VA Vol 23 No 8 Aug 1995 - Members Only

The August VINTAGE AIR­
PLANE is generally considered the
EAA Oshkosh Convention issue of
your magazine. I try to let everyone
know what activities are taking place
during the week, as well as other items
of interest.
It is with great sadness that I must
report to the membership that Antique/
Classic Vice-President Art Morgan
passed away suddenly July 9, 1995.
It was reported to me that Art was
working on his and Kate's airplane on
Saturday afternoon with his friend
Andy. Art told Andy that he was not
feeling well and was going home and
take it easy the rest of the afternoon.
That night Art began to feel worse, so
Kate took him to the hospital at 5:00
a.m. Sunday morning. Art had internal
bleeding that the doctors were unable
to control, and he died at 4:00
p.m. Sunday. A memorial service was
held in Menomonee Falls, WI Thursday
night, the 13th of July.
Arthur R. Morgan (EAA 17674,
A/C 2355, WB 9877) was 58 years old
at the time of his passing. He joined
the Experimental Aircraft Association
in 1962 and was a Century Club member.
He was a very loyal EAA member
- if you called his phone number
and got his answering machine, there
was a recruiting message about the
EAA Antique/Classic Division, asking
you to join up. Art's volunteer work
began in the days of the Rockford, Illinois
Convention. When the fly-in
moved to Oshkosh he became the
Classic Parking Chairman and later
became the Parking Chairman for the
total Antique/Classic area. Still later
he became the Flight Line Chairman,
encompassing the parking and security
areas. Art assembled a very capable
group of volunteers and trained these
people to do a good job. Besides his
work for the Convention, he served as
a Director of your Division for a number
of years, and as Vice-President for
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
Art Morgan
1937-1995
the past six years. Art was a good
friend, and I'll miss his presence at
EAA Oshkosh '95. Kate, Art's wife,
would like for me to pass along her
thanks to everyone for their thoughts
and kindness.
During the Convention, if you
would like to fly in the Antique/Classic
Parade of Flight, be sure and come
by the red barn to pick up a form.
Fill it out and drop it off there. Parade
of Flight Chairman Steve Nesse
can then look you up and talk to you
about this activity. We also will be
once again having our fly out to
Shawano. This is a good get-together
for a half day to relax and enjoy new
friendships.
Speaking of good fellowship and a
good time, check out the Antique/
Classic picnic. Tickets go fast , so be
sure and stop by early and buy them.
Remember, should you need assistance,
come by the RED BARN;
someone there will be able to help you
by Espie "Butch" Joyce
or know where you ' ll need to go for
help. One of the most active areas
close to Headquarters is the Type Club
tent. Here you can meet the principals
of your Type Club. You'll often
run into someone you may have talked
to but have never met face-to-face.
Also located next to the Type Club
tent is the Antique/Classic Maintenance
Tent; here you can observe and
learn about maintenance practices on
older airplanes as well as perhaps getting
an answer to that technical question
that no one else has been able to
solve for you.
Be sure to check the forum schedule
to make sure that you do not miss
a subject that you would like more information
about. The Red Barn, as it
is known, is your Antique/Classic
Headquarters; as I have mentioned
before, this is a very good, recognizable
landmark where you can have
your friends meet with you during the
day. Also, the porch at the Barn is a
good place to relax in the shade and
watch the air show.
Just in case you are looking for
them, the OX-5 Headquarters is located
just to the west of the Barn; then
just to the west of them is located the
airline pilots' sign-in tent. Just across
from the Barn to the east will be 20 to
25 Golden Age air racers - you won't
see that type of gathering anywhere
else. Down the east side of the
north/south paved road you can see
the beautiful past champion award
winning aircraft.
Looking around the show makes
you realize how important the EAA
Antique/Classic Division is as a group
dedicated to preserving and flying Antique,
Classic and Contemporary aircraft.
It is important that you continue
to ask friends to join up with us
as members. Let's all pull in the same
direction for the good of aviation. Remember
we are better together. Join
us and have it all! ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 2

FROM THE ARCHIVES . . .
CURTISS
MAIL PLANES
1925-1930
From 1925 through 1930 Curtiss produced
a series of mailplanes, many of
which went to National Air Transport.
(see the February 1995 issue of VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE). National Air
Transport, founded in May, 1925 was
one of the first companies organized
specifically to operate as an airline.
The Curtiss aircraft used by National
were the CARRIER PIGEON, the
FALCON MAILPLANE and the
CARRIER PIGEON II. With the aid
of photos provided by Peter M. Bowers,
the various models are detailed below.
(Top) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon at St.
Joseph, MO. airport, 1925.
(Above and right) The first of the Curtiss
air mail series, the Carrier Pigeon. This
design was offered in the 1925 Post Office
competition for a single-seat
mailplane to be powered by a Liberty engine.
National Air Transport (NAT) purchased
their first plane from the Post Office
and had 10 others constructed.
These were powered by 400 hp Liberty
engines. With a 56 cubic foot compartment,
they were able to carry 1,000
pounds of cargo, with a cruising speed
of 105 mph and a range of 525 miles.
6 AUGUST 1995

Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II
REGISTRATIONS: NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT 1929-1932
Make: Model Year Registration Years In
built Number Register
Ford: 5-AT-C 1930 NC-4 11H 1930,193 1,1932
Ford: 5-AT-C 1930 NC-4 13H 1930,193 1,1932
Ford : 5-AT-C 1930 NC-420H 1931
Ford: 5-AT-C 1930 NC-422 H 1931,1932
Ford: 5-AT-D 1932 NC-424H 1932
Ford: 5-AT-C 1930 NC-426H 1931,1932
Ford: 5-AT-C 1930 NC-427H 1931
Ford: 5-AT-D 1931 NC-436H 1931,1932
Ford: 5-AT-C 1929 NC-841 4 1931,1932
Ford: 5-AT-C 1929 NC-841S 1931,1932
Ford: S-AT-B 1929 NC-9668 1931,1932
Ford: 5-AT-B 1929 NC-9669 193 1,1932
Boeing: 40-B-4 1930 NC-103S1 1932
Boeing: 40-B-4 1930 NC-l 03S2 1932
Boeing: 40-B-4 1930 NC-l03SS 1932
Stinson: SM-8A 1930 NC-298W 1930,1931
Northrop: Alpha 2 1930 NC-llY 1932
Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon 1926 C-29 1929
Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II
8 AUGUST 1995
Make: Model
Curti ss: Carrier Pigeon
Curti ss: Carrier Pigeon
Curtiss: Falcon
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Boeing: 95
Falcon
Falcon
Falcon
Falcon
Falcon
Falcon
Falcon
Year
built
1926
1926
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1928
1929
1929
Registration
Number
C-31
C-3S
C- 11 2E
NC-183E
NC-18S E
NC-187E
NC-188E
NC-189 E
NC-190E
NC-191 E
NC-191E
C-208E
C-209E
C-210E
C-211 E
C-212E
NC-2SSH
NC-2S6H
Years In
Register
1929
1929,1930
1929,1930,193 1,1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1932
1930,1932
1931
1929,1930,1931 ,1932
1929,1930,1931
1929,1930,193 1,1932
1929,1930,193 1
1929,1930,193 1,1932
1929,1930,1931
1929,1930,1931,1932

