antique Transport Category Champion was this beautiful Continental Airlines DC-3 shown here during a stopover at Chicagos Meigs Field Continental showed its support of Meigs by volunteering to give rides to many of the people who fought hard to save the lakefront general aviation field including members of the Tuskeegee Airmen and Friends of Meigs Field Shown with the airplane in period stewardess uniforms are Continental Flight Attendants Carmen Franks (left) and Joy Lou

(Left) The Smith family of Erie PA brought their pretty Taylor J-2 Cub restoration to the Convention with a great story to tell The elder Mr Smith Robert owned this very airplane in partnership with his brother Donald as the second owners of the airplane before WW II

Keeping a bare metal 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza bright and shiny is a never ending task as demonstrated by Doug Steen (above right) This very nice looking Beech is owned by Waldo Steen of Mt Laurel NJ Here the lower side of the wing gets the polish on polish off treatment

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Above) AlC Director Jack Copeland heads up the production and distribution of the Participants Plaque each year during the Convention Each pilot who registers his AntiqueClassic or Contemporary airplane can pick up a free commemorative plaque featuring a photo of hisher airplane and the Convention logo as a souvenir of their flight to EAA Oshkosh

The Reserve Grand Champion of the Classic judging category (1946-1955) this Is JF Fisher III of Senoia GA and his Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser The Cruiser has become a popular restoration subject over the past ten years particularty since Clyde Smiths restoration in the mid-80s

(Above) Every year we present the AntiqueClassic Parade of Flight during EAA OSHKOSH Here Chairman and AlC Director Steve Nesse gives the takeoff signal to one of his favorite airplanes a Navion owned by Doren Anthony of Glen Ellyn IL This particular Navion is this years Flagship of the Fleet Each of the pilots who volunteer to participate in the Parade of Flight is given a speshycial commemorative instrument panel medallion as an expression of the Divisions appreciation

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Left and below) Richard Charette Wadsworth IL has been a perennial winner in the Best of Type - Aeronca Champ category for a few years Richard s wife Christine and daughter Alison join him for some family fun at the Convention with their very original looking Champ

From a project that was described by ownerrestorer Bill Goebel as one in which everything not bent was either corroded or worn out this 1953 Cessna 170B has been completely restored including replacement of 85 of its aluminum skin Both wings all corrugated surfaces and the vertical and horizontal tail were re-skinned and the left landing gear box was repaired as were many many other components Its a first class job that won the Classic Best of Type award for the Cessna 170

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

Getting together at the Hartford WI airshyport prior to a mass flight of Aeroncas pilots and passengers get the side-by-side and tandem Air1ltnockers running and ready for the big jump to Oshkosh Twenty-nine Aeroncas made the en masse trip and the crews assembled for a group shot on Saturday morning

For others who wish to park as a group at the Convention its simple - arrive together and you park together

The Swifts have done it the Ercoupes too and so have the Navions - all it takes is some prior planning and a litHe well-aheadshyof-time coordinating with AntiqueClassic parking Chairman George Daubner

Our thanks to Densel Williams and his wife Judy for being the sparkplug of this getshytogether and to all the pilots who braved such a clear beautiful morning to go Aeroncavorting

Aircraft Registration in the AntiqueClassic area is capably handled by a number of volshyunteers including these three smiling faces - Slim Caselman Sue Tupper and Holly Caselman

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Left and below) Joe Jacobi of Mexico MO shows off the neat-as-a-pin restorashytion of his Stinson 108-3 The Best of Type - Stinson award winner it has a beautiful interior highlighted by the stock instrument panel and a very proshyfessional looking engine compartment Joes project is first-class quality one that anybody would be proud to call his own

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

Earning the Reserve Grand Champion Lindy Award in the Contemporary Class was this immaculate 1956 Cessna 172 N6910A flown in by its ownerrestorer Joel Miller (EAA 468452 AlC 26464) of Solon IA Born August 3 1956 Joel bought the 172 in 1994 after waiting 20 years for the previous owner to sell Entirely painted when he purchased the airplane Joel took so much kidding about the ugly looking machine he took it home and stripped it down and started to polish The results are quite startling and the judges soon swarmed over the brightly polished Cessna When all details were checked Joel had earned the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary Lindy He and his family were one happy bunch of folks

Sheldon (EAA 503381) and Colleen Soldwisch of Bensenville IL are an enthusiastic couple and have a great time with their brightly painted 1959 Cessna 175 Skylark

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

1997 VintageJeaplanes

Egty tiorm Petersen

Sparkling in its new red and white paint scheme is this 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion mounted on a set of matching Edo 1400 floats Recently refurbished by its new owner Mark Wrasse of Neenah WI the pretty tandem is powered with a Continental C85-8 swinging a flat-pitched seaplane propeller Long time Wisconsin c

seaplane pilots will remember this Champ ~ from when it was based at Tillmans lrfSeaplane Base on the Fox River at Green oE

Bay WI for quite a number of years z

Pictured in the amphibian area at Oshkosh 97 is this extremeshyly low time 1952 Piaggio P-136 N222A SIN 194 with only 914 hours since new Built in Italy and imported by Kearney amp Trecker of Milwaukee WI this was the model 136 with wood props and 260 hp Lycoming engines (of the two 136s built this is the sole remaining example the other going to King Farouk of Egypt and was eventually wrecked) Owned for over 25 years by George Stevenson (EAA 21249) of Eagan MN it was upgraded to P-136-L standards with 290 hp Lycomings and constant speed props Presently owned by Barry and Rex Hammerback of River Falls WI the attractive pusher twin was flown to the Churchill River area near Hudsons Bay Canada before making the trip to EAA Oshkosh 97 Barry reports the big twin cruises at 130 kts at 30 gph and is a really fine handling airplane on the water While at Oshkosh they ran into Carl Koeling (EAA 20000) of Milwaukee WI who made the initial test flight on the airplane for K amp T when it was brand new Carl even furnished the new owners pictures of the airplane being unloaded from a transport ship in New Jersey There are presently 14 Piaggio Royal Gull listed on the U S register

Winner of the Bronze Lindy Trophy in the Seaplane Category at EAA Oshkosh 97 was this bright yellow 1947 Piper PA-12 N3736M SIN 12-2675 mounted on a set of brand new Edo 2000 floats and flown to Oshkosh 97 by Dave Zawistowski (EAA 563307) of Eagle River WI Completely restored specifically for floats by Chuck Andreas of Neenah WI the PA-12 features flaps 150 hp Lycoming enlarged baggage increased gross weight and a host of additional goodies (Note the glass in the lower seaplane door) This particular PA-12 served as a glider tug for many years at Aero Park Airport in Menomonee Falls WI before being rebuilt for floats With the entire airplane and floats finished in AN-YellowOrange Dave has the advanshytage of excellent visibility on the waters of Wisconsin

~ ~ 8 z

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

x o middotc c Q) o ~

E

This years EAA Oshkosh 97 Grand Champion Classic shows us what a

great restoration can do for a plane that seems to get little respect

Has it really been five years already since we last saw a Tri-Pacer restoration like this Surprisingly it has Many of you will recall Joe Fleemans (EAA 428226 A C 20349) work on Delton Perrys Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer the one picked as the Reserve Grand Champion Classic of EAA Oshkosh 92 A beautiful restoration of a long neglected aircraft type Joe enjoyed Deltons airplane so much he decided he wanted one for himshyself

The Tri-Pacer has long been one of Joes favorites ever since his grandfather taught a man to fly his almost new PA-22 Joe was a five-year-o ld tyke It looked sporty to me even back then he recalled After three years of instruction the fellow beshying taught by Joes granddad was able to finish the requirements for his Private Pilots license and go for his check ride Then little Joe Fleeman went for a ride in that Tri-Pacer It must have made quite an impression on him and years later the bug didnt go away even after owning and flying one for a number of years and then finishing Deltons airplane

Kenny Brown (EAA 545516)

By HG Frautschy

of Lawrenceburg TN had been a friend of Joe s for a long time He had gone for a ride in the Tri-Pacer Joe owned and flew over 10 years ago and memories of that time must have been simmering in his subshyconscious for quite a while When he fishynally decided to have a go at aircraft ownshyership he originally thought a Cessna 172 was going to fill his hangar He was just about to head down that path when Delton Perry showed up toting the Reserve Grand Champion trophy in his newly restored Tri-Pacer N8740C Kenny went for a ride in 40C a few times and he noticed that the great looking and smooth flying shortshy

=~___-~~~lLEl~~~ the 1955 PA22-150 Tri-Pacer in VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

wing Piper attracted a lot of attention at the airports they landed at far more than the Skyhawks generated It also seemed to just be more fun Memories of Joes TrishyPacer also came back and he recalled how much fun that airplane had been to fly too

The obvious road to take then was to go looking for a Tri-Pacer of his own to fly but his sights were set high given the outshystanding airplane he would judge all others against Not surprisingly it boiled down to this - if Kenny Brown wanted a beautiful Piper PA-22 to own and fly he was going to have to find a project and get to work There simply weren t any to be had that

met his desires Joe Fleeman had been keepshy

ing his eye on a Tri-Pacer he knew was resting in the back of a hangar in Jackson TN Flown only nine hours in the 10 years it had been owned by its latest owner It was in Humboldt TN undergoing an annua l when Joe and Kenny caught up with it The engine failed the annual inspecshytion when metal was detected in the oil lots of it

They tracked down the owner and worked out a deal putting

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

(Left and below) The rear seat is the original seat not a replica The fabric was in excellent shape and the vinyl just needed to be dyed to look like new The front seats were completely restored using black fabric that also matches the 1957 Chevy The Tri-Pacer makes an excellent family airplane with plenty of room for baggage and camping equipment

22 OCTOBER 1997

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

aviation for almost 15 years when he started on the Tri-Pacer project Trisha his wife has been his inspiration and has been very supportive of the project When Kenny was working on the Tri-Pacer and would get depressed at the lack of progress or some other snag she would encourage him and keep him going Without her help and motivation and support I would have never been able to finish it Kenny said during our visit at EAA Oshkosh 97

One of the first challenges to be met were the innards of the Lycoming 0-320shyAlA Delton would have a hand in reshybuilding this part of the airplane having obtained his FAA Powerplant mechanics license during the overhaul of the Lyshycoming in his Tri-Pacer

Tearing it apart showed the camshaft had started to disintegrate with two of the lobes fractured and lying in the bottom of the crankcase and understandably the tapshypets had been beat up pretty bad The crankshaft while showing pretty strong evshyidence of wear from the main seal was able to be professionally reworked along with the crankcase at Divco in Tulsa OK Even the cylinders were sent out to be chromed and welded where necessary

When they were sent out Joe was told by the vendor that it was highly likely that

all of the cylinshyders would have cracks whether they could be seen with the naked eye or not New detecshytion methods used by Divco showed cracks in the cylinder heads that would have previously gone unnoticed and sure enough each of them had weldshying repairs done to them

The engine work was done

Kenny Brown (left) and Joe Fleeman both of Lawrenceburg TN are partners in NC2848P

their laps to restore It would be Kennys first project although he was no stranger to aviation He started his aviation career as an engine mechanic for the Air Force bending wrenches on the F-lOO and proshygressing up through the engines on the Ashy10 Warthog Nowadays he works as an electrician for the Tennessee Valley Aushythoritys Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and as an electrical instructor teachshying others the ins and outs of keeping the wiring in top condition in such a critical application A family man with two grown-up youngsters (the youngest is a jushynior in college) hed been away from civil

by Delton Perry who as we mentioned

before had earned his FAA Powerplant lishycense during the restoration of his TrishyPacer in the early 1990s As it was being rebuilt keeping it looking original was also a priority and to that end Joe checked an old copy of the Lycoming overhaul manual and determined the crankcase was gray and cylinders black Everything could be matched except for the spark pl ug harshynesses They were originally black but the new ones were a bright blue color - hardly appropriate for the 1950s era engine comshypartment Joe solved the problem by covershying each lead with black heat shrink tubshying which neatly reproduced the look he

wanted The use of aluminum flex tubing for the cabin and carb heat ducting and proper stencil style lettering on the inside of the cowling helped finish off the engine compartment to like new status

Everybody involved brought their own favorite talents to the project and first-time restorer Kenny did as well His enjoyment and expertise in doing wiring dovetailed well with Joe s preferences who would rather do the detailing of the interior and the covering Kenny helped all throughout the rebuild process as did Delton Even the nasty job of installing fiberglass insulashytion for soundproofing was done by all three gentlemen who came away itching and scratching no matter how much they covered themselves during the process

Before all of that could be done the fuselage needed to be prepared first The airplane was quite straight and corrosion free as far as damage was concerned Both it and the engine mount were powder coated in a matching shade of gray The sheet metal door skins wrap cowling wing leading edges and other various parts wouldnt survive similar scrutiny Joe estishymates that about 90 of the sheet metal was replaced and the rest took some hand work to get it into airworthy and showshyplane shape The nose bowl and chin cowl (the open-ended bowl on the bottom of the lower cowl) both needed to be worked on with the chin cowl needing some welding too An English wheel and later a well greased mallet rubbed on the inside of the cowl smoothed out any dents in the formed pieces

Before the insulation could be installed on the newly coated fuselage the interior was restored with a few special items of note The rear seat is not just like the origishynal it is the original seat The black wool fabric was still in nearly perfect condition and the vinyl while faded was in good condition too An application of Duponts vinyl dye of a red color to match the new vinyl makes it impossible to tell which is new material and which is the 32-year-old vinyl Avsco an old Piper dealer in Florida supplied Joe with new old stock black vinyl material for the top trim on the doors and instrument panel For the front seat the fabric was a good match with the black fabric used on the 57 Chevy The red loop pile carpeting is also original and to complete the scene a brand new towbar was build by Joe to replace the ramp-worn example that was still with the airplane The bar is held in place with a couple of straps on the back panel of the luggage compartment

Once youve looked at the excellent job done on the seats and side panels your eyes are drawn to another piece of outshystanding workmanship The headliner is a cotton nap material sewn by Joe after careshyfu l realignment of the headliner bows Joe says he custom sews each headliner meashysuring between each bow and trimming to

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 23

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

The engine compartment of the TrishyPacer has been meticulously restored including the stencil type lettering on the inside of the cowl Aluminum flexible air duct tubing new heat shrouds and baffle felt that has been stapled in place per the original all helped earn points towards the Grand Champion Classic Lindy trophy

fit Shrinking isnt necessary if the fit is good since the cotton will accept some amount of pulling and tugging to smooth out the wrinkles Unable to find any curved zippers Joe made his own by ironing and shrinking one side of the available zippers curving his own and sewing them in place with few of the usual puckers and wrinkles you often find in headliner zippers

The work Joe did looks like it was mo lded in place Capping it off is a nice example of the overhead speakerdome light grill When you see one today theyre often cracked and pretty unattractive but not this one - like so many parts of this airshyplane it looks like it did the day it was first installed in the cabin in 1955

The instrument panel was one of the few pieces that had been modified over the years so it did require some reworking to put it back into original condition Since this Tri-Pacer is outfitted as one of the Sushyper Custom models with a full set of gyro instruments and a Narco Superhomer Joe did the same with the Narco guaranteed not to work - it s a dummy in faceplate only with a modern radio nestled in the panel behind it A vi ntage round microshyphone Joe had been saving for years was the fini shing touch on the radio installation The yoke medallions were re-chromed and them the trim paint added and the yokes cleaned up to look like new A full set of block lettering finished off the red and black instrument panel Surrounding the

24 OCTOBER 1997

Modern instruments and radio circa 1955 The PA-22 Tri-Pacer Super Custom version gave you a full set of gyro instruments and a radio plus a snazzy interior The side panels on the doors and cockpit are sheet metal with the top edge trimmed in black vinyl

panel is a new windshield with the correct profile as molded by Aircraft Windshield Co in California It matched the curve of the windshield Joe had bought over 10 years ago from Piper

After the headliner was installed the inshysulation was put in place but this time Joe did someth ing different On Deltons plane they covered the in sulation with plastic but not this time Joe had noticed that if you looked carefully you could see places where the plastic was up against the back of the Dacronreg fabric To him it looked unsightly so he was determined not to have it happ en again Any possible places of water intrusion were carefu ll y taped and at the bottom of the insulation Joe made a Dacronreg sack that would make certain the insulation could not fall to the bottom of the fuselage

Covering the Tri-Pacer was done in Joes favor ite method Cooper Superflite 102 with a nitratelbutyrate finish with Ranshydolph products Dac Proofer followed by 2 coats of clear nitrate dope then 5 coats of clear butyrate 8 coats of si lver butyrate and then a white base coat The final fini sh is 8 coats of Sun Valley Ivory with the arshyeas receiving the Tennessee Red masked off before the Ivory was sprayed then the I vory was masked off to the paint line and the red appli ed Besides the fact that the red is a bleeding red meaning a lighter color cannot be applied over it painting the red trim in this manner gives you an undeshytectable edge between the colors after the finish is hand rubbed out using Dupont exshytra fine rubbing compound Joe then folshylows the rubbin g out process with two products from Gears Laboratory sold unshyder the brand name Kings Ransom Joe still remembers the slick finish on the origishynal Tri-Pacer when he was a youngster and wanted to duplicate that feeling of quality

It s funny but both Joe and Kenny are ofshyten asked What did you do to make it look so nice Joe s response is simple Nothing special - we just put it back to the way it was Time has a way of softening our memory and people just dont rememshyber them being so nicely made

I often ask a first time restorer if theyd do it again More often than not they reply yes and Kenny Brown seems to have the building bug now Hes already thinking about what hed li ke to build He enjoyed helping with the tube and fabric and thinks a Tri-Pacer on floats would be a neat proshyject Combined with his love of hunting and fishing it would make a great getaway airplane for him Hes quick to acknowlshyedge the mentorship of Joe Fleeman and the contributions of his fellow Tri-Pacer owner and engine rebuilder Delton Perry Now thanks to his partner Joe Kenny can fly his wife Trisha into airports and collect those disbelieving looks from those who just dont remember Tri-Pacers looking that good After they take a good look inshyside and out Ill bet there are not too many flying milk stool comments

I sure didnt hear them during EAA Oshkosh - people were too busy ooohing and aaahing

An outstanding resource for peoshyple interested in buying flying or restoring Tri-Pacers is the Short Wing Piper Club They publish a bimonthly magazine and you can get more information on the club from Bob and Eleanor Mills 220 Main Halstead KS 67056 Phone 316-835shy3307 Fax 316-835-3357 and E-mail at 103 167 245compuservecom

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORmG ----------------------------by Norm Petersen

Gilles Bedas Miles Magister in France

This photo of a Miles Magister MI4A Hawk Trainer registered F-AZOR was sent to Butch Joyce by owner Giles Beda (EAA 508177 AlC 25204) of Paris France Gilles reports it is one of only three Magisters currently airworthy worldwide and was built on July I 1940 and immediately pressed into service at the Central Flying School in England Of all-wood construction the Maggie as it is affectionately called was restored in the early 1990s and the 130 hp Gypsy Major lC was majored in 1993 Resplendent in original RAP training colshyors the pretty tandem two-placer is fully aerobatic at 1950 Ibs gross with a max gross of 2000 Ibs for normal flying Gilles who has owned a Bucker Jungman a Staggerwing and a Rockwell 112 would like to trade the Maggie for the likes of a J-2 or J-3 Cub His FAX number is 016shy205-0569 in France He is especially fond of VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and extends his thanks to all involved for all the pleasure you give me each month

Jack Phillips Piper PA-16 Clipper

Cruising along over rural Illinois is Piper PA-16 Clipper N5230H SIN 16-34 owned by Jack Phillips (EAA 515831) of Mt Vershynon IL Jack reports he is busy learning the art of flying with a tailwheel from his friend Lyle Endicott an ex-Corsair fighter pilot of outstanding experience With side-by-side control sticks and a Lycoming 115 hp engine the P A-16 makes a dandy full electric airshyplane (note the landing light in the left wing) with nice cross-country capability This neat looking Clipper was formerly owned by longtime EAAer Warren Jolly (EAA 49328 AlC 1285) now of Corinth KY

Dennis Blunts Fairchild PT-23C

From Rockford IL comes this neat photo of Dennis Blunts Fairchild PT-23C N60418 SIN 337SLjust putting three wheels on the grass Dennis reports he reshystored the PT in 1994-95 following a taxi incident At both 96 and 97 EAA Oshkosh Conventions the PT-23 won Runner-Up Awards in the TrainerLiaison Category Power is supplied by a 220 Continental R-670 pulling a wood prop Dennis (EAA 155248 AlC 19776) admits flying in the summertime in an open cockshypit trainer is about as good as it gets Note the front seat solo position where the pilot gets an excellent view of whats going on There are presently 50 PT -23Cs listed on the U S registry

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

Mobil Pipeline Patrol Luscombe

These photos were sent in by Ron Otto of Mena AR who added that this paint scheme was used on Luscombe 8-E N1862K SIN 4589 now registered to Terry Newbury of Florence AL One Luscombe 8-E that was based in Midland and Odessa TX on the Mobil Pipeline Patrol amassed over 22000 hours on the airframe with the Continental C85-12 engines often going 3000 hours between overhauls Even the interior duplicates the Mobil scheme with white red and grey inshycluding the seats Other standard items were Maule tailwheels and strobe lights on the belly of the Luscombe

Waco UIC NC13418

This photo ofa very nice looking Waco VIC NC13418 SIN 3776 registered to Marice and Sandra Hodges ofJenks OK was conshytributed by Paul Poberezny who took the photo during the Biplane Fly-In at Bartlesville OK Originally equipped with a Continental 210 hp engine this VIC like most of the 17 on the FAA register have been redone with 220 Continental R-670 engines Note the polshyished Curtiss-Reed propeller the streamlined landing lights in the lower wing and the metal wheel pants The original factory fish hook paint scheme is beautifully done

26 OCTOBER 1997

The Board ofDirectors of Ocean ReefClub Key Largo Florida

cordially invites you to attend

THE 4TH ANNuAL VINTAGE WEEKEND

December 5th6th and 7th 1997 Honoring classic conveyances by air land and sea

~ and including ~

The Antique and Classic Airplane Fly-in The Concourse dElegance ofAutomobiles

~------The Antique and Classic Yacht Rendezvous

RSVP Milrry Kilby - (305) 367-5874

Because Ocean ReefClub is a private club The Vintage Weekend is open only to

members and invited guests staying in the Inn or Marina

Participation includes wekoming cocktail party in a private home Friday evening

Saturday day-long celebration ofboats cars and planes genuine Maine lobsterbake

Saturday evening with The Bill Allred Jazz Band awards and farewell breakfast Sunday

morning $160 per person

OCEAN REEF CLUB

31 O CEA N RE EF DRIV E SUITE C-300 K EY LAR GO F LORIDA 33037

AEROMAIL (Continued from pg 3 )

the project and have enforced the Cease and Desist order

Well have more on this situation in next months Vintage Airplane - HGF

EAA FORD INFORMATION Dear Ben (Owen)

