VA Vol 4 No 6 June 1976 - EAA Vintage Members Only

~ - =>-~~ .. ~THE RESTORER'S CORNERby J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Once again it is time for all of us to begin making our plans for participationin the annual pilgrimage to the world's largest aviation event, the 24thAnnual EAA Convention and Fly-In at Wittman Field, Oshkosh, Wisconsin,from Saturday, July 31st, through Sunday, August 8th, 1976. This is thelongest EAA convention in history, nine days beginning and ending witha full weekend.Your Antique/Classic Division has already organized a full schedule ofactivities ,for antique and classic aircraft and their owners including judgingof the exhibit aircraft and the awarding of trophies in a multitude of classifications,recognition of well known old-timers in aviation as well as outstandingrestorers at either the Interview Circle during the day or the PavilionEvening Program, historical sequence air pageants, and forums on thevarious types of antique and classic aircraft. As in the past, these forumsgenerally will include information on maintenance problems, parts availabilityand substitution, modifications, specific restoration techniques,flight characteristics, aircraft availability, etc., plus additional forums ontechniques and procedures of restoration which are applicable to all aircraft.They will usually be scheduled for a 1 % hour period and will be heldin a large meeting tent located next to the Antique/Classic Division HeadquartersBarn. The tent will be complete with blackboards, rostrum, publicaddress system, electricity for projection equipment, and adequate seating.We are again this year inviting all type clubs to make the EAA Conventionone of their annual fly-in activities. Due to limited parking spaceavailable in the Display Aircraft Parking Area and even more limited manpower,we do not plan to provide special parking rows for each type aircraftas we have done in the past. However, we do have the aircraft typesigns available, ' so if any type clubs do want their own row(s) we shall behappy to supply the signs, but it will be necessary for them to make arrangementsdirectly with the Antique/Classic Parking Chairman, M. C. "Kelly"Viets, RR 1, Box 151, Stilwell, Kansas 66085, before July first and to policetheir own rows with their own members starting on Wednesday, July 28th,and continuing through the entire convention period.While on the subject of the Display Aircraft Parking Area we would liketo emphasize that the EAA Convention is somewhat different from theaverage fly-in which most of us usually attend. The basic theme of the EAAConvention is EDUCA nON, and the Antique/Classic Division tries toencourage this theme in both its forum programs and its Display AircraftParking Areas. We would like to ask your cooperation in using the DisplayAircraft Parking Area only for parking those aircraft of which you can bejustifiably proud of your work or efforts spent in its restoration, reconstruction,or continued "Tender Loving Care" brand of maintenance. Thisis the area for showing off that which we consider to be excellence in ourfield and that from which others can learn by close inspection, by example,and by conversing with the owners and restoers. This is the area where hewho is planning to restore an antique or classic aircraft can look to see whathe can expect to achieve and can thereby be fired with enthusiasm. This isthe area where photographers can photograph the finest collection of therestorers' art. This is the area where he who comes just to admire historicbeauty on wings can savour the excellence of workmanship.For those who are presently using their airplanes for transportationonly and are not planning to restore them until next year or the year afteror maybe never, we have a very large Member and Guest Parking Areaalong the E-W runway which is more conveniently located to the actionthan are many parts of the Display Aircraft Parking Area. It would be a bighelp to your overworked and undermanned Parking Committee if aircraftwhich fall into this latter category were parked in this Member and GuestParking Area.Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Your officers and directors havemade it as much later as they possibly could, but that old devil, inflation,finally caught up with us. After watching your Division expenses exceed. your Division income for some months, your officers and directors had toface the unpleasant task of increasing the membership dues. The fact thatthis was the first dues increase since the Division was founded didn't makethem feel any better about it.At the Board of Directors meeting on April 24, 1976, they noted a duesincrease and restructuring to become effective June 1, 1976. Effective thatdate Division dues will be $14.00 per year for EAA members and $20.00per year for non-EAA members. The latter will receive the additional benefitof non-subscription membership in EAA. This is a full membership inEAA with all of its rights and privileges, but minus the subscription toSPORT AVIATlON magazine. The officers and directors hope that theiraction meets with the approval of the majority of you members and thatyou will understand the need for this increase.

EDITORIALSTAFFJUNE 1976OFFICIAL MAGAZINEANTIQUE / CLASSICDIVISIONofTHE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATIONVOLUME 4 NUMBER 6 PublisherPaul H. PobereznyEditorAI KelchANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERSPRESIDENT J. R. NIELANDER . JR. P. O. BOX 2464 FT. LAUDERDALE. FL 33303 SECRETARYRICHARD WAG NERP. O. BOX 181 LYONS. WI S3148 Te rm exp ires Augu st '77Claude l. Gray. Jr. 9635 Sylvia Avenue Northridge. California 91324 James B. Horne 3840 Coronalion Road Eagan, Minnesota 55 122 George E. Stubbs Box 113 Brownsburg , Indiana 46112 William J. Ehlen Route 8. Box 506 Tampa. Florida 336 18 DirectorsVICE-PRESIDENT MORTON LESTER P. O. BOX 3747 MARTINSVILLE, VA 24112 TREASURER E. E. " BUCK" HILBERT 8102 LEECH RD . UN ION . IL 601 80 Term expires Aug ust '76AI Kelch 7018 W. Bonniwell Road Mequon, Wisconsin 53092 Evander M. Britt Box 1525 Lumberton, North Carolina 28358 M. C. " Kelly" VietsRR 1. Box 151 Stilwell . KS 66085 Jack C. Winthrop 3536 Whitehall Drive Dallas. Texas 75229 Assistant Ed itor Lois Kelch Centributing Editors H. N. " Dusty" Rhodes Evander Britt Jim Barton Claude Gray Ed Escallon Rod Spanier Dale Gustafson Henry Wheeler Morton Lester Kelly Viets Bob Elliot Jack Lanning Bill Thumma ADVISORSW. Brade Thomas. J r. 301 Dodson Mill Road Pilot Mountain, North CArolina 2704 1 Robert A. White1207 Falcon DriveOrlando. Florida 32803 The Restorer's Corner ............... . ... . ... . .... .. ..... , . . . . . . .. 1 From "Sticks To Airplanes" ... , . . . ,. . . ... . ... . . .. .. ... ... ... ..... 3 Early Bird Vignette . . . ...... ... , ... , .. .... ..... . . ... . . . .. .. .... . . 6 Powder Puff Derby ............... . ........ _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Vintage Album ... ..... . .......... .. ... . ... ... ........... . ....... 10 The Uptown Swallow .... .. . . . .. .. ... . ........ . . ... .. . . ... ... . . .. 11 Whistling In The Rigging ... . ... _...... ... . . . .... ..... , ..... . ..... 16 Calendar Of Events ...... . ... .. .... ... . ... _. . ... .. .... ... . ... .. .. 17 I Remember When .. . . .. ..... .. . .... . .. ... .... . .. .. . . . . ......... 17 Yaller's My Color . . .. ... ... ........... . ... . . ... .. ... ... ... .. . ... . 17 The U.S. Mail . . .. . . .... .. ... . . .. .. ... . .... . ......... .. .. . ..... . . 18 JUDGING CORRECTIONException rule B are aircraft manufactured between years 1950-55, but either model or make are no longer in production. These are eligible for judging. 1. Models no longer in production but, manufactors still in business, such as 190-195, 170 Cessnas, early Bellanca, etc. 2. Out of production manufactors such as SWift, Stinson, etc.THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. and is published monthlyat Hales Corne rs. Wisconsin 53130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners,Wisconsin 53130 and Rando m Lake Post Office. Random Lake, Wisconsin 53075. Membership ratesfor Antique Classic aircraft. Inc. at $10.00 per 12 month period of which $7 .00 is for the publication toTHE VINTAGE AIRP ·.ANE. M embership is open to all who.are interested in aviation.Postmaste, : Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 ON THE COVERFlying Returns to the North(see page 17).PICTURE BOXA tribute to Women in AviationSee Vintage Album.Copyright 0 1976 Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. All Rights Reserved . 2

A long time before I was even a gleam in my father'seye, my oldest brother was building the reputation ofbeing one of the "youngest of the pioneer aviators."As a very young boy, Orin Welch wanted to be aradio operator on a ship at sea until he saw one of thefirst airplanes in the sky. He immediately wanted notonly to fly them, but to build the m . Hammer and nailsin hand, along with a few boards, marked the beginningof his aviation career. He built his "aero-plane" andhad some of his friend s push him off the shed's roofwhile h e was at the "controls". A very s uccessfulflight indeed! The year was probably 1916, at Orin'sage of ten. Nevertheless, he did not lose his interestin avia tion.The last time I re member seeing my brother Orin,he was on his way to fl y the Hump. I didn't know then,a t my age of 15 a nd he a t 36, he was never to return tous. Hopefully, he found his sha ngri-la in the HimalayanMountains.Between 1916 and 1943, I believe Orin contributedmuch to aviation . I recall many family discussions aboutOrin's love of fl yi ng. He had been flying since he was12 years old, but his scrapbooks reveal from a newspaperarticle that he soloed on November 27, 1923, justs ~ortly after he turned 17. In the same article it reads," h e is also quite a stunt fly er ..."In the early 20's, Orin trained ma ny pilots from allLeft: The Welch Airplane Company in 1928 ...over the world and did a lot of barnstorming in southernOhio and West Virginia . He and the family had severalairports and put on many air shows, but this did notsatisfy Orin's appetite for aviation.In the summer of 1927, Orin and the family wereto move from Charleston, West Virginia to acquire theairport in Anderson, Indiana. For being a small baby,I was a big problem during this move! The state ofWest Virginia had imposed a polio quarantine andno babies were to leave the area. Who would thinkabout flying a baby out? Orin did, naturally! "Mom,"he said, "you and the baby get in the airplane and we'llfl y her out." Thus, I've always claimed the fame ofbeing smuggled over the border'The Welch family took over the Anderson Airport,then owned by Fred Parker, who I believe designedand manufactured the Anderson Biplane. The fami lysoon had to relocate the airport, but still in Anderson .May of 1929 saw dedication of the "Welch Field".This was a three-day air event which bro ught manyaviation giants to our airport, such as: Amelia Earhart,Major Reed Landis, Eddie Rickenbacker, Mike Murphy,Oswald Ryan, Clyde Shockley, Harry White, WillieGoetch , Weir Cook, Charles E. Wilson, Anthon yFokker, Freddie Lund, and many others.The excitement and gaiety of the months to followwere short lived, however. The the n famo us " WelchField" - the hangar and many airplanes - went upin flames in November, 1929. By this time, Orin haddesigned and built his own airplanes. They includedthe Welch OWl, OW2, OW3, and OW4. Then ca meth e little Welch OW5 and several others, often mistakenfor the Aeronca C3.Eventually, we found ourselves in South Bend,Indiana. With a lot of experimenting, testing, sweat,a nd no doubt tears, the family began " mass" productionof the Welch airplane during the middle 30's.I have many unforgettable, impressive memories as asmall girl watching the airplane on th e assembly line.They started from little more than plain "sti cks" andsheets of wood, tubing, cloth, bars of aluminum, andsheets of rubber. Soon, these materials would begintaki ng shape. The wood was glued, the tubing weld ed,the cloth sewn, brushed, and sprayed with dope, thebars of aluminum melted, molded, and then made intoengi nes, the sheets of rubber cut, "stuck together",and baked into tires. The entire procedure was phenominal'Finally, from what began as a "stick", theWelch a irpla ne would roll out of the factory ready fora test hop!Orin's contribution to design is worth no ting here.The "Welch Cushion Wheel" was a tubeless tire thatOrin had pattented in the 30's. The tire was madeBelow: This picture was taken in 1940. Four of the last few Welchairolanes that were manufactured . ..4

--------,-­around an aluminum hub and then baked. Many nightsI would stay up late watching the tires being baked.The crucial moment would arrive when the moldcooled and was re moved from the newly baked tire, forif there were any blisters or air bubbles, the tire wouldbe useless. Many days, we had more failures thansuccesses!The Welch 02 engine was a 45 horsepower, twocylinder engine. I don' t know how many of these w eremade, but I certainly would like to see even a part ofthe Welch engine! I know of two Welch airplanes flyingtoday. Another is bei ng rebuilt a nd there is a fourthone lice nsed, but I am not certain it's flying.The company had to s hut down production withthe onset of World War II. With Orin's experience a nd5knowledge, he was needed elsewhere for his country.March 13, 1943, Orin Welch was officially " lost" whileflying "cargo" over the Hump. It was, of course, atragic loss for all of us.For many years, I wouldn't go near a n airport or airplane.Recently, I found out that not o nly were his airplaness till flying, but that Orin is remembered bythose wonderful people that are s till living, thosewonderful people that gave us this great pioneer aviationheritage.My childhood love has brought me back into theworld of aviation again and I hope, in the years tocome, I can be a part of " Keeping the Antiques Flying"and Sport Aviation alive.Orin We lch is standing by the prop of the airplanethat he used to solo in 1923.IT IS A TRIBUTE TO ORIN WELCH THAT HIS AIRPLANES DRAW A CROWD WHERE EVER THEY ARE. SEVERAL HAVE BEEN ACTIVE AT OUR MEETS Editor's Note

Souther California was one of thehubs of prime flying activities in the late'20s and one fledgling at that time wasVera Dawn Walker. She learned to flywith Standard Flying School at LosAngeles in an OX-5 Eaglerock in thefall of 1928, and was Dept. of Commercelicensed No. 5265 January 1, 1929; herF.A.I. license No. 7169 was issued July24, 1929. She praises the Eaglerock asone of the best training planes of thatera; her instructor was Lee Flanagin.Between her work as an extra in themovies and real estate sales, Veramanaged to acquire enough flying timeto qualify for and enter the First Women'sAir Derby, flown Aug. 18-26, 1929 fromSanta Monica to Cleveland. She flewa· Challenger powered Curtiss Robin,christened "Miss Los Angeles", racingNo. 113 and was one of the more fortunatecontestants to finish the gruelingrace. Earlier in the year, she had copilotedthe Bach tri-motor, 8-passenger"Air Yacht" on its maiden flight fromSan Francisco to San Diego, then later ondown into Mexico.A charter member of the Ninety-Nines,when Vera Dawn flew her TransportPilot's test, Dec. 15, 1929, she was theeleventh woman in the country to beso licensed. She subsequently workedin the sales field demonstrating andrepresenting different aviation companiesand agencies in Los Angeles,Denver and Kansas City.Known as the "pint-sized test pilot"because of her small stature - an inchshort of five feet tall and tipping thescales at 94 pounds, Vera flight testedthe Panther McClatchie powerplant. Itwas renowned for having far less movingparts in comparison with the conventionalengines of that day, and with itVera set off for a tour of the (then) fortyeightstate capitals. She says she becamethe unofficia I forced -la nding-championof the world but did get in lots of extraflying time. Carl Lienesch, one of theearly-day air race directors, who nowlives at Carson City, Nevada, recentlywrote, "Vera Dawn always struck me asa sweet, little, trusting girl who couldget herself into the dangest tangles (withan airplane, I mean) but could alwaysextricate herself before the bomb wentoff!" Vera Dawn wrote of Lienesch,"Lenny was the managing flight directorof the '29 Derby and in full command offlying instructions and he knew of allthe troubles some of those gals got themselvesinto. He watched and worried overthem like an old mother hen. Wiley Postwas pilot of the manager's plane, a LockheedVega."In the summer of 1930, Miss Walkerentered the 1,575 mile Dixie Derby fromWashington, D.C. , with a swing throughAmelia Earhart and Vera Dawn Walker at Denver. Spring of1931, during AE's trans-continental, round-trip Pitcairn autogirodemonstration flight.6

Vera Dawn Walker and the Curtiss Robin in which she wasan entrant in the First National Women's Air Derby, 1929.Dixie, to Chicago and the National Air draw at Birimingham and after il car­ the other finished a scant three secondsRaces. Flying an Inland Sport, she en­ buretor overhaul, she flew directly to behind May Haizlip; both flying identicalcountered engine trouble the second day Chicago. There she entered two of the planes - Warner powered Inland Superout, while flying a close second to 25-mile (5 lap) pylon races for 500 cu. in. , Sports.Phoebe Omlie. It was necessary to with- open ships. She won one race and in7Nov. 4-18, 1929 brought Vera Dawnwhat she considers the highlight of herflying career - the First Annual CaliforniaGoodwill Air Derbv in whichtwenty-five fliers were ent~red. Abouthalf of the entrants dropped out, howeverVera Dawn finished the course andduring the tour she learned to fly formationwith Major Mike Doolin in the lead.This Derby was flown up the Coast,across the north end of the State andback down the other side of the State.She flew a Whirlwind J-5 Swallow, whichhad been flown by Ruth Elder in the '29Women's Air Derby and was sponsoredby James Granger, West Coast SwallowDistributor at Clover Field, Santa Monica.Vera recalls, "I do remember big crowdsmeeting the caravan at most of the landingsites, and the tour was under thea uspices of the All-Western AircraftShow". A subsequent flight took herx-c up into Canada.The spring of 1931, she went to Denverto fly one of three planes, a P&Wpowered Stinson, to Guatemala for aprivate fl ying service there. A big undertakingfor that day, all misgivings turnedto delight after the flight was underwayover varied terrain - desert, water,uncharted jungle gorges and ravinesand a flight over an active volcano. Oneforced landing on a canyon lake beachrequired a week to retrieve the plane.Although she was able to fly enough tovalidate her license another year, it wasfour years before she regained her healthand the flying desire had begun to waneafter the Central America episode.In reminiscing of past history, Verareports, "You know the years playstrange tricks on us" and quotes LouiseThaden, '46 years is a heck of a long time!'Vera Dawn admits to having set nospecial records during her flying daysbut flew for the sheer love of flight andthe desire to do something different, justas so many others did during thoseformative years. Today, she ejoys theArizona sunshine in the Phoenix areaand takes an occasional holiday "Southof the Border" .

,.,. ... ..,. *{29u;: POWDER PUFF DERBY.. .. ,...JULY 9-12,1976.............. Left: Eight of th e 1929 Women 's Air Derby contestantswith " ground escorts" at San Bernardino, the first stopin the historic air race: (Front L to R) Vera DawnWalker, Louise Thaden , Maude (Chubby) Miller, RuthElder and Edith Foltz. (Rear L to R) Thea Rasche,Margaret Perry and Neva Paris.Below: A 1930 National Air Race photo taken shortlyafter Vera Dawn Walker had won a 25-mile closedcourse race. (L to R) Hoot Gibson and Sally Eilers,Hollywood personalities of the era , Clema M. Granger,James E. Granger and Vera Dawn Walker.ADDENDUMDuring a visit with Carl Lienesch a nd hisw ife, Rosemary, at Carson City, April 17, 1976,he informed me he flew the Union O il Company J-5 Travel Air over the '29 Derby racecourse, and Wilev Post flew some of the otherrace offi cials. Ca'rl headed up the Unio n O ilAvia tion Dept. a nd as passengers, d uring therace, h e carried his sister, Ruth, a nd Pa ttyWillis, Los Angeles fli er, w ho doubled as hi ssecre tarv.Ano ther interesting note - Neva Paris, oneof the racers in the San Bernardino picture,was o ne of fo ur persons w ho sig ned the "call ­to -the -colo rs" letter p rior to the time theNinety-Nines organized. The others were FayG illis (Wells), Fra nces H arrell (Marsa li s) a ndMargery Brown .8

W () ,"~N IN AVIATI()N WomenWho SellCurtiss-W rigI.t,VintageI~~(~~ "- Men and Th.r+" .~~~:::-~/ ~......-v -' -"'?~~ J~ ' ~- -.Taken From The Curtnew responsibilities, a husband, a pilot's license and a job as aCurtiss-Wright saleswoman at their Alameda. Calif.,baseLorraine Defren is the Boston base's saleslady,as well as president and organizerof the Women's Wingand Prop Club of NewEnglandHelen Cox, newest woman transport pilot,is stationed at the home base airportat Valley Stream, L. 1., todemonstrate and sell Curtiss­Wright productsFrances Harrell, transport pilot, formerlydemonstrated ships for "Brownie" atValley Stream. L. 1. Now she isselling the flying qualities ofCurtiss-Wright ships all over thecountry by the sure way inwhich she manipulates themwith the Curtiss-WrightExhibition Company@.­Dallas, Texas. base The up-to-date Curtiss-Wright version of last year'smaxim "Sell the woman, sell the plane" is "Let thewoman sell the plane." And so she has and is rightbriskly at several of the Flying Service bases.At least a dozen women are employed in varioussales capacities by Curtiss-Wright. They sell not onlyships but flying courses and accessories to men as wellas to women, and by their presence in the industrythey undoubtedly have considerable influence in sellingthe idea of flying to landlubbing members of both sexes.It is quite important in making a sale if she who sellsthe plane can demonstrate its talking points in person tohim or her who buys. Most of the women who sellCurtiss-Wright planes have pilot's licenses. Those whohaven't are well on their way to getting them. Two ofthe women have transport licenses, two have limitedcommercial licenses and the others are private pilots.Women have sold stocks and bonds, real estaeand life insurance, and automobiles, as well as subscriptionsto magazines and ribbons and hosiery overthe counter. Now they are selling airplanes, €lyinglessons and accessories. They are particularly successfulin the sale of flying courses. Eight of the dozen Curtiss­Wright saleswomen learned to fly at Curtiss-WrightFlying Service bases. And who other than a graduateof a school is better equipped to tell a prospect aboutEDITOR'S NOTE: A tribute to the many w(

'W(),"I:~ I~ 4.VI4.TI()~ AlbumVintage Machinesr-: ......-- .- ,., ~--' .,..~" ~",, ~-~/~, ~ ' ~ ' :7...,.....,.. ".~. ..~$ ~..-- -.' ~ - ~~ ~,........"...,~ Wom.en Who Sell Curtiss-Wright Wright Review 1930the merits of his flying alma mater? Another point atwhich women are invaluable is to talk flying togs toprospective women students.It is interesting to note what the former professionsof some of these twelve women were before they becameflying salesladies. One of them was credit manager ofa furniture store, another taught mathematics and geography,and still another taught in a high school. Afourth is a recent high school graduate. One left theUniversity of California to take up flying and stillanother failed to turn up on registration day at MichiganState College for the same reason. Secretarial work wasdone by some, and one of them was an advertisingwoman. