AUGUST 2011

Remember, We’re Better Together!

www.auaonline.com

Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers:Lower premiums with payment options Additional coverages Flexibility on the use of your aircraft Experienced agentsOn-line quote request available AUA is licensed in all states

The best is affordable. Give AUA a call – it’s FREE!

Fly with the pros… fly with AUA Inc.800-727-3823

AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.

Ev has flown more than 100 types of airplanes and he has flown more Ryan airplane types than any other living pilot.

Dealing in any way with AUA is an old-time pleasure. They are, courteous, pleasant, thorough, personable, businesslike, competitive, and on top of that - they love old airplanes and talk the language too.

— Ev Cassagneres

Ev Cassagneres Cheshire, Connecticut

■ Commercial Pilot

■ Flying since 1945

■ Ryan Aircraft Historian

■ Author

TTTTTTTThhhhhhhhaaaaaannnnnkkkkkkkssssss AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

2 Straight & Level Embracing change by H.G. Frautschy

3 News

6 Making an Old Friend New Again Envy of the airport—he fl ies an Aeronca by Sparky Barnes Sargent

14 Carburetors Are the Difference by Steve Krog, CFI

20 Light Plane Heritage The Unique Longhead S-1 by Bob Whittier

26 The Vintage Mechanic Engine cowls for drag reduction—Part I by Robert G. Lock

30 The Vintage Instructor Flight reviews make them fun—Part II by Steve Krog, CFI

34 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

37 Classifi ed Ads

39 Making a Ramp Check a Short-Order Event by Steven W. Oxman

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

A I R P L A N E A U G U S T

C O N T E N T S

S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod HightowerDirector of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. FrautschyProduction/Special Project Kathleen WitmanPhotography Jim KoepnickCopy Editor Colleen WalshSenior Art Director Olivia P. TrabboldEAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue AndersonTel: 920-426-6127 Email: sanderson@eaa.orgFax: 920-426-4828

Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor JanzTel: 920-426-6809 Email: tjanz@eaa.org

Manager/European-Asian, Willi TackePhone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@fl ying-pages.comFax: +49(0)8841 / 496012

Interim Coordinator/Classifi ed, Alicia CanzianiTel: 920-426-6860 Email: classads@eaa.org

C O V E R S

Vol. 39, No. 8 2011

FRONT COVER: The jaunty Aeronca Champ restored by Frank Jacobs cruises the skies of east-central Wisconsin. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the Champ and its sibling, the Chief, have been favorites of Aeronca restorers, thanks to their simple structure and fi ne fl y-ing characteristics. Many Champs and Chiefs now qualify for operation by operators with sport pilot certifi cates. Read about Jacob’s Champ in Sparky Barnes Sargent’s story beginning on page 6. Photo by EAA Chief Photographer Jim Koepnick

BACK COVER: “A Course In Aviation for Fifteen Cents a Month” the cover copy crowed about Model Airplane News, now the longest running model airplane magazine published under the same same name. Model Airplane News ran this cover featuring the Northrup Alpha mailplane in January of 1933.

14

6

2 AUGUST 2011

While President Geoff Ro-bison attends to some ur-gent family business, I’d like to take this oppor-

tunity to thank each of you who at-tended EAA AirVenture 2011, and if you’re a VAA or EAA volunteer, you get a double “Thank you!” for your efforts. We really could not do it without you!

Every year Theresa Books, VAA’s administrative assistant, and I en-joy the hectic month of July as our friends and fellow volunteers head to Oshkosh from all over North Amer-ica, and some even come to Oshkosh from overseas. It’s always good to see so many great folks, many of whom we get to see only once a year. Some are faces we’ve seen for more than 20 years, and others are newer volun-teers. It’s a great mix of people who all have enthusiasm for aviation as a common interest.

So many of us in the EAA family have strong interests, and this wide world of aviation is part of what makes it so interesting. So many of our fellow VAA members have an equal interest in homebuilt airplanes, and quite a few have one or more of each in their hangars. Within the VAA family, we’ve got members who really like antiques best of all, and others who really love their contem-porary or classic airplanes. Addressing the needs of each of these groups has been one of the most challenging as-pects for the offerings from the VAA. Each of them has particular needs, and at times it can be quite a juggling act to ensure we’re doing our best to meet members’ expectations with the resources at hand.

Every day means change; some changes are for the better, some “just

happen” without active work on our behalf. We have gone from fairly rudi-mentary cellphone communications to multi-media wireless communica-tions we can access nearly anywhere. The Internet as we know it was really just getting fi red up, and since most of us were just getting started with using a 56k phone modem, it was a good thing that those early websites were pretty rudimentary!

Now we have access to various fo-rums and websites that allow us to share information and enjoy the social aspects of being involved in aviation to whatever extent we de-sire. With all this change, it leads us to ask, on a regular basis, what it is our members desire from the VAA. Vintage Airplane magazine has long been your primary member benefi t, along with an outstanding insurance program administered by AUA Inc. We’ve had a website for more than a decade, and we have an active and growing component of EAA’s online community on www.Oshkosh365.org. But as we all know, change is inevi-table, and if we don’t actively man-age the change, some of it may not work out for the better. Oshkosh365.org will see some changes in the near future to enhance its usability, and we’re actively working on getting all of Vintage Airplane available in an on-line archive where members can read or download any issue.

This fall, we’ve been planning on surveying the VAA membership on a variety of subjects related to their expectations and desires, and to help enhance the knowledge gained by that survey, I’ve got a few ques-tions for you, and I’m looking for-ward to hearing from as many of you as possible.

If you could add one more thing to the member benefi ts you receive as a Vintage Aircraft Association member, what would it be? Why?

Is there a current member bene-fi t that you don’t feel is worth keep-ing? Why?

Besides Vintage Airplane magazine, what other means of communica-tion would you like to see offered by VAA? What would you like to see in those communications? How-to vid-eos? Profi les of vintage aircraft restor-ers? Historical pieces of a particular aircraft or personality?

If you’ve got an idea or comment about anything related to VAA and its activities, including the annual fl y-in and convention, please feel free to send them as well. As EAA mem-bers, you have access to a wide vari-ety of member benefi ts, and while we don’t want to duplicate their efforts, if you have a suggestion on how we can “fi ne-tune” an offering to make it fi t better for your needs, please don’t hesitate to make a suggestion. Feel free to send us a response using what-ever method you prefer, either mail or e-mail. Our mailing address is:

Vintage Aircraft AssociationPO Box 3086Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or e-mail us at vintageaircraft@eaa.org.Once again (we can never say it

enough!), “Thanks!” to each and ev-ery one of you who is a member of the VAA, and to each of you who en-hanced their membership experience by volunteering for the VAA. On be-half of Theresa Books and me, we’d just like to say that you folks are the best, and we enjoy helping you enjoy your love of vintage airplanes!

H.G.

H.G. FRAUTSCHYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VAA

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Embracing change

VAA NEWS

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Marion ColeLongtime EAA and Vintage Air-

craft Association members who recall one of the earliest pilots fl y-ing a 450-hp Stearman in an air show act will be saddened to hear of the passing of Marion Franklin “Master” Cole, who lost a coura-geous battle with pancreatic can-cer on Friday, July 8, in Louisiana, at the age of 86. Marion, EAA Lifetime 48 and a founding (No. 9) IAC member, was a part of the famous Cole Brothers Flying Cir-cus for 17 years, then fl ew the lead Pitts with Bob Heuer and Gene Soucy in the original Red Devils formation team. He is a past U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and competed as a member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team at Magde-

burg, East Germany, in 1968. As an aerobatics instructor, Marion provided training for many of the great names in competitive and air show aerobatics.

“Marion was a longtime sup-porter of EAA and one of the most outstanding aerobatic pilots I ever met,” said EAA Founder Paul Po-berezny. “Especially in the 450-hp Stearman—in my opinion, Mar-ion was top of the line in the pre-cision handling of that aircraft. He served as a role model for the entire aerobatic community, just a wonderful man.

“Time flies too rapidly for us human beings.”

Mar ion Co l e was bo rn on December 9, 1924, in Toulan Township, Illinois. He became

a “hangar brat” at an early age, cleaning airplanes and hangars—anything to earn a ride with a lo-cal pilot. He soloed at age 16 and never looked back.

Marion joined the service as soon as he was of age and be-came a flight instructor in the Navy. Following World War II, he flew with his brothers in the Cole Brothers Air Shows, then formed Marion Cole Air Shows, with which he performed until the early 1990s. Marion was also an aerobatic instructor, flight instructor, FAA examiner, a cor-porate pilot for 32 years, and a national and world aerobatic competitor. In all he logged more than 31,000 fl ight hours.

Marion was a founding mem-

ber of the International Aerobatic Club, taught aerobatics at the ba-sic and advanced levels, and tu-tored many young aerobatic pilots for more than 50 years. He fl ew air shows throughout the continental United States from the late 1940s to the early 1990s. He retired from the air show circuit but continued to council, tutor, and announce for young aerobatic hopefuls and attended several air shows, in-cluding AirVenture, each year.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Charlene; sons Bill and wife Norma, Larry and wife Terri, How-ard and wife Donna, Don and wife Sharilyn; grandsons Kevin and wife Tiffany, Aaron and wife Maegan, Ray, and Justin; and great-grand-children Kennedie and Collin.

Enroll in an EAA Webinar!Join the thousands of people

who have participated in free EAA webinars (web-based seminars). All you need is a computer and a broadband Internet connection to receive live streaming interactive multimedia programs at home. For instance, on August 10, 2011, maintenance expert and EAA Sport Aviation columnist Mike Busch A&P/IA will offer his insight on owner-produced parts for cer-tifi cated aircraft, and even if you can’t be there to participate live, you can always watch the archived webinar. You can sign up for up-coming webinars at www.EAA.org/webinars (you’ll be redirected to a page on EAA’s Oshkosh365 website), and you can also watch archived webinars starting from that website.

4 AUGUST 2011

Hall of FameJohn Underwood

Vintage Aircraft Association

EAA will welcome and honor five new members to its Spor t Aviation Hall of Fame on October 29, 2011. All EAA members are invited to attend the induction ceremony and dinner that evening in the EAA AirVenture Museum. For tickets, please call 800-236-1025.

VAA’s 2011 inductee will be John Underwood of Glendale, Cali-fornia. Author of 10 aviation books and numerous ar ticles con-cerning aviation history, John has had a lifelong fascination with airplanes since his was a little boy of 7. Later, as an aviation tech-nical writer and illustrator, he earned a living in the industry, all the while amassing a vast collection of photographs and aeronautical materials. His work in the center of one of aviation’s most active locations, the Los Angeles basin, gave him access to a number of aviation luminaries, including Lockheed’s Kelly Johnson, test pilot Tony LeVier (with whom John was par tners in a Monocoupe), air racing and test pilot Gordon Israel, Alden Brown (designer of the Brown racer), and even Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan.

John’s dedication to “getting history right” often sees him lend-ing materials and photos to other authors so more people can be made aware of exactly what happened when.

VAA is pleased to include him in its Hall of Fame, honoring his contributions to the modern-day effor ts to keep the world of vin-tage aircraft alive and vibrant through his writings and research. Do come join us to honor him at the induction ceremony on Octo-ber 29, 2011.

Bill Turner (left) presents the Cliff Henderson Award (c.1995) to John Underwood.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.

Mail nominating materials to:

Remember, your “contemporary” may be a candidate; nominate someone today!

www.VintageAircraft.org

CALL FOR VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATIONNominationsCall for VAA Hall ofFame Nominations

To the left is our information for nominations for VAA’s Hall of Fame, which is presented each year during a special dinner. This year’s dinner will be held Friday, October 28. We’ll have more on this year’s inductee, John Under-wood, in a subsequent issue of Vin-tage Airplane. If you are interested in purchasing tickets to attend the dinner to honor the inductees, contact EAA’s Matt Miller at 920-426-6886 or mmiller@eaa.org.

We would like to take this op-portunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on fi le for three years, after which the nomi-nation must be resubmitted.

6 AUGUST 2011

Making anOld Friend

Envy of the airport—he fl ies an AeroncaBY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

JIM KOEPNICK

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

Frank Jacob and h i s Aeronca Champ have been buddies for a long time—and he just in-vested three and a half years restoring it to

make sure they’ll continue their friendship for several more de-cades. Frank, a soft-spoken gentle-man with an amiable smile, flew his newly restored Champ from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Sun ’n Fun, International Fly-In & Expo at Lakeland, Florida, in the spring of 2010. His Champ and two oth-ers composed a friendly flight of three, and they enjoyed fine weather all the way to Lakeland.

He knows N84856 from the in-side out, having owned it for 34 years. “It has gone through a lot in its lifetime,” he says with a smile. “I found all the old records of what all the previous owners did to it when I got the file from the FAA in Oklahoma City.” Frank has also gone through quite a bit in his own lifetime, making aviation his profession in one way or another. “I flew various airlines that went bankrupt, went out of business, and all that sort of thing,” he ex-

“The money isn’t reallythe reason for any of this. It’s fun!” —Frank Jacob

plains. “I did maintenance work for Ozark for

a year in St. Louis and put in four years of maintenance work in the Air Force. I got my A&P at Spar-tan in Tulsa, and I was going to go through the fl ight engineer course, but the airline on the West Coast that Spartan had contracted to give us the flight training went out of business, so I got my multiengine instrument instead.”

Frank first became enamored with Aeronca Champion airplanes in 1951. “That’s what I did my fi rst fl ying in, and that’s what I soloed,” he recalls, with a twinkle in his eye, “and I like the airplane!”

Champion History“So safe—so simple—now any-

body can fl y” boasted Aeronca’s ad-vertising of the era, along with the declaration that the Champ was “America’s No. 1 Low-Cost Plane,” and its pilot was the “envy of the airport.” The tandem Aeronca Champion trainer was designed by Raymond F. Hermes and man-ufactured by the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation in Middletown, Ohio.

More than 8,000 were built, and just like its predecessors all the way back through the 1930 Aeronca C-2, it incorporated aeronautical engineer Jean Roché’s unique trian-gular fuselage structure.

In February 1946, as produc-t ion was about to begin, the Champ was advertised as “the easi-est plane you’ve ever fl own…with far greater maneuverability and greatly broadened range of visibil-ity. …Just wait till you see Aeron-ca’s luxuriously fi nished interior…the extra room and comfort…the wide safety-swing door! Improved brake system and tie-down rings that are built in.”

Features also included 300-degree visibility from the cockpit, a 38 mph landing speed, and stan-dard oleo landing gear. So it was easy for a pilot to let his gaze roam over a pastoral landscape and the open sky, thanks to the Champ’s low-profi le nose, a one-piece Plexi-glas windshield, and rather large side and rear windows. And with its slow landing speed and shock-absorbing gear, the Champ could alight as softly as a flower petal

fl oating to earth. With its 35-foot wingspan, and 21-foot 5-inch length, the Champ had excellent handling characteristics from taxi through landing. It offered

a respectable performance among its contemporaries—its Continental A-65 pow-ered a top speed of 100 mph and a 90 mph cruise while sipping from a 13-gallon fuel tank for a range of 270 miles.

N84856Unlike many Champs of the

day that were used as trainers, N84856 went into service as an agricultural sprayer for Vanda-lia Flying Service Inc. in Van-dalia, Illinois. It installed an Aero Spray King Model A2 unit and converted the plane from a model 7AC to a 7BCM by re-moving the Continental A-65-8 and wood propeller and install-ing a C-85-12F with a Hartz-ell ground-adjustable propeller.

The Champ changed hands several times, and its Grade A cotton fab-ric was replaced in 1951. Five years later, while it was in Oklahoma, the Champ was converted back to a 7AC model. By 1958, it needed new fabric again, and this time, its fuse-lage was covered in cotton, and the wings and tail were covered with Irish linen.

N84856 continued flying from owner to owner through the years, experiencing a few mishaps (such as ground loops) along the way. Then in 1975, Frank Jacob became its new caretaker, and N84856 has remained in his capable hands ever since. An A&P and CFI, Frank explains with a chuckle that he learned to fl y “in west Texas where the wind blows pretty hard, and they say instead of a windsock, they use a logging chain. If the log-ging chain is standing straight out, then it gets to be fun.”

He had a bit of work to do on the Champ when he fi rst purchased it—but after all, the airplane only cost him only $3,000. “The gear had been wiped out from the fuse-

8 AUGUST 2011

plains “I did Mor

taxi

st

N

dNagliadaAeana mmoanding

lage one time, and the doorway was cut down to just a hole. I thought I was going to put the hinge pins in place and put the door back on, but instead I wound up having to take fabric off around the bottom to weld a new door frame,” Frank recalls, then adds with a smile, “An FAA man came up behind me while I was welding on the airframe, and he thought he’d caught somebody! He said, ‘Let me see your A&P li-cense,’ and I pulled it ut to show him—then he just walked off.”

Research and ResourcesBy 2004, Frank decided, some-

what apprehensively, to start restor-ing his aging friend. He had helped other folks with their projects, but he hadn’t tackled a full-blown res-toration. So the first year, he cau-tiously decided to fabricate a new cowling. With that accomplished, he says, “I kept doing a little more, a little more, and fi nally it was time to take the wings off—then I was

committed! So I got serious about it and put in two and a half years of work.”

Myriad questions sprang to Frank’s mind as he examined the condition of numerous airframe components and contemplated such things as parts replace-

ment, so he sought answers from technical, personal, and cyber re-sources. “A little bit of research can really do a whole lot for you,” he shares. “There’s a ton of infor-mation on the Internet from the various Aeronca flying clubs; Bill Pancake [well-known Aeronca

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

BRADY LANE

Frank says his Champ is probably about 90 percent original.

Frank Jacob

10 AUGUST 2011

“guru”] is super friendly; and John Houser, who worked at the Aeronca factory, has the drawings for the wing spars and fuselage. [Editor’s Note: After decades of faith-ful service to Aeronca enthusiasts, John no longer provides this help. See the note at the end of this article for information regarding sources of data for the Aeroncas.—HGF] I used the Poly-Fiber fabric-covering pro-cess, and I dealt with Dondi and

Jim Miller [of Ohio]. They were su-per helpful and mixed the original Champ colors for me.”

Frank incorporated a few modi-fications to his Champ, by means of various STCs. Through his re-search, he discovered one from Cashmere Aviation Inc. (STC No. SA4760NM) that allowed him to use Marson Klik-Fast blind rivets to attach the wing fabric to the ribs, as opposed to using the original

PK screws. Another handy one was from Rainbow Flying Service (STC No. SA00860SE), which allowed the installation of that company’s fuselage formers. Additionally, Frank also used two more STCs: one for the Champ’s fabric instal-lation (Poly-Fiber Aircraft Coatings’ STC No. SA1008WE), and one so he could burn autogas in the 65-hp Continental (STC No. SA732GL [airframe] and STC No. SE634GL [engine]).

Snafus and ChallengesRemember tha t new cowl -

ing that was the genesis of the Champ’s restoration? Well, as it turned out, Frank had to rework it just a bit. Explaining with a good-natured chuckle, he says, “I made the new cowling first, and later on, I installed new rubber engine mounts, which lifted the engine up about an inch. Then the new cowling didn’t fi t right! So I had to modify it, because the engine was in the proper position when I fi n-ished the airplane.”

One of the most challenging situations Frank encountered was installing the leading-edge metal around the wing ribs. “That was because I had to get to the [pre-drilled] holes in the ribs from in-side the wing, in order to align them with the placement of holes on the leading edge, and that metal didn’t want to bend around the nose ribs. So I had to hold the metal down while reaching inside the wing with a pencil and making a little mark on the metal. Then I took the metal back off and drilled one hole. I did that for each hole, all the way across the wing lead-ing edge. That took a long time,” recounts Frank with a wry smile, “and that’s the thing—when I fi rst took the airplane apart and looked at it, I thought, ‘Boy, this is going to take a whole year to do!’”

Frank endured an odyssey of sorts when he ordered the Sitka spruce to make new wing spars. He says, “My first order was shipped in a cardboard box, and they

The Champ at the beginning of the restoration.

The refurbished fuselage, replete with stringers and formers.

CO

UR

TES

Y FR

ANK

JAC

OB

CO

UR

TES

Y FR

ANK

JAC

OB

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

[the wood] rattled on the back of a truck until the cardboard was worn through, exposing the wood. I took the wood to a professional shop, and he ruined the wood,” Frank recalls, adding, “so then, I bought a second batch of wood from the same place, and it came and it was worn terribly, so I sold it back to the trucking company. Then I bought a third batch from a different source (Wicks Aircraft Supply), and they shipped it in a wood box. That spruce was so per-fect; it had exactly 90-degree grain instead of 45-degree, and the grain was perfectly straight for 16 feet—I didn’t think a tree could grow that straight! It was the most beautiful wood I’ve ever seen in my life, and we built the spars out of that.”

