(Photo by Ted Koston)

THE
PRESIDENT'S
PAGE
By E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
President, Antique-Classic Division
Great News! The Door Is Opened
At the last EAA Board of Directors meeting the decision was made to allow membership
in the Antique-Classic Division without mandatory EAA membership. Now how about that?
This will open the door for the guy who can't really shell out that extra money, and it'll also
ease the mind of a few people who feel that the mandatory membership is against their prin-
ciples.
This move, the deletion of mandatory EAA membership; was for our benefit, to give greater
freedom to the Division and give a lot more guys the opportunity to participate. This will break
down some walls, for sure, and allow for people to participate without the feeling of taint.
In talking to people over the past couple of years, I was often beleaguered for a reason why
the prospective member had to join EAA in order to join the Division. The resultant attempt
to explain all that EAA is, and is doing, was more than some could understand. I see the
opportunity now for one to join the Division and then take time to learn more about EAA and
then make up his mind as to whether or not he wants to join.
I had mixed emotions about this because in my everyday dealings with EAA Headquarters,
I see how important EAA is to the survival of sport aviation as we know it today. I see the
rapport that has been built up over the years with other organizations both private and
federal. I see the effort to sell aviation, softly or hard as the occasion demands, the meet-
ings at Headquarters to enable all interested parties to discuss and discourse their mutual
problems and work out equitable solutions. Putting together all these things that EAA is
doing everyday for you and for me, for aviation, makes me feel like I HAVE to belong, and
so I do ... and I will ... and I know the majority of you will, too.
HOWTO JOIN THE ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION
Membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division is open to all EAA members who have a special
interest in the older aircraft tJ:tat are a proud part of our aviation heritage. Membership in the Antique-
Classic Division is $10.00 per year which entitles one to 12 issues of The Vintage Airplane published
monthly at EAA Headquarters. Each member will also receive a special Antique-Classic membership
card plus one additional card for one's spouse or other designated family member.
Membership in EAA is $15.00 per year which includes 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. All mem-
bership correspondence should be addressed to: EAA, Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130.
2
Photo by Ted Koston
VOLUME 3 - NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 1975
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CantileverCessnas ... Gar Williams . .. ... . . . . .... .. ... .. ......... . ... ... . ..... . . . . . . . . ... ... . 4
FourAndA HalfDays ...In A 50 HPCub?? . . .Robert G. Elliott . ...... .... .... .. ... .. ....... . 10
Reminiscing With Big Nick . ..Nick Rezich .. . .. . ... . ... .. . ... . .... .. . . ... . .. . . . . . . .... ... .. ... 15
AntiqueTreasure Hunting ...J. R. Nielander . ................................................. 20
Around the Antique-Classic World. ... . .. . .... ...... .. . . ..... . ... . . ...... .. . .... . ... . ... .... . .. 22
ONTHECOVER- Willy Benedict's Monocoupe. BACKCOVER- Wedell-Williams racer.
Photo by Ted Koston Photo by Lee Fray
EDITORIAL STAFF
Publisher- Paul H. Poberezny Editor- JackCox
Assistant Editor- Gene Chase Assistant Editor- Golda Cox
ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT- VICE PRESIDENT
E. E. HILBERT J . R. NIELANDER .JR.
8102 LEECH RD. P O BOX 24 64
UNI ON. ILLINOIS 60 180 FT. LAUDERDALE. FLA.
SECRETARY TREASURER
RI CHARD WAGNER GAR W. WILLIAMS, JR.
BOX 181 9 S 135 AERO DR., RT. 1
LYONS. WIS. 53148 NAPERVILLE, ILL. 60540
DIRECTORS
EVANDER BRITT JIM HORNE MORTON LESTER KELLY VIETS
P. O. Box 458 3850 Coronation Rd. P.O. Box3747 RR 1, Box 151
Lumberton,N. C. 28358 Eagan,Minn. 55122 Martinsville, Va.24112 Stilwell ,Kansas 66085
CLAUDE L. GRAY,JR. AL KELCH GEORGE STUBBS JACK WINTHROP
9635 SylviaAve. 7018 W. Bonniwell Rd. RR 18, Box 127 3536Whitehall Dr.
Northridge, Calif. 91324 Mequon,Wisc.53092 Indianapolis, Ind.46234 Dallas,Texas 75229
DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
DOROTHY CHASE. EAA HEADOUARTERS
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc. and is published
monthly at Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Post Office, Random Lake, Wisconsin 53075.
Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. are $10.00 per 12 month period of whi ch $7.00
isforthesubscriptiontoTHE VINTAGEAIRPLANE.Membershipisopentoallwhoareinterestedinaviation.
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 toAntique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229,
Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53130
Copyright 1975AntiqueClassic Aircraft ,Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3
CANTILEVER CESSNAS
By GarWilliams
9 S 135 Aero Dr. Rt. 1
Naperville,Illinois60540
Clyde Cessna winds up the inertia
starter on his first Cantilever airplane.
4
THE MODEL I A'
a 225 Wright J-5. With the addition of a closed cock-
Engineering progress - it's amazing how many ad-
vances have been made with light aircraft in the past
fifty years. Take Cessna as an example - their sleek new
Skyhawks whizz along at some 130 miles per hour carry-
ing four people in plastic comfort on some 150 Williams-
port horses. Yesterday - many yesterdays ago - the
company was producing their Model 'A' which zipped
through the air with four people - howbeit somewhat
chummy - at 110 on 110. Do I remember right - wasn't
that early version of the Skyhawk (the straight tailed
172) about a 110 mph airplane on 145 Muskegon horses?
Sure, you say - but there have been advances . Just
look at that beautiful training wheel up front - helps
so much in snow and mud. And all metal - strong and
enduring - but why the struts? Electronics - even the
student can navigate from Fort Worth to Dallas pro-
viding the fuse holds. Yes sir - since 1928 we've come a
long way - tailwheels - round engines - cantilever
wings - pilotage - just memories to most - unknown
to many!
One must spin back through years of yesterdays to
get to the Cessna Model A. Late in 1927 Clyde Cessna
figured he could do as well as any Dutchman and build
a wing without struts. Clyde's analogy was to compare
his wing to the Creator's tree limb - "You don't see
struts or wires on that!" His first cantilever monoplane
carried a favorite name - the Comet. Many years earlier
another monoplane - with wires - was designed, built
and named by Clyde - the Comet of 1917. His new
Comet carried four with impressive performance.
Impressive enough to interest investors in forming a
company to build more copies of this 120 horsepower
Anzani speedster. Always the experimenter, while
the new factory was being built Clyde continued work
on a second design, similar to the Comet, powered with
pit, this racing version would run along at nearly 150
mph! Further refinements to the second prototype
added windows in the cabin. The Wright was replaced
with an Anzani 120 hp engine - the configuration now
was that which went into production.
Early in 1928 Cessna began in earnest to get the new
'A' in production. His major effort was to have the De-
partment of Commerce certify the airplane for com-
mercial production. While a detailed stress analysis was
being made, Clyde began building and selling the ship
with the certificates pending. The first certificate,
Number 65, was issued, after considerable delay, for the
Anzani powered Model' AA'. Several weeks later, Type
Certificate Number 72 was issued on September 7, 1928
to the Warner variant - the Model 'AW'. At that time,
those built with the type certificate pending were made
available for modifications to allow compliance with the
regulations . This then removed operation restrictions.
The most popular version of the 'A' was the 110 Warner
powered version. Production began in August 1928 and
ran through 1929 with April of '29 peaking at a reported
rate of 18 per month. This didn't hold for long for the
A W was phased out in favor of the new larger DC-6
series and subsequent 'Chief and 'Scout' versions . A
total of 48 of the A W' s were built between 1928 and 1930.
Other versions of the A included the previously men-
tioned Anzani 'AA', the Siemens-Halske 125 hp AS, the
130 hp Comet 'AC', and the 150 Axelson powered 'AF'.
Production counts on these totaled 14 AA's, 3 AS's, 1 AC,
and 3 AF's.
An in teresting varian t of the 'A' model was type
certificated on December 16, 1928 as the ' BW' . The BW
was intended to be a ' beefy' version of the ' A' series
with the 'beef' coming from the installation of a 220
hp Wright J-5. Problems in certifying the ship arose due
to an intended higher gross weight. The CAA wouldn't
(From Cessna Guidebook)
The first cantilever Cessna - simply designated "Cessna DeSign No. 1". It was completed on
August 10, 1927. Power is a 90 hp Anzani. That's Clyde Cessna in the cockpit.
5
(Photo by Jack Cox)
West Wind III, A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane, Washington .
buy the gross weight increase without a complete
recalculation of the stress analysis. Unwilling to do this,
Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats. Twelve
copies of the three place BW were built.
Construction of Clyde's cantilever monoplane
embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry
at that time. The wing was the impressive part of the
structure in size as well as design detail. The heart of
the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the
Dutchman's Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear
the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier. The ribs were
built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips.
The leading edge was completely covered with plywood
to produce the 'D tube' structure so effectively used on
many airplanes built since then. The airfoil of the 40 foot
span wing was a modified M-12. No dihedral was used
and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage
with zero incidence. The fuselage was built up of welded
steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to
shape the sides. The gear was simple and included a
shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into
the belly. With a tread of over seven feet and large
wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground.
PERFORMANCE
Powerplant .. . .. . ........ . ... . .... . ....... 110 Warner
Maximum Speed .. ..... . ..... .... . . . .. . .. ... 130 mph
Cruising Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110 mph
Landing Speed ........ . ....... .. . ...... .. . ... 42 mph
Cruising Range .... . . . ...... . .. . .. . .. ... . . .. 650 miles
THE 'DC-6'
Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the
gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the
Cessna DC-6 you are restoring. Often that gentleman will
turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas!
6
Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar
and he'll immediately think Aeronca. Considering the pop-
ularity of Cessna, it's somewhat amazing to find how
little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes.
The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model
'A' and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6.
While the AW production was going strong during 1928,
Clyde Cessna's interest turned to a larger more comfort-
able design and the result rolled out on November 1,
1928 as the six place Model CW-6. The white and red
cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5.
This 43' 6" span ship had a rather colorful career. After
being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit,
the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government
while on a demonstration tour through Mexico. Although
eventually paid for the airplane, Cessna's CW-6 prototype
was gone forever. An interesting sidelight was that the
ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexi-
can Air Force and helped crush the Revolution. From this
design emerged the first production DC-6, a 170 hp Curtiss
Challenger powered four place monoplane. The DC-6
received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19, 1929.
An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe.
evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6. In May of 1929 Cessna
built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the
San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel.
The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420
horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp. This impressive
cantilever monoplane spanned 43' 4", was slightly over
30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600
gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage. The fuse-
lage had been rounded out to streamline the fully
cowled P&W and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks . The
one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross
country race between San Francisco and New York -
was aborted due to leaky tanks. The airplane was sub-
sequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the
second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in
The DC-6A "Chief" powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975. This was a big hoss of an airplane and
was impressed into military service in WW /I as the UC-77.
a hangar fire.
Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more
horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000
pound airplane so two additional model s were developed.
The DC-6A 'Chief' received Type Certificate Number 243
on September 30, 1929. The Chief had a 300 horsepower
J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds. The 'Scout', an 80
pound lighter version, was labeled the DC-6B and had
a J-6-7 Wright up front. It was identical to the Chi ef
except for the engine installation and received it's type
certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day.
Behind Cessna's interest in turning out these new
four place ships was a contractual agreement with
Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929.
Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying
the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per
month. Since their current production was under five
aircraft per month, the offer and accompanying picture
painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive
to the Cessna Board of Directors. Their enthusiasm
resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80
acre site which is the current location of the Cessna
Commercial Aircraft Division. The new factory began
building the DC-6A's and DC-6B's in earnest during the
summer of 1929. We all know what was forthcoming
late in October of that year - after building 32 of the
series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Fl ying
Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board
of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt.
The following year (1930) saw production down to a
meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series. Although records
show that some were made as late as 1935, the new fac-
tory was in fact practically through with building aircraft
for a few years. Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt
although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not
build any aircraft.
PERFORMANCE
No. Built Engine
DC-6
5
Curtiss Challenger
DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright
DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright
Gross Cruise Top Speed
2988 105 mph 130 mph
3180 130 mph 155 mph
3100 120 mph 145 mph
ELDON'S 'BABIES'
During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and
selling the popular Cessna AW's and the DC-6 series
and Scouts, his son Eldon had thoughts centering on
what is now considered the ' ultra' light market. As the
Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h
the problems associated with the market crash in 1929,
Eldon was at work designing and building his first 'light'
cantilever Cessna, the FC-I.
The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered high
wing cabin monoplane. The one of a kind Cessna carried
two side by side and apparently did very well for the
power. As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in
1930, there was not much of a market for any powered
airplane. Cessna kept bread on the table that year by
building fifty-four of their primary gliders, the CG-2.
Eldon's next attempt at an ' ultra' light was a con-
version of one of those primary training gliders to a
powered single place aircraft. Really more than a conver-
sion, the new ship - unlabel ed - sported a fully canti-
lever wing, stubby landing gear, and a roaring 25 horse-
power Cleone for power . This ship was also built in
7
---- ,
...
(From Cessna Guidebook)
The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A. Two were built. Some of you replica builders ought
to consider this slick little airplane as your next project.
1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design
further - although the Cleone engine had to go -
ally.
1930 continued as a busy year, in spite of the econo-
mic climate, for Eldon and his baby Cessnas.
show the next version - the EC-1 -
place - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone
- possibly the engine from the converted CG-2
power. The evolution of detail design between the
verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly
of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family. In
short step, Eldon had gone from a crude, ungainly ship
to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which
three were built. Design development didn't stop there
for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added
time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s.
This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3's 30
horsepower engine as a powerplant. Unfortunately, the
Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be pro-
duced and as a result, the present antique and classic
world has no examples of what must have been a great
- fully cantilever - light aircraft.
eventu-
Records
to be another single
- for
con-
one
- this
Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK, Volume
1, by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett. This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna
from Clyde Cessna's first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150. Extremely
rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book. A section
on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928, reproductions of some Airmaster flight
tests from the Sportsman Pilot, three views of most of the important models (including
the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered
in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collector's
item for any aviation enthusiast.
Cessna Guidebook, Volume 1, is available for $6.95 from Flying Enterprize Publications, I
3164 Whitehall, Dallas, Texas 75229. .
8
BOOK REVIEW
I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY
-
By Neta SnookSouthern,
Vantage Press, Inc., New York. 169pages. $6.95
Neta Snooklearned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for
a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois. Arriving at
herfirstflyingschoolinDavenport,Iowa,shewasshocked
to learn that she and her fellow students would first
have to build their airplane before their flying lessons
commenced. Unfortunately, before Neta could solo, the
school's lone plane crashed, putting all involved out of
business.
Riding the rails to Hampton Roads, Virginia, Neta
then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her
instructors was Eddie Stinson). Just before she was to
solo, the government closed the school by banning civil
flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking
daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser,
you know!
Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where
she met Curtiss himself one day), Neta was again
justreadytobeturnedloosewhenthegovernmentbanned
all civil flying for the duration.
Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses, Neta
eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it
shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived. After the
war, sherebuilt the planeandproceededto solo herself!
After a summer of barnstorming, Neta had her
Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles wheresheshortlybecame
GRIMES' GOODIES
Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes ofAtlanta,
Georgia. Right, a Curtiss TS-1. Below, the Navy's C-7.
the operator of a small airport owned by a budding
aviation designer named Bert Kinner. It was here that
NetaSnookmetandtaughtAmelia Earharttofly.
Aviation was a very small world in the five year
period in which Neta Snook carvedouther flying career.
Aviation history buffs will recognize a numberof familiar
names among those with whom Neta crossed paths -
Eddie Stinson, Bert Kinner, Glenn Curtiss, Barney Old-
field, Waldo Waterman, Donald Douglas . In August of
1922, a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out
of her Canuck and has never flown since. She lives in
very active retirement in California today and has pro-
vided us presentday aviation enthusiasts with an impor-
tant documentation of what flying was like in the early
1920s. The fact that Neta was a woman and, therefore,
hadto getall hertrainingonherown,as opposedto men
of the day most of whom were trained by the military,
provides somenew inSights.
Much ofthebookis devotedto Neta'sbriefassociation
with Amelia Earhart, of course, but I found her own
experiences just as interesting ...a delightful little
morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when
yougotyourlicense through themail!
-JackCox
9

FOUR AND A HALF DAYS
IN A 50 HP CUB??

,
(Photo by Robert G. Elliott)
Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method . .. from a speeding
1937 Ford Convertible. Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked, causing them to resort to
dropping notes. The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit
was over the fair grounds. There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls
in bathing suits acted as checkers. Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by
dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move.
Editor's Note: Endurance flights were the rage of the
late 1920s and 1930s .. . until ominous war clouds began
rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism.
Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to
instant fame and, hopefully, fortune for the pilots in-
volved, they did have some practical value. Having
endured a decade of the OX-5's recalcitrant Dixie mags,
leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms, the average
pilot and his potential passengers were understandably
unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of
the 20s. Lindbergh' s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic
was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced
down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and
Jennies, and overnight the Wright engine became the
new standard of reliability. Other engine manufacturers
were quick to see the publicity value of endurance
10
flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record
attempts. Newspapers and the budding new medium,
radio, could be counted on to give front page coverage
to such flights . . . anything to counter the usual fare of
numbing depression news.
The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record
endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes. This
was the heyday of the Cubs, Taylorcrafts, Aeroncas, et
al . .. the days when hard times dictated that the average
Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it. Pilots used to big
rip snorting Wrights, Pratt & Whitneys, Shakey Jakes
and round Continentals didn't exactly lovingly clasp the
little four-bangers to their busoms, however. Continental,
Lycoming, Franklin, Menasco, etc. had a selling job to do
to gain acceptance of their products - so were more
than willing to underwrite an endurance flight . . or two.
In 1937-38-39, the ink certifying one record was hardly
dry before someone else had broken it. The story below
tells of one such record enduro flight.
The story was written in September of 1938 by
Robert G. Elliott (EAA 85145), 1227 Oakwood Ave., Day-
tona Beach, Fla. 32014. He was living in Syracuse, N. Y.
in those days and worked as a photographer, never
missing a chance to cover an aviation event. I think all
of you will agree the photographs accompanying the
article are spectacular. Also, the story is unedited so that
you can enjoy the terms (" flivver planes", etc.) and
phraseology common to the late ' 30s. Bob Elliott is
today an audio/visual specialist for General Electric
in Daytona Beach.
- Jack Cox
(Phoro by Robert G. Elliott)
Harold Allen, left, and Merrill Phoen-
ix with their record breaking 50 hp
Cub. Note the belly tank and the
sliding panel in the windshield. The
wheel pants and tailwheel were not
installed during the record flight .
FLYING BACHELORS
Sept. 10, 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the
world's endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up
by Messrs. Kress and Englert. On Sept. 2, also of this
year, NX-20261, a stock model J-3 Cub, took off from the
infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a
record of 106 hrs., 3 mi n., and 10 sec. Prof. Harold Allen
and Merrill Phoenix, both of Syracuse, N. Y. , were the two
pilots who accomplished this feat. The boys were a little
foresighted, and so they constructed a collapsibl e bed in
the rear of the fuselage. The forward part of the bed
formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze.
Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instru-
ments. For a powerpla ne they used one of the new
Franklin engines, rating 50 hp.
(Photo by Robert G. Elliott)
Merrill Phoenix leans out through
the sliding hatch built into the wind-
shield. Spark plugs were changed and
other engine mai ntenance was ac-
complished i n flight in this manner.
Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline
and automotive spark plugs were
used on the record flight . . . probably
why it ended in a lake.
11
12
(Photo by Robert G. Elli ott)
In this spectacular sequence of photographs, Bob Elli ott,
riding in the Ford convertible, caught Phoenix and All en
as they eased in for another can of fuel . Wonder what
Allen is yelling in the last picture?
13
From the very start the boys had trouble. In the first
place they had not started to prepare for the flight in
time. The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning
of Sept. 2. As it was, the takeoff from the Fair Grounds
was not until 11:29:50. Original plans were for a takeoff
with a full load of gas and supplies, but as the engine was
not turning up just right the boys just got out with five
gallons of fuel. At once they headed for the airport where
they picked up a full capacity of gas, clothing, blankets,
and also their two way radio. The radio, by the way, had
not been tested until just before leaving for the fair
grounds and, as it happened, was a small trouble maker.
One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was
when it went dead. Harold had two ropes with which he
hauled up the cans of gas, so he tied the radio up in the
blankets with one of the ropes, and when they came in to
refuel, the ailing radio was lowered to the car. That
maneuver left only one rope in the plane. On the next
approach the rope fouled on something and as a result
was lost. With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank,
both fellows were indeed required to think fast. Out came
a spare coil of safety wire. Onto this was tied some of
the radio wire. Added also were belts, shoe laces and
finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights. By
flying low enough, Merrill was able to place the ship so
that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of
their makeshift affair.
As it was the two boys had every reason in the world
to come down then, but with some gift or other they
stayed up. After the first contact was made, every suc-
ceeding one seemed to be just routine. Everyone was
just like clockwork. Downdrafts were another thing that
caused many a headache. Several times it looked as if
"Miss Dairylea", as the ship was named, would not rise
over the hill to the west of the airport. At one spot were
two trees . Because of the difficulty that the boys had in
getting around, through, or over them as the case happen-
ed to be, they jokingly named them Mike and Ike.
Frequently, the two innocent trees were cussed for their
delightful position. When the radio went out of the ship,
the note system was adopted. This proved to be very
effective.
FLIGHT FIGURES
New World's Record ................... 106 hrs. 6 min.
Previous Record . .................. . . . . 63 hrs. 54 min.
Time added to old mark ... . .. . .. . ... . " 42 hrs. 12 min.
Engine used . ......... . . Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150
Ship used ... ...... . .... . ... . .......... Cub Model J-3
Distance covered (Approx.) ................. 7214 miles
Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) .. 287 gal.
Average gas usedlhr. ........................ 2.707 gal.
Average miles per gal of gas ... . .. . .. . .. . ... 25.09 miles
Oil consumption ...... . . . ......... . ............. 2 qts.
Average oil consumption/hr. .. . ..... . .......... . 018 qt.
Refueling contacts .... . .. . ... . .. . . .. ... . . .......... 60
Contacts for food, supplies, etc. ....... , . ..... , . . . . .. 25
Engine run on block directly before flight .... .. .. 35 hrs.
'Engine run on block directly after flight ...... ... 25 hrs.
14
The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for
their excellent cooperation. They should be given credit
for making the flight as well carried out as it was. It
might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time
than the two pilots. Circumstance made it necessary for
these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold
and Merrill. Whenever the ship flew over the field, they
would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys
upstairs wanted anything. As this got troublesome, they
were informed that if they wished anything, to fly low
over the hangar; otherwise, to stay up around a thousand
feet. After this method was installed, things clicked more
smoothly.
To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and
to make any necessary minor adjustments, Charles
Flaherty, a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar,
installed a sliding front windshield. With this the boys
could easily gain access to the motor ,
A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by
Merrill. According to Harold, Merrill would borrow
Harold's comb to comb his curly blond hair just before
every refueling. Also, he shaved nearly everyday.
Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with
their liquids. All was packed in waterproof containers.
Incidentally they had the best of eats. Some of the time
they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream.
These occasions were warranted by those days spent
battling downdrafts and motor trouble. The difficulty
with the motor was nothing against the engine itself,
however, but was just caused by lack of time before the
flight began to iron out all minor ailments.
It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole
flight to an end. Tuesday night, Sept. 6, a contact was
made at about nine o'clock. The radio went up that time.
Around again they came for five of gas. Then again for
another five . As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the
field, it was noticed that the engine was missing badly.
A change of plugs was in order for the occasion. Up they
went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always
changed. Formerly this act had always taken place in the
daytime, and no trouble had been experienced. This time,
however, different conditions prevailed. It was necessary
for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth, and with his
two hands then went about changing the bad plugs. Be-
cause he was standing up, it was impossible for Harold
to see the instrument panel. Being dark over the lake
also made it hard to see their altitude. Finally, the water
was seen. The ship was given full gun, but she would not
take. Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her
down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater.
She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle.
The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield, and
Harold had dived through the window. At once they began
to tow the ship in towards the shore. The boys called the
field and were taken over by the police. A roaring fire,
dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them. The ship
was not damaged to any extent, and the boys were not
hurt in any way. They later stated that they had planned
to dry the ship out, and fly it back to the airport, but
when they went back that night the mechanics had
removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain
faster. Harold's watch stopped at 9:33:20 Sept . 6. The
flight was called a huge success, in view of the fact that
numerous difficulties arose,
(Photo by Robert G. Elliott)
Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake
Onondaga. Wonder whatever
happened to 20261? - she's no
longer carried on the FAA's records.
THE PYLON CLUB
PART II
The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentine's Day
with Bob Babb, the aluminum welder from Howard Air-
craft, serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank
and myself assisting behind the timber. Opening night
was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and
they were standing five deep outside trying to get in.
The Club was an overnight success. Word about the Py-
lon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indus-
try and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every
night being New Year's Eve.
The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasn't
long before it also served as an employment agency,
a ground school, flight training center, aviation con-
sultant service, a charitable institution, EAA recruiting,
aircraft sales, blood donors center and marriage and
divorce counseling.
The club also introduced many "firsts"; the first public
use of the now popular " Gone Flying" signs was incor-
porated by the club.
The "Gone Flying" sign came about due to my absence
while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the
non-skeds. About 4 months after the club was opened
I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply
flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis. What I
mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Bur-
bank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago
with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess
who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW.
During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the non-
skeds and checking papers and logs at every stop. Nine
times out of ten, when a flight would arrive at MOW,
the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to
La Garbage, so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in
order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg. It
was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers
REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK
Nick Rezich
4213 Centerville Rd.
Rockford, III .61102
and the "Gone Flying" sign evolved.
The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from
the post office one block west of the club and the night
crew came from the Midway Control Tower. I'll skip over
Roy and Milo, the daytime help, at this time because
they are a whole story by themselves. The tower guys
were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and
enjoyed the company of other pilots. I would like to name
them but, with all but one of them still being with the
FAA, I don't think it is ethical at this time to remind
some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities
some 25 years ago.
The "Gone Flying" sign saved a lot of explaining as
to my whereabouts. When I was away flying an air show,
we would hang the air show poster under the sign and
if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip
with my destination and return date with the sign. I
don't know where " Flying" picked up the idea of their
"Gone Flying" sign, but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the
Pilot Club that originated and popularized it.
The Pylon Club' s success and world wide notoriety
was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that
of the people and happenings that were a part of the club.
Many people were responsible for the success of the
club, but I must single out a great humanitarian who
played a major role in the club and my well being.
The late " Dan" Clark was the president of his family's
firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the
club. Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and
it was through Benny that I met Dan while working
for Howard. Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing
fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn
loved the world of people.
It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world
of business which included such names as the Rothschilds
of European banking fame, Sherman Brothers Furniture,
and numerous other world figures of industry. As a regular
club member Dan knew everybody who came through the
doors and visa-versa. He was as much a part of the club
as I was.
15
Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging con-
test we had over who could build and fly a kite higher
than the other. The more we bragged how good we were
the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest.
What started out as a private boasting affair now turned
into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to wit-
ness the outcome. This tickled Dan and he agreed to the
fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be home-
built and no box kites allowed.
The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport
in Lowell, Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar
along with my Travel Air. The Bailey Airport was a private
airport operated by the Bailey brothers, Charly and Don,
on their father's farm and it was best thought that we
should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we
drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and
quiet farm.
The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the
farm to seek permission for our wacky contest. During
the hour and half drive to the farm, we concluded that we
were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly
that kids today don't build their own kites as we did in
the yea rs past. It was then decided to open the contest
to all the Pylon Club members and their families. We now
had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan
and an open contest for all. When we announced our
crazy program to the Baileys, they were overjoyed and
suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they
could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn
boil and making lemonade for the thirsty. Hence, the
idea of a picnic. Driving back to the club Dan suggested
we send invitations to all of the out of town members
and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show,
an air lift, parachute jumps, etc. - the works!!
Our little private kite contest was now taking on the
shape of a major event that would require funding and
much help.
I called on club member and old time EAA favorite,
" Pete" Myers, to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey
Super Cub for the air show portion ' and Mike Burson for
the chute jumps. We now had an air show not much
different than a regular weekend show. We recruited
Walter Brownell, former test pilot for Howard, and John
Murray as pilots for the air lift. We printed official kite
contest rules and entry forms, ordered trophy's, lined
up a panel of judges, cooks for the spare ribs, official
starter, and my brother, Mike, for the beer.
Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary, this time
to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises.
Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that
no beer would be served until after the air show and all
airplanes put away for the day. We adhered to the agree-
ment religiously, however, we learned a thirsty lesson
the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the
"Clark Airlines" BT-13.
By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry,
including yours truly. The following years we made some
modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes
and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner.
The kite contests were good for business due to the
publicity gained from the annual event. We had contest-
ants come from all over the country just for the contest
and picnic. I still get letters to this day inquiring when
and where the next contest is going to be held. The fly-offs
between Dan and myself were always won by Dan. He
proved his point every year - he was the better kite
builder!
I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10
years and never run out of material ... like the time he
(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)
Dan Clark holding his winning kite, the Pylon
Club Special No. 43. Number 43 was the racing
number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer.
lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlke's
"Clover Club" in Skokie, Illinois . This was a two level
wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place
for all the "500" drivers and owners. The six car caravan
contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club
band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during
the "Indy 500 Week". Muhlke had arranged to have
Merle Bellenger's Indy 500 winning race car on display
along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field. The
evening was quite festive with most everyone being
pretty well bent out of shape by 2:00 a. m. When it was
time to go home, Dan lined all six cars behind his new
Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him
and that he would lead us home without getting pinched.
I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so
it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the
Pylon Club without a race with Dan. Nevertheless we
(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj
Dan Clark and his BT-13. This BT is now fAA
Museum property. Big Nick flew this aircraft
to Hales Corners when it was donated - full
story on this later.
16
Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left)
- and he's still at it (right). If you' ve seen him fly the
Travel Air, you've seen only half the show . .. he doesn't
walk on cars too much anymore, but he still plays a mean
set of drums!
followed. All went well and legal for the first ten miles
when, suddenly, Dan puts his foot into it. As we are
going through Cicero, Illinois, a place no Chicago driver
should get pinched, sure enough, the race lasted about
two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the
curb. As the two burly cops approach Dan's car, Dan gets
out and tell s the copper that all the cars belong to him and
he will take care of all of them. About now I knew we
were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it
was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one. Dan
and the No. 1 copper exchange some words then drive
off in Dan's car while the No. 2 boy watches over the
rest of us. About ten minutes later Dan and the copper
return and Dan gives us the crank up signal. As we start
up, I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dan's car with
the red flashers on. I knew it - we were going to the
slammer!! Damn you, Dan! Damn me for following! Sud-
denly, we are running at 50 mph again. With the police
car in front and last car doing 60. I don't know to this day
what Dan said to the copper or what he paid ... if he paid
... but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to
the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose!!
When we all arrived back at the club, I asked Dan
how did he do it and how much did it cost ... he laugh-
ingly told us to be careful driving home.
Then there was the time we all were driving to my
brother Frank's wedding reception. I had just purchased
a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when
Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me. We
went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland
Ave. doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing, Jo Anne,
my wife, was screaming, "Stop! Stop!" ... and I am steering
like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of
me. That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated
Dan's Hudson, so I rode it out.
We turned the tables on Dan one night. He had a home
in Miami and would visit his mother regularly. Before
going on his visits he would always stop in the club and
tell me his schedule and check to see who would be
flying the trip. His favorite airline to Miami was Delta
and they would do anything to please Dan.
When I found out what flight Dan was going on, I
called the Delta station manager and told him I would
like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway
and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to
give Dan a surprise send off. The manager said it was
O.K. with him if it was O.K. with the airport. The airport's
O. K. was no sweat because John Casey, the airport
manager, was an old friend of mine and a club member.
We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out
of sight from the waiting lounge. When they called the
flight and Dan walked out of the terminal , we started
by playing "Danny Boy" followed by " Moon Over Miami"
and the Pylon Club' s signature song, "When the Saints
Go Marching In"!
Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with
surprise. The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised
him that he was Delta's first celebrity to be boarded with
an orchestra. When they finished boarding all the passen-
gers, we went into our Dixieland show number. This
brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain
was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen.
All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig
saying, "Mr. Clark sho' goes first class!". By this time
the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp. We kept
playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines, but
unbeknownst to me, he was waiting for us to stop and
leave the ramp.
After about 40 minutes the station manager advised
me that he had to release the flight because an incoming
flight needed the gate. The Delta flight was over an hour
late getting off but not one passenger complained. Dan
spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the
passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick. I have
always wondered what the captain and station manager
filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing
MDW.
17
I don't know why they called me Crazy Nick ... sure,
stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a
drink, and I walked on automobiles, drove sports cars
through other's saloons and flew under bridges (with my
Culver Cadet), but I wasn't crazy.
During the 50's Chicago was still operating two man
street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club,
and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out
front and flag down a street car and invite everybody
on board in to the saloon for a free drink, play them a
fast number on the drums and send them on their way.
The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run
over by the street car . But after the motorman got to
know the spot and the word was passed on, they would
slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform
the riders it was O.K. to leave the car. I drove the coppers
nuts!
First time customers could never figure why I parked
my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cus-
tomers. The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and
to mark the occasion the band adopted the song, "When
the Saints Go Marching In" as our signature number.
Sooooo!! when we would open the night's first show I
would lead the band out of the saloon playing the "Saints"
and would march up the back of my car, over the roof
and down the hood banging the drums. We then would
march down to the corner and back - all the while
playing the "Saints". My new Dodges were a huge mass
of dents that would have been on someone else's car if
they parked in front .
People would come from all over the continent just to
see that march and I didn't dare disappoint them.
A friend of mine had a saloon down the street, and
most times I would march the band through her saloon
and back and in doing so, I would clean out all of her
customers who would follow us back to my place. Her
place had a large set of doors, so one night I jumped
into an M.G. that my bass player owned and drove it into
and out of her place before anybody realized what had
happened ... Crazy Nick? No way!! We had some crazy
customers also like Merle F. Buck who played a piano
concert in the rain on the street in front of the club. Yes,
the piano belonged to the club.
I'm late again - gotta run. Next month I'll tell you
about Crazy Bart ... the blood run . . . the python lady
... Pylon Club and EAA.
(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)
Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club.
18
(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)
This is a series of h o t s of the Rezich Racer taken during
its construction at Midway Airport ("Chicago Muni"
to all the old hands). The aircraft is presently in the EAA
Museum in much the same state as you see it here,-except
that the wings are nearly completed. As you can see,
this job was hell for stout. We think Big Nick must have
REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition
in the Thompson rather than a Cont. C-85 for running
the Goodyear races!
Antique Treasure Hunting
PART II
By J. R. Nielander, Jr.
Box 2464
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33303
Introduction
Last month we presented the first of a series of articles
on Antique Treasure Hunting. This month we have infor-
mation on the location of more rare old birds. With the
formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA, the
search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new
momentun. Being an international organization with
members in all parts of the world, the EAA, through its
Antique-Classic Division, is in a unique position to dis-
seminate information on the location and condition of
rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in
restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to
acquire the aircraft of their choice. However, there can
be no success in this effort without the help and coopera-
tion of you, the member, and particularly you, the foreign
member. Please address all correspondence either directly
to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Head-
quarters . You alone may be responsible for helping to
get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air.
Curtiss-WrightTravelAir Sport
Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer
Model 12 in early 1931. It was available as -Q, -K, or -W
with the difference being Wright "Gipsy", Kinner 85, or
Warner "Scarab" engines respectively. The Model 12 was
the two place version. Later in 1931 a three place version,
the Model 16, was introduced, and it was available as
either a -K or a oW, again with the difference being the
engines mentioned above. Production of these models for
civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about
the end of the year. However, the Model 16-W was later
modified into a military primary trainer for export. By
1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright
"Sport" Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder
Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower. This model was
still being produced in 1935. It, too, was slightly modified
and exported as a military trainer.
1
Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E's were
exported to Argentina. One is located at Merlo Airport
a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires. It is hangared and
is airworthy, but apparently has just been continuously
maintained and never completely restored. There are
also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the
interior of Argentina.
As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned pre-
viously, any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these
aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan
American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos
Aires, and enlist his aid in making arrangements for pur-
chasing and exporting it.
Caudron C.635 Simoun
In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line
of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronauti-
cal Salon with his showing of the model C630. This was
a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a
Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower.
The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar
design planked with plywood and covered with fabric.
The fuselage was wood and metal construction having
flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric
covering. The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced
unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in
appearance to those of the Ryan SCW. Refinements were
made to the design and the horsepower was increased to
200 by using the Renault Bengali Six, a six cylinder
inverted inline air cooled engine. Production ran several
years with the model designation evolving through
C631, C633, C634, and C635 and the engine models
varying back and forth between 6Q-0l, 6Q-07, and 6Q-09
2
There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available
in Portugal. It is owned by Dr. Crespo de Carvalho, whose
address is Rua de Santiago, Covilha, Portugal. Dr.
Carval ho has owned the aircraft since World War II.
lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which
, is about one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon.
More detailed information is available from Dr. Carvalho.
DouglasDC2
While everyone who has ever heard of or seen air-
planes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3
many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors,
the DC-l and DC-2. To the casual observer the DC-2
looks very similar to the DC-3, but there are many differ-
ences. The most obvious are the smaller wing span and
(Photo by DickStouffer)
Curtiss Wright Travel Air16E.
20
the more narrow fuselage. The DC-3 originally seated
twenty-one passengers, seven double seats on the left
side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side.
The DC-2, however, only held fourteen passengers in
seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle. The
DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped
cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a
round fuselage cross section. The DC-2 was powered by
two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines.
3
Introduced
in January, 1933, one hundred and ninety-one DC-2's
were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December,
1935.
4
There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently
good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealer's
hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles north-
west of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The outer wing panels
and the tails have been removed and are standing against
the wall inside the hangar, but all of the parts seem to
be there.
This is an exceedingly rare Douglas
0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMr..ty.
The picture was taken at Rochester,
N. Y. in 1935. The legend on the
fuse/age reads, " U.S. Department
of Interior/National Park Service."
What was its mission?
As wi th other aircraft in Argentina mentioned pre-
viously and above, any antiquer interested in acquiring
this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance
of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to
Buenos Aires, and enli st his aid in making preliminary
arrangements .
Bibliography
1. Juptner, U.s. CIVIL AIRCRAFT, Vol. 5, pp. 9-10,
21-24, 35-36, 87-88, 185-187.
2. Stroud, EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE
1910, pp. 88-89.
3. Rolfe, Dawydoff, Winter, Byshyn, Clark, AIRPLANES
OF THE WORLD, p. 197.
4. Shamburger and Christy, COMMAND THE HORIZON
p.318.
HELP!!
These three pictures are from the
collection of Robert G. Elliott, 1227
Oakwood Ave., Daytona Beach, Fla.
32017. Can any of you provide him
with details concerning the aircraft?
The shot to the left is a Waco JYM
and the name on the headrest is
" Roger Don Rae." How about this,
Rog? (The picture was taken at
Syracuse, N. Y. in 1935.)
This trim little Commandair 3C3
was snapped at Syracuse in 1935. The
"N" number appears to be NC234E
... ring any bells for anyone?
21
Around The Antique/Classic World
Le Blond Engine Info
The following letter appeared in the January/
February issue of The Little Round Engine Flyer
edited by Ken Williams of 331 E. Franklin
St., Portage, Wisconsin 53901 .
" Dear Ken :
Per your questions in the latest Little
Round Engine Flyer, concerning the 7 cylinder
substitutions. AS FAR AS I KNOW there never
was a 7 cylinder model using the improved
cast iron cylinder as on the 70 hp 5 cylinder
engines - probably because by that time the
early 5 cylinder 85 (5-DF85) developed almost
as much power and was 12 to 15 Ibs. lighter
and simpler.
However, there was a 7 cylinder model that
used the 85 hp steel/aluminum cylinder, but
was an early engine without thrust bearing
and was a companion to the 5DF85. My info
shows it as the 7DFll0. Remember, all the 0
models, 5 or 7 cylinders, were two bearing
shaft engines. From my experience with my 5
cylinder models, you can put any cylinder on
any case since all the cases and insides are the
same. And it follows that since the flange
areas and cylinder skirt diameters (outside)
are the same, any cylinder should go on your
7 cylinder case. Should be just as capable a
performer as the 5DF85, except that I think
that here was where they probably ran into a
marginal situation on the crank shaft which
caused the development of the three bearing
~ n g i n e s Probably more marginal on the 7
cylinder than on the 5's.
Even though there never was a legal engine
with the 70 hp iron cylinders, I'm sure they
will fit and you'll end up with a superior
engine without any other problems, since
power would be only marginally increased
by virtue of slightly higher rpm, assuming it
would be the same as the difference between
the 5 cylinder 65 and 70, 1910 versus 1950
rpm bore and stroke, pistons and valves,
etc., all the same, balance the same.
But I would not be above running it as
it was if you can find two better cylinders
as replacements - or repair those you have.
Look carefully for cracks around the tip of the
valve guide bosses in the parts. Bosses are
very skimpy. Also some early cylinders have
thinner boss flanges. That's the big advantage
of the 70 type cylinders. Not only inside valve
gear but much heavier base flanges and alot
of meat in the valve guide bosses - no pro-
blems in those areas.
Also, as I think I mentioned earlier (and
assuming similar problems in the 7 cylinder
90 as in the 5 cylinder 65), the spark timing
is called out as 25 degrees in the 70, and 30
degrees in the 65 on the engine nameplates.
I have to assume they had a detonation prob-
lem and were occasionally blowing jugs,
which is why they retarded the spark 5 degrees
and heavied up the cylinder base flange on the
70's.
If you run either the 65 or the 70 hp
cylinders on that engine, use the 25 degree
advance setting. If you run the 85 cylinders
you can turn it faster mainly because the
cylinders cool better. Set spark as for any 85,
30 degree max. A couple degrees retarded won' t
hurt it, say 27 or 28 degrees.
But, to sum it up, any of the 65, 70, or 85
type cylinders will fit that engine and there
should be no problem. Go which ever way is
easiest. But take a good look at old cylinders
- you have to be sure they are O.k. first.
Are you sure the two cylinders you don't like
are not repairable? I've repaired a lot of
broken cooling fins, etc. on those cylinders
with silver solder (if that's what it is).
1. Sand blast cylinders.
2. Grind or sand areas that you expect silver
solder to flow on.
3. Make replacement pieces out of mild
steel sheet, 1/ 16 thick, and sand or grind
Similar areas.
4. Warm up entire cylinder with torch and
using any suitable clamps, wedges, etc., to hold
pieces in place and with plenty flux all over,
solder them on.
5. Grind off excess solder lumps, etc.
You'll never see it after cylinders are painted
and the fin will be as effective as original
and expansion is same as original cast iron.
If you find valve guide cracks on otherwise
good cylinders, they can be silver soldered
also, unless hard to reach. In any case the
new guides can be silver soldered to the end
of the cracked boss.
Some I have found cracked and even with
pieces broken out of the tip edge. The cast
iron is very thin there - as little as 1/6 in.
in places. YOU CAN REPAIR MOST.
Don' t try arc welding with nickle rod. Too
much warpage.
I've never cracked one in the soldering pro-
cess, iron seems quite ductile.
I don't have any parts, just a lot of words."
Yours truly,
Frank Luft
1631 McGregor Way
San Jose, Calif. 95129
Culver Cadet Addendum
In the September 1974 edition of " Reminisc-
ing With Big Nick" , the Great One extolled the
virtues of one of his favorite airplanes, the
Culver Cadet. Nick followed his own exper-
iences with the little speedster with the story
of two California dentists who attempted to
fly completely around South America in their
Cadet in February of 1941. He concluded with
an appeal to EAAers in the San Francisco area
to attempt to locate the two, Drs. Cecil
Smith and Joseph Lorenz.
It didn't take long for the word to come in.
A letter from Mrs. Lorenz revealed that Dr.
Smith had been killed in an airplane crash
between Redding, California and San Francisco
shortly after the South American adventure. His
wife died shortly afterward. Dr. Lorenz died
a number of years ago, also, but his widow
was pleased to know that her husband and
his friend were still remembered and admired
by aviation enthusiasts of today. She sent
along the two pictures that appear here - of
the flying dentists preparing to depart on their
epic South American adventure.
(Courtesy Mrs. Joseph Lorenz)
Dr. Joseph Lorenz, left and Dr. Cecil
Smith pose before climbing aboard
their Culver Cadet and heading for
South America. The Culver would
never see the U.S. again. (That's
a Monocoupe visible ahead of the
Culver's prop.)
22
(Courtesy Mrs. Joseph Lorenz)
Dr. Lorenz hand props the Cadet's
ground adjustable Freedman-
Burnham propeller.
CLASSIFIEDS
WANTED - Hisso engine or crankcase. 150 or 180 hp to
complete a B.E. 2 project. Call Mark Spry, 201/327-
7128, 22 Fabio Dr. , Ramsey, New Jersey 07446.
FOR SALE - Three low-time 175 and 200 Ranger en-
gines. Elmer Farris, Jr. , 142 Preston Ave., Lexing-
ton, Kentucky 40502.
WANTED - Stinson 108-3 in excellent condition. R. W.
Ross, 1700 N. Williams St. No. 48, Valdosta, Georgia
31601. Phone 912/244-3235 or 8332.
INFORMATION SOUGHT - Am res toring Lockheed
lOA, Mfg. 4-38, N-241M, to authentic World War
II markings . Any help regarding history, use, pur-
pose, s ervice markings, etc. of the Lockheed 10
series will be greatly appreciated. J. R. Almand,
909 Dalworth St., Grand Prairie, Tx. 75050.
WANTED - One GOOD front strut for a PRE-WAR J-3.
Small barrel O.K. Trade late model strut with sib
for it. For sale or trade: ' 46 Chief less engine, struts
and tails. Good wings and fuselage w/cowling and
windshield . Al so 125 Warner open rocker, taper
shaft engine. Removed for 145 in Monocoupe. No
logs. Has s tarter. Dave Workman, 400 South St. ,
Zanesville, Ohio 43701. 6141452-1636.
Calendar Of Events
MAY 23-26 - HAMlLTON, OHIO - Annual National Waco Fly-In. Contact
Ray Brandly, 2650 West. A1ex.-BeUbrook Rd., Dayton, Ohio 45459.
MAY 23-26 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA -11th Annual West Coast
Antique Aircraft Fly-In for antique, classic and amateur-built
aircraft. Static displays, flying events, air show, trophies. Friday
and Saturday night get-acquainted parties . Sunday Awards Ban-
quet. For further information contact Watsonville Chamber of
Commerce, Box 470, Watsonville, Calif. 95076, or W. B. Richards,
2490 Greer Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303.
MAY 23-26 - KENTUCKY LAKE, KENTUCKY - 1975 National Swift
Fly-In. Contact: Charlie Nelson, International Swift Association,
Inc., P. O. Box 644, Athens, Tenn. 37303.
MAY 31 - JUNE 1 - CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND - Potomac Antique
Aero Squadron Annual Fly-In at Horn Point Airport on the Frank
DuPont estate just WSW of Cambridge, Maryland. Beautiful grass
runways, no registration fees, free camping - just a super fun f1y-
in. Contact Sam Huntington, Fly-In Coordinator, Avery Road, Shady
Side, Maryland 20867. Phone 3011261-5190.
JUNE 6-8 - ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA - 6th Annual Old South
Hospitality Fly-In, sponsored by EAA Chapters 242 and 249. An-
tiques and Classics welcome.
JUNE 8 - ZANESVILLE, OHIO - 3rd Annual EAA Chapter 425 Fly-In!
Breakfast. Municipal Airport. Contact Dave Workman, 400 South St.,
Zan::sviUe, Ohio 43701.
JUNE 12-15 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - Walter H. Beech Build-
ing Dedication and Invitational Staggerwing and Travel Air Fly-
In. Contact: The Staggerwing Museum Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box
550, Tullahoma, Tenn. 37388.
JUNE 13-15 - DENTON, TEXAS - Texas Antique Airplane Association,
Inc. Fly-ln. Contact Myrna Johnson, 2516 Shady Brook Dr., Bedford,
Texas 76021. Phone 8171283-1702.
JUNE 15 - WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK - 2nd Antique-Classic and
Homebuilt Fly-lnlPancake Breakfast. Trophies . Whitfords Air-
port. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486. Contact: Dick Forger, 204
Woodspath Rd., Liverpoor, N. Y. 13088.
AUGUST 24 - WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK - Air Show and Fly-In
Breakfast sponsored by EAA Chapter 486. Whitfords Airport .
Contact Dick Forger, 204 Woodspath Rd. , Liverpool, N. Y. 13088.
JULY 29 - AUGUST 4,1975 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 23rd Annual EAA
Fly-In Convention. Sport aviation world's greatest event. It' s not too
early to make plans and reservations!
FLORIDA SPORT AVIATION ACTIVITIES - The very active Florida Sport
Aviation Antique and Classic Association has a fly-in somewhere in the
state almost every month. The decision on the location of the next fly-
in is usually made on too short notice for inclusion in The Vintege Air-
plane, so we recommend to all planning a Florida vacation that they
contact FSAACA President Ed Escallon, Box 12731, St. Petersburg, Florida
33733 for fly-in details. Join the fun!
Back Issues Of The Vintage Airplane
Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at $1.00 each . Copies s till
on hand at EAA Headquarters are:
1973 - MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER,
DECEMBER
1974- JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER,
NOVEMBER, DECEMBER
1975 - JANUARY
23
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.... IR SER'JICE C.O .