Vintage Airplane - Oct 2011

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Oct 2011

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OCTOBER 2011


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2 Straight & Level Chapters by Geoff Robison

3 News

4 AirVenture 2011 by H. G. Frautschy

12 The ‘New’ Funk on the Field From basket case to Reserve Grand Champion by Sparky Barnes Sargent

20 The Douglas World Cruiser That Crashed In Alaska Interesting aviation artifacts on display at the Alaska Aviation Museum by Irven F. Palmer Jr.

24 Light Plane Heritage The Spartan C-2

by Bob Whittier

30 The Vintage Instructor Buying an airplane and letting emotion control the decision by Steve Krog, CFI

32 The Vintage Mechanic NACA engine cowling and Fred Weick, Part 3 by Robert G. Lock

35 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

37 Classified Ads

40 It’s a Beautiful Thing

A I R P L A N E SEPTEMBER

C O N T E N T S

S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower

Director of EAA Publications J. Mac McClellanExecutive Editor Mary Jones

Executive Director/Editor H.G. FrautschyProduction/Special Project Kathleen Witman

Photography Jim Koepnick

Copy Editor Colleen Walsh

Senior Art Director Olivia P. TrabboldPublication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson

Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]

Fax: 920-426-4828

Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz

Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]

Vol. 39, No. 10 2011

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We’ve been enjoying

some exceptional

weather here in the

Midwest in recent

weeks. A few days of jacket weather,

mixed in with some exceedingly

warm days, has been the norm, along

with some occasional wet weather

generated by the recent hurricaneseason. I’m fortunate to be a long-

time member of two local EAA chap-

ters: EAA Chapter 2 was chartered

on October 1, 1956, and EAA Vin-

tage Chapter 37 was chartered in late

2003. Both typically join together

and cohost various events through-

out the flying season. The two chap-ters have experienced great success

this year in attracting many of our

local youths to our various Young

Eagles events, typically conducted at

Smith Field (SMD) in Fort Wayne, In-

diana, and at the DeKalb County Air-

port (GWB) in Auburn, Indiana.

We have jointly managed to fly

literally hundreds of Young Eagles

throughout the 2011 flying season.

Both chapters also recently joined

forces and successfully hosted the

EAA B-17 Tour in Auburn. A good

time was had by all, and a safe and

events, and also to the many chap-

ter volunteers who always graciously

give their time and aviation fuel to

support these important initiatives.

I recently visited Cincinnati Mu-

nicipal Airport (LUK), Ohio, affection-

ately known to many of our members

as Lunken Field, or to many aviators

as “Sunken Lunken.” As a volunteerwith the EAA B-17 Program, I’ve had

the opportunity to visit Lunken Field

on several occasions over the years.

I’ve long been an admirer of historic

buildings such as courthouses and

government buildings, and I have a

special weakness for historically sig-

nificant airport structures that typi-cally date back to the 1920s.

During this visit, I took the time

and made an effort to take a long

look into the historical significance

of the original terminal building

at Lunken Field. Kudos to the local

government representatives of the

city of Cincinnati who have con-

tinuously supported the upkeep and

maintenance of this significant art

deco facility. Constructed in 1936 to

1937, it was modeled after the city’s

Union Terminal railroad station.

Sadly enough, the all-new Lunken

Field was home to the Aeronautical

Corporation of America (Aeronca)

when manufacturing began there

in 1929. Today, there’s a beautifully

restored C-3 and a pair of art deco

murals hanging in the lobby of the

old terminal building. Interestingly

enough, the C-3 Master sold for

$1,800 back then, and if you wanteda door on the left side of the aircraft,

it would cost you an additional $15.

The All Metal Aircraft manufactur-

ing facility was started up in 1928 at

Lunken Field, where it built the Fla-

mingo. The Flamingo was one of the

most sophisticated aircraft of its time,

a monoplane capable of carrying upto seven people and powered by a

700-hp radial engine. It even had a

“stand-up” potty option. There re-

mains only one of its type left in ex-

istence today, and you’ll have to visit

the Ciudad Bolivar Airport in Ven-

ezuela to see it.

In 1937, the company became

a casualty of the Great Depression,

and after the great flood inun-

dated the airport, Aeronca moved

to higher ground in Middletown,

Ohio, that same year.

Over the many years of operations

Geoff Robison

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VAA

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Chapters


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VAA NEWSFAA Re-RegistrationsMoving Right Along

With about a third of the FAA’s

civil aviation re-registration process

complete, the Civil Aviation Certifi-

cation Branch reports that things are

going better than expected thanks

to more aircraft owners performing

their re-registrations online rather

than through the mail, according to

Walter Binkley, branch manager.

“It’s been remarkably successful

thus far,” he said, noting that more

people are re-registering online

than had been anticipated, and the

work is being done along with the

branch’s regular workload. “We’rein pretty good shape.” Online filers

can expect a 10-business-day turn-

around, he said.

Those owners who choose to

use the mail are having their reg-

istrations back in five to six weeks,

which includes a week’s mailing

time each to and from the branch.Actual turnaround once received

is about 16 working days. Binkley

strongly advised those who can to

use the online option on the agen-

cy’s registration website at www.

faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_

certification/aircraft_registry/

Since August 25, 2011, aircraft

owners with more than one aircraft

to register can now do so. This was

a sought-after ability by the branch

from the program’s outset, Binkley

said, but only became available

when systems were completed to

registration process:

• If your address needs to be

updated, do so now before your

scheduled re-registration time. Up-

date your address at this website:

www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/

aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/

change_of_address/

Or you can do so by writing the

FAA and supplying them the fol-

lowing information:

•Identity of the aircraft by N-

Number

•Manufacturer name

•Model designation

•Serial number

•New mailing address•Signature of the registered

owner. Show the signer’s title

and type or print the name of

the signer with the signature.

If the new address is a Post Office

box, you must also include your

street address or physical location.

If necessary, provide directions or amap for locating your residence or

place of business.

Send that change of address in-

formation to:

FAA Aircraft Registration Branch

AFS-750

P.O. Box 25504

Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0504

You can also fax the information to

their office by dialing (405) 954-3548.

•Follow the schedule. Don’t sub-

mit your re-registration early, or it

will be returned. Apply early in the

cycle to ensure you have enough

time in case you make an error in

the application.

•Fill out the application care-

fully. If using the mail, look at what

is in the system and copy exactly.

•Sign your application in ink

and provide a printed example aswell where indicated.

•If you miss your window, you

will be required to re-register using

Form 8085-1.

•Don’t forget to include the $5

registration fee.

•If you have a question, consult

the FAQs—it will most likely be an-swered there. If you have a specific

question not included in the FAQs,

e-mail it to faa.aircraft.registration@

FAA.gov .