In 1923 and 1924, as Sylvester
"Steve" Wittman was preparing to graduate
high school, his dream of becoming
an aeronautical engineer was still a part
of him, but with no financial resources
available for the Byron, WI native to attend
college, he had to rely on his own
study habits and the practical knowledge
he'd gained to be able to make a
career in the new industry of aviation.
A little background history will give
the reader a clearer understanding of
his aeronautical beginnings. As a
youngster, Steve's father, Martin, was
the station agent for the Soo Line railroad
in the little Wisconsin town of Byron,
7 miles south of Fond du Lac. The
family lived in the depot's living quarters,
located on the second floor. His
mother, Mary Ann was also adept at
handling the railroads affairs at the station,
including being a skilled telegrapher.
The family managed to get by fine
for a number of years until tragedy
struck. Little Steve was only eight years
old when his father passed away at the
age of 56. Fortunately, because her coworkers
at the station vouched for her
abilities, Mrs. Wittman was retained by
the Soo Line as the station agent after
her husband's death. Still, times were
hard, and Steve recalled spending a
good part of his youth working to earn
additional money to help support the
family, which also included his older
brothers, Martin A., Hubert, Raymond,
and his older sister, Marie. As a young
adult, Martin A. fell ill with a disease
that slowly calcified his back. He became
a bedridden invalid, and required
constant care. With his mother working
for the railroad, Steve had to help care
10 AUGUST 1995
for his older brother. He found he had
little time for school, and as a consequence,
he didn't finish high school until
he was 20 years old.
After graduating from Fond du Lac
high school in 1924, he and his buddy
Perry Anderson bought a Standard J-I.
He had been riding a motorcycle for a
couple of years with no problems associated
with exceptionally poor sight in his
right eye, the result of a viral illness
Steve suffered at the age of 5. He and
Perry learned to fly the biplane, and immediately
put it to work by selling advertising
on its fuselage sides. They
barnstormed all over Wisconsin, selling
rides and putting on flying exhibitions
to help foot the bills. "Witt," as he was
often known to his friends, also ran a
fledgling fixed base operation at the
Fond du Lac airport, then located on
the east end of the town, directly on the
south end of Lake Winnebago.
But all of this took place after an earlier
aeronautical project, for Steve
Wittman's first airplane was one he
built himself! Before he graduated high
school, "Witt" had been involved in the
construction of an airplane, the first of
his own design . As he finished high
school, he was also hard at work designing
and building his first homebuilt airplane.
Since motorcycle riding was accomplished
with no problem, why not
realize a long held dream of learning to
fly?
In a series of interviews with Pat
Packard that took place from 1991 until
1994, Steve related the details of the airplane's
construction. It was to be a
monoplane of what we now consider
conventional layout, with squared off
tail and wing surfaces. Power was a
Steve Wittman's
FIRST
AIRPLANE
by Patrick H. Packard
and H.G. Frautschy
Drawing and model by Patrick H. Packard
Additional biographical information
from "Steve Wittman - One of
the World's Greatest Race Pilots II
by Aaron L.King, Jr.
Harley-Davidson 61 cubic inch V-twin
motorcycle engine of 12-14 hp at 1200
rpm, complete with an added gear reduction
mounted between the two cylinders
to drive the propeller. The powerplant
would give the airplane its name ­
it was dubbed the "Hardly Ableson," a
play on words by Steve that pointed out
the Harley's less than adequate power
level, given the task Steve was asking it
to perform. It's probably a safe bet that
Steve didn't actually give it this name
until after he had tried flying the airplane.
The actual layout of the wing structure
does have a bit of mystery attached
to it, and with Steve's passing we may
never know. Fortunately, during the
past winter Steve told Pat that he was
pretty sure the spars for his first airplane
still existed in the hangar loft of
his Wisconsin home. After Steve's
death, as preparations were made to
move artifacts from his hangar, Pat and
members of the EAA Foundation's collections
staff, Ron Twellman and Sean
Butler, found a pair of spars that were
identical in shape and layout and appeared
to be old enough to be the spars
for the Hardly Ableson. Close examination
showed that spars were not consistent
with Steve's description of the
spars for his first homebuilt - they were
strongly tapered, and the mounting was
with straps over the center section, instead
of the bolts through the spar as
Steve had described them.
Since Steve had described the use of
the RAF 6 airfoil, and he made no mention
of a tapered wing in either chord or
thickness, it leads to the belief that the
spars found are not those of the Hardly
Ableson. They do appear to be old

enough to be part of the materials he received
when the Pheasant Airplane
Company folded. Steve had been the
test pilot for a number of their airplanes,
and had raced one of their Pheasant
Traveler high-wing monoplanes in local
county fair races and airshows. Although
too short to be standard Traveler
wings, perhaps they have some ancestry
in that design. The spars are
interesting artifacts and it is hoped that
once they are put on display in the soonto-be
constructed Wittman Hangar,
more information will come to light regarding
their application.
Until later conversations, it was unclear
if the wings were cantilever or
strut-braced. Without the actual spars
to check, it is difficult to confirm, but
a passing comment by Steve that he
was pretty sure the wing was strut
braced to the third wing rib bay (the
root aileron bay), coupled with the
general layout of the wing, leads to
a strong supposition that each
wing had a pair of struts running
from the landing gear "Vee," at
the point where the gear legs intersect
at the fuselage, extending
out to each spar. The RAF 6
was a very popular airfoil of the
period, and was included in a
number of U.S. Navy airplanes
built during that time.
The landing gear was very simple
in layout. Two 3/4" x 3-1/2"
oak "vee's" were bolted flat to
the sides of the fuselage, with a
tubular axle running in slots at the
apex of the "Vees." The axle was
actually a pair of tubes, one slid inside
the other for strength, with the
tire mounted on the smaller axle.
Bungee cords supported the solid
axle in the slot, and served as the only
shock absorption in the landing gear.
The construction of the Hardly was
done entirely with wood, except for the
piano wire bracing (purchased from a
Fond du Lac piano store) used in the
wings, tail and fuselage. A spring from
a wagon was fashioned into the tail skid,
and other small fittings were whittled
out of scrap steel. The wood for the
airplane was transported from Green
Bay back to Byron by railroad. The
spars themselves were built in the shops
in Green Bay. One of the men in the
Green Bay shop cut the wood for the
spars, and then Steve brought them
back to the railroad shed in Byron.
Steve had become pretty good friends
with a number of Soo railroad men, and
he would hop a freight train enroute to
the railroad shops in Green Bay, 70
miles to the north, where he was allowed
to gather up scraps and other
pieces of lumber. Steve then returned
home with his wood to construct his airplane.
The fuselage was laid out so that
Steve would sit on a wooden bench type
seat with no padding, and no seatbelt.
The seat was located between the front
and aft spars so that the proper e.G.
could be maintained. While traveling
around on his motorcycle with friends,
he often would stop at airports and talk
with the pilots, many were WW I pilots
who flew war surplus Jennys and the
like. He learned much of his practical
aeronautical knowledge he had to that
point firsthand, meeting the men who
flew and maintained their own airplanes.
Martin Wittman
/I Little Steve was only eight years
old when his father passed away at
the age of 56."
The shed in Byron did not have a
workbench, and the airplane was built
on sawhorses. After the fuselage was
built, Steve mounted the spars on the
fuselage to use as a "self-jig" for the
wing. He bolted the wing spars into position
on the fuselage, and proceeded to
build the wing while in place. Onlyafter
it was done did he remove it so it
could be covered.
A number of areas showed a good
eye for detail, and you can see the beginnings
of some of his intuitive feel for
aircraft construction. The wing ribs all
had lightening holes and cap strips, and
the use of a steel wire trailing edge
showed the young Wittman understood
that an airplane needed to be as light as
practical to fly well.
On the other hand, one item will give
the "willies" to anybody familiar with
what today are considered sound engineering
practices. The use of the wood
screw eyes in tension as control surface
hinges was not the best idea - the screw
eyes would pull out of the wood due to
vibration and/or stress over time. Given
the limited flying done with the airplane,
and the low speeds involved, this
particular fault never came into play.
A 52" prop was carved out of laminated
mahogany, driven by the gear reduction.
The rear bearing for the prop
drive shaft rested in a pillow block
mounted on the top of the cowl, and
the front bearing and gear support
was attached between the two cylinders.
The engine was bolted directly
to a pair of bearers projecting from
the firewall. The gas tank sat directly
behind the firewall, with the
pilot's feet extending to the rudder
pedals mounted on the floor below
the tank. Steve sat down inside
the fuselage with his upper
chest, shoulders and head extending
above the top of the fuselage.
All the controls were actuated using
two-cable controls (pull-pull
controls), and the ailerons and elevator
were stick controlled. No
windscreen was fitted.
The covering was cotton sheeting
from the local Fond du Lac dry
goods store, tacked and stitched in
place, and then finished with thinned
varnish, as were the bare wood sections
of the fuselage.
After the airplane was complete,
he and a few of his friends pulled it
down the road to a farmer's field, where
Steve set out to teach himself to fly!
The airplane did not have enough power
to sustain flight - a bump or two in the
field would launch the little airplane
into the air for a flight, but he never
tried to clear the ever-present barbed
wire fences surrounding the field. He
also recalled that on a couple of landings
he managed to touch down sideways
a bit, rol1ing the motorcycle tires
off of the rims. He applied the standard
fix used in those days - he wrapped tape
around both the tire and rim to prevent
the tires from being pushed off the rims
during a side load. Steve recal1ed that
he flew it only a few times, primarily because
it was very underpowered, with
some vibration from the Harley engine.
The last landing of the Hardly Ableson
ended in what we would describe as
a ground loop, with the landing gear
folding and the wire wheels being badly
(Continued on page 17)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Fred Clark and Bud Roger's
Paramount Cabinaire
As a relatively young man, I'm still
amazed by the fact that "new" old airplanes
are still showing up for the first
time on the modern fly-in circuit. Fred
Clark (EAA 260092) of Deland, FL
and Bud Rogers (EAA 83099, AIC
1243) of Sanford, FL have brought
one of the past's most rare antiques
back to the skies.
The Paramount "Cabinaire" was
the result of the collaboration of Walter
Carr and Joseph Behse. The two
Michigan aviators saw the need for an
airplane that kept the passengers out
of the slipstream, enclosed in a sumptuous
cabin.
Walter Carr was a pioneer aviator
who soloed in 1914 using a Curtiss
Pusher. He soon progressed to exhibition
flying, showing off the new-fangled
flyin' machines to the public.
During the Great War he flew Jennys
as an instructor for the U.S. Signal
12 AUGUST 1995
An unusual cabin biplane From 1929
is back after 50 years.
by H.G. Frautschy
Corps. His aviation experience continued
after the conflict when he
bought his own Jenny and barnstormed
around the country, eking
out a living. In 1919, domestic life
beckoned, and he married a young
lady named Edith from Saginaw, MI.
As the years passed, Edith made it
clear that she wished Walter would
settle down and live in one location,
so he decided to set up a fixed base
operation at the Saginaw airport.
All the time he spent flying passengers
convinced Carr that if aviation
were to progress, with the general
public being flown on a for-hire basis,
airplanes needed to be more comfortable.
Certainly he was not the first to
realize this - Eddie Stinson saw the
same need, as did many others during
the 1920's. Carr wanted to convert his
philosophy into hardware, so he approached
some local men of substance
- two brothers, Walter and Edward
Savage, and John Coryell, all from the
local area. The four men came to an
agreement that spelled out the establishment
of CSC Aircraft of Saginaw,
MI.
Carr's idea for a cabin airplane
would come to being as a three-place
high wing monoplane powered by an
OXX-6. Tipping the scales at 1660
Ibs, the "Maiden Saginaw" wanted a
lot from the Curtiss engine, and apparently
did not enjoy outstanding
flight characteristics, requiring the
touch of an experienced pilot. Unfortunately
for Walter, the project never
got past the prototype stage, and only
one of the aircraft was ever built before
CSC Aircraft folded.
Carr wasn't lacking for work at this
point. The Great Depression was still
four years away, and he was busy flying
as the Chief pilot for Northern