When it came time to strip the airframe tubing down to bare metal, he tried using a heavy-duty commercial sandblaster at a boat yard, but its force was strong enough to pepper holes into one elevator, which necessitated weld-ing repair. Since the fuselage was in decent shape, Frank had it Sponge-Jet blasted (an environ-mentally friendly type of abra-sive blasting), and he sandblasted the smaller parts in his hangar. He used two-part epoxy primer to protect and preserve the cleaned metal components.

Finishing TouchesFrank wanted to make his Champ

as original as he could, and overall, he thinks it’s “probably about 90 percent original.” In summary, he used all new hardware and cables, some new ribs and drag wires from Wag-Aero, new aluminum leading edges, and new spars and stringers. He also installed new side windows and simply reused the windshield, since it was still in good shape. In-terestingly, the Champ’s original-style hubcaps came from the island of Guam; one of Frank’s friends found them on eBay.

When he started on the inte-rior, he consulted Bill Pancake, who helped him identify the correct col-

New and old ribs are mounted on the new spruce spars.

The wings, ready for fabric.

The fabric-covered fuselage and wings, coated with Poly-Brush.

CO

UR

TES

Y FR

ANK

JAC

OB

CO

UR

TES

Y FR

ANK

JAC

OB

CO

UR

TES

Y FR

ANK

JAC

OB

12 AUGUST 2011

ors. The brown paint was locally available, and the co-ordinating brown crackle coating on the instrument panel was available in a handy spray can from Ken-nedy Manufacturing Company (it makes tool boxes) in Van Wert, Ohio.

Frank purchased the interior fl ocking kit from DonJer Products Corporation in Winnebago, Illinois. The kit, he says, consists of “one spray gun with glue and another spray gun with powder. You spray the glue on the sur-face; then you spray the powder and it sticks to it,” ex-plains Frank, adding, “Any excess falls off, and eventually it looks like suede. I had everything ready to spray, but I had the wrong fi tting to plug the spray gun into the air hose. So I ran to town and went to all the places I could think of, but nobody had the right fi tting. It was late in the day, and I was discouraged, so I just brushed it on the cabin wall. So now, if you get the light just right, you can see little brush marks. Spraying is the way to go!”

Engine and MagsBack when Frank started the Champ’s restoration,

the A-65-8 engine was running so well that he merely took it off the airframe, pickled it somewhat and used dehydrator plugs, and hung it on the wall for three and a half years. At that time, it had a little more than 1,000 hours since major and 200 since top overhaul. With the airframe completed, he reinstalled the engine

Note the neat upholstery and “fl ocking” on the cabin wall.

SPA

RK

Y B

ARN

ES S

ARG

ENT

BR

ADY

ANE

PHO

TOS

and crossed his fi ngers. “It started after three flips of the prop,” he says happily, “and has been run-ning good ever since—I’ve fl own it about 100 hours since June 2008.”

He spruced up the engine com-partment by painting it and powder coated the black rocker box covers. Since the Continental has the old Bendix magnetos, he’s recently de-cided to buy a magneto with an im-pulse coupling, to facilitate hand propping the engine.

Flying the ChampFrank describes flying N84856

by saying, “Generally you want to lift off at 50 mph, climb at 60, and cruise at 80. As for landings, if you have a nice, calm day, it’s going to be all three-point landings, until you get used to the airplane,” he explains, emphasizing, “Basically you want to become part of the air-plane—you want to feel it. When most people land an airplane that has a nose wheel, as soon as they touch down they sort of relax and the airplane goes straight down the runway. But in this airplane, you

ought to be relaxed until you touch down—and then you get serious and have to work at it to keep it straight. I like to wheel land in a strong crosswind, because you have a lot more control.”

As a flight instructor, he feels that simply learning how to correctly taxi the tailwheel Champ is a good step in transitioning from a nosewheel airplane. “If you’re just starting out, mainly you want to get used to the heel brakes, which are unusual for most people. You turn the airplane with full rudder, and if that’s not enough, then add some brake and then some power—you’re just working every-thing when you’re taxiing. And you should always be conscious of where the wind is when you’re taxiing, be-cause you’re fl ying it when you’re on the ground. You’ve got to feel the air-plane to see what it’s doing.”

An Eye to the FutureFrank is affectionately attached

to his Aeronca Champion—and with good reason; his own personal history is inextricably entwined with it. “My daughter, Cathy, fi rst

fl ew with me when she was 10 years old,” he reminisces, with a twinkle in his eyes, “and she used a cushion so she could reach the rudder ped-als. I never thought she would do much with fl ying…and today she’s fl ying internationally for Delta. My son, Don, soloed a few days after his 16th birthday but didn’t con-tinue with fl ying. But the kid across the street, every time I drive in the driveway, he wants to go fl ying! So you can never tell with kids.”

Father and daughter still occa-sionally share the joy of fl ying to-gether in the faithful Champ, and Frank proclaims with a smile, “I plan to give it to her when I fi nish with it. I hope to wear it out before then! I tell her I’ll restore it in an-other 40 years.”

So it isn’t surprising that Frank won’t consider selling it. With a gentle laugh, he shares, “I have put $17,000 of parts in it, and all those hours that I can’t count. If some-body wants to buy it, I say, ‘No way, I don’t care how much!’ The money isn’t really the reason for any of this. It’s fun!”

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

JIM KOEPNICK

14 AUGUST 2011

Ever wonder why your J-3 Cub, identical to your friend’s Cub in every way (i.e., engine, prop) just doesn’t perform like your friend’s Cub? You’ve checked everything, including compression, timing, and identical Stromberg carbs including the same type of fuel, but still your Cub is continually outperformed. The empty weight for both Cubs is nearly identical, and you and your friend are within five pounds of one another. Why does your Cub seem so sluggish on takeoff, but the other Cub just leaps into the air?

This issue has puzzled Cub own-ers for decades, but fi nally there ap-pears to be a cause and solution on the horizon. It’s the carburetor!

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Robert Kachergius, Uni-Tech Air Management Systems

Inc. Bob has an engineering as well as aviation maintenance back-ground including an A&P and IA, and for the past number of years he has specialized in the rebuilding of Stromberg carburetors.

For years if not decades most aviation mechanics have been frus-trated by the Stromberg carbs. If you get a good carb, they run beauti-fully. But they often cause mechan-ics much frustration and gray hair. Consequently, many Strombergs have been removed and replaced with a Marvel carb. Now, thanks to Bob’s research, the cause and solu-tion have been found.

Bob was asked to take a look at a Stromberg carb that had been in-stalled on a Continental A-65 en-gine. The owner stated the engine started easily and idled smoothly,

but when full power was applied, the engine just was turning up. The normal things had been checked but made no difference.

The carb was carefully disassem-bled and all parts checked for wear and correct assembly. Everything seemed to be in order. The float drop was then measured. It should measure 0.048 inch in all Strom-bergs. However, this fl oat was only dropping about 0.032 to 0.033 inch and didn’t meet that specifi -cation, causing the engine to run lean on partial power. Upon closer examination it was determined the float was coming in contact with the main metering jet, restricting float drop. In normal operation, the fl oat will rest on a castin-posi-tion 45-degree bevel at the bottom of the fl oat bowl, thus clearing and

Carburetors

BY STEVE KROG

To highlight the special attention that must be paid to even the simplest of mechanical items like the reliable Stromberg carburetor, the photos are of the work performed by Bob Kachergius of Uni-Tech.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

not hitting the edge of the main metering jet. Operating under these circumstances the float was restricting fuel fl ow, so the engine was only producing about 60 per-cent to 65 percent power due to restricted fuel fl ow.

Bob had a number of the Strom-berg carbs on hand and pulled sev-eral of them apart to check float travel and drop as well as clearance near the main metering jet. Bob fur-ther disassembled each of the carbs to carefully measure the position, angle, and height of the main meter-ing jet. Nearly half of the carbs had restricted fl oat travel due to contact with the main metering jet. It be-came quite apparent that a number of these carbs had been incorrectly

Above and below: The three-legged fuel level measuring tool must be used in conjunction with the proper amount of fuel feed pressure, or “head,” so the needle and seat will be set properly. Before the carb is reassembled, the parting surfaces of the carb are carefully checked for fl atness using a granite surface block.

For more explanation on the reason for the fuel level sitting at an angle in the fl oat bowl, see the photo on page 18.

16 AUGUST 2011

machined during manufacture when the main metering jet open-ing was drilled into the bottom of the carb fuel bowl. There appeared to be a large machining variation.

With that finding it became clear as to why one Stromberg carb performs as expected, while the identical carb runs and per-forms poorly causing the me-chanic and owner fi ts.

If you’re experiencing lethargic performance from your Stromberg-equipped airplane, don’t go tearing

Fuel Drip—Who Gets the Blame?

By Bob Kachergius

As we all know, a lot of Strom-berg NA-S3 carburetors truly do drip when the plane is sitt ing there, not running. It appears that the poor little Stromberg is always blamed as the culprit in this situa-tion. That’s not always the case.

There are two other factors that contribute to the fuel drip, but most of the time they are overlooked. It could be that the primer or fuel selector valve is leaking, causing the problem. Two tests can quickly and easily solve the puzzle:

First: Disconnect the small primer line from the fitting on the fuel in-take spider. Make sure the primer is seated in its “park” position on the instrument panel and not par-tially out. If the primer line continues to drip, the primer assembly needs service or replacement.

Second: With the fuel selector valve turned to the off position, dis-connect the fuel line at the carbure-tor. If the fuel line drips, the culprit here is a leaky fuel shut-off valve. Repair or replace it.

So, in the end, the poor little Stromberg that “drips” may not al-ways be the cause of the problem. Any time you experience a fuel drip, do these two tests. They are fast and simple to per form. The tests should always be par t of a 100-hour or annual inspection.

Completely overhauled and ready for installation after Uni-Tech’s Bob Kachergius has given it a thorough going-over. As is typical for most instal-lations of the Stromberg with the back-suction mixture control installed, the control lever for the mixing disks is either safety wired in the closed posi-tion, or, as in this carb, had it removed and replaced with a simple cover plate. The yellow dot indicates the carburetor has had its fl oat chamber vent hole repositioned per a Stromberg service bulletin.

into your Stromberg carb just yet. There is a simple check that you can do. Remove and inspect the spark plugs. If the probe ends are a nice even chocolate brown, your carb is probably performing as was intended. However, if your plug ceramic insula-tors are white to light gray in color, you are running a lean mixture that is probably caused by this fl oat/fuel-fl ow restriction. In this case you may want to have your carb thoroughly inspected and corrected.

Bob has developed a “fix” for those carbs experiencing float travel restrictions. He has devel-oped machining so that the main metering jet orifi ce can be counter-bored slightly, thus allowing full float drop and proper fuel flow. When done properly and legally,

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

Stromberg NA-S3 Carburetor—Helpful Hints

By Bob KachergiusThey say in life there are two ways to get a job done—doing it the

easy way or the hard way.When removing and then re-installing a Stromberg carburetor on a

small Continental engine, because of the lack of room, it becomes an act of frustration in trying to get the castellated nuts and cotter pins started on the intake spider studs. Doing this while the intake spider is mounted to the engine becomes, at best, very time-consuming. That’s the hard way.

Try this instead:Remove the intake spider from the engine (two AN6 nuts and wash-

ers, four rubber intake tubes and clamps, one primer line connection) and then easily re-install the carburetor to the intake spider while it’s on the workbench; it’s fast and simple. This is the easy way.

You will fi nd, in most cases, that the rubber intake tube sleeves are pretty old, dry, and cracked and in need of replacement anyway.

Stromberg Carb Information ChartCARB MODEL ENGINE MFR ENGINE MFR ENGINE MODEL HORSEPOWER FUEL FEED SETTING NUMBER

NA-S3A1 series carburetors with mixture controlA18033B CONT 3628 A-65 65 GRAVITY A-75 75 GRAVITY A-80 80 GRAVITYA30177 CONT 4631 A-75 (Stinson) 75 GRAVITY 50” HEAD380162 CONT 40059 C-75 75 GRAVITY380167 CONT 40590 C-85 85 GRAVITY380171 CONT 36019 C-75 75 PRESSURE380172 CONT 40636 C-85 85 PRESSURE380174 CONT 24716 C-75-12 75 GRAVITY380231-3 CONT ------ C-9012F 90 GRAVITY380231 CONT ------ C-90 90 PRESSURE391090 CONT ------ C-90 90 GRAVITY391156 CONT ------ C-90 90 GRAVITY391229-1-2 CONT ------ C-90-14F 90 GRAVITY391257 CONT 531157 C-90-14F 90 GRAVITY391716-1 CONT ------ A-50 50 PRESSURE “ “ “ A-65 65 3 PSI / “ “ “ A-75 75 .048” FLOAT “ “ “ A-80 80 DROP392458 CONT 4805 A-80 80 GRAVITY

NA-SO3A1 (rarely seen )380168 CONT 50335 A-100 100 GRAVITY380175 CONT 36020 A-100 100 PRESSURE

NA-S3B (no mixture control)380155 CONT 35885 A-50 50 GRAVITY “ “ “ A-65 65 “380205 CONT 36109 A-65 65 PRESSURE “ “ “ A-75 75 “380206 CONT 36109 A-65-8 65 PRESSURE

This chart details the proper engine/application with the model number stamped on the carb body.

18 AUGUST 2011

the fl oat restriction is no longer a problem and the carb can be re-turned to service.

Bob also does several other things to a Stromberg to get it to run prop-erly. He finds that in all the carbs he gets in for overhaul, almost ev-ery one has the old neoprene needle and seat. These needles were the sec-ond generation from Stromberg and were designed to eliminate the fuel drip common to Strombergs. These needles came out in 1943 after the war, and some can approach 60-plus years in age. They get very brittle and will crumble when squeezed with a long nose pliers. It is also common knowledge that when us-

ing auto fuel containing ethanol, many of these needles can swell up and cause real fuel flow problems. There were three other manufactur-ers of the neoprene needles along with Stromberg, and it is impossible to differentiate as to who made the needle. The three clone needles were made of an inferior-grade neoprene and did swell up. The OEM Strom-berg needle did not. Thus, at over-haul, Bob will use the latest stainless steel or Delrin needle and seat, elim-inating the neoprene headache.

Another interesting find is that when dismantling the carbs for overhaul, Bob finds that whoever worked on the carb in the past had

grossly overtorqued the six 1/4-20 fillistered head screws holding the upper casting half to the lower one. The normal torque specified in the Stromberg overhaul is only 35-45 inch-pounds. This puts ex-cessive stress on the casting and warps them, causing possible vac-uum and fuel leaks. Bob has to custom lap each casting parting surface on a granite lapping plate to get perfectly fl at mating surfaces, guaranteeing a positive seal. This procedure is done on every carb he overhauls.

Another situation exists contrib-uting to fuel drip. The Stromberg was originally designed for the Er-

The steel needle and its corresponding sharp-edged brass seat.

An original and aftermarket set of neoprene-tipped needles, illustrating the brittleness that occurs as the needles age.

The Delrin needle used in many Stromberg carbs seems to offer the best of both worlds.

Here is a 12-degree wedge plate Bob uses to show how the fuel level sits in a taildragger after the fl oat level was set to 13/32 inches wet in the bench. It shows how the fuel sits at an angle in the bowl, and, even when the fl oat level is proper at 13/32 inches level, the rear of the main gasket can get “wet” and seep a little fuel at the casting parting line, causing a blue stain. This is why Bob always turns the fuel selector off after every shutdown.

coupes, which sat on tricycle gear and level to the ground. Now, install the Stromberg on a taildragger, and it no longer sits level, causing fuel to drip out of the carb fl oat bowl vent opening. This vent port is located in the lower casting about 1/4 inch be-low the parting surface. Stromberg came out with a service bulletin to effect a fi x. This involves sealing the lower casting port opening and relocating the port to the upper casting half, approximately 1/4 inch above the parting surface. This raises the fl oat bowl vent 1/2 inch higher than original and elimi-nated fl oat bowl drip. Bob makes this modifi cation on every carb he overhauls. The easy way to see if this mod was done to your carb is to look and see if there is a 1-inch-diameter yellow dot painted on the face of the fl oat bowl as recommended by the Stromberg service bulletin. If this mod isn’t done, your carb will drip. Bob has found that on almost every carb that comes in for overhaul, none have this modifi cation installed.

Another situation occurs when someone in the field attempts to set the float level of 13/32 inch (all Stromberg carbs) below the lower casting part-ing surface and doesn’t dry mechanically. This is impossible to do accurately. The float level has to be set “wet” with fuel fed to the fl oat bowl with the recommended gravity fl ow pressure head. This has to be done on a fl ow fi xture device to be accurate. Fuel float level is done by randomly stacking variable-thickness special gaskets under the brass needle seat to attain the proper level.

The Stromberg carburetor is an excellent unit and will perform fl awlessly if inspected, overhauled, and maintained properly. Bob’s diligence in really fi gur-ing out the manufacturing variances in the original parts is to be commended. His company, Uni-Tech Air Management Systems, located at 13221 Wind-ward Trail in Orland Park, Illinois, specializes in overhauling only the Stromberg carburetor. Bob can be reached at 708-267-7111 to answer any questions you may have on your Stromberg.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

THE “STROMBERG SPECIALIST” R.E. “Bob” Kachergius A&P/IA

UNI-TECH AIR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC.

Call: 708-267-7111 Mail: 13221 WINDWARD TRAIL ORLAND PARK, IL. 60462 E-Mail: uni-tech@earthlink.net

Does your Stromberg NA-S3 carburetor Drip - Leak - Perform poorly ? ? ?

Have it Overhauled & Restored to “Grand Cham-pion” standards and quality by us… WE: Dismantle & Inspect – Clean & Glass Bead Blast – Aluma-Etch & Alodine – Custom Lap mating surfaces – Re-assemble using all new AN hardware, gaskets, Stainless steel or Delrin needle & seat – proper metering jets & venturis… Float level is set “wet” to 13/32” – Stromberg service letter procedure installed to raise float bowl vent position eliminating fuel drip – prepare a log book entry sheet…

All for $850.00 + $25.00 freight & handling

Before re-assembling the Stromberg carb, the cast-ings are carefully inspected and finished, with the mating surfaces trued up on a granite surface plate.

Splash Cap52658252 Brass Logo Cap

52651354

Tangerine Cap5265691314031

$14.99*ea.VAA HATS

www.shopeaa.com/vaaTelephone Orders: 800-843-3612

From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted. WI residents add 5% sales tax.

20 AUGUST 2011

Light Plane Heritagepublished in EAA Experimenter October 1991

Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se-ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF

THE UNIQUE LONGHEAD S-1BY BOB WHITTIER

EAA 1235

In the autumn of 1918 the feel-ing became widespread that the long and bloody confl ict we called World War I was at last moving to-ward its end. This prompted lively discussions to take place in a mod-est aircraft manufacturing shop lo-cated in the California seaside town of Santa Barbara.

“What are we going to do after the war?” was the gist of the talk that went on between the brothers Allan and Malcolm Loughead and their associates John Northrop and Anthony Stadlman. They finally agreed that they should turn their

quite impressive mechanical and engineering talents to developing a small sportplane that would appeal to the thousands of men who had learned to fl y during the war.

Before getting into the story of the Loughead S-1 (for Sportplane No. 1), let’s say something about the two Lougheads. The name, by the way, was and is pronounced “Lockheed.” They came from a fam-ily of Scottish origin and were born in the late 1880s. They had an older half-brother, Victor, from their fa-ther’s previous marriage. He had formal training in engineering and

as early as 1909 was writing books on aviation and aircraft design.

The two younger Lougheads be-came expert automobile mechan-ics during the first decade of the 20th century. Then living in San Francisco, the three spent much time discussing aviation. This led Allan in 1910 to move to Chicago, which at that time was a beehive of aeronautical activity. There he became a good aircraft mechanic and taught himself to fl y by acci-dent. That is to say, an airplane he was taxi testing picked up enough speed to become airborne, oblig-

The young lady gives an idea of the Loughead S-1’s dimensions as it sits on display in front of the San Francisco City Hall in 1920.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

ing him to “fl y” it as best he could in an erratically circular path so as to return to the field from which he had departed. Since the landing injured neither the plane nor him-self, that made him into a pilot by the standards of that time.

Early in 1912, Allan returned to San Francisco and persuaded brother Malcolm to join him in building an airplane. Malcolm had remained in Cal i fornia , where he worked as an accom-plished auto mechanic and de-veloped what became the widely used Lockheed hydraulic brakes for cars. Between 1912 and 1916 the two divided their time among assorted aviation projects and prospecting for gold. In 1916 they relocated to Santa Barbara, where they set up a modest aeronautical shop in a garage.

Here they built a small number of fl ying boats. The aforementioned John Northrop and Tony Stadlman had also been active in the heady early days of aviation and during the war joined the Loughead shop to help build a small number of na-val fl ying boats. Between them the four possessed very considerable practical and engineering knowl-edge. As mentioned previously, they began to brainstorm their ideas for a postwar civil airplane.

Now, in the year 1918 nobody foresaw clearly the enormous impact that thousands of war-surplus mili-tary planes would have on the post-war civil aviation scene. Not realizing that the aircraft manufacturing in-dustry would be severely depressed for several years by this vast supply of cheap surplus airplanes and engines, the quartet enthusiastically drew up a list of desirable characteristics for their new plane.

Of course, there were often strong differences of opinion while all this talk was going on, but in the end they agreed on what it should be like. It would be a single-seater, partly so that a small and therefore economical engine could fl y it satis-factorily, but in retrospect probably also because they felt that the typi-

cal returning military pilot would be one who was accustomed to fl y-ing a fast and nimble single-seater or at least being in total command of a two-seater.

Airplane fuselages of that time were tediously put together from wooden longerons and cross-membersheld together with a great many intricate metal fittings, braced against bending and twisting with many crisscrossing steel cables and trued up by expertly adjust-ing a multitude of turnbuckles. All of this was much too labor-intensive for a plane meant to be sold to civilians at the lowest fea-sible price. For this reason they developed a more suitable form of construction, which will be de-scribed shortly.

They also decided that their plane should perform well enough to have a reasonable chance of sat-isfying pilots accustomed to fl ying lively military planes, within the limitations set by an economical selling price. Yet at the same time, because real airports with good runway and hangar facilities were at that time still very few in num-ber and far apart, they agreed that their plane would have to be able to take off from and land on what-ever modest-sized clearing owners might be able to fi nd.

Because the g lues and var -nishes available in those long-ago days were rather lacking in water-resistance, the new plane would have to be designed so that its wing folded for towing behind a car to a garage or barn for storage.

While some European war-planes such as the German Fokkers had fuselages put together com-paratively quickly by welding steel tubing of suitable length and di-ameters, the technique of building this way was not very well under-stood in the United States. Also, expert oxyacetylene welders were scarce in California.

Much thought and experimen-tation went into the method set-tled upon for building the fuselage. They knew of other airplanes that had wooden fuselages of the mono-coque-type construction. That word is of French origin and is pro-nounced monoKOK. It means es-sentially “a stiffened sheet of metal, veneer, plastic, etc. to bear loads.”

Various other fuselages of this type had been built using tech-niques familiar to builders of light-weight boats. Typically strips of veneer would be laid onto a suit-able building form made of bulk-heads and stringers. One of the problems was to end up with an acceptable smooth, sound, and

Obviously the result of a lot of pattern work and concrete mixing, the fuse-lage molds for the S-1 were solid and durable. While books on the Lockheeds claim birch plywood was used for lamination, material visible to the right looks more like some kind of veneer.

22 AUGUST 2011

strong laminate using whatever a builder chose in the way of tacks, staples, and glues. Sometimes lam-inations sprung apart before the glue set adequately.

They were not, by the way, the only ones looking for an alterna-tive to the wood-and-wire type of construction. While they were building their S-1 in early 1919, the Curtiss company on Long Is-land in far-away New York built a number of Curtiss Oriole three-seater biplanes that had fuselages made with Curtiss’ version of the laminating process. The fuselage of an Oriole can be seen and studied today at the Glenn H. Curtiss Mu-seum at Hammondsport in central New York.

The Lougheads came up with the idea of using large concrete molds in which to laminate right and left shells from which to as-semble a complete fuselage. While very heavy, concrete was inexpen-sive and admirably rigid. The glue most generally used for aircraft construction in those days was of the casein type, made of dehy-drated milk curds ground into a

powder and then mixed with wa-ter for use. Commercial glues of this kind usually had additives in them to impart desirable charac-teristics. While water-resistant for periods of time reckoned in terms of a few days immersion, it was not truly waterproof.

Information in available litera-ture is vague and confusing, but it appears the Loughead team gradually devised a method of preparing materials and position-ing them in the concrete molds. Three layers of very thin spruce plywood were laid up, and one old book claims that layers of thin cloth were spread between them to serve as binding membranes.

When the laminating materi-als were in position in the mold, a rubber bag was laid in place and the mold capped with a bolted-on cover. Air pressure then forced the rubber against what would be the inner surface of the finished molding. This applied necessary pressure to assure proper bond-ing of the glue, absence of voids, and a smooth outer surface. When the glue had cured, right- and left-

hand moldings were joined to-gether with longitudinal bonding strips to form a light, strong fu-selage. The fi nished laminate was 1/8 inch thick.

The structure and shape of the tail surfaces were made to fit on the torpedo-like tail end of the fu-selage. This characteristic look ap-peared some years later on the Lockheed Vega, Sirius, Orion, and Altair designs.

The Santa Barbara experiment-ers originally intended to use an English Green engine on their new design, but had to give up this idea when the manufacturer went out of business. So expert mechanic Stadlman designed a two-cylinder,horizontally opposed engine that he and Allan built in their shop. At that time designers and found-ries were much more familiar with the technique of casting deep, closely spaced air-cooling fi ns. So this new engine was water-cooled. A radiator of crescent shape was made to fit neatly under the fu-selage below the fi rewall. The en-gine developed 25 hp.

To get acceptable takeoff and

This view of the S-1 in fl ight suggests that the German Albatros of World War I could have been the inspiration for its overall shape.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

climb performance from this en-gine, the plane’s wings were given the ample span of 28 feet for the upper one and 24 feet for the lower one. While at fi rst sight appearing to be a biplane, the S-1 was actu-ally a sesquiplane. “Sesqui-” means “one-and-a-half,” and so this now seldom-encountered aviation term refers to a two-winged aircraft in which the area of one wing (in this case the lower) is one-half or less of the other.

The top wing was of conven-tional two-spar, fabric-covered wooden construction and had no ailerons to simplify manufactur-ing of the ribs. The wingtips were of very pleasing and effi cient semi-elliptical shape. Lower wings were of single-spar construction. V-shaped interplane struts connected the two spars of the upper wing panels to the single spars of the lower ones. This layout originated in the famous French World War I Nieuport fi ghters as a result of de-signer Edouard Nieuport’s strong feeling that the number of wing

A Hint From Boat BuildersMonocoque construction has been little used in homebuilt aircraft or re-

storers, but offers possibilities for experimenters having a working knowl-edge of stress analysis and weight control. For example, using cer tain modern techniques, a fuselage could be made without the need for an expensive mold, and the method could be adapted to such things as tail booms, seaplane fl oats, and fl ying boat hulls.

Epoxy resins that develop full strength without the need for great clamping pressure are now available. They are used in a method of amateur and cus-tom boatbuilding called cold molding, from the fact that these resins cure at room temperatures. A study of this boat-building technique could be produc-tive. But a word of caution—poorly chosen lamination schedules can result in unacceptably heavy or costly aircraft components.

In copies of WoodenBoat magazine, you’ll fi nd advertisements of epoxy suppliers such as Chem Tech and Gougeon Brothers and get prices for their how-to literature and trial samples. WoodenBoat has a catalog that among other things lists books on lightweight wooden boat construction. Their ad-dress is Box 78, Brooklin, ME 04616. Write to Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchota Drive, Madison, WI 53705 and request copies of “List of Publications on Veneer and Plywood” and “Glass and Glue Products – List of Publications.”

Veneer used for cold-molded boat hulls is about one-eighth inch in thick-ness and produces laminates too thick and heavy for aircraft. Being an ex-pensive manufactured product, there’s a question if it’s economical to buy thin plywood and slice it into strips for lamination work. When homemade ve-neer is produced by running planks through a table saw, much of the raw ma-terial one has purchased is turned into worthless sawdust. Veneer is made by special machines in which very large blades slice wood from logs without producing sawdust.

Builders of fi berglass boats use a wide variety of special foam plastic and balsa wood core materials that add thickness and rigidity to laminates. A successful epoxy-based monocoque aircraft structure would be the result of careful study of the many special materials and techniques available today.

The S-1’s wing assembly was really unique. Lower wings pivoted to act as ailerons, and tipped on edge to clear the fuselage when the wings were folded for towing and storage.

24 AUGUST 2011

struts and brace wires should be kept to a minimum for the sake of minimizing wind-resistance while retaining the strength and rigidity created by trussing biplane wings together with a system of struts and crisscrossed wires. The Germans imitated this approach in their Al-batros fi ghters, and we can see a re-semblance to the Albatros’ lines in those of the Loughead S-1.

The S-1’s lower wings also had no ailerons. Because each had but a single spar, it was feasible to make fittings that attached them to the fuselage in such a way as to al-

low these wings to pivot about the spanwise centerlines of their spars. The control system was designed to make the lower wings move exactly as do conventional ailerons. In ef-fect, the smallish lower wings were the plane’s ailerons.

The control system incorporated another feature. By pulling a lever just after touching down on a land-ing, the pilot could cause the lower wings to rotate 90 degrees, with leading edges pointing straight down and trailing edges straight up. This presented the lower wings’ full surface broadside to the air and

provided dramatic braking effect. The cleverness of the wing struc-

ture’s overall design is further il-lustrated by the fact that wing root fi ttings also allowed right- and left-hand assemblies to be folded back-ward (on the ground, of course!) to make the ship narrow enough to be towed tail-fi rst behind a car over the road from landing fi eld to stor-age building.

Extensive test fl ying was carried out during 1919, and the plane at-tracted much favorable attention when exhibited and demonstrated at the 1920 San Francisco Aeronau-

Two workmen easily hold the partly completed fuselage of the S-1. In the original 8-by-10-inch photo, strips of veneer of verifying widths could clearly be seen running in a straight fore and aft direction.

It’s a widely acknowledged truth that each new airplane design is based at least in part on lessons learned from previous aircraft. In 1927 the Lock-heeds (having changed the spelling of their family name) based the fuselage of their Vega on the construction method used for the 1919 Loughead S-1, combined with Anthony Fokker’s method of making wooden cantilever wings.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

tical Exposition. Empty weight was only 375 pounds, all the more im-pressive when we remember that it was fitted with a water-cooled en-gine with its radiator and coolant weights. Weight fully loaded was an equally impressive 600 pounds. Top speed was 70 mph; landing speed a very useful 25 mph. Rate of climb was 700 fpm, which is very good for the power available.

This interesting plane was a tech-nical and operational success, but a commercial disappointment. Af-ter investing $29,000 in healthy 1919 dollars in its development, the Lougheads were very disap-pointed when not a single order came in. They went out of busi-ness in 1921, engaged in a variety of other enterprises, and because people persistently mispronounced their name in such ways as “Log-head,” changed the spelling to the phonetic Lockheed. Theirs was but one of the many firms that suf-fered from the fl ood of cheap, war-surplus airplanes.