Stearman Formation Training Weekend in OshkoshA b o u t a

dozen BoeingStearman World

W a r I I t r a i n -

ers, along with

more t han 20

pilots, were in

Oshkosh August


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AirVenture


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2011


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ANTIQUE (THROUGH AUG 1945) AWARDS

Antique Grand Champion—Gold LindyDavid Marco, Atlantic Beach, Florida1938 Lockheed 12A, NC18097

Antique Reserve Grand Champion—Silver LindyTimothy Talen, Springfield, Oregon, and Eric Rearwin, San Pablo, California1936 Rearwin 6000 Speedster, N15865

Bronze Age (1937-1941) Champion—Bronze LindyBen Redman, Faribault, Minnesota1941 Waco UPF-7, N32133

World War II Era (1942-1945) Champion—Bronze LindyPaul Fries, Buffalo Grove, Illinois1943 Boeing B75N1, N347KF

Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion—Bronze LindyJoseph Santana, Waynesboro, Virginia1928 Travel Air 4000, N5427

World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Champion—Bronze LindyArthur Goodwin, San Diego, California1943 Beech D17S, N368

Customized Aircraft Champion—Bronze LindyJ. Young, Hudson, Wisconsin1940 Piper J-3C-65, N32562

Silver Age (1928-1936) Runner-UpMike Williams, Fayetteville, Georgia1928 Stearman C3-B, N6496

Silver Age (1928-1936) Outstanding Open-Cockpit BiplaneMike Berger, Washington Island, Wisconsin1933 Waco UBF, NC13074

Bronze Age Outstanding Closed-Cockpit MonoplaneEd Kale, Matthews, North Carolina1941 Aeronca 65-CA, NC33708

Customized Aircraft Runner-UpKeith Kocourek, Wausau, Wisconsin1940 Waco YPF-7, N5ZP

With generally outstanding weather, the VAA welcomed more than 800 showplanes to its area during this past

summer’s EAA AirVenture 2011. With the Centennial of Naval Aviation and of the U.S. air mail, there was

plenty to see. A trio of Lockheed 12s came to celebrate the 75th anniversary of that record-setting twin.

A new sound-deadening room to host the VAA metal-shaping demonstrations proved to be a popular addition to

the Vintage Hangar. The new room, constructed by VAA volunteers, was in addition to the work they did this past

spring to create an air mail shack to replicate the type of building that might have been present on so many air mail

stops along the way as the mail was flown all over the United States. So sit back and think about the enjoyable time

you may have spent here in Oshkosh in late July; if you weren’t here, you can enjoy these shots of just a few of the

highlights in the Vintage area. We’ll have more in the coming months.

Andrew King sits for a spell in the Curtiss Pusher

constructed by Bob Coolbaugh of Manassas, Vir-

ginia. Andrew and Bob trade off legs as the Cur-

tiss has been flown regularly cross-country to take

part in the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebra-

tions across the country.

S T E V E M O Y E R

Mike Williams rolls one on as he lands his 1928 Stearman C3-B on the turf to the south of Runway 18/36.

We are in the process of improving a grass strip on the south end of Wittman Field that can be used by air-


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Grand Champion—Gold LindyRick Michalek, Keosauqua, Iowa

1953 Piper PA-22, N3314AReserve Grand Champion—Silver LindySydney Cohen, Wausau, Wisconsin1946 Ercoupe 415-D, N94196

Class I (0-80 hp)—Bronze LindyRyan Johnson, Dodgeville, Wisconsin1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, N44034

Class II (81-150 hp)—Bronze LindyPatrick Phillips, London, Ontario, Canada1949 Cessna 170A, CF-LWF

Class III (151-235 hp)—Bronze LindyJohn Startz, Houston, Texas1947 Beech 35, N3088V

Class IV (236+ hp)—Bronze LindyScott Pingel, Mineral Point, Missouri1954 Cessna 195B, N2193C

B t C t B Li d

Outstanding Cessna 170/180—Small PlaqueWilliam Thacker, Chenoa, Illinois

1955 Cessna 180, N4750BOutstanding 190/195—Small PlaqueCoyle Schwab, St. Charles, Illinois1948 Cessna 195, N3457V

Outstanding Stinson—Small PlaqueJeff Bales, Greendale, Wisconsin1946 Stinson 108-1, N97344

Outstanding Ercoupe—Small PlaqueDoug Hurd, Cincinnati, Ohio1946 Ercoupe 415-C, N94606

Outstanding Piper Other—Small PlaqueGene Endsley, Des Moines, Washington1955 Piper PA-22-150, N8112P

Custom Class A (0-80 hp)—Small PlaqueMike Sarsfield, Buford, Georgia1955 Mooney M-18C 55, N4189

C t Cl B (81 150 h ) S ll Pl

CLASSIC (1945-1955) AWARDS

Ercoupe aficionados will recognize the general outlines of the

follow-up version of the venerable low-wing personal plane, but

the tail is all Mooney. This is the Mooney M10 of Patrick Fla-

herty, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. It was selected as the Re-

serve Grand Champion Classic airplane by our volunteer judges.

TYSON RININGER


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Ryan Johnson of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, did some

outstanding work on this new restoration of a

snappy-looking Taylorcraft. It took home the Class I

(0-80 hp) Bronze Lindy.

Rosemary Leone of Sugar Grove, Illinois, took home

the Outstanding Beech award for her highly polished

1949 Beech A35.

A tired but happy Bob Coolbaugh greets the well-wishers

lining the taxiway as he makes his way to ConocoPhillips

Plaza after landing his Curtiss Pusher. Bob’s Curtiss was

one of the centerpieces of the Centennial of Naval Avia-

tion celebration.

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

STEVE CUKIERSKI

PHIL HIGH


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CONTEMPORARY (1956-1970) AWARDSGrand Champion—Gold LindyDavid Smither, Aubrey, Texas1966 Cessna 310K, N3845X

Reserve Grand Champion—Silver LindyPatrick Flaherty, Cincinnati, Ohio1970 Mooney M10, N505T

Outstanding Customized—Bronze LindyFlorian & Cynthia Kapp, Lagrange, Kentucky 1960 Piper PA-23-160, N99AJ

Class I Single Engine (0-160 hp)—Bronze LindyDale Berger, Nazareth, Pennsylvania1957 Piper PA-22-150, N87NM

Class II Single Engine (161-230 hp)—Bronze LindyRobert Stegman, St. Peters, Missouri1966 Cessna 182J, N3457F

Class III Single Engine (231+ hp)—Bronze LindyKevin Mayer, Lima, Ohio1958 Beech J35, N76J

Custom Multi-Engine—Bronze LindyAlan Bassman, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

1968 Piper PA-30, N68AH

Dean Richardson Memorial Award—Bronze LindyDennis Beecher, Martinsburg, Pennsylvania1962 Piper PA-22-108, N5549Z

Outstanding Beech Single Engine—Outstanding In TypeJames Plettner, Cincinnati, Ohio1967 Beech V35, N87565

Outstanding Beech Multi-Engine—Outstanding In Type

Kerry McCauley, Coon Rapids, Minnesota1960 Beech 65, N800EQ

Outstanding Cessna 150—Outstanding In TypeJoseph Smokovitz, Tecumseh, Michigan1962 Cessna 150B, N7393X

Outstanding Cessna 170/172/175—Outstanding InTypeJoseph Schies, Pine Grove, Pennsylvania1963 Cessna 172D, N2646U

Outstanding Cessna 310—Outstanding In TypeDouglas Parrott, Roundup, Montana1958 Cessna 310B, N5418A

Outstanding Piper PA-24 Comanche—Outstanding InTypeAv Shiloh, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania1970 Piper PA-24-260, N9400P

Joe Santana sets his Travel Air 4000 up in the flare as he

prepares to land on the turf. Both the Travel Air and the

Stearman were on hand for the air mail centennial display.

As it enters the pattern high to the east of Wittman Field,

EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor glides past the skywriting handiwork of

Susan and Steve Oliver.

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

STEVE MOYER


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This very nice restoration of a 1950 Bellanca 14-19 Cruisemaster is now registered to Ron Hansen of Platte

City, Missouri. The wood-winged tube-and-fabric speedster received its beautiful color scheme over a decade

ago when it was owned by Chuck Davis in California, and further TLC was lavished upon it by Jonathan Baron in

Washington state. It features a custom color scheme with a stylized modern Bellanca logo on the tail.

PHIL HIGH


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One of aviation’s most modeled airplanes, this newly restored Rearwin 6000 Speedster belonging to Eric Rear-win, and restored by Springfield, Oregon’s own Tim Talen, was a highlight in the antique area and in front of the

Red Barn. It will be the subject of an upcoming feature article in Vintage Airplane . The restoration earned a Silver

Lindy as the Reserve Grand Champion Antique.

Just out of a fresh restoration at Candler Field near

Atlanta, Georgia, is Ron Alexander’s 1928 Stea-

rman C3-B mailplane, flown to the convention by

the head honcho of Lee Bottom Flying Field, RichDavidson. It was one of the air mail aircraft fea-

tured in the 100th Anniversary of Air Mail display.

The centennial of air mail in the United States was com-

memorated with this display on the north end of the VAA

flightline. Counterclockwise from the lower left, we have the

STEVE CUKIERSKI

STEVE CUKIERSKI


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The ‘ New ’ Funk From basket case to Reserve Grand Champion

BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT


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Two award-winning Funk B85Cstaxied in to the South 40 atEAA AirVenture during the

summer of 2010, nearly one behind the other,much to the pleasant surprise of their pilots.

on the Field


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They simply aren’t used to seeing

another Funk when they arrive at

an airport, since there aren’t a great

number flying these days. John

His grandfather, Art Soare, taught

Sean’s father, Malcolm, to fly ina Champ at age 16. Malcolm, in

turn, restored a J-3 Cub and then

taught his son Sean to fly in the

Cub at age 16. Years later, being

quite naturally drawn to the vin-

tage and antique airplanes, Sean

learned of the basket case Funk

while perusing classified ads on theBarnstormers Inc. website. Immedi-

ately smitten, he felt that the Funk

would be a unique airplane to own,

since there aren’t too many flying

these days. He’d been seeking a

project, and this one was located

conveniently enough in southern

Illinois, just a few hundred miles

from his home. “I thought it’d be

exciting to restore it,” shares Sean,

with a friendly smile. “It’s my first

aircraft restoration and I did it all—

with some help and guidance, of

course. I grew up around aviation,

first by a small Székely radial, then

by a modified, inverted Ford ModelB automobile engine. Production

of the Funk B started in 1939 un-

der ATC 715 and continued into

1940. By the end of the year, the

75-hp Lycoming replaced the Ford

engine, and the Funk Model B75L

was born. The following year, the

brothers moved to Coffeyville, Kan-sas, where they established Funk

Aircraft Company and continued

manufacturing the Model B and

B75L. Their aircraft production

ceased in 1942 due to World War

II, but began again in 1946 with the

Funk F2B (B85C). Similarly to many

other light airplane manufactur-

ers, the post-war declining private

aircraft market grounded the Funk

brothers’ aeronautical endeavors

in 1948. All told, it’s estimated that

fewer than 400 Funks were pro-

duced. Post-war company advertis-

This O-200 spins a Sensenich propeller.SPARKY BARNES SARGENT


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too, Funk is safe due to its low cen-

ter of gravity. That means no more

runway troubles, for Funk hugs

the ground through fast turns and

cross-winds.”

This docile two-place airplane

an “exceptionally low noise level in

[the] cabin. It’s spin and stall resis-

tant, yet maneuverable . . . See it!

Fly it! And Compare! Then you’ll

agree it’s one of the safest planes in

the air today.”

The two-tone instrument panel and the tall control column—in this in-

stance, the right-hand portion of the yoke control has been temporarily re-

moved to allow for passenger comfort.

For ease of entry, the Funk brothers designed the door so it swings wide

open—all the way in front of the front wing strut.

The Funk sports a pair of original

wheelpants. Sometime in the 1960s

the main gear was converted to

Cleveland wheels and brakes.

Close-up view of the wingtip naviga-

tion light.

S P A R K Y

B A R N E S

S A R G E N T P H O T O S


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when he went to look at NC81142

that it truly was a basket case. It

was much like assessing a patient

who didn’t look or feel well, and

who couldn’t communicate all the

details of his plight. “It was pretty

rough,” he recalls, shaking his head

type of supplies he needed to have

on hand to keep the project mov-

ing forward—including fabric, coat-

ings, hardware, cables, and wood

for stringers and formers. One of

the first steps was simply remov-

ing the old fabric from the airframe

ining copies of factory drawings,

as well as talking with knowledge-

able individuals. Overall, Sean

compares the restoration process

to building a large model airplane.

“It’s a little bit more involved than

a model, so I just tackled one thing

Father and son, working on the fuselage.

Sean’s parents, Malcolm and Roberta Soare, provided

helping hands during the restoration.CAROLYN SWEET

C O U R T E S Y

S E A N

S O

A R E

C O U R T E S Y S

E A N

S O A R E


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terior, Sean says that “Lor-

raine Morris of Poplar Grove

[Illinois] helped me, and

Bob Riffle was a big help inmaking the wool headliner

and canvas seat hammock.”

They decided upon soft gray

upholstery, accented by ma-

roon piping, which tastefully

coordinates with the light

gray control column, rudder pedals,

and two-toned instrument panel.In the original instrument

panel, there was an opening that

puzzled Sean, and after some de-

tective work, he discovered it was

for an early-style radio receiver.

Since he didn’t have the original

unit, he fabricated the new panel

minus that opening. A neatly var-

nished plywood floor has two pol-

ished stainless-steel scuff plates in

front of the rudder pedals. A new

skylight, windshield, and sliding

windows completed the cabin area.

After covering the airframe with

of wheelpants, and

Sean didn’t know

where to find any.As it turns out,

they nearly fell

into his lap. “I re-

ally lucked out on

the wheelpants,”

he explains with

a broad smile. “Shawn Miller, the

gentleman that helped me with thecowling, had picked up an original

set of wheelpants a couple of years

ago at an auction. They had never

been repainted, so they had the

original paint on them. I used those

same colors—maroon and yellow—

for the airplane.”

Funk FeaturesThe Funk has several unique fea-

tures, with perhaps the most strik-

ing one being its parallel wing

struts, which provide unimpeded

entry into the cabin for both pilot

with a set of distinctive landing

lights. Instead of being permanently

mounted, these non-retractableunits are plugged in to built-in

“sockets” underneath each wing.

“They look like Model T headlights

hanging down below the wing,”

chuckles Sean, “and it’s amazing

that they actually stay there—they

really create a lot of drag.”

The Funk was equipped with afull-swivel tail wheel, which could

be steered with the rudder when

secured by its manually operated

locking device. “The tail wheel

locks directly to the rudder, and you

can unlock it to move the airplane

around. The only thing I would

say, though, is that you can’t make

sharp turns if it’s locked,” laughs

Sean, elaborating, “so if you’re taxi-

ing the airplane to a tight spot on

the ramp, you have to physically

get out of the cabin and go back

and unhook the tail wheel.”

The late-day October sun lends a golden aura to this award-

winning Funk.

NC81142 received the Classic Reserve Grand Champion--

Silver Lindy during AirVenture 2010.

Malcolm and Roberta Soare

with their son, Sean, and

his finished Funk.

C A R O L Y N S W E E T

CAROLYN SWEET PHOTOS

S P A R K Y B A R N E S S A R G E N T


20/44

“It takes off about 55 mph, cruises

pretty fast around 110 mph, and it’s

just a nice cross-country airplane,”says Sean. ”It really won’t stall; it sort

of mushes and you can still do nice

gradual turns with it. It’s very forgiv-

ing. My flight to Oshkosh was excit-

ing. I’ve been here three times but

this was the first time I’ve ever flown

here. So I had a friend come up with

me that helped me out a little bit. In-terestingly enough, when I showed

up there was another Funk two air-

planes ahead of me—I had no idea

another Funk would be here! That’s

really unusual to have two together.”

Budd Davisson, contributor to

this magazine, relished the oppor-

tunity to fly a Funk back in 1990.