(Opposite page) Fred Clark and Bud
Rogers have brought back the Paramount
Cabinaire, an unusual cabin biplane
built in 1929 in Saginaw, MI. Fred
had owned the airplane for over 20 years,
patiently collecting parts and pieces
needed for the restoration over that
time. Bud became a partner in the airplane
as the restoration was undertaken.
(Top) The distinctive wing and cabin
arrangement of the Paramount Cabinaire
is shown off in this view.
(Above, right) When Walter Carr decided
to build the Cabinaire, he wanted a cabin
with excellent visibility. The seats feature
a steel tube frame with wicker backs
and seats, and fabric upholstery. The
model 165 had a four-place cabin, and a
rather spartan instrument panel dominated
by a Consolidated style instrument
cluster, flanked with an altimeter and
airspeed indicator.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Conceived by Michigan aviator Walter Carr and intended for the budget minded businessman
or for charter work, the Paramount Cabinaire received its Approved Type
Certificate a week after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The economic uncertainties
of the time shut off the market possibilities for the Cabinaire, and the company folded
in 1931 after the death of company president Joe Behse.
Airways, most often flying a route between
Detroit, Saginaw and Bay City.
He still had his fixed base operation at
Saginaw, flying charters and flight instructing
with his trusty Travel Air
2000. His fortunes and experience
both served him well, for in 1927 the
Warner Aircraft Co. of Detroit was
looking for a pilot to test fly their new
engine. The new "Scarab" series put
out 110 hp, and was targeted towards
14 AUGUST 1995
the same pilots and aircraft who were
flying behind the war-surplus Curtiss
OX-5 with its 90 hp. The OX-5 in
Carr's Travel Air was pulled, and the
new 110 hp Warner put in its place.
Over 150 hours of flight time was put
in by Carr with his Travel Air, helping
to proof test the engineering in what
would become one of the Golden Age
of Aviation's more well known powerplants.
All that time spent by Carr in the
Travel Air helped gel an idea in his
mind. If the Travel Air was such a
sweet flying machine, why not make it
a cabin job? With one of those new
Warner engines, it could be a real
money-maker, just the ticket for those
charters to the big city, or as an economic
form of transportation for a
growing businessman.
Capital was still needed though, and
the man who would provide it was a
fellow aviator, a lbeit a rather well
heeled one. Joseph E . Behse was heir
to the Modart Corset factory fortune,
and had learned to fly in the military
towards the end of WW I. He never
made it overseas, with the War ending
before his orders came through. Back
home in Saginaw, he worked in the
family business until it was sold in 1927
to another company.
Behse put his money to work by
backing Walter Carr's new venture,
which may have already had a prototype
flying. The exact history of the
first Cabinaire is a bit foggy, with some
discrepancy as to when exactly the first
airplane was built. The configuration
of the airplane has never been in doubt,
however.
The biplane featured a cabin
roofline that did not incorporate the
upper wing. Instead, the upper wing
was mounted above the cabin, supported
by a set of short cabane struts.
A single pair of "N" struts braced the
wing structure, with a push-pull aileron
actuating rod extending from a bellcrank
in the lower wing to the ailerons
mounted on the upper wings.
The Paramount Aircraft Corp. was
incorporated at the end of the summer
in 1928. Carr was fortunate to be the
recipient of the SIN 1 Warner "Scarab"
engine, no doubt as partial or full payment
for his services during flight testing
of the new engine. It would serve
as the engine in the first "Cabinaire,"
and it appears that his Travel Air also
gave its very best to the project as well.
The actual wings and tail surfaces of
Carr's 2000 were put to use, as was the
basic fuselage. The upper longerons
were reworked to extend the cabin
roofline, creating a three-seat airplane
with plenty of room for the two passengers
to enjoy the sights while the pilot
took them to their far off destination.
As is often the case with a new airplane,
there were lessons to be learned,
and the first airplane may have been
reworked into the second Cabinaire,
SIN 2. As 1929 progressed, Paramount
Aircraft figured they had a good thing
going, for they sold their first airplane.
The early Cabinaires all had the same
basic layout, including a Warner 110
hp engine and a neat NACA low-drag
cowl, which Carr hoped would stream­

line the airplane enough to negate the
extra drag of the biplane's brace wires
and wings.
Four more 110 hp examples of the
Cabinaire were built, including SIN 5,
which received a CAA Group II approval
a four-place airplane. The next
version of the airplane put the lessons
of the first five into practice. More
power was needed for the Cabinaire to
be a true four-place airplane, and a revised
wing and landing gear configuration
(used in the earlier production versions)
was incorporated.
The extra power came from a Wright
J6-5 (R-540) which pumped out 165 hp
with its 5 cylinders. The new version of
the Paramount product was to be
known as the Cabinaire 165. The late
fall of 1929 was certainly a "good
newslbad news" time for the company ­
the Cabinaire 165 received its Approved
type Certificate, No. 265, on
November 2,1929. But the stock market
crash only the week before gave
everybody in business the jitters, and
put them all on edge as far as the future
was concerned.
NC-17M was the seventh Cabinaire
built, and the first of the "165" series.
Carr and Behse gamely worked at promoting
the Cabinaire, but the market
for the airplane barely existed. Only
two more were ever sold, (including
the rebuild of SIN 3, which created SIN
9) even after the two men set out to
prove the airplane's worth in the 1930
Ford Reliability Air Tour, a crosscountry
event that saw 18 entrants.
The Cabinaire placed 15th, not a particularly
great showing. By the fall of
1930, as the Air Tour was winding up,
Carr let Behse know he was leaving
Paramount Aircraft. Sales were going
nowhere fast, and he didn't see how
they would improve.
Joe Behse continued as president,
but not for long. A small two place
floatplane was designed by Ralph Johnson,
who had done the engineering calculations
on the Cabinaire. It was
named the Paramount Sportster. The
110 hp Warner Scarab once again made
an appearance on a Paramount airplane.
Unfortunately, the Sportster
was around for only slightly over one
month. First flown in April 1931, it
crashed in the Saginaw river on May
16,1931, carrying Joe Behse and mechanic
Whitney Merritt to their deaths.
Sometime after the Ford Reliability
Air Tour, SIN 7 was bought by Erie Island
Airlines, hopping passengers
around the Put-In-Bay area. They flew
the airplane until just after WW II,
when it was sold to a company in Wisconsin.
Relatively inactive, the wings
were damaged in a hangar fire, and it
later was bought and moved to a museum
in Sarasota, FL. There, Fred
Clark bought the remains of the plane
during the mid '70s.
He continued to collect parts as he
found out about them, and was particularly
helped by President Bob Taylor of
the Antique Airplane Association, who
had some parts, as well as Dave Clevanger,
who had at one time owned the
airplane and was able to come up with
an engine mount and a few other odds
and ends. '
Bud Rogers is also part owner in the
Cabinaire, and he and his wife Lillian
did much of the restoration work. New
wings had to be rebuilt, since the originals
were damaged in the previously
mentioned hangar fire, and Bud's wife
Lillian helped with the stitching chores.
The fuselage required work as well,
including all new wood. It was decided
that an original Wright J6-5 was to be
used, putting the airplane in its original
configuration. The distinctive look of
the Cabinaire finally was seen by Antique
enthusiasts at Sun 'n Fun '95.
More than one of us had to take a peek
in "U.S. Civil Aircraft" by Jos. Juptner
to refresh our memories about this particular
airplane. Fred and Bud were
kept busy asking questions all day
about the Cabinaire and the Curtiss
Robin they have re-engined with a
Buick V-8.
The Cabinaire 165 didn't make it as
sales were concerned, but as a templescratching,
"I wonder what that is" antique,
it's a rousing success. Thanks to
Bud Rogers and Fred Clark, the rare
cabin biplane with the wing above the
fuselage will be puzzling fly-in attendees
for some time to come! *
My thanks to Dr. William Ballard,
D.D.S. and Robert Pauley for providing
additional historical background.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

Just east of the large city of Portland,
OR, is a smaller community named Troutdale
- the name alone conjures up thoughts
of patient fishermen, beautiful water and
interesting shorelines - that was the home
of McKinnon Enterprises, Inc., a company
that specialized in converting Grumman
amphibians to corporate chariots with improved
performance. The company headquarters
was actually at Sandy, just down
the road a few miles. However, the main
McKinnon Hangar still stands at the Troutdale
Airport.
18 AUGUST 1995
AI Nordgren's
Grumman G-44
WIDGEON
by Norm Petersen
Best Amphibian Award Sun In Fun 1995
Right next to the McKinnon building is
a hangar belonging to AI Nordgren of
Troutdale, who happens to own a beautiful
1943 Grumman G-44 "Widgeon," N69058,
SIN 1291, which was one of the more than
fifty that were converted to "Super Widgeons"
by McKinnon back in the 1950's.
Instead of the original six-cylinder, inline
Ranger engines of 200 hp with fixedpitch
wooden propellers, the Super Widgeon
has Lycoming GO-480-BID engines
of 270 hp swinging three-bladed Hartzell
controllable props with full feathering ca­
pabilities. In addition, it has retractable
wingtip floats , larger fuel capacity (154
gals.) and a beefed up hull and landing
gear to handle an increase to 5500 lb. gross
weight.
Just how AI Nordgren ended up with
this beautiful amphibian at Sun 'n Fun
'95 and ran off with the Best Amphibian
Award is a story in itself. AI was born
and raised in Troutdale, OR, and earned
his helicopter license when he was 18
years old. His father Earl and was also
taking helicopter training, received his li­

cense the very same month.
Moving on to fixed wing aircraft, AI has
bought, sold and traded numerous machines
over the years, but never a Grumman
Widgeon - until N69058 came on the
scene!
The airplane had been advertised in
Trade-A-Plane and was located at Arlington,
WA. AI traveled north to Arlington
and negotiated the purchase, knowing that
a great deal of rebuilding work lay ahead.
This particular Super Widgeon had
been surplused out of the U.S. Navy on
April 27,1947 and was acquired by Lana
Kurtzer of Kurtzer Flying Service on beautiful
Lake Union in Seattle, W A. It faithfully
served over forty years in the Seattle
area until 1988, when it was sold to a party
named Edson, who flew the Widgeon up
to Sitka, Alaska, where it served for about
three years. They brought the old girl
back to Arlington, WA in 1992, where AI
purchased the airplane. It was in need of
considerable help (there were patches on
top of patches). The Super Widgeon was
dismantled and hauled home on two large
trailers to Troutdale where the long road
to respectability began.
As the airframe was taken apart, all
metal was bead blasted to remove old
paint and reveal any and all corrosion.
There was plenty, especially where it was
not supposed to be. However, where the
rebuilders expected severe corrosion,
there was often bright, shiny, aluminum
with little or no hint of deterioration. Rivets
by the thousand were drilled out to remove
aluminum panels as each section of
the large fuselage came under scrutiny.
Jack Barnes, former McKinnon employee,
was the lead person on the restoration
and his expertise was shown at many
critical times. All pieces and parts that
measured up for fina l assembly were
etched and alodined and then sprayed with
a special Boeing primer. AI Nordgren says
the primer does an excellent job of preservation,
and it also allows for critical inspections
in later years that might reveal
future corrosion. If one paints over the
primer with polyurethane, the corrosion
does not become visible, and is hidden
from view - not a comforting thought.
New aluminum skins were fabricated
and installed on the belly of the fuselage as
the old ones had seen better days. The entire
tailwheel with its strut assembly was
dismantled, bead blasted and rebuilt with
all new moving parts. The main landing
gears were also taken down, bead blasted,
magnafluxed for internal cracks and then
reassembled with all new bolts and fittings.
In addition, new Cleveland wheels and
brakes were installed on the gear.
Before new sides were installed on the
fuselage, a 50,000 BTU Janitrol heater was
installed in the aft fuselage to accommodate
those cold mornings in places like
Alaska. AI says this heater has been a real
comfort on many occasions. The tail feath­
(Above) The new custom built instrument
panel features a center stack of radios and
late model instruments. Note the cherry
wood control wheels with ebony inlaid designs
- a touch of real class.
(Left) The heart of the McKinnon Widgeon
conversion that makes a real hot-rod out of
the airplane are these Lycoming GO-480­
B1C engines that crank out 270 hp each at
full bore, yet the large, three-bladed props
get a really good bite of air at the reduced
propeller speed. (Red wing blackbirds also
like the Hartzell props!)
(Below) With the retractable wingtip floats
in the down position, AI Nordgren brings
the award-winning Widgeon in for a perfect
touchdown on the vented step of the hull.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

ers of the Widgeon were all rebuilt with
new skins installed on the stabilizer. The
old pieces of aluminum were severely corroded.
The rudder and elevators were
cleaned up, primed and covered with fabric,
the ribstitching being very closely
spaced for high speed work.
Up in the wing center section, the entire
area was opened up, bead blasted, inspected,
cleaned and then sprayed with
Boeing primer. Long range fuel tanks
were installed to bring the fuel capacity to
154 gallons from the original 108 gals.
Unique to the Widgeon are removable
wing leading edges. These were carefully
bead blasted and reworked to new condition
before being primed and reinstalled.
About this time, Allocated a new set of
landing gear retract mechanisms that had
never been installed in an airplane. He
contacted Sky Control in Sun Valley, CA,
who had built the original gear actuators,
20 AUGUST 1995
(Above) Turning into the evening sun, AI
Nordgren brings the Widgeon up close
for Jim Koepnick's camera. Note his
right hand on the dual overhead throttles.
Did you ever notice that a Lycoming
GO-480 engine has a "smiling face" on
its front cowl?
(Left) Backlit by the sun, the familiar
shape of a beautiful Grumman amphibian
is easily identifiable against the
darker water.
and they were able to supply new actuators.
AI's "Good Luck" charm came
through about this time when Mrs. McKinnon
(the widow of A. E. McKinnon, who
did all the conversions) called. She said
the family was selling the airfield and
house. In the attic there was a bundle of
paperwork they were just going to throw
out. She mentioned Al was welcome to
come and rummage through it to see if
anything was of use. AI says they fo und all
of the original stamped FAA Approvals
that McKinnon had done on the various
Grumman amphibians! A ll of this precious
material was saved and eventually
was sent to a museum in Ketchikan,
Alaska, who has charge of the paperwork.
A very special thank you has to be accorded
Mrs. McKinnon for being savvy
enough to call before throwing the ali-important
paperwork in the trash bin.
All of the wiring in the entire airplane
was replaced to modern standards and a
new floor was fabricated from Boeing
composite flooring as used in their airlin­
ers. A new one-piece windshield was installed
along with a new interior done in
leather, Ultra Suede and cherry wood.
The colors are light grey, grey and wood to
really add a touch of class. The dual control
yokes are handmade from cherry wood
with ebony in lays. A custom instrument
panel was fabricated to handle all new
avionics and instrumentation.
Both three-bladed, full-feathering,
Hartzell propellers were sent in for overhaul
and the left engine, a GO-480-B1D
Lycoming of 270 hp, was majored. The
right engine had about 1000 hours, but
checked out in good shape.
A major improvement was the installation
of retractable wingfloats on each
wingtip. These are an STC'd installation
and are operated by electrical actuators.
The big advantage is a more efficient
wingtip that increases the cruise speed and
allows the float to be raised when the wing
is passing over a dock or obstruction of
some ki nd. Again, the important thing to
remember is to lower the floats for a water
landing, lest you run out of wingtip flotation
when the airplane slows down on the
water. (An upside down Widgeon is not a
very pretty sight!)
Another important addition is a spray
rail that goes completely around the nose
of the fuse lage. This neat spray rail was
designed by veteran Widgeon guru ,
George Pappas (EAA 4071 , AIC 7893) of
Anchorage, AK, and really helps to keep
spray off the propellers.
Once the airplane was pretty much all
assembled and test run, it was carefully

prepared for a new paint scheme with all
colors done in Sterling polyurethane. The
base coat is Matterhorn White with the
trim done in Scarlet Red, Light Grey and
Gold. Again, extreme attention to detail is
evident and the beauty of the entire paint
scheme accents the classic lines of LeRoy
Grumman's beautiful Widgeon. Needless
to say, the classy paint job caught the eye
of the judges at Sun ' n Fun and when all
the shouting was over, Al Nordgren had
won the Best Amphibian Award for 1995
with N69058. (Not too shabby for an airplane
that is 52 years old, having been
built in 1943.)
Following the total restoration, which
required about two years time, many,
many dollars and untold sore fingers and
muscles, Al decided to fulfill his lifelong
ambition and take the pretty Widgeon to
Alaska. The trip was nearly six months
long and covered the greater part of the
huge State of Alaska. He spotted polar
bears along the icy shores near Kotzebue,
found moose along the many streams and
even located a few grizzly bears. On numerous
occasions, his appreciation for the
Janitrol heater that was installed during
the restoration really came to the fore. As
Al says, "It was one of those cases of perfect
foresight."
Working his way down through southeast
Alaska, which is the absolute dominion
of the Grumman amphibians, Al was able
to visit many beautiful areas among the islands
and waters that have listened to airplane
engines for nearly eighty years. This
is where an amphibian, especially a " hot
rod" like a McKinnon Super Widgeon, really
comes into its own. Al relates the
events of the entire saga with a twinkle in
his eye. The inflections in his voice let you
know it was an unforgettable experience.
Running off with the Best Amphibian
Award at Sun 'n Fun '95 was the icing on
the cake for Al Nordgren and after flying
the beautiful twin for over 300 hours, he
plans on selling the airplane and moving
on to the next project. If you are interested
in learning the details, give Al Nordgren
a call at 503-661-8050. Tell him Norm
sent you.
There are a total of 114 Grumman Wid ­
geons remaining on the FAA register including
eleven of the S.C.A .N. Widgeons built in
France under license. ...
(Above right) When purchased in Arlington,
WA, the Widgeon was dismantled
and the fuselage and engines were carefully
loaded on a flatbed trailer. Note the
large augmentor exhaust tubes from the
GO-480 engines that add a bit of thrust
and help to quiet the big bird.
(Right) Rebuilding the fuselage while the
left engine is out for overhaul, we get an
inside look at the aft fuselage where the
50,000 BTU Janitrol heater was installed
before new metal was riveted back on.
Takeoff run @ sea level, GW .
Take-off run from glassy water ..
Specifications: (Before and after)
Rate of climb @ sea level ................ .
Climb to 10,000 ft. .
Cruising speed @ sea level (75% Power)
Service ceiling .
Landing speed
Gross weight
Empty weight
Useful load
Super Widgeon Original 1943
. . 600 ft........... .
... .7 seconds .......... . ......25 seconds
. 1,750 ft./min . .
. ... 1Omin.
....... . 175 mph .
18,000 ft .
. . 62 mph .
.... .5,500 Ibs.
......... .4,016 Ibs.
1,484 Ibs.
......895 ft.
......1 ,000 ft ./min .
......15 min .
.....142 mph .
15,000 ft.
.... .50 mph .
.... .4,525 Ibs.
.... .3,240 Ibs .
. ... . 1,285 Ibs.
EAA has an excellent 80-minute video entitled "Advanced Seaplane Flying"
that is available for $29.95 plus S & H. This is in addition to the highlyacclaimed
"Wonderful World of Floats" which is the finest 2-hour video available
on how to fly floats, priced at just $29.95 plus S & H. For bargain
hunters, order the two videos together for just $49.95 plus S & H, directly
from EAA. To order, dial 1-800-843-3612.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Vintage Seaplanes
DeHaviliand DHC-2 Beaver on Edo Floats
This very pretty Canadian registered
DeHaviliand Beaver, C-FRZH,
mounted on a set of Edo 4930 floats was
photographed in front of John Mark's
Mimminiska Lodge in north central Ontario,
Canada. The Beaver is used on a
daily basis for hauling fishermen to outlying
fishing camps. Some trips are
made with an aluminum canoe tied to a
canoe rack on the float struts.
This very airplane was declared surplus
by the Tennessee Valley Authoritya
number of years ago and in 1986
was sold (in pieces) to the EAA Avia­
22 AUGUST 1995
tion Foundation. Bauken
Noack, of the EAA staff,
hauled the parts and pieces
to Oshkosh, WI, from Muscle
Shoals, AL, and the long
rebuild was begun , mostly
with volunteer help. With
the restoration about half
done, the Beaver was declared
excess to the future
needs of EAA and was put
up for bids. The high bidder
was John Mark (EAA 9866,
A/C 8935) of Oshkosh who
by Norm Petersen
has the hangar next to the Kermit
Weeks Flight Research Center. The
pieces were moved to the new owner's
hangar and the restoration was completed
under the direction of Dave Algrem,
John Mark's chief mechanic.
The Beaver was then flown to Cambridge,
MN for its new paint job before
going to Canada for the installation of
floats.
The partially restored Beaver is pictured
in the Vette Hangar at EAA's Pioneer
Airport displaying the valiant efforts
of the many EAA volunteers. The
flaps, ailerons and tail feathers are on
the floor under the fuselage. Note the
original round window aft of the door
that has been replaced by a Kenmore
large baggage mod and rectangular window.
The fuselage just behind the
Beaver is EAA's DeHavilland DH-89A
"Rapide" named "Sir Robert Puryear"
in honor of one of the donors, longtime
EAA director Bob Puryear (EAA
25472, A/C 77) of Trinity, CA.
Stearman C3B on Edo Floats
This sharp photo of a Stearman C3B,
(NC)5686, SIN 245, mounted on a set of
Edo P-3300 floats is from the extensive
collection of Stan Gomoll of Blaine, MN.
Powered with a Wright J -5 engine of 220
hp, the three-place Stearman C3B made a
very respectable seaplane with spritely
performance at 2850 lbs. gross weight. It
was certificated on a Group Two Approval
number 2-124, dated 9-7-29. The swan
logo on the side of the fuselage has "Escadrille
III" printed above it and just forward
of the lower wing, a bomb is painted
on the side of the fuselage. Note the navigation
lights on the wingtips and top of the
rudder.

These two photos of the 1929 Supermarine
Rolls-Royce S.6. are from
the collection of Stan Gomoll of
Blaine, MN. The first is Sqdn, Ldr. A.
H. Orlebar, A.F.C., Officer Commanding
the High Speed Flight, took up
each of the racing machines himself on
the initial trial flight before handing
over to the officers of the team for
practice flights. He is shown in the pic-
Pictured on the quiet shore of St.
James Lake at St. James, MN, is this
pretty white and red Piper PA-11 Cub
Special, N4812M, SIN 11-323, mounted
on a set of Edo 92-1400 floats. Powered
with a Continental C90-8 engine
of 90 hp, the PA-11 has been the pride
and joy of Tom Alsworth of Fairmont,
MN, for over 25 years. Originally restored
from a bent up "basket case" by
Tom and his father, the late Lloyd
Alsworth, veteran instructor, FBO and
Supermarine Rolls-Royce S.6.
ture ready to disembark from the machine
after setting up the new World's
Record of 357.7 m.p.h. This same machine
also won the 1929 Schneider
Trophy.
The second photo shows the special
touring lighter that was built to the order
of the Air Ministry to allow th e
machine to be towed to sheltered water
when the conditions rendered it im­
Tom Alsworth's Piper PA-11
FAA Designated Flight Examiner from
Fairmont, MN, the PA-11 was mounted
on a set of Edo 1400 floats and splashed
about the lakes of southern Minnesota for
many years.
A smiling Tom Alsworth rests on the
float of the PA-ll as he contemplates
some more water takeoffs and landings.
Tom is related to the entire community of
Port Alsworth, Alaska, which was started
by his uncle, "Babe" Alsworth, back in
the 1930's.
possible for the slipways to be used for
practice and trial flights. These lighters
were actually used on the day of the
Schneider Trophy contest. The winning
and record breaking Supermarine
Rolls-Royce S.6. is shown on th e
lighter which is fitted with a false bottom
running on roilers, and the patent
winding gear launches it complete with
the machine into the water. ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

About this time the fuel system became
suspect, so it was completely
taken apart. The flexible line between
the carburetor and gascolator was old
and partially collapsed. This was replaced
with no improvement in the sagging
off. Next we checked the gascolator
sediment bowl. It had a tiny bit of
"stuff" in the bottom, however, when
we pulled the brass screen from the top
of the gascolator, it was covered with a
layer of cottonwood seeds about 118
inch thick - a perfect "gasket". Boy,
this time we thought we had this one
nailed! This had to be the source of all
our troubles. What do you know - on
the next flight, it sagged off as usual.
Nuts.
In the cold winter ai r, the e ngine
would sag off, but if you caught it with
throttle soon enough, it would come
right back. On an air-to-air photo mission
on skis, Gene Chase had the engine
sag off and before he could catch
it, the engine died! He made a successful
forced landing (the 14th of his career)
in the middle of a plowed field
covered with snow - a half mile from
the road! EAA photographer Donna
Bushman was in the back seat. After
huffing and puffing the half mile to the
airplane in snow up to our knees, we
found Gene and Donna making " Angels"
in the snow and giggling with
laughter.
I pulled the prop through four
blades, turned on the switch and it
started on the first pull! Needless to
say, Gene and Donna took a bunch of
teasing and razzing on this episode. I
flew the Cub back home, bending a ski
Ahhh, the joys of a good
perfonning engine!
in the process when I hit a clump of
frozen plowing so hard it rattled my
teeth.
Through the summer and fa ll , the
engine was sagging off at an increasing
rate, the oil consumption was up to one
quart per hour, and I had the funny
feeling that it was time for a top overhaul
of the four jugs. In October, we
pulled the engine and sent it home with
Ted Travis (616-627-6409) of Cheboygan,
MI. Ted had just fin ished rebuilding
Gene Chase's 145 Warner for his
D avis D1-W and I have been a fan of
Ted's si nce writing a story about his
In the cold winter air, the engine
would sag off, but if you
caught it with throttle soon
enough, it would come right back.
beautiful Corben Junior Ace, " R ag
Rose," back in 1985. Ted soon had the
engine into pieces and parts. His phone
call was "Good News-Bad News". The
bad news: "This engine is a bunch of
junque!" The good news? "We may be
able to save the crankshaft."
The crankshaft was sent in for overhaul
and came back with a red tag on it
- number three rod journal was cracked!
When Ted took the cylinders off and
flipped it upside down, one of the exhaust
valve guides fell out on the floor!
It had been going up and down with the
valve and hanging up at times - which
held the exhaust valve open. This was
the reason for the intermittent sagging
off. It was readily apparent that the
previous twenty years of towing gliders
and eight seasons of seaplane/skiplane
use had done the old girl in.
A factory new crankshaft from 1963,
still in the factory crate and cosmo line
was loca ted , the crankcase was reworked
to new specs, the rods were reworked
to new specs and four brand
new Superior cylinders, complete with
all parts, were installed. In addition, a
new camshaft, lifters, lifter bodies and a
host of other new parts were installed
as Ted carefully rebuilt the engine back
to new condition. His meticulous attention
to detail is something to behold.
Besides the basic engine, Ted completely
overhauled the carburetor, carb
airbox and both Bendix magnetos along
with a new ignition harness. To really
add the finishing touch, he built a new
set of "eyebrows" for the J-3 Cub cooling
system.
The engine is finished in gleeming
black Imron paint and finished off with
brass safety wire. It is literally too
pretty to put out the re when all the
bugs can juice it up! When Ted delivered
the engine to my home (on a beautiful2
X 8 wooden stand), he brought
along a large box of " former" engine
parts. Would you believe that the box
weighed within a few pounds of the
overhauled engine? In fact, I could almost
build a nice snow sled engine with
the leftover parts!
The beautiful new engine is now
hung in the Cub and it ma kes old
N10XS a real hummer again. Hallelujah!
Thank you, Ted Travis, for your
patience, your diligence and above all,
your outstanding workmanship. ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

ystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy
Here's another small aircraft from the pre-war days. Take a
look at that exhaust system - the tubing bender must have had
the day off! From the late Own Billman's collection, the answer
will be published in the November issue of Vintage Airplane.
Answers for that issue must be received no later than
September 25,1995.
The May Mystery Plane is an airplane well known to many
in the country, especially in the great Northwest. It seems to
be known internationally as well, since two of our nine responses
were from members outside of the U.S.
Lloyd Willis, (EAA 28795, A/C 12463)103 Douglas
Rd., Doonside 2767, NSW, Australia writes:
As seen in the article (from the APM Bulletin) it's the Eyerly"Wifflehen."
An unusual name for an attractive plane.
My interest in vintage aircraft is as a flying scale modeler, and
to that end, does anyone know the colors of the SIN 2 airplane
in the photos?"
You can write to Lloyd directly with your answer, and if
you are able to come up with the colors, please send us a
copy of your letter so we can tell everybody else.
Ralph Nortell, (EAA 8493, A/C 4607) Spokane, WA
26 AUGUST 1995
adds that the airplane was named for a newspaper cartoon
of the time (1928). He also pointed out that at least two
were built by Eyerly, with reportedly a few more built by
amateurs.
The specifications were as follows:
Span: 35'-6"
Length: 18"-9"
The weight of the Whifflehen was approximately 470
lbs, and according to the letter and photos published in the
APM Bulletin, it was built up using steel tubing and cedar
spars and ribs. An overhead stick controlled the airplane.
SIN 1 had a 30 hp Szekely for a powerplant, while the second
Eyerly built airplane had a Continental A-40. Dick