I read with interest the recent article in SPORT AVIAnON (July issue) about EAAs Ford 4AT-E Tri-Motor NC8407 and realized I had worked with this airplane in the 1950s and saw it several times when I was on charter flights to Bradley Field in Boise Idaho

Here is some Ford history from my logshybook in 1956 I worked for Abe Bowler in Orofino Idaho maintaining Ford 4s and 5s Fairchild 71 Fokker Super Universal Stinshyson SM7A Cabin Waco with 450 Pratt amp Whitneys J-3s and PA-12s I chartered in a PA-12 taught students in J3s and was the copilot in the Ford 4 and 5

From June 21 to July 19 1956 three Fords sprayed timber at Ennis Montana Jerry Wilsons Ford 5 AT-C with 550 hp Pratt amp Whitneys N 1124N Abe Bowlers Ford 4 AT-E with 975 Wrights N9612 and the Bradley Ford 4 AT -E with 985 Pratt amp Whitneys with constant speed propellers NC8407 (from Bradley Field at Boise Idaho) All flew about 70 hours each sprayshying timber near Ennis Montana and Yellowshystone Park

Just prior to this spray project at Ennis Montana there were seven Ford Tri-Motors parked in a line at Missoula Montana We were there for the Forest Service to check the swathe width and calibration prior to commencing spraying In addition to the three Fords at Ennis Bob Johnsons Flying Service had three Fords and I believe Bob Waldemeyer had one I did not take a picshyture I thought at the time that these Fords would be around forever However Nashytional Geographic photographed them all toshygether at Ennis

The Ford 5 hauled 550 gallons of diesel and DDT applying one gallon per acre The Ford 5 sprayed 52259 acres in abo ut 96 trips The Ford earned 18 cents per acre I was paid one cent per acre as copilot My duties as copilot included fueling checking oil greasing the rocker arms and washing the airplane every day Both Ford 4s hauled 450 gallons each I flew copilot in the Ford 5 1124N All three Fords ran out of gas on this project and all landed safely The Ford 5 burned one gallon of fuel per minute We burned 168 gallons from Orofino Idaho to Bozeman Montana My hearing has sufshyfered since flying a Ford for 120 hours

We flew in and out of many back country strips in Idaho Fords were known then as sinkers in rough air but were faster than most light airplanes such as the Stinson and Cessna 170 Only the Cessna 180 could pass one The rudder and elevator were extremely heavy - 70 turns on the nose up trim The ailerons were so ineffective that you could

28 OCTOBER 1997

either work yourself to death in rough air or do nothing when the wing was down and it would return to level flight on its own We carried a 2 x 4 that when wedged between the seat and rudder pedal would lock fu ll rudder When an outboard engine was shut down this was removed on short final Your leg could only hold full rudder for two or three minutes

E O Frank of Caldwell Idaho owned two non-flying Fords the slick skinned Ford that Harrahs restored and SIN I 0 a partially restored open cockpit Ford powered by J-4 Wrights I believe he still owns SINIO

Just thought Id pass this on to the EAA for whatever interest it might be

Sincerely Dean Wilson EXPLORER A VIA nON Idaho County Airport Grangeville ID

bull Backlight stayson until you turn it

PAYS FOR ITSELF AS YOU USE IT bull Pickup ATISand get clearance before the Hobbsstorts running

NEW BUILT-IN SIDE TONE bull Includes headset interfa ce ampPTT jock

LOUD CRISP AUDIO bull A22 audio cuts through high cabin noise

SIMPLE TO OPERATE bull ICOMs single knob tuning - instant

frequency selection even in turbulent conditions bull 50 user-programmable memory channels

bull Instant access to 1215 MHz

RUGGED ERGONOMIC DESIGN bull One-piece die-cast aluminum chassis

with a super-tough polycorbonate casing

ALL AT AVERY REASONABLE PRICE

Fly-InCalendar

OCTOBER 9-12 - MESA AZ - Copperstate Fly-In Call Bob Hasson 520228-5480

OCTOBER 12 - TOWANDA PA -Towanda Airport (N27) Fly-In Breakfast All you can eat including 100 pure maple syrup 7 am - 1pm For info call Carl Lafy 717265-4900

OCTOB ER 10-12 - EVERGREEN AL shySoutheast Regional Fly-In Call Harold Bubba Hamiter 334765-9109

OCTOBER 10-12 - WILMINGTON DE _ East Coast EAA Fly-In Call Andrew Alvarez 3021738-8883

O CTO BER 17-19 - KERRVILLE TX shySouthwest Regional Fly-In Call Stu McCurdy 512388-7399

W~l(Om~ Allan Adelman Rockville MD Eric Alexander Bend OR George M Allen Amory MS James K Ames Ooquet MN Deshler D Annstrong Rochester NY Thomas A Arsenault Fridley MN Richard A Ash Piffard NY Robert D Askins Warsaw KY James D Atkinson Mena AR Steve Aughinbaugh Plano TX Brian Aukaes Des Monies IA Lloyd L Austin Dover DE Tom Austin Jr Battlecreek MI Neil E Baker Huntington IN Randall C Baker Coleman Falls VA Jack Baldwin Whitefish Bay WI Charles Brandon Ball Millville NJ Stephen L Barnes Macclesfield Great Britain

Martin Baston Sand Point AK Troy Bates Fayetteville AR Doug Beck Minnetonka MN Nick J Bentz Chaska MN Roy H BischoffIII Belleville IL Jeffrey Boddiger Dodge City KS Bernie W Bolster Grand Rapids MN Dave P Bordano Big Rapids MI Gib Boren Boise ID Tim A Bourassa Mexico ME DonJ Boyd Mocksville NC Raymond Broomfield Camarillo CA Keith E Brown Dillon CO Derrell F Brown Winter Haven FL Henry Budzynski Wmchester VA Robert A Bunton Shreveport LA G L D Burnett Hilton Head Island SC Roderick Burnett Brooklyn MI Dan Bush Denton TX Alan Bush Strongville OH Frank Caldwell Radford VA Roy G Calvert Maurertown VA Patrick Carron Palos Park IL John R Chapman Kalamazoo MI Jerry D Chappell Plains KS Bruce Christie Anchorage AK Brooks Oark Monks Comer SC Russ Oemens EI Cajon CA Terry E Oifton Savannah GA G V Cline Callahan FL Douglas W Ooud Overbrook KS Jerry M Cohen Plano TX Randel D Compton Gulf Breeze FL Gary K Cooper Wauconda IL StevenJ Coulter Fort Payne AL Jesus C Cuevas Snohomish W A

Bill C ullere Stuart FL David L Cummings Woodland WA J ohn A Dale Colbert W A Robert C Dalzell Owensboro KY Douglas WilliamDavis RaMuxIOtyCA Paul M Densley Leeds UT Mark Dickey Murray U Dennis Diem Long Beach CA David G Dix Centre Hall P A William D Dixon Warren MI Thomas N Dixon Lodi CA Russell G DonCarlos Gladewater TX Charles J Dorey Rice Lake WI L DuV e Victoria Australia Albert L Dyer Batavia IL Elwin E Ellis Augusta MI David Ellis Martinsville IN Richard A Elms Laguna Beach CA Terry L Emig Casa Grande AZ Craig Engel Amboy IN Dale W Ensing Cary IL Tom Entrekin Manhattan CA Douglas W Eshelman Brentwood TN Tom Fagan Randolph NJ Edward J Farkas Milwaukee WI Alan E Fearns Lecanto FL Wayne Iven Findley Dexter IA Richard F Fischer Arroyo Grande CA Eliot Fishman Chicago IL Patrick H Floyd Nepean Ont Canada James W F loyd Chicago IL Timothy J Flynn Woodstock IL Charles Foster Newtown CT Lisa Fox Carrollton GA Dan H Freeman La Plata MD Gary W Fuller The Colony TX William J Gallagher Chalfont PA Antonio Garcia Norwalk CA Richard N Gaylord Rochester NY John D Gerth Clinton IN Lars G leitsmann Northeim Germany James N Godwin Guelph Ontsrio Canada Robert R Gorry Germansville P A Craig Greenlaw Durham NC Jerome H Grzybek Bur Ridge IL Ralph H Guditz Bellevue WA Cabaroos Lomba Guillermo Puentes Spain Ralph Gutowski Oxford OH Steve Gutzmer Langley WA Sheridan W Hale Walnut Creek CA Gary E Hamilton Milburn OK Gregor G Hamilton Chicago IL Dean N Hannemann Manchester NH Donald Harbeck Elyria OH

Mike G Harr Griffin GA William H Harridge Marengo IL David A Harris Senoia GA Robert K Harrold Sr Buder IN James G Hathaway Mill Creek WA Tim Haverland Cocoa FL Celia H awley Olympia WA Robert C Hill Greensboro NC Eugene R Hill Detroit MI William Hinkle Wellston OK William M H onan Manassas VA Tom B Hopkins Sarco ME Carl Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sheila Horsley Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sarah Hubbell Fort Worth TX Margaret C Hubbell Fort Worth TX Rachel Hubbell Fort Worth TX Carl Ed Hubbell Fort Worth TX A1iciaHubbell Fort Worth TX Jason Hubbell Fort Worth TX Bob Hurd Tillamook OR Harold W Hyde Baltimore MD Eric Hylen Cold Spring MN Lawrence L llg Mt Prospect IL Steven C Inabnit Richland WA Darrel Inman Lewiston ID Richard James Gambrills MD Thomas E Janke Orion MI Dan J Jankowski Merton WI Oare W Jenkins Rio WI Mike Johnson EI Segundo C Howard B Johnson Lively VA Walter F Johnston Burbank CA Bernd Keil EriswiI Switzerland Richard Kempa Grandview IN Dennis M Kern Del Rio TX Kerry Kilpatrick New Brunswick NJ Charlie Wayne Kiser Willmington NC F rederik Klopper Pretoria Republic of South Africa

John Kortus Baraboo WI Lawrence E Krengel Marengo IL Ross Krumbholz Runaway Bay Queensland A ustralia Patrick F Leonardi Elmwood Park IL Robert F Lindley III Oak Harbor WA Robert Thomas Little Maynard AR Thomas B Lockyear Normal IL Wayne Lohmeyer Cedar Park TX Henry D Longhurst Gravenhurst Ontario Canada

Mark Ludwig Knoxville TN Richard E MacOeery Birmingham MI Robert W Mackie F ly Creek NY Michael Magee Hinton WV

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by Norm Petersen

Mobil Pipeline Patrol Luscombe

These photos were sent in by Ron Otto of Mena AR who added that this paint scheme was used on Luscombe 8-E N1862K SIN 4589 now registered to Terry Newbury of Florence AL One Luscombe 8-E that was based in Midland and Odessa TX on the Mobil Pipeline Patrol amassed over 22000 hours on the airframe with the Continental C85-12 engines often going 3000 hours between overhauls Even the interior duplicates the Mobil scheme with white red and grey inshycluding the seats Other standard items were Maule tailwheels and strobe lights on the belly of the Luscombe

Waco UIC NC13418

This photo ofa very nice looking Waco VIC NC13418 SIN 3776 registered to Marice and Sandra Hodges ofJenks OK was conshytributed by Paul Poberezny who took the photo during the Biplane Fly-In at Bartlesville OK Originally equipped with a Continental 210 hp engine this VIC like most of the 17 on the FAA register have been redone with 220 Continental R-670 engines Note the polshyished Curtiss-Reed propeller the streamlined landing lights in the lower wing and the metal wheel pants The original factory fish hook paint scheme is beautifully done

26 OCTOBER 1997

The Board ofDirectors of Ocean ReefClub Key Largo Florida

cordially invites you to attend

THE 4TH ANNuAL VINTAGE WEEKEND

December 5th6th and 7th 1997 Honoring classic conveyances by air land and sea

~ and including ~

The Antique and Classic Airplane Fly-in The Concourse dElegance ofAutomobiles

~------The Antique and Classic Yacht Rendezvous

RSVP Milrry Kilby - (305) 367-5874

Because Ocean ReefClub is a private club The Vintage Weekend is open only to

members and invited guests staying in the Inn or Marina

Participation includes wekoming cocktail party in a private home Friday evening

Saturday day-long celebration ofboats cars and planes genuine Maine lobsterbake

Saturday evening with The Bill Allred Jazz Band awards and farewell breakfast Sunday

morning $160 per person

OCEAN REEF CLUB

31 O CEA N RE EF DRIV E SUITE C-300 K EY LAR GO F LORIDA 33037

AEROMAIL (Continued from pg 3 )

the project and have enforced the Cease and Desist order

Well have more on this situation in next months Vintage Airplane - HGF

EAA FORD INFORMATION Dear Ben (Owen)

I read with interest the recent article in SPORT AVIAnON (July issue) about EAAs Ford 4AT-E Tri-Motor NC8407 and realized I had worked with this airplane in the 1950s and saw it several times when I was on charter flights to Bradley Field in Boise Idaho

Here is some Ford history from my logshybook in 1956 I worked for Abe Bowler in Orofino Idaho maintaining Ford 4s and 5s Fairchild 71 Fokker Super Universal Stinshyson SM7A Cabin Waco with 450 Pratt amp Whitneys J-3s and PA-12s I chartered in a PA-12 taught students in J3s and was the copilot in the Ford 4 and 5

From June 21 to July 19 1956 three Fords sprayed timber at Ennis Montana Jerry Wilsons Ford 5 AT-C with 550 hp Pratt amp Whitneys N 1124N Abe Bowlers Ford 4 AT-E with 975 Wrights N9612 and the Bradley Ford 4 AT -E with 985 Pratt amp Whitneys with constant speed propellers NC8407 (from Bradley Field at Boise Idaho) All flew about 70 hours each sprayshying timber near Ennis Montana and Yellowshystone Park

Just prior to this spray project at Ennis Montana there were seven Ford Tri-Motors parked in a line at Missoula Montana We were there for the Forest Service to check the swathe width and calibration prior to commencing spraying In addition to the three Fords at Ennis Bob Johnsons Flying Service had three Fords and I believe Bob Waldemeyer had one I did not take a picshyture I thought at the time that these Fords would be around forever However Nashytional Geographic photographed them all toshygether at Ennis

The Ford 5 hauled 550 gallons of diesel and DDT applying one gallon per acre The Ford 5 sprayed 52259 acres in abo ut 96 trips The Ford earned 18 cents per acre I was paid one cent per acre as copilot My duties as copilot included fueling checking oil greasing the rocker arms and washing the airplane every day Both Ford 4s hauled 450 gallons each I flew copilot in the Ford 5 1124N All three Fords ran out of gas on this project and all landed safely The Ford 5 burned one gallon of fuel per minute We burned 168 gallons from Orofino Idaho to Bozeman Montana My hearing has sufshyfered since flying a Ford for 120 hours

We flew in and out of many back country strips in Idaho Fords were known then as sinkers in rough air but were faster than most light airplanes such as the Stinson and Cessna 170 Only the Cessna 180 could pass one The rudder and elevator were extremely heavy - 70 turns on the nose up trim The ailerons were so ineffective that you could

28 OCTOBER 1997

either work yourself to death in rough air or do nothing when the wing was down and it would return to level flight on its own We carried a 2 x 4 that when wedged between the seat and rudder pedal would lock fu ll rudder When an outboard engine was shut down this was removed on short final Your leg could only hold full rudder for two or three minutes

E O Frank of Caldwell Idaho owned two non-flying Fords the slick skinned Ford that Harrahs restored and SIN I 0 a partially restored open cockpit Ford powered by J-4 Wrights I believe he still owns SINIO

Just thought Id pass this on to the EAA for whatever interest it might be

Sincerely Dean Wilson EXPLORER A VIA nON Idaho County Airport Grangeville ID

bull Backlight stayson until you turn it

PAYS FOR ITSELF AS YOU USE IT bull Pickup ATISand get clearance before the Hobbsstorts running

NEW BUILT-IN SIDE TONE bull Includes headset interfa ce ampPTT jock

LOUD CRISP AUDIO bull A22 audio cuts through high cabin noise

SIMPLE TO OPERATE bull ICOMs single knob tuning - instant

frequency selection even in turbulent conditions bull 50 user-programmable memory channels

bull Instant access to 1215 MHz

RUGGED ERGONOMIC DESIGN bull One-piece die-cast aluminum chassis

with a super-tough polycorbonate casing

ALL AT AVERY REASONABLE PRICE

Fly-InCalendar

OCTOBER 9-12 - MESA AZ - Copperstate Fly-In Call Bob Hasson 520228-5480

OCTOBER 12 - TOWANDA PA -Towanda Airport (N27) Fly-In Breakfast All you can eat including 100 pure maple syrup 7 am - 1pm For info call Carl Lafy 717265-4900

OCTOB ER 10-12 - EVERGREEN AL shySoutheast Regional Fly-In Call Harold Bubba Hamiter 334765-9109

OCTOBER 10-12 - WILMINGTON DE _ East Coast EAA Fly-In Call Andrew Alvarez 3021738-8883

O CTO BER 17-19 - KERRVILLE TX shySouthwest Regional Fly-In Call Stu McCurdy 512388-7399

W~l(Om~ Allan Adelman Rockville MD Eric Alexander Bend OR George M Allen Amory MS James K Ames Ooquet MN Deshler D Annstrong Rochester NY Thomas A Arsenault Fridley MN Richard A Ash Piffard NY Robert D Askins Warsaw KY James D Atkinson Mena AR Steve Aughinbaugh Plano TX Brian Aukaes Des Monies IA Lloyd L Austin Dover DE Tom Austin Jr Battlecreek MI Neil E Baker Huntington IN Randall C Baker Coleman Falls VA Jack Baldwin Whitefish Bay WI Charles Brandon Ball Millville NJ Stephen L Barnes Macclesfield Great Britain

Martin Baston Sand Point AK Troy Bates Fayetteville AR Doug Beck Minnetonka MN Nick J Bentz Chaska MN Roy H BischoffIII Belleville IL Jeffrey Boddiger Dodge City KS Bernie W Bolster Grand Rapids MN Dave P Bordano Big Rapids MI Gib Boren Boise ID Tim A Bourassa Mexico ME DonJ Boyd Mocksville NC Raymond Broomfield Camarillo CA Keith E Brown Dillon CO Derrell F Brown Winter Haven FL Henry Budzynski Wmchester VA Robert A Bunton Shreveport LA G L D Burnett Hilton Head Island SC Roderick Burnett Brooklyn MI Dan Bush Denton TX Alan Bush Strongville OH Frank Caldwell Radford VA Roy G Calvert Maurertown VA Patrick Carron Palos Park IL John R Chapman Kalamazoo MI Jerry D Chappell Plains KS Bruce Christie Anchorage AK Brooks Oark Monks Comer SC Russ Oemens EI Cajon CA Terry E Oifton Savannah GA G V Cline Callahan FL Douglas W Ooud Overbrook KS Jerry M Cohen Plano TX Randel D Compton Gulf Breeze FL Gary K Cooper Wauconda IL StevenJ Coulter Fort Payne AL Jesus C Cuevas Snohomish W A

Bill C ullere Stuart FL David L Cummings Woodland WA J ohn A Dale Colbert W A Robert C Dalzell Owensboro KY Douglas WilliamDavis RaMuxIOtyCA Paul M Densley Leeds UT Mark Dickey Murray U Dennis Diem Long Beach CA David G Dix Centre Hall P A William D Dixon Warren MI Thomas N Dixon Lodi CA Russell G DonCarlos Gladewater TX Charles J Dorey Rice Lake WI L DuV e Victoria Australia Albert L Dyer Batavia IL Elwin E Ellis Augusta MI David Ellis Martinsville IN Richard A Elms Laguna Beach CA Terry L Emig Casa Grande AZ Craig Engel Amboy IN Dale W Ensing Cary IL Tom Entrekin Manhattan CA Douglas W Eshelman Brentwood TN Tom Fagan Randolph NJ Edward J Farkas Milwaukee WI Alan E Fearns Lecanto FL Wayne Iven Findley Dexter IA Richard F Fischer Arroyo Grande CA Eliot Fishman Chicago IL Patrick H Floyd Nepean Ont Canada James W F loyd Chicago IL Timothy J Flynn Woodstock IL Charles Foster Newtown CT Lisa Fox Carrollton GA Dan H Freeman La Plata MD Gary W Fuller The Colony TX William J Gallagher Chalfont PA Antonio Garcia Norwalk CA Richard N Gaylord Rochester NY John D Gerth Clinton IN Lars G leitsmann Northeim Germany James N Godwin Guelph Ontsrio Canada Robert R Gorry Germansville P A Craig Greenlaw Durham NC Jerome H Grzybek Bur Ridge IL Ralph H Guditz Bellevue WA Cabaroos Lomba Guillermo Puentes Spain Ralph Gutowski Oxford OH Steve Gutzmer Langley WA Sheridan W Hale Walnut Creek CA Gary E Hamilton Milburn OK Gregor G Hamilton Chicago IL Dean N Hannemann Manchester NH Donald Harbeck Elyria OH

Mike G Harr Griffin GA William H Harridge Marengo IL David A Harris Senoia GA Robert K Harrold Sr Buder IN James G Hathaway Mill Creek WA Tim Haverland Cocoa FL Celia H awley Olympia WA Robert C Hill Greensboro NC Eugene R Hill Detroit MI William Hinkle Wellston OK William M H onan Manassas VA Tom B Hopkins Sarco ME Carl Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sheila Horsley Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sarah Hubbell Fort Worth TX Margaret C Hubbell Fort Worth TX Rachel Hubbell Fort Worth TX Carl Ed Hubbell Fort Worth TX A1iciaHubbell Fort Worth TX Jason Hubbell Fort Worth TX Bob Hurd Tillamook OR Harold W Hyde Baltimore MD Eric Hylen Cold Spring MN Lawrence L llg Mt Prospect IL Steven C Inabnit Richland WA Darrel Inman Lewiston ID Richard James Gambrills MD Thomas E Janke Orion MI Dan J Jankowski Merton WI Oare W Jenkins Rio WI Mike Johnson EI Segundo C Howard B Johnson Lively VA Walter F Johnston Burbank CA Bernd Keil EriswiI Switzerland Richard Kempa Grandview IN Dennis M Kern Del Rio TX Kerry Kilpatrick New Brunswick NJ Charlie Wayne Kiser Willmington NC F rederik Klopper Pretoria Republic of South Africa

John Kortus Baraboo WI Lawrence E Krengel Marengo IL Ross Krumbholz Runaway Bay Queensland A ustralia Patrick F Leonardi Elmwood Park IL Robert F Lindley III Oak Harbor WA Robert Thomas Little Maynard AR Thomas B Lockyear Normal IL Wayne Lohmeyer Cedar Park TX Henry D Longhurst Gravenhurst Ontario Canada

Mark Ludwig Knoxville TN Richard E MacOeery Birmingham MI Robert W Mackie F ly Creek NY Michael Magee Hinton WV

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

The Board ofDirectors of Ocean ReefClub Key Largo Florida

cordially invites you to attend

THE 4TH ANNuAL VINTAGE WEEKEND

December 5th6th and 7th 1997 Honoring classic conveyances by air land and sea

~ and including ~

The Antique and Classic Airplane Fly-in The Concourse dElegance ofAutomobiles

~------The Antique and Classic Yacht Rendezvous

RSVP Milrry Kilby - (305) 367-5874

Because Ocean ReefClub is a private club The Vintage Weekend is open only to

members and invited guests staying in the Inn or Marina

Participation includes wekoming cocktail party in a private home Friday evening

Saturday day-long celebration ofboats cars and planes genuine Maine lobsterbake

Saturday evening with The Bill Allred Jazz Band awards and farewell breakfast Sunday

morning $160 per person

OCEAN REEF CLUB

31 O CEA N RE EF DRIV E SUITE C-300 K EY LAR GO F LORIDA 33037

AEROMAIL (Continued from pg 3 )

the project and have enforced the Cease and Desist order

Well have more on this situation in next months Vintage Airplane - HGF

EAA FORD INFORMATION Dear Ben (Owen)

I read with interest the recent article in SPORT AVIAnON (July issue) about EAAs Ford 4AT-E Tri-Motor NC8407 and realized I had worked with this airplane in the 1950s and saw it several times when I was on charter flights to Bradley Field in Boise Idaho

Here is some Ford history from my logshybook in 1956 I worked for Abe Bowler in Orofino Idaho maintaining Ford 4s and 5s Fairchild 71 Fokker Super Universal Stinshyson SM7A Cabin Waco with 450 Pratt amp Whitneys J-3s and PA-12s I chartered in a PA-12 taught students in J3s and was the copilot in the Ford 4 and 5

From June 21 to July 19 1956 three Fords sprayed timber at Ennis Montana Jerry Wilsons Ford 5 AT-C with 550 hp Pratt amp Whitneys N 1124N Abe Bowlers Ford 4 AT-E with 975 Wrights N9612 and the Bradley Ford 4 AT -E with 985 Pratt amp Whitneys with constant speed propellers NC8407 (from Bradley Field at Boise Idaho) All flew about 70 hours each sprayshying timber near Ennis Montana and Yellowshystone Park

Just prior to this spray project at Ennis Montana there were seven Ford Tri-Motors parked in a line at Missoula Montana We were there for the Forest Service to check the swathe width and calibration prior to commencing spraying In addition to the three Fords at Ennis Bob Johnsons Flying Service had three Fords and I believe Bob Waldemeyer had one I did not take a picshyture I thought at the time that these Fords would be around forever However Nashytional Geographic photographed them all toshygether at Ennis

The Ford 5 hauled 550 gallons of diesel and DDT applying one gallon per acre The Ford 5 sprayed 52259 acres in abo ut 96 trips The Ford earned 18 cents per acre I was paid one cent per acre as copilot My duties as copilot included fueling checking oil greasing the rocker arms and washing the airplane every day Both Ford 4s hauled 450 gallons each I flew copilot in the Ford 5 1124N All three Fords ran out of gas on this project and all landed safely The Ford 5 burned one gallon of fuel per minute We burned 168 gallons from Orofino Idaho to Bozeman Montana My hearing has sufshyfered since flying a Ford for 120 hours

We flew in and out of many back country strips in Idaho Fords were known then as sinkers in rough air but were faster than most light airplanes such as the Stinson and Cessna 170 Only the Cessna 180 could pass one The rudder and elevator were extremely heavy - 70 turns on the nose up trim The ailerons were so ineffective that you could

28 OCTOBER 1997

either work yourself to death in rough air or do nothing when the wing was down and it would return to level flight on its own We carried a 2 x 4 that when wedged between the seat and rudder pedal would lock fu ll rudder When an outboard engine was shut down this was removed on short final Your leg could only hold full rudder for two or three minutes

E O Frank of Caldwell Idaho owned two non-flying Fords the slick skinned Ford that Harrahs restored and SIN I 0 a partially restored open cockpit Ford powered by J-4 Wrights I believe he still owns SINIO

Just thought Id pass this on to the EAA for whatever interest it might be

Sincerely Dean Wilson EXPLORER A VIA nON Idaho County Airport Grangeville ID

bull Backlight stayson until you turn it

PAYS FOR ITSELF AS YOU USE IT bull Pickup ATISand get clearance before the Hobbsstorts running

NEW BUILT-IN SIDE TONE bull Includes headset interfa ce ampPTT jock

LOUD CRISP AUDIO bull A22 audio cuts through high cabin noise

SIMPLE TO OPERATE bull ICOMs single knob tuning - instant

frequency selection even in turbulent conditions bull 50 user-programmable memory channels

bull Instant access to 1215 MHz

RUGGED ERGONOMIC DESIGN bull One-piece die-cast aluminum chassis

with a super-tough polycorbonate casing

ALL AT AVERY REASONABLE PRICE

Fly-InCalendar

OCTOBER 9-12 - MESA AZ - Copperstate Fly-In Call Bob Hasson 520228-5480

OCTOBER 12 - TOWANDA PA -Towanda Airport (N27) Fly-In Breakfast All you can eat including 100 pure maple syrup 7 am - 1pm For info call Carl Lafy 717265-4900

OCTOB ER 10-12 - EVERGREEN AL shySoutheast Regional Fly-In Call Harold Bubba Hamiter 334765-9109

OCTOBER 10-12 - WILMINGTON DE _ East Coast EAA Fly-In Call Andrew Alvarez 3021738-8883

O CTO BER 17-19 - KERRVILLE TX shySouthwest Regional Fly-In Call Stu McCurdy 512388-7399

W~l(Om~ Allan Adelman Rockville MD Eric Alexander Bend OR George M Allen Amory MS James K Ames Ooquet MN Deshler D Annstrong Rochester NY Thomas A Arsenault Fridley MN Richard A Ash Piffard NY Robert D Askins Warsaw KY James D Atkinson Mena AR Steve Aughinbaugh Plano TX Brian Aukaes Des Monies IA Lloyd L Austin Dover DE Tom Austin Jr Battlecreek MI Neil E Baker Huntington IN Randall C Baker Coleman Falls VA Jack Baldwin Whitefish Bay WI Charles Brandon Ball Millville NJ Stephen L Barnes Macclesfield Great Britain

Martin Baston Sand Point AK Troy Bates Fayetteville AR Doug Beck Minnetonka MN Nick J Bentz Chaska MN Roy H BischoffIII Belleville IL Jeffrey Boddiger Dodge City KS Bernie W Bolster Grand Rapids MN Dave P Bordano Big Rapids MI Gib Boren Boise ID Tim A Bourassa Mexico ME DonJ Boyd Mocksville NC Raymond Broomfield Camarillo CA Keith E Brown Dillon CO Derrell F Brown Winter Haven FL Henry Budzynski Wmchester VA Robert A Bunton Shreveport LA G L D Burnett Hilton Head Island SC Roderick Burnett Brooklyn MI Dan Bush Denton TX Alan Bush Strongville OH Frank Caldwell Radford VA Roy G Calvert Maurertown VA Patrick Carron Palos Park IL John R Chapman Kalamazoo MI Jerry D Chappell Plains KS Bruce Christie Anchorage AK Brooks Oark Monks Comer SC Russ Oemens EI Cajon CA Terry E Oifton Savannah GA G V Cline Callahan FL Douglas W Ooud Overbrook KS Jerry M Cohen Plano TX Randel D Compton Gulf Breeze FL Gary K Cooper Wauconda IL StevenJ Coulter Fort Payne AL Jesus C Cuevas Snohomish W A

Bill C ullere Stuart FL David L Cummings Woodland WA J ohn A Dale Colbert W A Robert C Dalzell Owensboro KY Douglas WilliamDavis RaMuxIOtyCA Paul M Densley Leeds UT Mark Dickey Murray U Dennis Diem Long Beach CA David G Dix Centre Hall P A William D Dixon Warren MI Thomas N Dixon Lodi CA Russell G DonCarlos Gladewater TX Charles J Dorey Rice Lake WI L DuV e Victoria Australia Albert L Dyer Batavia IL Elwin E Ellis Augusta MI David Ellis Martinsville IN Richard A Elms Laguna Beach CA Terry L Emig Casa Grande AZ Craig Engel Amboy IN Dale W Ensing Cary IL Tom Entrekin Manhattan CA Douglas W Eshelman Brentwood TN Tom Fagan Randolph NJ Edward J Farkas Milwaukee WI Alan E Fearns Lecanto FL Wayne Iven Findley Dexter IA Richard F Fischer Arroyo Grande CA Eliot Fishman Chicago IL Patrick H Floyd Nepean Ont Canada James W F loyd Chicago IL Timothy J Flynn Woodstock IL Charles Foster Newtown CT Lisa Fox Carrollton GA Dan H Freeman La Plata MD Gary W Fuller The Colony TX William J Gallagher Chalfont PA Antonio Garcia Norwalk CA Richard N Gaylord Rochester NY John D Gerth Clinton IN Lars G leitsmann Northeim Germany James N Godwin Guelph Ontsrio Canada Robert R Gorry Germansville P A Craig Greenlaw Durham NC Jerome H Grzybek Bur Ridge IL Ralph H Guditz Bellevue WA Cabaroos Lomba Guillermo Puentes Spain Ralph Gutowski Oxford OH Steve Gutzmer Langley WA Sheridan W Hale Walnut Creek CA Gary E Hamilton Milburn OK Gregor G Hamilton Chicago IL Dean N Hannemann Manchester NH Donald Harbeck Elyria OH

Mike G Harr Griffin GA William H Harridge Marengo IL David A Harris Senoia GA Robert K Harrold Sr Buder IN James G Hathaway Mill Creek WA Tim Haverland Cocoa FL Celia H awley Olympia WA Robert C Hill Greensboro NC Eugene R Hill Detroit MI William Hinkle Wellston OK William M H onan Manassas VA Tom B Hopkins Sarco ME Carl Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sheila Horsley Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sarah Hubbell Fort Worth TX Margaret C Hubbell Fort Worth TX Rachel Hubbell Fort Worth TX Carl Ed Hubbell Fort Worth TX A1iciaHubbell Fort Worth TX Jason Hubbell Fort Worth TX Bob Hurd Tillamook OR Harold W Hyde Baltimore MD Eric Hylen Cold Spring MN Lawrence L llg Mt Prospect IL Steven C Inabnit Richland WA Darrel Inman Lewiston ID Richard James Gambrills MD Thomas E Janke Orion MI Dan J Jankowski Merton WI Oare W Jenkins Rio WI Mike Johnson EI Segundo C Howard B Johnson Lively VA Walter F Johnston Burbank CA Bernd Keil EriswiI Switzerland Richard Kempa Grandview IN Dennis M Kern Del Rio TX Kerry Kilpatrick New Brunswick NJ Charlie Wayne Kiser Willmington NC F rederik Klopper Pretoria Republic of South Africa