In his pilot report, his final as-

sessment of the airplane was this:

“From a performance view, the

Funk is a good, good flying air-

plane that will make its pilots into

extremely good, well-coordinated,

nature in the aircraft records. Af-

ter the airplane left the factory in

Coffeyville, Kansas, it spent mostof its life in California. “A friend

of mine in Poplar Grove, who also

has a Funk, was over in the hangar

one day looking at my airplane,”

recounts Sean, adding, “he was say-

ing it looked familiar, and then he

remembered that he had looked at

the airplane about 30 years or soago, sitting on a ramp in California.

He almost bought it then. I think

it just sat for 25 years or more, and

became a derelict.”

But a derelict it is no longer. This

Funk B75C has been reborn into a

frequent flyer. “Every evening, I try

to get out to the Poplar Grove air-

port—it has nice grass runways and

it’s really fun out there, because a

lot of vintage airplanes are based

there. The last three and a half

years, I was sitting on the ground,

working on a project, while every-

nie Stine, as well as members of the

Funk Aircraft Owners Association,

helped me out a lot,” reflects Sean,“and Gerry Lewis of Delaware has

the original factory drawings. He

really helped me by donating a lot

of parts to the project.”

Overall, Sean’s favorite part of

the process, he shares, was the fab-

ric work. “I really enjoyed applying

it to the whole airframe, and see-ing what were once just separate

parts and pieces coming together to

start looking like an airplane again.

I never realized the finished prod-

uct would turn out so nicely!”

Indeed, Sean’s completed Funk

is certainly exceptional, and he

has an AirVenture trophy to mark

his success: the Classic (Septem-

ber 1945—1955) Reserve Grand

Champion—Silver Lindy. By mid-

October, Sean had logged 54 hours

on his Funk since its first flight in

May of 2010, and everywhere he’s

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

Rear view of the Funk in the South 40 at AirVenture—note the other Funk to the left.


21/44

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The Douglas World

Cruiser That Crashedin AlaskaInteresting aviation artifacts on display

at the Alaska Aviation Museum

BY IRVEN F. PALMER, JR.


23/44

sical items to the museum, such as old wooden Jack

Carr skis and old radio equipment. This museum con-

tains many of the historical aircraft that were flown by

the bush pilots who opened up Alaska to settlement

and development.

On a recent trip to Alaska I stopped by the mu-

seum again and took photos of the remains of Seattle,

the Douglas World Cruiser that did not complete the

around-the-world flight. The photos included herein

THE AROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT

In April of 1924 the U.S. Army Air Service tried to

be the first to circle the globe by airplane. The Army

commissioned the Douglas Aircraft Co. in Santa Mon-

ica, California, to build five aircraft, dubbed Douglas

World Cruisers. These aircraft were large biplanes and

would be equipped with the powerful Liberty 400-

hp engines. To feed these engines, the aircraft were

equipped with huge fuel tanks that held 773 gallons.

The fuel alone weighed more than 2 tons. Four of the

planes would make the flight, with one for a spare. The

logistics of such a flight in 1924 required much time,

planning, and effort. Inquiries were made about facili-ties at all the proposed stops. Gasoline and engine oil

SPECIFICATIONS

Type 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 45-degree V

configuration with overhead camshaft

Bore 5 inch

Stroke 7 inchDisplacement 1,649 cubic inches (27 liter)

Dry Weight 845 lbs.

Power Output 449 hp at 2000 RPM at takeoff

Power to Weight Ratio 0.53 hp/pound.

Seattle’s Liberty engine and other artifacts are on

display at the Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage,

Alaska. The items were recovered from the wreck siteon the side of a mountain near Port Moller, Alaska, in

the Aleutian Islands on April 30, 1924, with the crew

surviving and walking out of the wilderness 10 days

later.

I R V P A L M E R


24/44

Above: New Orleans at Sitka Bay. It

proved to be one of the two original(out of four) DWC aircraft that com-

pleted the around-the-world flight.

Left middle: Seattle’s Liberty

engine and a portion of its forward

fuselage showing the fuselage fuel

tanks.

Left bottom: In this view you can

see the 45-degree offset to the

cylinders in the Liberty engine

showing. The broken edges of the

wooden propeller and the twisted

brass leading edge show that the

engine was developing power when

it hit the mountain. I R V

P A L M E R

COURTESY OF THE ALASKA AVIATION MUSEUM


25/44

Santa Monica to Seattle for the final preparations for

the flight. The four planes, named Seattle, New Orleans,

Chicago, and Boston were led by Major Fredrick Martin.

They left Seattle, Washington, on April 6, 1924, and

they headed north, following a course from Seattle to

Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to Sitka, Seward, Chig-

nik, Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, Atka, and Attu,

at the end of the Aleutian Islands.

Things were going pretty well and the four planes

landed at Sitka Bay and at Seward as planned. They left

Seward and flew west of Kodiak Island en route to Chig-

nik, but as they neared Mt. Eyak in the lower Shelikof

Strait, about 50 miles west of Kodiak, a leaky crankcase

caused Seattle to make an emergency landing. Hulls, aU.S. Coast Guard Cutter, located the aircraft and towed

it to the village of Kanatak, where a Standard Oil Com-

pany drilling operation provided assistance. Maj. Mar-

tin, the pilot and leader, ordered the other aircraft

waiting at Chignik to continue on to Dutch Harbor.

It is unclear what kind of a repair was done on Seat-

tle at Kanatak, but we do know the plane traveled only

about 235 more miles southwest before crashing into amountain near Port Moller during a snowstorm.

On April 19, 1924, New Orleans, Chicago, and Boston

escaped the Aleutian Island’s frequent strong winds and

reduced visibility and made it to Dutch Harbor, where

Boston was hoisted aboard S.S. Brookdale for an engine

replacement and other repairs. Those spare parts were

now paying off.

After Boston’s engine replacement, the three planesdeparted for the remainder of the around-the-world

attempt. We won’t try to cover all of the details here,

but it is important to add that only two of the aircraft

would complete the trip, New Orleans and Chicago. Bos-

ton was lost at sea in the North Atlantic, but the crew

was rescued by the U.S. Navy. At this point the proto-

type DWC, now dubbed Boston II , was flown to Labra-

dor by the Boston’s crew to join the remaining World

Cruisers, and they continued west and landed at SandPoint in Seattle on the shores of Lake Washington on

September 28, 1924, after 175 days. They had flown

371 flight hours and had gone 27,553 miles. That event

surely started global aviation.

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26/44

Light Plane Heritage

published in EAA Experimenter May 1992

THE SPARTAN C-2ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY BOB WHITTIER

EAA 1235

When one attends a large

fly-in or visits an avia-tion museum, there’s

so much to see that it’s

impossible to notice and remem-

ber everything. Later on when one

thinks things over or reads up on a

encounters this ship, he proba-

bly won’t know what to make ofit. On one hand it appears to be a

fairly conventional lightplane of

the early 1930s, in that it has really

weird features and has reasonably

good proportions and lines.

Lead photo: Carefully restored

by antique airplane enthusi-

asts in Oklahoma, this Spar-

tan C-2 appeared at an EAA

fly-in at Rockford, Illinois,

years ago. Note rather clut-

tered structure in and around


27/44

gear being short, which is dictated

by its modest propeller diameter. Its

side-by-side open cockpit seems a

little large. The occupants sit a little

high in it, especially if they are tall,

creating the impression that peo-

ple ride on it rather than in it.

Also, as one’s eyes roam over

the C-2 there is an impression that

it’s held together with an endless

number of streamlined tie rods. In

fact, counting those on the land-

ing and tail group, there are no

fewer than 28 of them.Let’s briefly review Spartan his-

tory. The key figure was a gentle-

man named Willis C. Brown. At the

age of 16 in 1912, he cobbled up

an airplane. Later he flew with the

Army. By 1924 he was a flying sales-

man operating out of Tulsa, Okla-

homa. He was not very happy withthe performance and reliability of

the war-surplus planes and engines

then in wide use. The famous Cur-

tiss OX-5 engine, for example, had

been designed for a 50-hour service

life. The assumption was that stu-

dent pilots would crash the planes

using it before that time was up.In 1925 Brown and some kin-

dred souls set out to design a better

plane for serious business flying. It

took the form of a three-seat, open-

cockpit biplane. Powered with a

war-surplus Le Rhône rotary en-

gine, it flew well, but the engine’s

trustworthiness was on a par with

that of a rattlesnake.At that time no smaller aero en-

gines were being manufactured

in the Unites States, but Brown’s

group learned about and looked

into the 125-hp, nine-cylinder ra-

be a winner, providing good per-

formance and reliability. They

named it the Spartan and formed

a company to manufacture it,

named Mid-Continent AircraftCo. Production began in 1928 and

almost 100 planes were built be-

fore labor troubles in Germany

cut off the supply of Siemens en-

gines. Czechoslovakian Walter en-

gines of similar type and power

were substituted brief ly, but late

in 1928 the Wright AeronauticalCorp. in New Jersey introduced

new American r adial engines.

They offered five-, seven- and

nine-cylinder models, producing

165, 225, and 300 hp respectively.

By mid-1929 a refined model

of the Spartan biplane was on the

market, powered by the 165 hp

Wright. Some months later a 225-hp model also appeared. It was a

real performer and sold well.

The growing size and reputation

of Mid-Continent’s manufactur-

ing operation attracted the atten-

try. For a while, people thought the

Depression would be short-lived and

some aircraft manufacturers sought

to hang on until things got better by

bringing out quickly designed, light,economical monoplanes.

They realized that biplanes

were too costly to build and sell

at Depression-time prices. A sim-

ple, conventional monoplane has

a total of four spruce spars in its

right and left wing panels, where

a biplane has eight. A biplane hasmany more wing ribs, four wing

tip bows instead of two, and many

more steel fittings calling for much

careful hand-work.

Another shortcoming of biplanes

is that power is wasted in gener-

ating four rather than two wing-

tip vortices, caused by air spilling

out from under the wing tips. Bi-plane wing assemblies tend to have

low aspect ratios, which increase

what engineers call “induced drag.”

This refers to the invisible, but very

much present, drag that results

Streamlined tie rods meeting the top surfaces of Spartan C-2 wings

caused less interference drag than steel tube struts of appreciablygreater diameter would have.


28/44

such a long, slim wing and give

it adequate resistance to bending,

twisting, and fluttering.

Other American lightplanes of

are some practical advantages to

this type. It’s usually quite con-

venient to step up on a wing-root

footwalk and then settle down into

low-wing configuration was struc-

tural. To help you to understand

this, let’s go back to the mid-1920s,

when there was keen interna-

tional competition in the famous

Schneider Trophy races. Started in

1912 by the wealthy French in-

dustrialist Jacques Schneider, their

purpose was to further the develop-

ment of fast seaplanes. They didn’t

have long, paved runways in those

days, and flat, open stretches of wa-

ter offered the takeoff and landing

distances needed by faster aircraft.Until the mid-1920s racers built

for this competition were biplanes.

The truss-work of wing struts and

streamlined tie rods provided the

rigidity needed to stand the ever-

increasing stresses created by

higher speeds. But biplanes inher-

ently have more drag, and it in-creases rapidly with speed.

In 1925 the British entered a

cantilever-wing monoplane racer.

The wing broke up in flight, pre-

sumably as a result of the phe-

nomenon known as flutter. Hold

a yardstick out the window of a

car and notice how it will, withincreasing speed, develop a rapid

whipping, bending action. That’s

flutter. It’s the result of a very com-

plex interplay between air forces

and structural flexibility.

So Schneider Trophy mono-

planes from then on stuck to ex-

ternally braced wings. Front and

rear spars trussed together withboth internal and external tie rods

created wings with the necessary

torsional rigidity. Of course, the

external ones were of streamline

cross-section, a type developed

These three drawings show how tie rods were used on racing planes.

The wing structure of the Spar tan C-2 was probably derived from

these examples.


29/44

overhead pylon on the Buhl Bull

Pup are typical examples. Such ar-

rangements can be tolerated on

slow utility aircraft but would cre-

ate unacceptable drag on racers.

Fractions of a second in speed can

win or lose a hotly contested race.

Reducing drag to an absolute mini-

mum becomes critical.

An accompanying drawing

shows front views of these tie rod-

braced racing monoplanes. At the

top is a 1926 Italian Macchi/Sch-

neider Trophy racer. In the cen-ter is a 1927 British de Havilland

racer that was designed to com-

pete in races for modestly pow-

ered landplanes. It attained 187

mph on 115 hp. At the bottom

is a 1931 Gee Bee racer whose re-

markably fat fuselage amounted

basically to a well-streamlined na-celle behind the ship’s large-diam-

eter radial engine.

The common feature of these

three planes is that the inboard

ends of the upper-wing tie rods are

attached to the tops of their fuse-

lages, rather than to any kind of

overhead and therefore projectingstrut layout. By moving the wing

down it is possible to do this, hence

the low-wing racers. Other speed-

sters such as the Howards, Wedell-

Williamses, and Travel Air Mystery

Ships were also of this design.

Since these planes were much in

the news and were well-known in

the early 1930s, it is reasonable toassume that the idea of a tie rod-

braced, low-wing monoplane oc-

curred to the Spartan men.

Because of their much smaller

diameter compared to steel tube

very handsome Ryan ST low-wing

monoplane, so much admired by air-

plane lovers over the years, is another

example of how designers of civilian

aircraft picked up wing-bracing ideas

born in the Schneider racers.

Spartan designers probably also

saw in tie rod-bracing a way to sta-

bilize the C-2’s very long, narrow

wing against twisting and flutter-

ing while at the same time keeping

weight and drag to a minimum. In

those days biplanes were still popu-

lar, especially in the military, andproduction of streamlined tie rods

was high. So cost would have been

bearable. At today’s prices the idea

of using 28 of these rods to truss to-

gether a homebuilt plane would be

quickly rejected.

A rod-braced, low-wing configu-

ration having been decided upon,attention was turned to finding an

engine. It is a reasonably accurate

general rule that the weight of a

complete airplane is closely tied to

the weight of its engine. For exam-

ple, the four-seater Stinson SM-8

of 1930 was powered by the 215-

hp Lycoming engine weighing 514

pounds, and had an empty weight

of 2,061 pounds. The four-seater

Fairchild 24 of 1936 was pow-

ered by the 145-hp Warner engine

weighing 303 pounds and had an

empty weight of 1,685 pounds. The

Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser of 1949

also carried four, was powered by

the 108-hp Lycoming weighing

around 260 pounds, and had an

empty weight of 1,020 pounds. Youcan carry this on to an interesting

study of today’s ultralights powered

by much lighter engines.

But to get back to the C-2, a very

limited selection of small aircraft en-

gines was available in the early 1930s.

The two-cylinder Aeronca of 36 hp

weighed 100 pounds. The four-cyl-inder Continental A-40 of 37 hp

weighed 136 pounds. The three-cyl-

inder Székely of 45 hp weighed 135

pounds. With its 40-foot span, the

C-2 was a fairly large lightplane, and


30/44

Spartan designers sensed that none

of these engines had enough muscle.

Jacobs Company of Pottstown,

Pennsylvania, at that time fortu-

nately came out with a three-

cylinder radial engine generallyresembling the Székely but deliver-

ing 55 hp. It weighed 170 pounds.

So the Spartan C-2 ended up with

an empty weight of 731 pounds.

Other lightplanes of its time mostly

who have flown C-2s tell us these fig-

ures certainly were optimistic.

For the purpose of student train-

ing and weekend airport hopping,

however, the ship had adequate

enough performance. As anyonewho has had a ride in the rear

seat of a tandem-cockpit low-wing

plane can tes tify, the wing can

block out a lot of one’s view down-

ward. That can bother passengers

changes as between dual and solo

flight. The 54-inch chord of the

C-2’s high aspect ratio wing kept

the Clark Y airfoil’s center-of-pres-sure travel to modest proportions,

again helping with longitudinal

stability. The stabilizer was adjust-

able on the ground only, although

later C-2s had a bungee trim ar-

rangement rigged up to put adjust-

able trim pull on the control stick

during long flights—the fuel tankwas ahead of the center of gravity.

Construction was entirely con-

ventional for the early 1930s, with

welded steel tubing fuselage and

tail surfaces and spruce wing spars

and ribs. Everything was fabric cov-

ered. One common color scheme

was dark maroon fuselage and ver-

tical tail with an orange-yellowcolor for the wing and horizontal

tail. Wiggins Airways at Norwood,

Massachusetts, had two with dark

brown fuselages and medium-red

wings and stabilizer. One of them

The high-wing Aeronca C-3 and mid-wing Buhl Bull Pup had overhead structures to secure the

upper-wing tie rods.


31/44

fect. On cross-country trips, pilots

of open-cockpit planes need three

hands—one for the control stick,

one for other controls, and one to

maintain a firm grasp on the navi-

gational map.

The three-cylinder Jacobs engine

was a character. As far as the author

knows, the C-2 was the only plane

to use this engine, and since fewer

than 20 Spartan C-2s were built,

parts for it are as scarce as alligators

in Siberia. Where other lightplanes

had wooden propellers, the C-2’swere fitted with ground-adjustable,

all-metal Hamilton Standard props.

They looked like perfect miniatures

of Hamilton Standard props used

on many larger planes of that time.

The valve rocker arms were ex-

posed. Before self-adjusting hy-

draulic valve lifters appeared, andbefore better valve steels came

along, rocker arm clearances had to

be checked often and leaving every-

thing in the open saved time. Air

rushing around exposed valve stem

ends probably helped to keep valve

head temperatures under control.

Exposed rocker arms and valvestems had to be greased and oiled

often. The propeller slipstream

then carried drops of oil and blobs

of grease back onto the windshield

and fuselage.

Cylinder exhaust gas was ducted

into a doughnut-shaped “collec-

tor ring,” and since the inlet ducts

joined this at an angle, the gaswent around and around within

this ring. Since airflow washed over

this ring constantly, it is reasonable

to believe that exhaust gases were

cooled and their volume reduced by

the very advanced, sleek, fast, all-

metal Spartan Executive low-wing

monoplane of cantilever type andfitted with a retractable landing

gear. Some of these are still around

and evoke sighs of ecstasy from air-

plane nuts who see examples at fly-

ins or in museums.

To summarize, it’s really sur-

prising how much one can learn

about airplane design by studying

any particular airplane carefullyand asking oneself, “Why was it de-

signed that way?”

NOTE: Spartan C-2 NC 11908

is currently on display in the

Tulsa Air and Space Museum in

Tulsa, Oklahoma.

L a n g l ey may have been the

f h f i i i b

last and last. The instruction

l i l d f

1903: Samuel Pierpont Langley’s “Aerodrome”attempts to take off from a floating platform.

Note the close resemblance of the Ryan ST’s wing bracing to that of rac-

ing planes of the early 1930s. This is the military version of the Ryan STA,

known as the PT-20. It is identifiable by the outside stringers, the turnover

pylon, and the lack of an “N” number. Power was either a 125, 134, or

150 hp Menasco engine.


32/44

Several months ago an early-

20s young man approached

me, asking if I would teach

him to fly in his own air-

plane. Before agreeing, I in-

quired as to what type and model

of aircraft he owned. His reply was,

“I don’t own it yet, but I’m travel-ing to the West Coast to look at one

this weekend.” To protect the inno-

cent, and in this case, the not-so-

innocent, I won’t divulge the type

and model here. It was a classic tail-

wheel aircraft powered by a Conti-

nental engine.

I asked if he had done a prepur-chase inspection, and he had not.

Rather, he mentioned that a good

friend who flew tailwheel airplanes

was making the trip with him and

would look it over. If the purchase was

made, they would fly the plane back

to Wisconsin. I strongly suggested he

have a thorough prepurchase inspec-

tion done by someone who knowsthat type of aircraft. I even offered to

help locate a reputable A&P/IA who

could do the inspection. But he was

quite self-assured that he and his

friend would be able to handle ev-

any rubbing or grinding noise, so I

started the engine by hand-propping.

I suggested we have the local A&P

look at it at flight’s completion,

which the owner agreed to do.

After starting and ensuring we

had a good oil pressure indica-

tion, we began to taxi around onthe airport ramp. I like to have stu-

dents learn ground handling by

doing some figure “8” maneuvers

before taxiing to the runway. The

aircraft had what appeared to be a

relatively new Scott 3200 tail wheel

installed. While attempting to dothe “8’s,” we found the tail wheel

did not properly respond. Full rud-

der application, assisted by a lot

of brake pressure, was required to

get the airplane to turn as desired.

with a 10-mph breeze on our nose.

I again suggested that we do some

checking when we get back on the

ground and find out which prop was

installed. The new owner had been

told it was a cruise prop and to not to

be alarmed at the slow rate of climb.

After reaching a safe altitude forconducting air work, I suggested we

trim the airplane for level flight and

run it at full power. This would tell

us what indicated airspeed we were

getting, as well as the maximum in-

dicated rpms. Neither seemed to be

correct. For this aircraft we should be

seeing 115 mph and 2575 rpm, but

we were only getting about 90 mph

and 2350 rpm. I then suggested we

include a GPS and an electronic tach

checker on our next flight to deter-

mine accuracy of the airspeed indi-

cator and tachometer.

After completing the flight, we

hangared the airplane and began a

more thorough review of the log-books. They indicated that the prop

installed was a cruise prop. How-

ever, after the A&P removed the prop

spinner skull cap, we found that the

prop was a climb prop, not match-

BY Steve Krog, CFI

THE Vintage

Instructor

Buying an airplane and

letting emotion control the decision

But he was quite

self-assured that

he and his friend

would be able to

handle everything.


33/44

It was time to put the plane in the

shop and do some serious checking,

as well as correct the pull-type starter

and tail wheel. The A&P found the

pull-type starter arm to be so badly

worn that it couldn’t depress the

starter solenoid button. Thankfully,

he had a good used starter arm and

replaced the worn arm. Now the

pull-type starter would engage; one

problem cured.

Before inspecting the tail wheel,

the A&P next used a borescope and

looked inside the weak cylinder. Af-ter the inspection, he just shook his

head and stated the cylinder had to

come off, which he did. The finding

was even worse than expected. Two

rings were broken and one ring was

completely missing. The cylinder wall

was badly worn and the wrist pin caps

had cut deep grooves in the cylinderwall. It was junk. Did the last owner

forget to install one ring, or was it

ground up and scattered throughout

the entire engine? A short ground run

followed by removing and inspecting

the oil screen during a prepurchase

inspection would probably have iden-

tified this problem!

The oil screen was removed, but

there was no sign of metal particles in

the screen. So the mystery deepens.

Was the missing ring ever installed?

The A&P then recommended re-

moving the other three cylinders for

a close inspection. While waiting for

the owner to give the okay, the A&P

turned his attention to the tail wheelproblem. Two problems came to

his immediate attention. The Scott

3200 tail wheel was not approved

on this aircraft without first install-

ing a heavy-duty leaf tail spr ing.

this aluminum-frame aircraft. No

stress cracks were found, but signifi-

cant amounts of surface corrosion

were discovered. It was not enough

to yet make the aircraft unsafe, but

it was enough so that the corrosion

would need to be dealt with to pre-

vent further deterioration. Again,

this could easily have been spotted

in a good prepurchase inspection.

The owner agreed to have the

A&P treat the corrosion as well as

purchase the proper leaf tail wheel

spring assembly to accommodatethe Scott 3200 tail wheel.

Following some discussion about

the engine, it was agreed to pull the

remaining three cylinders. Close

inspection indicated that at one

time the cylinder walls were rust-

covered. The rust was scraped clean,

but there was a lot of pitting foundin the walls. These cylinders had ap-

proximately 800 hours’ time since

new. A complete top overhaul was

agreed upon, and the cylinders were

sent to a nearby engine shop.

Unfortunately, this new airplane

owner/student pilot has learned and

experienced a very expensive and

valuable lesson. Lack of knowledge

coupled with a strong emotional

pull toward this particular airplane

has caused him a great deal of ad-

ditional incurred expense, extended

downtime, and plenty of frustra-

tion. And much of this could have

been prevented.

Being directly involved with threedifferent classic aircraft type clubs, I

get calls almost daily from individu-

als about to buy an airplane. Here is

what I suggest to them:

• First, are they familiar with the

ally provide them with one or two

names of individuals in their geo-

graphic area who could perform the

inspection. I strongly recommend

prepurchase inspections!

• Conduct a title search. If buying

an airplane out of your geographic

area, this is a must. One does not

want to find out, after money has

been exchanged, that a lien has

been filed and not satisfied on this

airplane. It will prevent getting a

clear title until the lien is satisfied.

• Contact the FAA to obtain a CDcontaining all of the FAA recorded

files on this airplane. This will usu-

ally take about 10 days. One may

find these records do not coincide

with the aircraft logbooks, especially

if the logbooks have been “lost” and

new logs have been created.

• Contact an insurance companyto get a quote on this type of aircraft.

What do they require for flight

time to obtain coverage? Costs can

be significantly greater from one

type of aircraft to another. Don’t be

surprised after the purchase.

• Locate a qualified instructor to

assist with getting checked out in

the airplane.

If these questions and checklist

items can be answered satisfactorily,

and the aircraft is found to be both

legal and mechanically sound, then

by all means move forward with the

purchase and begin enjoying the

pleasure of general-aviation flight.

Don’t do like my student did, andfind out how expensive an aircraft can

be after the initial purchase!

To request a CD of the aircraft records

from the FAA, visit its web page at:


34/44

Fred Weick (1899-1993) went

on to an illustrious career in avi-

ation, designing his own “safe

airplane,” a flying machine that

would not stall or spin. On the

back cover is a photo of this air-

plane in a wind tunnel at NACA

Langley Reserch Center. Also pic-

tured in Illustration 1 and only

one aircraft was ever built.

In 1935 Weick started the Engi-

neering Research Company (ERCO)

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

NACA engine cowling and Fred WeickPart 3

THE Vintage

Mechanic


35/44

and designed a two-place light air-

plane that became known as the Er-coupe. Illustration 2 shows a young

Weick and his Ercoupe design. Of

particular note is the wood two-

pitch propeller. Fred Weick was an

immensely talented man who pos-

sessed great knowledge from his re-search days at NACA. The Ercoupe

design was one of the safest ships

of the post-World War II era of air-

craft. It was a two-control aircraft

with the ailerons and rudder con-

trols being interconnected.In July 1949 Weick was at Texas

A&M, where he designed the first

aircraft specifically for aerial pes-

ticide application, the AG-1. The

Illustration 2 Illustration 3


36/44

aircraft was somewhat similar to

the Piper PA-25 Pawnee that Weick

also designed. Illustration 3 shows

the AG-1 with pilot Jones about todepart on a flight.

In January 1957 Weick joined

Piper Aircraft, Vero Beach, Florida,

where he designed the PA-25 Paw-

nee and Pawnee Brave. He was also

involved in the Piper PA28 “Chero-

kee” aircraft design.

Illustration 4, a beautiful speed

ring cowl installation on Clay Ad-

ams’ Travel Air 4000. The large

spinner fairs into forward engine

case, making for a very attractive

nose section. This is the beauty of

the Townend cowl and the NACA

speed ring cowl.

Illustration 5, the Boeing XP-15

without any cowling. One can read-

ily see how much drag is created byhaving no cowl over the engine. Il-

lustration 6 shows the Boeing XP-

15 modified with a NACA speed

ring installation. Just by studying

these NASA photographs, one can

see how a speed increase happens

with this change.

Adjusting the speed ring to

the engine is critical. There is no

data as to how much the engine

expands when in operation; how-

ever, it appears to me that it could

gain 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter.

Case in point: when installing a

speed ring on an aircraft equipped

with a Wright R-760 engine for the

first time, the cowl was made to fit

tight. When the engine had comeup to operating temperature and

after a few hours of flight, cracks

formed in the lower section of the

cowling, necessitating removal

and repair. Subsequent installation

of the cowling was made much

looser when the engine was cold;

it was possible to move the cowl

slightly in its mounts. After the

engine came up to temperature the

cowling was tight. So if you have

a Townend cowl or NACA speed

ring, don’t adjust it too tightly or

it will crack.

Illustration 5 NASA


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Send your answer to EAA,

Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,

Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your

answer needs to be in no later

than November 20 for inclusion

in the January 2012 issue of Vin-

tage Airplane.

You can also send your re-

sponse via e-mail. Send your

answer to mysteryplane@eaa.

org . Be sure to include yourname plus your city and state

in the body of your note and

put “(Month) Mystery Plane”

in the subject line.

This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from

the collection of Dan Schumaker.

MYSTERY PLANE

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

J U LY ’ S M Y S T E RY A N S W E R

The Velie engine–powered 1931 Ranger SP-2 was used later as a test bed for an unusual pro-

COURTESY BRUCE VORAN


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S & H. 1-87-SQUADRON. www.

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MISCELLANEOUSwww.aerolist.org, Aviations’ Leading

Marketplace.

REALESTATEGreen Lake WI! 100 feet of Lake

VINTAGETRADER

Somet h ing to bu y,se l l , o r t rade?

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10

words, 180 words maximum, with boldface

lead-in on first line.

Classified Display Ads: One column

wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches

high at $20 per inch. Black and white only,and no frequency discounts.

Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of

second month prior to desired issue date

(i.e., January 10 is the closing date for

the March issue). VAA reserves the right

to reject any advertising in conflict with

its policies. Rates cover one insertion per

issue. Classified ads are not accepted via

phone. Payment must accompany order.

Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-

4828) or e-mail ([email protected] ) using

credit card payment (all cards accepted).

Include name on card, complete address,

type of card, card number, and expiration

date. Make checks payable to EAA.

Address advertising correspondence to EAA

Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box

3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

THE “STROMBERG SPECIALIST”

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1. Title of Publication: VintageAirplane 2. Publication No.:062-750. 3. Filing Date: 9/30/11. 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5. No. of Issues PublishedAnnually: 12. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $36.00 in U.S. 7. Known Offi ce of Publication: EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road,P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3806. Contact Person: Kathleen Witman, Telephone: 920-426-6156. 8. Headquartersor General Business Offi ce of the Publisher: Same as above. 9. Publisher: Rod Hightower. EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road,P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3806. Editor: H.G. Frautschy, EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh,WI 54903-3806. Managing Editor: None. 10. Owner: Experimental Aircraft Association, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3806. 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1

percent or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed DuringPreceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Vintage Airplane. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2011. 15.Extent and Nature of Circulation (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/ No. Copies of Single IssuePublished Nearest to Filing Date): a. Total No. of Copies Printed (7,372/7,104) b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside theMail): 1. Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominalrate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (6,010/6,158). 2. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PSForm 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (0/0). 3. Paid

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41/44

EAAMembership in the Experimental Aircraft

Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ-ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION . Familymembership is an additional $10 annually. Allmajor credit cards accepted for membership.(Add $16 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPSPlease submit your remittance with a

check or draft drawn on a United Statesbank payable in United States dollars. Addrequired Foreign Postage amount for eachmembership.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATIONCurrent EAA members may join the

Vintage Aircraft Association and receive

year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).(Add $7 for International Postage.)

WARBIRDSCurrent EAA members may join the EAA

Warbirds of America Division and receiveWARBIRDS magazine for an additional$45 per year.

EAA Membership, WARBIRDS mag-azine and one year membership in theWarbirds Division is available for $55 per

year (SPORT OficAVIATION magazinenot included). (Add $7 for InternationalPostage.)

IACCurrent EAA members may join the

International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi-sion and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS

DIRECTORS

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

PresidentGeoff Robison

1521 E. MacGregor Dr.New Haven, IN 46774

[email protected]

Vice-PresidentGeorge Daubner

N57W34837 Pondview LnOconomowoc, WI 53066

262-560-1949 [email protected]

Steve Bender85 Brush Hill Road

Sherborn, MA 01770508-653-7557

[email protected]

David Bennett375 Killdeer Ct

Lincoln, CA 95648916-952-9449

[email protected]

Jerry Brown4605 Hickory Wood Row

Greenwood, IN 46143317-422-9366

[email protected]

Dave Clark635 Vestal Lane

Plainfield, IN [email protected]

John S. Copeland1A Deacon Street

Northborough, MA 01532508-393-4775

[email protected]

Phil Coulson28415 Springbrook Dr.

Lawton, MI 49065269-624-6490

[email protected]

Dale A. Gustafson7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapolis, IN 46278317-293-4430

[email protected]

Jeannie HillP.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033-0328920-426-6110

Espie “Butch” Joyce704 N. Regional Rd.

Greensboro, NC 27409336-668-3650

[email protected]

Steve Krog1002 Heather Ln.

Hartford, WI [email protected]

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley1265 South 124th St.Brookfield, WI 53005

[email protected]

S.H. “Wes” Schmid2359 Lefeber Avenue

Wauwatosa, WI 53213414-771-1545

[email protected]

Robert C. Brauer9345 S. Hoyne

Chicago, IL 60643773-779-2105

[email protected]

Gene Chase2159 Carlton Rd.

Oshkosh, WI 54904920-231-5002

[email protected]

Ronald C. Fritz15401 Sparta Ave.

Kent City, MI 49330616-678-5012

rFritz@pathwaynet com

Charlie HarrisPO Box 470350Tulsa, OK 74147

[email protected]

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert8102 Leech Rd.Union, IL 60180

[email protected]

Gene Morris5936 Steve Court

Roanoke, TX 76262817-491-9110

genemor ris@charter net

Membership Services DirectoryEnjoy the many benefits of EAA and

EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.org, www.airventure.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefits E-Mail: [email protected]

EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST)800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits [email protected]

•New/renew memberships •Address changes •Merchandise sales •Gift memberships

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 888-322-4636 www.airventure.org [email protected]

Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232 www.sportpilot.org [email protected]

Programs and Activities

Auto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 [email protected] EAA Air Academy 920-426-6880 www.airacademy.org [email protected]

EAA Scholarships 920-426-6823 [email protected]

Library Services/Research 920-426-4848 [email protected]

Benefits

AUA Vintage Insurance Plan 800-727-3823 www.auaonline.com

EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan 866-647-4322 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits [email protected]

EAA VISA Card 800-853-5576 ext. 8884

EAA Her tz Rent-A-Car Program 800-654-2200 www.eaa.org/hertz [email protected]

VAA Editorial/Executive Director 920-426-4825 www.vintageaircraft.org [email protected]

VAA Office 920-426-6110 [email protected]

TM

EAA Members Information Line 888-EAA-INFO (322-4636)

Use this toll-free number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions;

chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling.

Office hours are 8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday, CST)

SecretarySteve Nesse

2009 Highland Ave.Albert Lea, MN 56007

507-373-1674

[email protected]

TreasurerDan Knutson

106 Tena Marie CircleLodi, WI 53555608-592-7224

[email protected]


42/44

don’t get to do cross-

countries very often

(my own fault), so when

an opportunity to fly

right seat to Tangier Is-

land was offered, I was

thrilled to take it. The

flight began with some,

“I don’t know. . .” clouds, thermals,

and legal, but definitely hazy vis-ibility. Over the mountains the

air was chilly enough to close the

vents and remember fall weather

was imminent.

Over flat ground the haze cre-

Navigation was my responsibil-

ity. Being the second in a flight

of two gave me a chance to do a

little brushing up on my pilotage

before we came back on our own.

Dual navigation (a sectional and

a GPS) had its benef its. Though

not dependent on the electronics

it was nice to have it as confirma-

tion of our location. Looking outthe window I found runways and

roads, looked at cornfields ready

for harvest, and realized it seems

much easier to navigate in the

Valley with our prominent terrain

ing white patterns to it all, and the

smell of the salt water. A Seneca

landing ahead of us seemed to glide

in the air like a big gull, surrounded

by beauty.

We met aviation friends on the

island for an incredible dinner.

As we meandered through the

tiny, golf cart—laden streets, we

mused about what life must belike there, and how the landing

fee probably didn’t go very far

toward runway upkeep that far

from the mainland.

A stiff headwind lengthened the

t’s aIt’s a

B

eautifuleautifulT

hinghing...by S. Michelle Souder


43/44

Thank you for supporting the2011 EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes

Join us in thanking the 2011 Sweepstakes donors.Their support strengthens the EAA programs andactivities that fuel the spirit of aviation, building avibrant aviation community.

Together, we are building the next generation ofaviators. Share the Spirit! Pass on your passion for fl ight!

...and congratulations to the winners of the 2011EAA Share the Spirit Sweepstakes.

Cessna 162 Skycatcher: David Henry, Oklahoma (EAA 166701)

Coleman CTE184 Hybrid Trailer: Hal Rolfe, Nevada (EAA 721325)

HotSeat FLIGHT SIM® GTXExtreme PC Bundle: Edward Collins, Illinois (EAA 5424431)

Bose® 3-2-1® GSX Series III DVD Home Entertainment System: David McRae, North Carolina (EAA 175637)

Canon EOS 50D Kit With Lens:

Ronald Kooyenga, Arizona (EAA 604808)

Hamilton Men’s Khaki Pilot Automatic 46mm Watch: John Gallo, Washington (EAA 9005382)

Cessna 162 Skycatcher and fuel for the year

2011 Coleman® CTE184Hybrid Travel Trailer

FLIGHT SIM® GTX

Extreme PC Bundle

Men’s Khaki PilotAutomatic 46mm Watch

Bose® 3-2-1® GSXSeries III DVD HomeEntertainment System

Canon EOS 50D Kit with Lens


44/44

Documents

Vintage Airplane - Oct 2011