Geist, the letter writer, owns the airframe,
prop and engine of SIN , and
mentioned that the ultimate fate of
SIN 1 is unknown.
Correct answers were received
from Charley Hayes, New Lenox, IL;
Bill Rogers, Jacksonville, FL; Lynn
Towns, Brooklyn, MI; Bill Ewertz,
Sonoma, CA; Bob Kaelin, Riverhead,
NY; Doug Rounds, Zebulon, GA;
and Lennart Johnsson, Eldsberga,
Sweden.
Lynn Towns asked about the future
of Mystery Plane, in light of
George Hardie's retirement from the
column. Rest easy, Mystery Plane
fans - the column is one of our most
popular (if not THE most) columns,
and we plan to continue the Mystery
Plane as long as we find airplanes
that few people know. Which, as you
can imagine, leads us to the next
point, which is . . . if you have an old
picture of an obscure airplane you
think would make a good Mystery
Plane candidate, feel free to send it in
to Dennis Parks at the EAA Boeing
Aeronautical Library, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. We will
then have our photo lab make a copy
negative of your picture and send you
back your original, should you so desire.
With your help, we can continue
to send members scurrying off to
their bookshelves to look up our obscure
aircraft every month! ...
Send your Mystery Plane Replies to
EAA Headquarters:
Vintage Airplane Mystery Plane
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
VINTAGE
AEROMAIL
(Continued from page 4)
Mr. Gassaway and I have discussed
your letter to VINTAGE AIRPLANE
and the events and facts mentioned
above. He is agreeable to receiving any
letter or phone call from you regarding
this inciden t.
I hope the above information is part
of what you are looking for.
Very truly yours,
Harvey L. Brown (A/C 391)
P. O. Box 897
Delray Beach, FL 33483-0897
Dear H.G.,
I have a question about an aircraft
and maybe one of our readers can answer
it.
During the spring or summer of 1946
an air show was held at the Mineral
Wells, Texas airport and a feature was
an aerobatic routine by a guy named
"Doc" Estes from Ft. Worth. His aircraft
was a tiny biplane with a large radial
engine. The announcer said it was a
Laird Super Solution. It had no inverted
systems and the engine would
cough or die anytime he flew inverted.
When he tried an Immelmann turn, the
engine died, the aircraft spun in and the
pilot perished in the fire that consumed
the aircraft.
My questions are:
1. Was the aircraft actually a Laird
aircraft?
2. If it was a Laird aircraft, was the
announcer right when he said it was a
Super Solution?
3. Or was it actually a Laird Solution?
I've often wondered about the actual
identification of the aircraft and once
even thought of asking Matty Laird
about it when he was at Oshkosh. The
press of people there prevented any
questions. Maybe someone can enlighten
me?
Sincerely,
Wendell L. "Doc" Roy (A/C 19307)
520 SCR #5
Ft. Collins, CO 80524
To: H . G . Frautschy, Editor, EAA
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
Subject: Articles on what to examine
on an antique/classic aircraft prior
to purchase.
Reference: Ron M. Hynes letter in
"Aero Mail," April 1995 VINTAGE AIR­
PLANE
I fully agree, an excellent idea; however,
I would not publish these subject
articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
If you did publish them therein, and
you did not delete some other section of
the magazine, you would run up your
publishing costs, hence, another increase
in dues . ..
Plus, there would be a long-time wait
between type aircraft. My suggestion
would be to gather as much information
as possible, with as many pictures as
possible, and put all this material in
loose-leaf form because as time goes on
you would be receiving ne w and updated
information.
You could, through the Type Clubs
as suggested, be gathering information
on most a ntiquelclassic aircraft at
once-no long-time delays for readers
interested in a certain type.
Now, we would have loose-leaf notebooks
and those people interested could
purchase them from you directly; charge
them your cost plus shipping and handling,
or what you think the market will
bear! In fact, first ask the membership.
If I were in the market for an
antique/classic airplane, this loose-leaf
publication would be well worth the
cost, especially since it could be updated
and I could perhaps get a handle on
some future problem that may develop
with the aircraft I purchased.
Roy M. Feher (A/C 13798)
5241 N. Via Sempreverde
Tucson, AZ 85715-5967
Dear Mr. Frautschy:
It was with great pleasure that I read
your article, "One of Each, Please,"
which appeared in the January 1995 issue
of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. I was
particularly struck with the history of
this particular airplane having been delivered
to the Clarksdale School of Aviation,
Clarksdale, Mississippi and actually
ending up at Fletcher Field.
This was of particular interest to me
because this was the school where I attended
Primary Flight Training in August
and September 1942 as part of the second
class to attend that school. It goes without
saying that Clarksdale, not having
been exposed to service personnel previously,
was an aviation cadet's paradise.
At that time I attended Fletcher Field in
Clarksdale. Our equipment was PT-17s
and PT-13 Stearmans. Not all the construction
was complete and, for example,
the Second Stage Building, or Ops Shack,
had not been built at that point.
I have, for shoe who might be interested,
a book which gives further details
and photographs of the staff at that field
at that time.
Hope you continue the super stories.
Regards,
J. C. (Chuck) Weber (A/C 10028)
390 Sixth Street
Dover, NH 03820-5903 ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Kenneth E. Aasand
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28 AUGUST 1995
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Balmertown, Ontario, Canada
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Benjamin Salsburg Palo Alto, CA
Louis C. Sandford Fremont, CA
H. J. Savage Oakland, CA
William R. Scheunemann Hustisford, WI
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R. Dean Schumacher Tehachapi, CA
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John J. Shea Douglas, WY
Tim E. Shideler Indianapolis, IN
Derek K. Shipman Denton, TX
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AUG. 20 - BROOKFIELD , WI - A IC
Chapter 11 10th annual vintage airplan e
display and ice cream social. noon ' til 5
p.m. 4141781-9550.
AUG. 25-26 - COFFEYVILLE, KS
Funk Owners Assoc. Reunion. Contact
Gene Ventress, 9131782-1483. Fly-In ----------
AUG. 25-27 - SUSSEX, NJ - Sussex airport.
Sussex Airshow '95. Gates open at
8 a.m. , show starts at 1:30 p.m. For info
call 2011875-0783.
SEPT 2 - MARION, IN - 5th Annual F1y­
In/Cruise-in breakfast sponsored by
Marion High School Band Boosters.
Calendar
Antiques, Classics, Homebuilts, as well as The following list of coming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation
AntiquelCustom cars welcome. For infor­ only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction of
mation contact Ray Johnson, 317/664any
event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA,
2588.
Att: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be
SEPT S-10 - VALPARAISO, IN - EAA
receivedfour months prior to the event date.
Chapter 104 of NW indiana hosts the Trimotor
Stinson for rides during Popcornfest
at Porter Co. Airport (VPZ). Wina­ Coast Waco and Travel Air Fly-In, hosted Fournier 405/258-1129 or Bob Kruse
mack , Indiana Old Antique Ca r Club by Precissi Flying Service. Flying events, 405/691-6940.
display and pancake breakfast on Sunday. me morabilia auction, and great food . OCT. 6-S - EVERGREEN, AL - South­
For more info call Paul Deopping, 2191759­Contacts:
Frank Rezich, 805/467-3669 or east Regional Fly-In. 2051765-9109.
1714 or Rich Lidke, 2191778-2709.
Jon Aldrich, 209/962-6121.
OCT 6-S - WILMINGTON, DE - New
SEPT. 9-10 - MARION, OH - MERFI SEPT. 22-23 - MOCKSVILLE, NC - Tara Castle Airport. EAA East Coast Fly-In
(Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In). 513/253­Airbase.
10th annual "Anything That 25th anniversary. "A Gathering of Ea­
4629.
Flies" Fly-In. Early arrival on the 22nd, gles" WW II victory airshow and Fly-In.
SEPT. 9-10 - HAGERSTOWN , NJ Big Day on 23rd. USO style big band Special statue dedication in honor of the
Washington County Airport. Fairchild party Sat. night, awards, military vendors. WASP's of WW II. For pilot's info pack,
Homecoming and airshow. Gates open at 2100x80 sod strip - private field - opera­ contact EAA East Coast Fly-In Corp.,
9 a.m., airshow at 1 p.m. Join Fairchild tion and attendance is at your own risk. 2602 Elnora St., Wheaton, MD 20902owners,
employees and fans to celebrate Call Novaro or Jan Nichols, 7041'284-2161, 2706 or phone 301/942-3309.
Fairchild's contributions to aviation. For Or 910/650-8021.
OCT. 6-S - HARTSVILLE , SC
info call 3101745-5708.
SEPT. 23 - NORTHPORT, MI - Woolsey Annual Fall Fly-In for AntiquelClassic
SEPT. 9-10 - SCHENECTADY, NY IntI. airport (5D5), 30 miles north TVC aircra ft , sponsored by EAA A IC
County airport. Northeast Flight '95 VOR. Fly-IN breakfast, Pa ncakes, Chapter 3. Awards in all categories.
Airshow - Sponsored by the Empire State sausage, ha m, cherry J am and more. For info call or write R. Bottom, Jr., 103
Aeroscience Museum.
Antique planes and autos. Biplane rides. Pwhatan Pky., Hampton, V A 23661 Fax
SEPT. 10 - MT MORRIS, IL - EAA sponsored by the Northport Pilot's Assoc. at 804/873-3059.
Chapte r 682 and Ogle County Pilots Contact: Keith Strong, 616/386-7557. Rain OCT. 7-S - RUTLAND, VT - Rutland
Assoc. Fly-In breakfast. For info call Bill date 9/24.
airport. Annual Leaf Peepers Fly-In, 8­
Sweet at 8151734-4320 or the airport at SEPT. 23-24 - ZAINESVILLE, OH 11a.m. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 968,
8151734-6136.
Johns Landing Airfield. 4th Annua l the Green Mtn. Flyers and R.A.V.E.
SEPT. 10 - VALPARAISO, IN (VPZ) AntiquelCiassic Fall Fly-In, sponsored by (Rutland Area Vehicle Enthusiasts).
EAA Chapter 104 4th annual Fly­ EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 22 of Ohio. Breakfast both days, Fly-Market. Call
In/Drive-In pancake breakfast. Call Food, fun and friends. Call Virginia for Tom Lloyd for info: 802/492-3647.
2191926-3572 for info.
more information - 614/453-6889.
OCT. S - TOMAH, WI - Bloyer Field.
SEPT. 14-17 - CODY, WY - International SEPT. 23-24 - LUMBERTON, NJ - South 8th Annual Fly-In breakfast sponsored
Cess na 195 Fly-In. For info co ntact Jersey Regional airport. Air Victory by EAA Chapter 935. Flea market, stat­
Springer Jones, 50 Schnieder Rd, Cody, Museum Air Fair, 10 a. m. -5 p.m., air ic displays. Call John Brady for info:
WY 82414. Phone 307/587-8059 or Fax shows at 12 and 3 p.m. Call 609/486-7575 608/372-3125.
307/587-8061.
to volunteer, or 609/267-4488 for info and OCT. 12-15 - PHOENIX, AZ - Copper­
SEPT 15-17 - URBANA, IL - The Byron directions.
state Regional Fly-In. 6021750-5480.
Smith Memorial Stinson Reunion Fly-In, SEPT. 23-24 - ALEXANDRIA, LA - Gulf OCT. 12-15 - Phoenix, AZ - Williams
Frasca Field. Call 3131769-2432 or Coast Regional Fly-In. 504/467-1505. Gatewayairport. Luscombe Foundation
708/904-6964.
SEPT. 2S-0CT. 1 - CAHOKIA, IL Southwest gathering. For info, call the
SEPT 16-17 - ROCK FALLS, IL - North Parks College reunion for WW II Army Luscombe Foundation at 602/917-0969.
Centrral EAA "Old Fashioned" Fly-In, Air Force cade ts tra ined by Parks at OCT. 12-15 - MESA, AZ - 24th Annual
Whitesid e Airport. Contact Gregg Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Tuscaloosa or Coppe rs tate Regional Fly-In. Call
Erikson 708/513-0641 or Dave Jackson, MS. Call Paul McLaughlin 800/283-6372 for info pack, or if you
Christi anso n 815/625-6556. Pancake 618/337-7575, ext. 364 or 292.
wish to commercially exhibit, call
Breakfast on Sunday, 0700 to 1100 local. SEPT. 30 - HARRISONBURG, VA - 5201747-1413.
SEPT. 16-17 - ROCK FALLS, IL - North Shenandoah Valley Airport. Fly-In pig OCT 14-15 - SUSSEX, NJ - Quad­
Central Regional Fly-In. 708/513-0642. roast, sponsored EAA chapter 511, con­ Chapter Fly-In, F1yfflea-market spon­
SEPT 22-23 - BARTLESVILLE, OK tact Sheldon Early, 540/433-2585.
sored by AIC Chapter 7, EAA Chapters
38th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In, co­ OCT. 1 - HARRISONBURG, VA - 238, 73 and 891. FOr info, call Herb
sponsored by EAA AIC Chapter 10, Shenandoah Valley Airport. Fly-In D aniel, 2011875-9359 or Paul Styger
EAA lAC chapter 10, AAA Chapter 2. breakfast, sponsored EAA chapter 511 , (Sussex airport) 2011702-9719.
For info, call Charlie H arris, 918/622­contact
Sheldon Early, 540/433-2585. OCT. 20-22 - KERRVILLE , TX
8400.
OCT. 6-S - PAU LS VALLEY, OK Southwest Regional Fly-In. 915 /651­
SEPT 22-23 - LOD!, CA - The Great West Antique Airplane Fly-in. Contact Dick 7882.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

COMAV, working with ADA Inc., has the broad knowledge it takes to cover the specialized needs of antique
and classic aircraft pilots. COMAV coverage is backed by SAFECO Insurance, one of America's most trusted
companies, with an A++ rating from A.M. Best. For more about our unique programs, contact your aviation
specialist. Or, if you're an EAA member, call ADA at 800-727-3823. Remember, we're better together.