John Kortus Baraboo WI Lawrence E Krengel Marengo IL Ross Krumbholz Runaway Bay Queensland A ustralia Patrick F Leonardi Elmwood Park IL Robert F Lindley III Oak Harbor WA Robert Thomas Little Maynard AR Thomas B Lockyear Normal IL Wayne Lohmeyer Cedar Park TX Henry D Longhurst Gravenhurst Ontario Canada

Mark Ludwig Knoxville TN Richard E MacOeery Birmingham MI Robert W Mackie F ly Creek NY Michael Magee Hinton WV

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

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For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

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264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

AEROMAIL (Continued from pg 3 )

the project and have enforced the Cease and Desist order

Well have more on this situation in next months Vintage Airplane - HGF

EAA FORD INFORMATION Dear Ben (Owen)

I read with interest the recent article in SPORT AVIAnON (July issue) about EAAs Ford 4AT-E Tri-Motor NC8407 and realized I had worked with this airplane in the 1950s and saw it several times when I was on charter flights to Bradley Field in Boise Idaho

Here is some Ford history from my logshybook in 1956 I worked for Abe Bowler in Orofino Idaho maintaining Ford 4s and 5s Fairchild 71 Fokker Super Universal Stinshyson SM7A Cabin Waco with 450 Pratt amp Whitneys J-3s and PA-12s I chartered in a PA-12 taught students in J3s and was the copilot in the Ford 4 and 5

From June 21 to July 19 1956 three Fords sprayed timber at Ennis Montana Jerry Wilsons Ford 5 AT-C with 550 hp Pratt amp Whitneys N 1124N Abe Bowlers Ford 4 AT-E with 975 Wrights N9612 and the Bradley Ford 4 AT -E with 985 Pratt amp Whitneys with constant speed propellers NC8407 (from Bradley Field at Boise Idaho) All flew about 70 hours each sprayshying timber near Ennis Montana and Yellowshystone Park

Just prior to this spray project at Ennis Montana there were seven Ford Tri-Motors parked in a line at Missoula Montana We were there for the Forest Service to check the swathe width and calibration prior to commencing spraying In addition to the three Fords at Ennis Bob Johnsons Flying Service had three Fords and I believe Bob Waldemeyer had one I did not take a picshyture I thought at the time that these Fords would be around forever However Nashytional Geographic photographed them all toshygether at Ennis

The Ford 5 hauled 550 gallons of diesel and DDT applying one gallon per acre The Ford 5 sprayed 52259 acres in abo ut 96 trips The Ford earned 18 cents per acre I was paid one cent per acre as copilot My duties as copilot included fueling checking oil greasing the rocker arms and washing the airplane every day Both Ford 4s hauled 450 gallons each I flew copilot in the Ford 5 1124N All three Fords ran out of gas on this project and all landed safely The Ford 5 burned one gallon of fuel per minute We burned 168 gallons from Orofino Idaho to Bozeman Montana My hearing has sufshyfered since flying a Ford for 120 hours

We flew in and out of many back country strips in Idaho Fords were known then as sinkers in rough air but were faster than most light airplanes such as the Stinson and Cessna 170 Only the Cessna 180 could pass one The rudder and elevator were extremely heavy - 70 turns on the nose up trim The ailerons were so ineffective that you could

28 OCTOBER 1997

either work yourself to death in rough air or do nothing when the wing was down and it would return to level flight on its own We carried a 2 x 4 that when wedged between the seat and rudder pedal would lock fu ll rudder When an outboard engine was shut down this was removed on short final Your leg could only hold full rudder for two or three minutes

E O Frank of Caldwell Idaho owned two non-flying Fords the slick skinned Ford that Harrahs restored and SIN I 0 a partially restored open cockpit Ford powered by J-4 Wrights I believe he still owns SINIO

Just thought Id pass this on to the EAA for whatever interest it might be

Sincerely Dean Wilson EXPLORER A VIA nON Idaho County Airport Grangeville ID

bull Backlight stayson until you turn it

PAYS FOR ITSELF AS YOU USE IT bull Pickup ATISand get clearance before the Hobbsstorts running

NEW BUILT-IN SIDE TONE bull Includes headset interfa ce ampPTT jock

LOUD CRISP AUDIO bull A22 audio cuts through high cabin noise

SIMPLE TO OPERATE bull ICOMs single knob tuning - instant

frequency selection even in turbulent conditions bull 50 user-programmable memory channels

bull Instant access to 1215 MHz

RUGGED ERGONOMIC DESIGN bull One-piece die-cast aluminum chassis

with a super-tough polycorbonate casing

ALL AT AVERY REASONABLE PRICE

Fly-InCalendar

OCTOBER 9-12 - MESA AZ - Copperstate Fly-In Call Bob Hasson 520228-5480

OCTOBER 12 - TOWANDA PA -Towanda Airport (N27) Fly-In Breakfast All you can eat including 100 pure maple syrup 7 am - 1pm For info call Carl Lafy 717265-4900

OCTOB ER 10-12 - EVERGREEN AL shySoutheast Regional Fly-In Call Harold Bubba Hamiter 334765-9109

OCTOBER 10-12 - WILMINGTON DE _ East Coast EAA Fly-In Call Andrew Alvarez 3021738-8883

O CTO BER 17-19 - KERRVILLE TX shySouthwest Regional Fly-In Call Stu McCurdy 512388-7399

W~l(Om~ Allan Adelman Rockville MD Eric Alexander Bend OR George M Allen Amory MS James K Ames Ooquet MN Deshler D Annstrong Rochester NY Thomas A Arsenault Fridley MN Richard A Ash Piffard NY Robert D Askins Warsaw KY James D Atkinson Mena AR Steve Aughinbaugh Plano TX Brian Aukaes Des Monies IA Lloyd L Austin Dover DE Tom Austin Jr Battlecreek MI Neil E Baker Huntington IN Randall C Baker Coleman Falls VA Jack Baldwin Whitefish Bay WI Charles Brandon Ball Millville NJ Stephen L Barnes Macclesfield Great Britain

Martin Baston Sand Point AK Troy Bates Fayetteville AR Doug Beck Minnetonka MN Nick J Bentz Chaska MN Roy H BischoffIII Belleville IL Jeffrey Boddiger Dodge City KS Bernie W Bolster Grand Rapids MN Dave P Bordano Big Rapids MI Gib Boren Boise ID Tim A Bourassa Mexico ME DonJ Boyd Mocksville NC Raymond Broomfield Camarillo CA Keith E Brown Dillon CO Derrell F Brown Winter Haven FL Henry Budzynski Wmchester VA Robert A Bunton Shreveport LA G L D Burnett Hilton Head Island SC Roderick Burnett Brooklyn MI Dan Bush Denton TX Alan Bush Strongville OH Frank Caldwell Radford VA Roy G Calvert Maurertown VA Patrick Carron Palos Park IL John R Chapman Kalamazoo MI Jerry D Chappell Plains KS Bruce Christie Anchorage AK Brooks Oark Monks Comer SC Russ Oemens EI Cajon CA Terry E Oifton Savannah GA G V Cline Callahan FL Douglas W Ooud Overbrook KS Jerry M Cohen Plano TX Randel D Compton Gulf Breeze FL Gary K Cooper Wauconda IL StevenJ Coulter Fort Payne AL Jesus C Cuevas Snohomish W A

Bill C ullere Stuart FL David L Cummings Woodland WA J ohn A Dale Colbert W A Robert C Dalzell Owensboro KY Douglas WilliamDavis RaMuxIOtyCA Paul M Densley Leeds UT Mark Dickey Murray U Dennis Diem Long Beach CA David G Dix Centre Hall P A William D Dixon Warren MI Thomas N Dixon Lodi CA Russell G DonCarlos Gladewater TX Charles J Dorey Rice Lake WI L DuV e Victoria Australia Albert L Dyer Batavia IL Elwin E Ellis Augusta MI David Ellis Martinsville IN Richard A Elms Laguna Beach CA Terry L Emig Casa Grande AZ Craig Engel Amboy IN Dale W Ensing Cary IL Tom Entrekin Manhattan CA Douglas W Eshelman Brentwood TN Tom Fagan Randolph NJ Edward J Farkas Milwaukee WI Alan E Fearns Lecanto FL Wayne Iven Findley Dexter IA Richard F Fischer Arroyo Grande CA Eliot Fishman Chicago IL Patrick H Floyd Nepean Ont Canada James W F loyd Chicago IL Timothy J Flynn Woodstock IL Charles Foster Newtown CT Lisa Fox Carrollton GA Dan H Freeman La Plata MD Gary W Fuller The Colony TX William J Gallagher Chalfont PA Antonio Garcia Norwalk CA Richard N Gaylord Rochester NY John D Gerth Clinton IN Lars G leitsmann Northeim Germany James N Godwin Guelph Ontsrio Canada Robert R Gorry Germansville P A Craig Greenlaw Durham NC Jerome H Grzybek Bur Ridge IL Ralph H Guditz Bellevue WA Cabaroos Lomba Guillermo Puentes Spain Ralph Gutowski Oxford OH Steve Gutzmer Langley WA Sheridan W Hale Walnut Creek CA Gary E Hamilton Milburn OK Gregor G Hamilton Chicago IL Dean N Hannemann Manchester NH Donald Harbeck Elyria OH

Mike G Harr Griffin GA William H Harridge Marengo IL David A Harris Senoia GA Robert K Harrold Sr Buder IN James G Hathaway Mill Creek WA Tim Haverland Cocoa FL Celia H awley Olympia WA Robert C Hill Greensboro NC Eugene R Hill Detroit MI William Hinkle Wellston OK William M H onan Manassas VA Tom B Hopkins Sarco ME Carl Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sheila Horsley Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sarah Hubbell Fort Worth TX Margaret C Hubbell Fort Worth TX Rachel Hubbell Fort Worth TX Carl Ed Hubbell Fort Worth TX A1iciaHubbell Fort Worth TX Jason Hubbell Fort Worth TX Bob Hurd Tillamook OR Harold W Hyde Baltimore MD Eric Hylen Cold Spring MN Lawrence L llg Mt Prospect IL Steven C Inabnit Richland WA Darrel Inman Lewiston ID Richard James Gambrills MD Thomas E Janke Orion MI Dan J Jankowski Merton WI Oare W Jenkins Rio WI Mike Johnson EI Segundo C Howard B Johnson Lively VA Walter F Johnston Burbank CA Bernd Keil EriswiI Switzerland Richard Kempa Grandview IN Dennis M Kern Del Rio TX Kerry Kilpatrick New Brunswick NJ Charlie Wayne Kiser Willmington NC F rederik Klopper Pretoria Republic of South Africa

John Kortus Baraboo WI Lawrence E Krengel Marengo IL Ross Krumbholz Runaway Bay Queensland A ustralia Patrick F Leonardi Elmwood Park IL Robert F Lindley III Oak Harbor WA Robert Thomas Little Maynard AR Thomas B Lockyear Normal IL Wayne Lohmeyer Cedar Park TX Henry D Longhurst Gravenhurst Ontario Canada

Mark Ludwig Knoxville TN Richard E MacOeery Birmingham MI Robert W Mackie F ly Creek NY Michael Magee Hinton WV

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

W~l(Om~ Allan Adelman Rockville MD Eric Alexander Bend OR George M Allen Amory MS James K Ames Ooquet MN Deshler D Annstrong Rochester NY Thomas A Arsenault Fridley MN Richard A Ash Piffard NY Robert D Askins Warsaw KY James D Atkinson Mena AR Steve Aughinbaugh Plano TX Brian Aukaes Des Monies IA Lloyd L Austin Dover DE Tom Austin Jr Battlecreek MI Neil E Baker Huntington IN Randall C Baker Coleman Falls VA Jack Baldwin Whitefish Bay WI Charles Brandon Ball Millville NJ Stephen L Barnes Macclesfield Great Britain

Martin Baston Sand Point AK Troy Bates Fayetteville AR Doug Beck Minnetonka MN Nick J Bentz Chaska MN Roy H BischoffIII Belleville IL Jeffrey Boddiger Dodge City KS Bernie W Bolster Grand Rapids MN Dave P Bordano Big Rapids MI Gib Boren Boise ID Tim A Bourassa Mexico ME DonJ Boyd Mocksville NC Raymond Broomfield Camarillo CA Keith E Brown Dillon CO Derrell F Brown Winter Haven FL Henry Budzynski Wmchester VA Robert A Bunton Shreveport LA G L D Burnett Hilton Head Island SC Roderick Burnett Brooklyn MI Dan Bush Denton TX Alan Bush Strongville OH Frank Caldwell Radford VA Roy G Calvert Maurertown VA Patrick Carron Palos Park IL John R Chapman Kalamazoo MI Jerry D Chappell Plains KS Bruce Christie Anchorage AK Brooks Oark Monks Comer SC Russ Oemens EI Cajon CA Terry E Oifton Savannah GA G V Cline Callahan FL Douglas W Ooud Overbrook KS Jerry M Cohen Plano TX Randel D Compton Gulf Breeze FL Gary K Cooper Wauconda IL StevenJ Coulter Fort Payne AL Jesus C Cuevas Snohomish W A

Bill C ullere Stuart FL David L Cummings Woodland WA J ohn A Dale Colbert W A Robert C Dalzell Owensboro KY Douglas WilliamDavis RaMuxIOtyCA Paul M Densley Leeds UT Mark Dickey Murray U Dennis Diem Long Beach CA David G Dix Centre Hall P A William D Dixon Warren MI Thomas N Dixon Lodi CA Russell G DonCarlos Gladewater TX Charles J Dorey Rice Lake WI L DuV e Victoria Australia Albert L Dyer Batavia IL Elwin E Ellis Augusta MI David Ellis Martinsville IN Richard A Elms Laguna Beach CA Terry L Emig Casa Grande AZ Craig Engel Amboy IN Dale W Ensing Cary IL Tom Entrekin Manhattan CA Douglas W Eshelman Brentwood TN Tom Fagan Randolph NJ Edward J Farkas Milwaukee WI Alan E Fearns Lecanto FL Wayne Iven Findley Dexter IA Richard F Fischer Arroyo Grande CA Eliot Fishman Chicago IL Patrick H Floyd Nepean Ont Canada James W F loyd Chicago IL Timothy J Flynn Woodstock IL Charles Foster Newtown CT Lisa Fox Carrollton GA Dan H Freeman La Plata MD Gary W Fuller The Colony TX William J Gallagher Chalfont PA Antonio Garcia Norwalk CA Richard N Gaylord Rochester NY John D Gerth Clinton IN Lars G leitsmann Northeim Germany James N Godwin Guelph Ontsrio Canada Robert R Gorry Germansville P A Craig Greenlaw Durham NC Jerome H Grzybek Bur Ridge IL Ralph H Guditz Bellevue WA Cabaroos Lomba Guillermo Puentes Spain Ralph Gutowski Oxford OH Steve Gutzmer Langley WA Sheridan W Hale Walnut Creek CA Gary E Hamilton Milburn OK Gregor G Hamilton Chicago IL Dean N Hannemann Manchester NH Donald Harbeck Elyria OH

Mike G Harr Griffin GA William H Harridge Marengo IL David A Harris Senoia GA Robert K Harrold Sr Buder IN James G Hathaway Mill Creek WA Tim Haverland Cocoa FL Celia H awley Olympia WA Robert C Hill Greensboro NC Eugene R Hill Detroit MI William Hinkle Wellston OK William M H onan Manassas VA Tom B Hopkins Sarco ME Carl Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sheila Horsley Hubbell Fort Worth TX Sarah Hubbell Fort Worth TX Margaret C Hubbell Fort Worth TX Rachel Hubbell Fort Worth TX Carl Ed Hubbell Fort Worth TX A1iciaHubbell Fort Worth TX Jason Hubbell Fort Worth TX Bob Hurd Tillamook OR Harold W Hyde Baltimore MD Eric Hylen Cold Spring MN Lawrence L llg Mt Prospect IL Steven C Inabnit Richland WA Darrel Inman Lewiston ID Richard James Gambrills MD Thomas E Janke Orion MI Dan J Jankowski Merton WI Oare W Jenkins Rio WI Mike Johnson EI Segundo C Howard B Johnson Lively VA Walter F Johnston Burbank CA Bernd Keil EriswiI Switzerland Richard Kempa Grandview IN Dennis M Kern Del Rio TX Kerry Kilpatrick New Brunswick NJ Charlie Wayne Kiser Willmington NC F rederik Klopper Pretoria Republic of South Africa

John Kortus Baraboo WI Lawrence E Krengel Marengo IL Ross Krumbholz Runaway Bay Queensland A ustralia Patrick F Leonardi Elmwood Park IL Robert F Lindley III Oak Harbor WA Robert Thomas Little Maynard AR Thomas B Lockyear Normal IL Wayne Lohmeyer Cedar Park TX Henry D Longhurst Gravenhurst Ontario Canada

Mark Ludwig Knoxville TN Richard E MacOeery Birmingham MI Robert W Mackie F ly Creek NY Michael Magee Hinton WV

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

WILcomI NIW

Robert W Marshall San Diego CA Ronald Matuska Morieno Valley CA Millard G McCarty EUettsville IN Keith L McCutchan Mt Vernon IN George McCutcheon Glenmoore PA Dennis K McDaniel Harrisburg PA James Montgomery McKim Midland MI Michael D Mckinney Sacramento CA Adam V McKinstry Hubbardston MI Orris D Memck San Jose CA Keith A Michel BeUeville IL Bob Milkie Racine WI Phillip Miller Valley City ND Mike MitcheU Lewisville TX Robert Moore Dallas TX Douglas Morgan Cary NC Harold O Moms Jr Huntington WV Michael W Muchmore Kennebunk ME Harry P Mutter Media PA Alan D Nelson Ottawa IL Dagmar Nicholas Uniontown OH Harold E Nord Jr Rye Beach NH Mark Nord Marshalltown IA David D Offutt Conroe TX James M Page Raleigh NC Richard L Pankratz Fall City WA George Papich Benicia CA Thomas Parsons Sarasota FL James M Paulas Mt Eden CA Philip Pauley San Jose CA Rex Pease Grand Haven MI John Petschelt Antioch IL Douglas PfundheUer Stoughton WI Lt Oliver Philippi Chesterfield MO Ernest L Phillips Aberdeen SO John D Pickett Tallahassee FL Come J Pieterse Kempton Park Republic ofSouth Africa

Michael P Pope OUppewa FaIls WI Michael N Porter Orangeville Ont Canada

Merl A Potter Wichita KS Ace G Powers Albuquerque NM Alan C Powers Westminster MD Penelope Price Bloomington IN Richard B Prideaux Loving TX Ben D Prince Alta CA Anthony Pucillo Palm Beach Gardens FL Kenneth E Rabbitt Battle Creek MI Donald M Ramsey Huntsville AL James L Ray Huntsville AL James R Reid Jr CoUeyville TX Stuart G Roat Maywood IL John R Rosenberg Chanhassen MN John D Rosenoff BeUevue W A Daniel M Ruh Afton MN

30 OCTOBER 1997

Bernard J Rusiewicz Natrona PA Arvid G RusseU Onalaska WI Alex RusseU Tuscon AZ Angela Sams Lorton VA Thomas ScheUhammer F1wiingen Switzerland

Don Schelm Omaha NE Scott Seegers Catlett VA Otto Seruga Dwight Ontario Canada Joel Severinghaus Omaha NE Walter Shiel Weatherford TX Scott Shock Helvetia WV Stephen D Showalter Linville VA Allen Silbennan W Chester PA Gerry Snapp Poulsbo W A Sheldon S Soldwisch Bensenville IL Casper Sorich Morgan Hill CA Richard I St Onge Crestview Hills KY David H Stadt Wauconda IL Paul Stafford San Francisco CA Phil Stallings Hurst TX Joe A Stamm Chagrin Falls OH Mark A Stemheimer Jr Richmond VA Robert J Stewart Jr Erie P A Henry J Stone Colorado Springs CO Lynn Stortz La Crosse WI Terry Strong Mesa AZ Dwayne J Struck Kanata Ontario Canada John P Studebaker New Madison OH J SunIin Saratoga CA David A Theis Crested Butte CO Robert W ThisseU Plymouth MA Paul A Tomaszewski Sunnyvale CA Daniel Tomczak Ann Arbor MI Robert L Trinque Plymouth MA Kevin Yap Olathe KS Thomas R Wade Tyrone GA Garry Waite Las Vegas NY Paula Waite Las Vegas NY Mason Waite Las Vegas NY Spencer Waite Las Vegas NY Jacque Waite Las Vegas NY Oliver Waite Las Vegas NY Orristopher Walsh Novi MI Paul B Weaver Wapakoneta OH David Webb Blooming Grove TX John L Webb Wilsonville OR Richard Weeden Brodhead WI Charles R Whale Jr Kuna ill Sam Williamson Logansport IN Charles M Williamson Southfield MI Donald R Wolters Barrington IL John D Wright Eau Oaire WI Richard W Yaws New Braunfels TX David York Carmel IN Peter Zweifel Oberhasli Switzerland

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part 40cent per word $700 minimum charge Send your ad and payment to Vintage Trader fAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 or fax your ad and your credit card number to 920426-4828 Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following (eg October 20th for the December issue)

AIRCRAFT

Seeking bids for rare 1944 DH89A Mk IV Rapide with overhauled Gypsy 6 Series III engines Aircraft disassembled and in need of extensive restoration Organization looking to sell aircraft to collector who will return it to flying status Please contact the EAA Aviation Museum Director at 920426-4842

1947 Cessna 120 - Excellent shape always hangared Moore Cty Airport Pinehurst NC TSOH 1013 ACTT 2089 Owner 910295-6912 (1207)

Award winning 1929 Waco-10-ASO 3-place open cockpit Grand Champion red amp cream biplane originally owned by Firestone also flew as mail plane for Erie Isle Airways For brochure amp video call Tom 770478-2310 (1000)

MISCELLANEOUS

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture STC-PMA-d 4130 chromoly tubing throughout also complete fuselage repair ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC (J Soares Pres) 7093 Dry Creek Road Belgrade Montana 59714 406 388-6069 FAX 406 388-0170 Repair station No QK5R148N (0274)

FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos How to building and restoration tips historic flying and entertainment titles Call for a free catalog EAAl-800-843-3612

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR AD RIGHT HERE IN VINTAGE TRADER shySEND IT IN NOW TO REACH ACTIVE ANTIQUECLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

THE NEW CITATION HVlP COMBO SYSTEM

WAS A BIG HIT AT OSHKOSH

If you happened to stop by the AntiqueClassic Builders Workshop at the convention you probably saw our new respiratorpaint sprayer system at work Many of you stopped by the Fastech booth to get a closer look at this unique system

Because of the tremendous

interest in the product we

have decided to extend the

show price for a limited time

If you didnt get a chance to see it the CITATION system combines a fresh air respirator and HVLP paint sprayer in one cabinet to offer the utmost in safety convenience and spraying technology at a very competitive price

Total system priced at just $79900 (for a limited time only)

iiiill1l1 FASTECH CORPORATION AT 1-800-462-2471

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for domiddotitmiddotyourself installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

~

Qirt~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

-I I ~ I Aircraft -

[)18 Twin Beech

End the Oil Mess ~

Grumman Mallard

[)17 Siaggerwing Beechcrah

For Round Engine Classics Any Size Radial From PTs to Constellations Over 300 Clean Kits on Custom engirltering is our specKrI~ Clean KI is eI~t radial engines worldwide bIe lor field appravol USing slandard 337 process lor all

coIegaoies of airaaftincluding antiques classics warbirds and transports Darton InIemationaI Inc

264 Trade Street 101Oor propltieIooy eIeciric oil swenging arK shutaII I Son iIorcos CA 92069

leon is 100 looproo arK de This kil is oockpifltOOl 800-713-2786Irolled wi~ guarded swiiches arK annuncialian ligh~ 619471-9304 FAX12middot arK 24011 systems available

copy Crrlon Iniernolioooi Inc 1996

Spiral-BotmdClassroolD Our new manual isnt Itll just a reference - its a show covering course in a you book Its the clearest just most thorough and how easy it is to most fun-to-read cover an airp lane step-by-step with Poly-Fiber book of its and how much kind It will fun it can be It guide you all includes our entire the way catalog of tools through the entire products and other Poly-Fiber process in goodies too All you plain easy language need to make it happen and with a delightful is our new manual sense of humor and a dream

Order YoursJust $1000 Plus Shipping I Handllng

808-362-3490 ~polyfibeampcomn

E-maiI infopolyfibercom

Coatings FAX 909-684-0518

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

Ed Byers

Seneca SC

Soloed 1-3 Cub in 1946

Currently owns Wacos

J-3 Culver Bonanza

and Saaplgne

approved

Ed Byers and John Collier have restored

Cubs l-2s Stearman Wacos etc and they

continue to keep busy restoring aircraft

We shopped around and now have nine

AUAs Exclusive EAA Antique amp Classic Division Insurance Program

eet discounts for multiple aircraft

To become an

EAA Antique amp

Classic Division

Member call

800-843-3612

aircraft insured with AUA - including

contemporary classics antiques and a

sailplane We particularly like the half-price

deal on all but the first plane

- Ed Byers and John Collier

The best is affordable

Give AOti a call - its FREE

800-727-3823 Fly with the pros fly with AUA Inc

No

No

Discounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember Were Better Together

AVIATION UNLIMITED AGENCY

carrying all risk coverages

hand-propping exclusion

age penalty

component parts endorsements

Pass It To Buck (Continued From Page 9)

holding patterns and whatever and then the three engine ILS approach missed apshyproach second engine failure culminating in a circling approach with two engines out both on one side naturally and a sucshycessful landing the inspector then did about an hour debrief and handed you your type rating

So much for background Here I am goshying back in time The Captain flying this cargo-liner is more than 30 years younger than I am an EAA member and well qualishyfied I find and so is the First Officer and the Engineer If clothes make the man these guys certainly dont fit that mold Dressed in jeans and loose shirts joggers and about as informal as you can get their looks belie their professionalism Their preflight planning all completed were on the flight deck and go ing through the prestart check list [watch I listen Im impressed

The takeoff releases a flood of sensashytions and memories The growl of the enshygines the feeling of flight taking place feel the ai rplane lifting gear up flaps up climb power and we are on our way

[n cruise the Captain invites me to take the right seat No autopilot in this operashytion so I am handed the job of keeping it straight and level and on course I chide the engineer to sync his engines and I settle down to some serious heading altitude and course application

The conversation is most pleasant The deference to age and experience is gratifyshying They act as if they are really interested in what I have to say and especially my exshyperiences in flying the DC-6 airplanes so much so they challenge me to make the apshyproach and landing

Knowing full well that the Captains ticket and future are on the line I decline The copilot resumes his seat and [ sulk in the observers seat deriding myselffor not taking the challenge but knowing that its the right thing to do

Now I learn why the jeans and joggers When we taxi in and park the crew beshycomes the cargo handlers They r a lly around the mule a little hand operated palshylet mover place the pallets in the doorway where a huge forklift takes them off and reposition pallets for the next stop Taking on new pallets reverses the procedure and in a matter of minutes we are buttoned up and off to the next stop

Guess what Alaskan weather Nome our next stop is fogged in We start for our alternate and then the Station Manager or whatever his title is calls and says the runshyway visual range has improved to 4400 feet Hey Thats minimums so we go for it

I watch and listen to the Captain brief the crew He will fly the approach the copilot will watch for the li ghts and the

Keep Them FlyingNew Tappel Bodies Now Available For A-65s Ie-85s

C-85 STCd To Use New 0-200 Crankshaft Rods And Pistons At Aircraft Specialties Services we believe sport-pleasure flying is just as vital to aviation as business flying We make it a point to try and supply the needs of our sport aviation users

When C-85 crankshafts got scarce we engishyneered a PMA to produce 20 under bearings for the A-65 C-85 We also have available an STC to replace C-85 crankshafts with new 0-200 crankshaft rods and pistons for less than the price of a serviceable C-85 crankshaft And when A-65C-85 tappet bodies became scarce we found a way to produce them and for a

reasonable price Keeping our aviation heritage alive and flying is an important part of keeping US aviation alive and well

Whatever your aircraft engine reconditioning needs-crankshafts counterweights from A-65 to TS10-550 or 0-235 to TSI0-540 call us for quality work at a reasonable price We also stock a full line of top quality parts for your conshyvenience Give Aircraft Specialties Services a call today we ll keep you flying

CALL 1middot800middot826middot9252

Road Tulsa OK 74115 Phone 918-836-6872 Fax 918-836-4419

runway the engineer will call the altitudes airspeeds and minimum descent altitudes The go around procedure is rehearsed and we leave the holding pattern

The end result is a beautifully executed approach and landing I must admit seeing that raw data on the panel and NO flight dishyrector gave me a twinge but this guy welded those needles in place and from the observers seat I saw the runway until he put the nosewheel down and reversed the props

The cargo hustle and bustle again and after a ten minute stop we are back in the air The next stop is a 4000 foot grave l runway and a straight in approach Visibilshyity is unlimited and the Alaskan twilight doesnt coincide with the clock It s past midnight

We take on 7000 pounds offish at this

stop and we are off for Anchorage Anshyother beautiful landing and after the thank you and good-bye I tum my back on some of the most rewarding flying I ve experishyenced in years I can hardly wait to get back home and look through my logbooks to find when I last flew that particular airshyplane

For the record it was January 4 and 5 1959 and my books s how I had 7500 hours as a DC-6 copilot and I lOO hours as a Captain One of the old-time Captains r flew with back in those days told me you never lose a qualification Well maybe he was right I must admit it all came back and it a ll came together and by the time that six hour flight was over I certainly felt like I could fit right in If I had only taken

him up on his offer rr 3t(d 4

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

Pass It To Buck (Continued From Page 9)

holding patterns and whatever and then the three engine ILS approach missed apshyproach second engine failure culminating in a circling approach with two engines out both on one side naturally and a sucshycessful landing the inspector then did about an hour debrief and handed you your type rating

So much for background Here I am goshying back in time The Captain flying this cargo-liner is more than 30 years younger than I am an EAA member and well qualishyfied I find and so is the First Officer and the Engineer If clothes make the man these guys certainly dont fit that mold Dressed in jeans and loose shirts joggers and about as informal as you can get their looks belie their professionalism Their preflight planning all completed were on the flight deck and go ing through the prestart check list [watch I listen Im impressed

The takeoff releases a flood of sensashytions and memories The growl of the enshygines the feeling of flight taking place feel the ai rplane lifting gear up flaps up climb power and we are on our way

[n cruise the Captain invites me to take the right seat No autopilot in this operashytion so I am handed the job of keeping it straight and level and on course I chide the engineer to sync his engines and I settle down to some serious heading altitude and course application

The conversation is most pleasant The deference to age and experience is gratifyshying They act as if they are really interested in what I have to say and especially my exshyperiences in flying the DC-6 airplanes so much so they challenge me to make the apshyproach and landing

Knowing full well that the Captains ticket and future are on the line I decline The copilot resumes his seat and [ sulk in the observers seat deriding myselffor not taking the challenge but knowing that its the right thing to do

Now I learn why the jeans and joggers When we taxi in and park the crew beshycomes the cargo handlers They r a lly around the mule a little hand operated palshylet mover place the pallets in the doorway where a huge forklift takes them off and reposition pallets for the next stop Taking on new pallets reverses the procedure and in a matter of minutes we are buttoned up and off to the next stop

Guess what Alaskan weather Nome our next stop is fogged in We start for our alternate and then the Station Manager or whatever his title is calls and says the runshyway visual range has improved to 4400 feet Hey Thats minimums so we go for it

I watch and listen to the Captain brief the crew He will fly the approach the copilot will watch for the li ghts and the

Keep Them FlyingNew Tappel Bodies Now Available For A-65s Ie-85s

C-85 STCd To Use New 0-200 Crankshaft Rods And Pistons At Aircraft Specialties Services we believe sport-pleasure flying is just as vital to aviation as business flying We make it a point to try and supply the needs of our sport aviation users

When C-85 crankshafts got scarce we engishyneered a PMA to produce 20 under bearings for the A-65 C-85 We also have available an STC to replace C-85 crankshafts with new 0-200 crankshaft rods and pistons for less than the price of a serviceable C-85 crankshaft And when A-65C-85 tappet bodies became scarce we found a way to produce them and for a

reasonable price Keeping our aviation heritage alive and flying is an important part of keeping US aviation alive and well

Whatever your aircraft engine reconditioning needs-crankshafts counterweights from A-65 to TS10-550 or 0-235 to TSI0-540 call us for quality work at a reasonable price We also stock a full line of top quality parts for your conshyvenience Give Aircraft Specialties Services a call today we ll keep you flying

CALL 1middot800middot826middot9252

Road Tulsa OK 74115 Phone 918-836-6872 Fax 918-836-4419

runway the engineer will call the altitudes airspeeds and minimum descent altitudes The go around procedure is rehearsed and we leave the holding pattern

The end result is a beautifully executed approach and landing I must admit seeing that raw data on the panel and NO flight dishyrector gave me a twinge but this guy welded those needles in place and from the observers seat I saw the runway until he put the nosewheel down and reversed the props

The cargo hustle and bustle again and after a ten minute stop we are back in the air The next stop is a 4000 foot grave l runway and a straight in approach Visibilshyity is unlimited and the Alaskan twilight doesnt coincide with the clock It s past midnight

We take on 7000 pounds offish at this

stop and we are off for Anchorage Anshyother beautiful landing and after the thank you and good-bye I tum my back on some of the most rewarding flying I ve experishyenced in years I can hardly wait to get back home and look through my logbooks to find when I last flew that particular airshyplane

For the record it was January 4 and 5 1959 and my books s how I had 7500 hours as a DC-6 copilot and I lOO hours as a Captain One of the old-time Captains r flew with back in those days told me you never lose a qualification Well maybe he was right I must admit it all came back and it a ll came together and by the time that six hour flight was over I certainly felt like I could fit right in If I had only taken

him up on his offer rr 3t(d 4

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33