As the 1920s wore on, new and vastly improved aircraft engines ap-peared on the scene. Notable was the very reliable Wright Whirl-wind nine-cylinder radial engine of 200 to 220 hp, which powered the planes of Adm. Byrd, Charles A. Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, and others. Designers began to re-alize that the drag of biplane wings handicapped these better engines and turned to monoplanes. Most monoplanes of the late 1920s were strut-braced.

Despite their setback, the Lock-heeds maintained their interest in aviation and in 1927 came up with something really good. By combin-ing Anthony Fokker’s method of building low-drag cantilever wings of wood with their method of mak-ing the S-1’s fuselage, they came up with the very sleek and fast Lock-heed Vega. In the hands of intrepid pilots like the Wilkins-Eielson team, Wiley Post, and Amelia Ear-hart, it made many daring and dif-fi cult fl ights.

Developed from the high-wing

Vega, the low-wing Sirius led to the retractable-gear Orion and Al-tair low-wings that introduced high speed and reliability to airline scheduling. Lessons learned while building stressed-skin Lockheeds of wood taught lessons to designers like John Northrop that stood them in good stead when in the early 1930s they began to design all-aluminum aircraft of monocoque fuselage and cantilever wing design.

So despite its lack of commercial

success, the innovative Loughead S-1 contributed greatly to aeronau-tical progress. It even passes along two important lessons to those who are working with amateur-built aircraft today. One is that there is always more than one way to do something, and the other is that when well-informed experi-menters start brainstorming, no one can predict to what surpris-ing developments their efforts will eventually lead!

This set of general-arrangement drawings, done by Patricia and Monty Groves, originally accompanied an article by them concerning the history of the S-1, and the building of a scale R/C model. It appeared in the October 1972 issue of American Aircraft Modeler.

26 AUGUST 2011

One of the fi rst designs, which proved successful in dealing with the problem of engine drag, was the Townend ring cowl. De-signed by British engineer B. Melvill Jones, this cowling was intended to reduce cooling drag but did little for improved cool-ing, thus it was strictly for in-creased airspeed.

I l l u s t r a t i o n 1 s h o w s t h e Townend ring cowl (also called a speed ring), when installed prop-erly, reduced drag by as much as 11 percent . However, the Townend ring impeded visibil-ity while taxiing on the ground. Engineers and researchers be-gan to explore improved designs that would address the issues of drag and visibility. In 1928, Fred Weick (pronounced Wyck), an engineer from the National Advi-sory Committee for Aeronautics, led the development of what was to become known as the NACA low-drag engine cowling. Weick had access to the NACA Propeller Research Wind Tunnel at Lang-ley, Virginia. Weick and his team won the 1929 Collier Trophy, the first of five Collier awards for NACA. One of the four Col-lier trophies received by NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hamp-ton, Virginia, was in 1929 for the development of the cowling for

radial air-cooled engines. By the end of September 1928, tests of Cowling No. 10 in the Propeller Research Wind Tunnel, shown here, demonstrated a dramatic re-duction in drag.

Illustration 1

Weick (Illustration 2) authored a number of technical papers for NACA regarding his research on engine cowlings, both full-pres-sure cowlings and speed rings. Weick was also interested in de-signing a safe aircraft, one that would not stall or spin. His de-sign was wind tunnel tested in the Langley facility, and a full-size aircraft was constructed and flown as a proof-of-concept ve-hicle, but it never went into pro-duction. Weick and his staff made numerous wind tunnel tests of various confi gurations and instal-lations of engine cowlings. All showed a tendency to reduce par-

asite drag by smoothing out the airflow around cylinder heads, but there was a penalty in engine operating temperature. As the team continued the experiments, it became apparent that some-thing other than the cowling was needed. Intercylinder baffl es directed the air more efficiently around cy l inder bar re l s and heads for better cooling. For the speed ring or Townend cowl, it was the angle to which the cowl-ing mounted to the engine cylin-ders. The following charts show Weick’s experiments on cowling confi guration. Weick was head of the Propeller Research Wind Tun-nel section from 1925-1929.

Illustration 2

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Engine cowls for drag reductionPart I

THE Vintage Mechanic

V E H I C L E P U R C H A S E P L A N

2 0 1 1 L i n c o l n M K T

Design for a Different Point of View Lincoln offers full-size luxury crossover customers a premium choice in the 2011 Lincoln MKT, a three-row crossover that delivers an optimal blend of distinctive design, interior spaciousness, fuel economy and technology. Lincoln MKT craftsmanship is evident on every surface.

The Privilege of PartnershipEAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. To learn more on this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.

L I N C O L N

28 AUGUST 2011

Illustration 3 depicts experiments with a wide and narrow speed ring configuration shown with mounting locations forward and aft on the cylin-der heads. The location of the speed ring would give varying drag decreases and would also affect engine cooling. Early experiments were carried out using a Wright J-5 radial engine, but were expanded to other radial engines of the time. Oscar W. Schey and Ernest Johnson authored NACA Technical Notes No. 334, and Melvin Gough authored No. 335 dated February 1930.

Illustration 3

Illustration 4 shows NACA Technical Note No. 355 authored by Melvin N. Gough and detailing the tilting of a speed ring +6 to -20 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. These experiments were carried out on Curtiss SF7C-1 aircraft.

Illustration 4

Illustration 5 shows a photograph of experimen-tal military aircraft used for fl ight testing and vali-dating the NACA speed ring engine cowlings. Not only was drag measured but also engine cooling. Early cowling experiments tended to reduce drag but increase the engine-operating temperature, es-pecially the oil temperature.

The full-pressure NACA cowl installed on a Cur-tiss AT-5 aircraft, ready for another test fl ight in the early 1930s, is shown in Illustration 5. The develop-ment of this speed ring was a major breakthrough for all World War II aircraft.

Illustration 5

On a test fl ight, the NACA speed cowl or Townend cowl can readily be seen in these NASA photo-graphs. The aircraft is a Curtiss P-3 Hawk with a Townend ring cowl.

Early cowlingexperiments tended to reduce dragbut increase the engine-operatingtemperature, especially the oil temperature.

NASA

Illustration 6Curtiss P-3 Hawk with Townend

ring cowling.

Illustration 7Curtiss P-3 Hawk with NACA

cowling.

Engine cowlings became a method to increase performance of an air-craft, both in speed and range. This invention was to have a profound effect on future aircraft.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

As the team continued the experiments, it becameapparent that something other thanthe cowling was needed.

L a n g l ey may have been the

father of carrier aviation, but

even Poly-Fiber fabric couldn’t

h ave made this work. Good

ideas tend to stick aro u n d ,

though. Hey! We named our

first carrier after him.

Poly-Fiber has stuck around,

too, about forty years worth.

With Poly-Fiber you’ll get a

beautiful covering job that’ll

last and last. The instruction

manual is very clear and fun

to read. It’s easier than falling

off a... well, you know.

information@polyfiber.compolyfiber.com

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

800-362-3490

NASA

NASA

What Our MembersAre Restoring

Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and you’re busy f l y ing and showing it of f? If so, we’d l ike to hea r f r om you . Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source (no home printers, please—those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you’re on a high-speed Internet connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For more tips on creating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s website at www.vintageaircraft.org. Check the News page for a hyperlink to Want To Send Us A Photograph?

For more information, you can also e-mail us at vintageaircraft@eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825.

30 AUGUST 2011

In the last issue of Vintage Airplane magazine I offered a brief overview of “Rock,” a local general-aviation, pleasure-fl ying pilot in need of a fl ight review. Much of the article was told in a “tongue in cheek” manner, but it was more real than fi ction. This article will deal with a fl ight review and some of the considerations I like to use when conducting a review.

The requirements of a fl ight review consist of one hour (minimum) of flight training and one hour (minimum) of ground training. It should include:

• A review of the current general operating and flight rules of Part 91, and

• A review of those maneuvers and procedures that, at the discretion of the person giving the review, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of the privileges of the pilot certifi cate.

There Is No “Pass or Fail” The flight review should

not be viewed as a necessary evil. Rather, approach it as a means of making you a better, safer pilot. If should be fun and, yes, even challenging, depending upon how much fl ying you do annually. It is not a pass-or-fail test!

This is what I like to do when I conduct a fl ight review.

Review the aircraft paperwork. This gives me an opportunity to ensure the airplane is legal to fl y and point out discrepancies, if found. Does the airplane have a current weight and balance sheet? If so, is it kept in the airplane as it should be? Or is it with the logbooks and other paperwork? If it is not in the airplane with

the airworthiness certifi cate and registration, I’ll make several copies of the sheet for the individual, making sure one is installed in the plane and the other copies kept safely with the logbooks. This exercise helps pilots make or keep their airplane legal should they ever experience a ramp check.

If the airworthiness certifi cate is tattered and torn? I’ll usually make several copies of it and suggest that the extra copies be safely kept with the logbooks. If the airworthiness certifi cate is lost someday, or if it blows out of the airplane (I’ve had this happen), it’s quite easy to get a replacement from the local flight standards district offi ce if you can produce a copy of the old certifi cate.

N o w t h a t t h e FA A h a s converted to the new registration system, I fi nd it a good idea to look at the registration and remind the pilot of when he or she can expect to receive a new registration notice from the FAA. (You would be amazed a t how many ind iv idua l s a re confused by th i s new registration system.)

I ’ l l n e x t r e v i e w t h e individual’s logbook, discussing the type of fl ying as well as how

much fl ying the pilot has done in the past two years. Is it local flying never beyond 50 miles from home? Or is it one or two cross-country fl ights annually? This information will help me decide what to cover when it comes time to fl y.

I then like to discuss the new style of NOAA sectional charts, pointing out various changes that have been made both in color usage as well as chart symbols. If you haven’t recently looked at one, you will be

BY Steve Krog, CFI

THE Vintage Instructor

Flight reviews make them funPart II

Most pilots with whom I’ve worked with on a fl ight review will be

quite candid and want to talk

about things in which they may

feel weak.

Go Deep.

Go Wide.

EXPERIMENTER All homebuilding,

all the time.

Light Plane World For EAA’s ultralight and light-sport community.

Vintage Aircraft Online A staple for antique and

classic aircraft fans.

Warbirds Briefi ng Warbird owners, fl yers, and

enthusiasts debrief here.

Plus e-newsletters for Canada, learning to fl y, Young

Eagles, and more! Go to www.eaa.org/newsletters

and sign up today.

Get more out of your membership—and your passion for aviation—with EAA’s family of publications.

32 AUGUST 2011

EAA’s online community

Participate... Access... Connect..in group discussions personalized news, with like-mindedand forums weather & events aviation enthusiasts

R E G I S T E Rat www.oshkosh365.org

You’re cleared to stay connected.

surprised at the number of subtle changes.Also, while looking at the new sectional chart,

I’ll review air space and the symbols and colors depicting each.

Finally, I’ll talk about the FARs. Usually this can be quickly accomplished by asking several scenario-based questions. Example: You haven’t flown in the past four months, but today you want to give your neighbor a ride. Are you legal to do so? If your radio fails and you want to land at a Class D towered airport, can you do so? And if so, what is the procedure for doing so?

At this point in the flight review, I like to ask the individual if he or she has any questions about anything we have discussed or maybe haven’t covered. If the individual is at ease, it is interesting the questions he or she will ask. Most pilots with whom I’ve worked with on a fl ight review will be quite candid and want to talk about things in which they may feel weak. Remember, it has been a long time for many of us since last taking a checkride for a rating.

When scheduling a flight review with a CFI, I strongly advise that you fi rst know the instructor. I’ve had many pilots share their horror stories of a terrible experience while undergoing a previous fl ight review. Many young instructors have little or no experience in vintage aircraft, or they look at you as “my rent money” this month. The latter type of instructor will want to fly with you for three or four hours before signing you off. There may be times when several hours are needed to “get the rust out,” but most often I’ve found that no more than one hour is necessary.

After completing the above steps, it’s time to do some fl ying. But before doing so, I like to observe the individual and see if he or she conducts a preflight inspection of the aircraft. If the pilot doesn’t bother doing an inspection, I’ll ask if that is what he or she does every time.

Once the aircraft is pronounced “fit and safe” for flight, it is now time to enter the plane, adjust and secure the seat belts, and prepare for starting. Again, by observation, it is easy to see if the individual is both safety-conscious and uses some type of checklist.

Taxiing to the runway will instantly indicate if the pilot is aware of the surface wind and knows what to do with the controls and control positions. Flying with students in J-3 Cubs for fi ve to six hours per day makes one very conscientious about surface winds and the effect they may have on a careless or lax pilot.

After completing the pretakeoff checklist, I’ll instruct the pilot to do a normal takeoff, climb to 500 feet, lower the nose and thoroughly scan for other traffic, and then depart the traffic pattern, climbing to a predetermined safe altitude. Then after reaching the desired altitude, adjust power for cruise, and trim the aircraft for straight and level “hands off” flight. This will tell me if the pilot regularly

The Superman plastictravel mug keeps drinkswarm and fi ts nicelyinto most car beverageholders. Holds 16 oz. Travel Mug PLU 5265833800000

$9.99

www.shopeaa.com/vaaTelephone Orders: 800-843-3612

From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted.

WI residents add 5% sales tax.

TM

uses trim as well as showing knowledge and comfort level of operating the airplane.

At this point I’ll have the pilot demonstrate a medium or 30-degree bank 360-degree turn, fi rst to the left and then to the right. This is followed up with a steep or 45-degree bank 360-degree turn left and right. Control input, coordination, and altitude control are key, and this is what I’m looking for. Many pilots will demonstrate a weakness for using the rudder when entering and rolling out of these turns. This can then be pointed out, and we’ll try a couple more turns using the correct control inputs.

Slow flight is next on my checklist. I’ll ask the pilot to demonstrate slow flight by holding an assigned heading and altitude. Here, I am looking for airspeed, altitude, and rudder control. Most pilots can adequately demonstrate slow fl ight, but some are lax on rudder input.

I’ll then ask the pilot to demonstrate a power-off stall with a shallow bank to the right. In a number of situations the pilot will show tension and then comment, “I haven’t done one of these since my last fl ight review!” I’ll then spend a good deal of time on this. After a good workout doing stalls, both power-off and power-on, it is time to head back to the airport.

Before actually returning to the home airport though, I’ll set up a scenario of, “Where would you go and what would you do if the surface wind is such that we can’t land?” Sometimes this causes a blank stare. Most times the pilot will grab a map, an airport directory, or punch in some numbers on a GPS. “Which nearby airport has a more favorable runway for these simulated strong winds? Approximately how long will it take us to get to the selected airport?” You can almost see the wheels turning in the pilot’s head. After a minute or two, the pilot usually arrives at an acceptable response.

The final portion of the flight review involves several takeoffs and landings. I like to mix them up a bit and try a 50-foot obstacle short-field landing, followed by a soft-fi eld takeoff and then a crosswind landing. At some point in the traffi c pattern, it’s not uncommon for me to pull the power and request a simulated emergency landing.

There are really no “hard and fast” requirements for the flight portion of the review other than recommendations for the one hour of flight. I personally like to use the maneuvers and scenarios presented in this article for two reasons: 1) They expose pilots to situations they may not experience under normal everyday fl ight, and 2) They create a fun, but safe, flying environment for the flight review while subtly challenging the pilot. Won’t this make for a better, safer pilot? And that’s the bottom line isn’t it?

To communicate with the author or editor, send a note to vintageairplane@eaa.org.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

AERO CLASSIC“COLLECTOR SERIES”

Vintage Tires New USA Production

Telephone: 800-247-8473 or

323-721-4900 FAX: 323-721-7888

6900 Acco St., Montebello, CA 90640 3400 Chelsea Ave, Memphis, TN 38106

www.desser.com In Support Of Aviation Since 1920….

Show off your pride and joy with a fresh set of Vintage Rubber. These newly minted tires are FAA-TSO’d and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some things are better left the way they

were, and in the 40’s and 50’s, these tires were perfectly in tune to the exciting times in aviation.

Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from the rest, but also look exceptional on all General Aviation aircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above average tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.

First impressions last a lifetime, so put these jewels on and bring back the good times..… New General Aviation Sizes Available:

500 x 5, 600 x 6, 700 x 8

Desser has the largest stock and selection of Vintage and Warbird tires in the world. Contact us with your requirements.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than Septembet 10

for inclusion in the November 2011 issue of Vintage Airplane.

You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to mystery

plane@eaa.org. Be sure to include your name 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 is of foreign manufacture during the fi rst world war; it came to us from the collection of Harry Fenton.

MYSTERY PLANEby H.G. FRAUTSCHY

M AY ’ S M Y S T E RY A N S W E R

34

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35

The May Mystery Plane was suggested to us by Doug Fortune. Yes, I know we ran it before, but seeing the notice concerning the remaining prototype and the type certifi cate being for sale reminded me that it was still an interesting subject, worthy of a repeat for our newer members. Besides, it’s just such a neat-looking airplane!

One answer comes to us from Wes Smith of Springfi eld, Illinois. Here’s his note:

The design started out as Gil-bert Trimmer’s Trimcraft, a two-place amphibian built in 1938 that was powered by a Salm-son AD 9 rad ia l . Dur ing the second world war, the Allied Air-craft Corporation was formed at Cockeysville, Maryland, to build amphibious assault gliders for the U.S. Navy under the designation LRA. Allied purchased the rights from Trimmer, and with the re-organization of Rearwin (January 7, 1943, after Rearwin retired) it formed the Commonwealth Air-craft Co. Inc. (not to be confused with the Australian Common-wealth Aircraft Corp.) at Kansas City, Kansas. Commonwealth built two C-170 Trimmer amphib-ians in 1947 (NX 41853 and NC/N 41999). The fi rst was destroyed in static testing, but the second ap-parently still survives.

The Trimmer added a third seat and replaced the single Salmson engine with two 85-hp Continental C-85s. The span was reduced from 37 feet to 35 feet 8 inches, and the length was increased from 18 feet to 24 feet 9 inches. The speed was in-creased from a VMAX of 85 mph to 135 mph. The VC went from 75 mph to 118 mph, with a re-spectable 45 mph VSO. Likewise, the range increased from 180 miles to 600 miles.

Commonwealth also built a nice-looking high-wing mono-plane known as the Skyranger(ATC 729). Originally designed by Rearwin for the Civilian Pi-lot Training Program, 80 were

36 AUGUST 2011

built from 1941 to 1942. When Rae Rearwin retired, C.H. Dolan of the Empire Ordnance Co. took over and renamed the company, with Dolan as president and gen-eral manager. Kenneth Rearwin stayed on as sales manger until 1943, before going to TWA. Com-monwealth built 275 Skyrangersfrom 1945 into October 1946. At that time, Raymon Voyes was president of Commonwealth. There were several versions built, the last being the Model 185.

Renald Fortier, curator of avia-tion history at the Canada Avi-a t ion and Space Museum in Ottawa, reminded us that Mr. Trimmer was an early member of the EAA, holding number 1152.

The remaining Trimmer is now registered to Eric Engler of Cass Lake, Michigan, as the Biemond CB-1 Teal.

Other correct answers were re-ceived from Thomas Lymburn, Pr inceton, Minnesota ; Roger Starr, Canby, Oregon; Jack Erick-son, State College, Pennsylvania; Lynn Towns, Holt, Michigan; Rob-ert Ross, Pigeon, Michigan; and my fellow Parks College alum-nus Joe Tarafas, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Trimmer’s features were outlined in this factory brochure.EAA Archives

EAA

ARC

HIV

ES

Specifications:Wingspan 35 feet 6 inches

Length 24 feet 10 inches (another source says 24 feet 9 inches)

Height (on gear) 8 feet 7 inches

Gross weight 2,200 pounds

Empty weight 1,470 pounds

Engine (2) Continental C-85, 85 hp

Fuel burn 9 gph total

Range 500 miles

Top speed 132 mph (another source says 135 mph)

Cruise speed 115 mph

Landing speed 48 mph

Takeoff 635 feet (6 mph head wind)

There’s plenty more . . .

and other goodies atwww.vintageaircraft.org

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37

Colorado Sport International Air Showand Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-InRocky Mountain Metropol i tan A i rpor t (BJC)Denver, ColoradoAugust 27-28, 2011www.COSportAviation.org

Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-InGrimes F ie ld A i rpor t ( I74)Urbana, OhioSeptember 10-11, 2011http://MERFI.com

Copperstate Fly-InCasa Grande Munic ipal A i rpor t (CGZ)Casa Grande, Ar i zonaOctober 20-22, 2011www.Copperstate.org

Southeast Regional Fly-InMiddleton F ie ld A i rpor t (GZH)Evergreen, A labamaOctober 21-23, 2011www.SERFI.org

For details on hundreds of upcoming aviation happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins, Young Eagles rallies,

and other local aviation events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events located at www.EAA.org/calendar.

Upcoming MajorFly-Ins

MISCELLANEOUS

www.aerolist.org, Aviations’ Leading

Marketplace.

SERVICES

Always Flying Aircraft Restoration,

LLC: Annual Inspections, Airframe

recovering, fabric repairs and

complete restorations. Wayne

A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472-

1481 Ohio and bordering states.

VINTAGE TRADER

Someth ing to buy, se l l , o r t r ade?

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on fi rst line.

Classifi ed 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 confl ict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classifi ed ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) 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 Classifi ed Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Opal Blue Izod ShirtPerfect for warmer weather fl ying.Classy, casual combed cotton shirtis pill resistant. Small VAA logo isdisplayed on the left sleeve. SM 5265339102060MD 5265339103060LG 5265339104060XL 5265339105060

$29.95*

www.shopeaa.com/vaaTelephone Orders: 800-843-3612

From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted.

WI residents add 5% sales tax.

TM

38 AUGUST 2011

Copyright ©2011 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved.VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Avia-

tion Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES — Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association 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: Members are encouraged to submit 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 remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.

EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

EAAMembership in the Experimental Aircraft

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

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPSPlease submit your remittance with a

check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATIONCurrent EAA members may join the

Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $36 per year.

EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46 per

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

WARBIRDSCurrent EAA members may join the EAA

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

EAA Membership, WARBIRDS mag-azine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT OficAVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

IACCurrent EAA members may join the

International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi-sion and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year.EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBAT-ICS magazine and one year membership in the IAC Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in-cluded). (Add $15 for Foreign Postage.)

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

VINTAGEAIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

DIRECTORS

DIRECTORSEMERITUS

PresidentGeoff Robison

1521 E. MacGregor Dr.New Haven, IN 46774

260-493-4724chief7025@aol.com

Vice-PresidentGeorge Daubner

N57W34837 Pondview LnOconomowoc, WI 53066

262-560-1949gdaubner@eaa.org

Steve Bender85 Brush Hill Road

Sherborn, MA 01770508-653-7557

sst10@comcast.net

David Bennett375 Killdeer Ct

Lincoln, CA 95648916-952-9449

antiquer@inreach.com

Jerry Brown4605 Hickory Wood Row

Greenwood, IN 46143317-422-9366

lbrown4906@aol.com

Dave Clark635 Vestal Lane

Plainfi eld, IN 46168317-839-4500

davecpd@att.net

John S. Copeland1A Deacon Street

Northborough, MA 01532508-393-4775

copeland1@juno.com

Phil Coulson28415 Springbrook Dr.

Lawton, MI 49065269-624-6490

rcoulson516@cs.com

Dale A. Gustafson7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapolis, IN 46278317-293-4430

dalefaye@msn.com

Jeannie HillP.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033-0328815-943-7205

Espie “Butch” Joyce704 N. Regional Rd.

Greensboro, NC 27409336-668-3650

windsock@aol.com

Steve Krog1002 Heather Ln.

Hartford, WI 53027262-966-7627

sskrog@aol.com

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

262-782-2633rlumley1@wi.rr.com

S.H. “Wes” Schmid2359 Lefeber Avenue

Wauwatosa, WI 53213414-771-1545

shschmid@gmail.com

Robert C. Brauer9345 S. Hoyne

Chicago, IL 60643773-779-2105

photopilot@aol.com

Gene Chase2159 Carlton Rd.

Oshkosh, WI 54904920-231-5002

GRCHA@charter.net

Ronald C. Fritz15401 Sparta Ave.

Kent City, MI 49330616-678-5012

rFritz@pathwaynet.com

Charlie HarrisPO Box 470350Tulsa, OK 74147

918-622-8400cwh@hvsu.com

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

815-923-4591buck7ac@gmail.com

Gene Morris5936 Steve Court

Roanoke, TX 76262817-491-9110

genemorris@charter.net

Membership Services DirectoryEnjoy the many benefi ts of EAA andEAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.org, www.airventure.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts E-Mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST)800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts membership@eaa.org

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

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 888-322-4636 www.airventure.org airventure@eaa.orgSport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232 www.sportpilot.org sportpilot@eaa.org

Programs and ActivitiesAuto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 stc@eaa.orgEAA Air Academy 920-426-6880 www.airacademy.org airacademy@eaa.orgEAA Scholarships 920-426-6823 scholarships@eaa.orgLibrary Services/Research 920-426-4848 slurvey@eaa.org

Benefi tsAUA Vintage Insurance Plan 800-727-3823 www.auaonline.comEAA Aircraft Insurance Plan 866-647-4322 www.eaa.org/memberbenefi ts membership@eaa.orgEAA VISA Card 800-853-5576 ext. 8884EAA Hertz Rent-A-Car Program 800-654-2200 www.eaa.org/hertz membership@eaa.orgVAA Editorial/Executive Director 920-426-4825 www.vintageaircraft.org vintage@eaa.orgVAA Offi ce 920-426-6110 tbooks@eaa.org

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions

TM

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.

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

SecretarySteve Nesse

2009 Highland Ave.Albert Lea, MN 56007

507-373-1674stnes2009@live.com

TreasurerDan Knutson

106 Tena Marie CircleLodi, WI 53555608-592-7224

lodicub@charter.net

John TurgyanPO Box 219

New Egypt, NJ 08533609-752-1944

jrturgyan4@aol.com

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39

IntroductionI fly a restored Beech Bonanza,

a beautiful Twin Beech, a very nice Bell 47, and a beautifully restored Cessna 140A. These planes attract a lot of aviation enthusiasts, includ-ing some FAA personnel. When avi-ation enthusiasts approach me to look in my aircraft, I almost always invite them aboard. I enjoy sharing my aircraft with like-minded people. When FAA people approach and they are off-duty, the same invita-tion usually occurs. However, when an FAA person approaches, pulls out

the credentials, and starts asking very direct and specific questions, I handle the situation differently. Once I know I am in for a ramp check (it always seems to happen when I am trying to leave an airport before weather there or at my desti-nation, or when “mama” is waiting for me), I try to be cordial and pro-fessional, and try to have this event end as soon as is possible.

I have asked advice from a lot of people on how to handle the ramp check event. The best advice I have ever heard was from an FAA speaker at

a World Beechcraft Society convention a number of years ago. This speaker (I wish I could remember his name) pro-vided a simple form for us to fi ll out, and he gave us some advice on the use and presentation of this form.

The FormThe form was simple; it was a list

of item names or descriptions, fol-lowed by a blank to fill in the re-sponse. It is as follows (with a few simple explanations that will fol-low the form):

Notice that not all blanks need to be filled in, depending on your fl ight and your fl ying. For example, if you are not fl ying any IFR, then items like the VOR check and the IFR charts do not have to be avail-able for the ramp check. Many, if not most, vintage GA aircraft do not have MELs; therefore, there will not be a requirement to inspect the MEL and make sure that it is on-board. If all flights are within the United States, then there will be no requirement for radio station li-censes. But the basics for the pilot (e.g., license and medical) and the basics for the plane (e.g., airwor-thiness certifi cate and registration certifi cate) must be available for in-spection and be in order.

How to Use This Ramp ChecklistThink of this ramp checklist as a

let-me-be-sure-I-am-in-order check-list. I would suggest that you con-sider doing a check of yourself and your plane every quarter or so. Up-date this form and keep an updated copy in the plane.

If an FAA person approaches you and shows you his credentials and announces a ramp check, offer him this checklist and see if a few random checks of the facts on the checklist are good, and see if you cannot help speed this event along for yourself.

Good luck with your next ramp check. Fly safely.

RAMP CHECK CHECKLIST

Pilot Name __________________________________________________

Grade ______________________ Ratings _______________________

Certifi cate Number _________________ Date of Birth _____________

Airman Medical Class/Date ______________ BFR Date ___________

Currency – T/O & Landings (90 days) ___________________________

Instrument Currency _________________________________________

Current Aeronautical Charts – VFR ___________ IFR ______________

Aircraft N ________________ Manufacturer/Model _______________

Serial No. ___________________________________________________

Airworthiness Certifi cate Date _________________________________

Registration Certifi cate Date ___________________________________

Radio Station License (all transmitters) _________________________

Operating Limitations _________________________________________

Current Weight and Balance Information _________________________

Minimum Equipment List (MEL) ________________________________(MELs are issued by N number, Serial No., and Letter of Authorization)

Aircraft Annual _______________________________________________

Transponder Check ___________________________________________

Pitot/Static Check ____________________________________________

VOR Check __________________________________________________

ELT Check __________________ ELT Battery Date ________________

Making a Ramp Check a Short-Order EventBY STEVEN W. OXMAN VAA 30128

Women’s Web BeltsChoose from an array of bright colors with a silver tone buckle which has the VAA logo lasered on the front. Can adjust to approximately 35”.

52651252 Navy 52651254 Olive 52651255 Red

VAA Theme JournalA great place to jot your memories, or make plans for your next fl ight. Light tan, lined pages, 7.5 x 9”. Printed in the USA on acid-freerecycled paper using soybased ink.

5266135600000

Colorful Travel MugsTravel mugs come in a variety of delightful colors. You’ll appreciate the soft textured fi nish that allows you an easy grip. 5266139000011 Pink 5266139000061 Blue 5266139000020 Red5266139000031 Orange 5266139000051 Green

$9.95*

$19.99*

$13.99

52651256 Fucia 52651257 Yellow52651258 Green52651259 Grey

40 AUGUST 2011

Canvas Bag & Matching HatBiplane embroidered cap and tote are 100% cotton. Metal buckle at the back of cap adjusts for size. Choose bluegrass teal or chili red.5265687314060 Teal Cap 5265687014060 Teal Tote5265687314020 Red Cap 5265687014020 Red Cap

Aviation Silk TiesHandsome, 100% silkprint ties.

Vintage WWII Aeroplanes5266192600000 Blue

Pilot Gear 5265302500000 Cream

Splash CapsRed, white, and blue splash cap with embroidered airplane.

5265825900000

Light blue splash cap with anembroidered seaplane.

5265825200000

CHILI RED

Men’s GolfshirtSporty shirt is 100% ringspun cotton pique with a single stripe on collar and cuff s. Embroidered on left with a biplane design. Featuring a contrasting three-button placket, contour collar and double stitched hem. SM 5265691802062 MD 5265691803062 LG 5265691804062 XL 5265691805062

Cap

$14.99*

Tote

$21.95*

$14.99*

$19.99*

$41.95*www.shopeaa.com/vaaTelephone Orders: 800-843-3612

From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted.

WI residents add 5% sales tax.

$29.99*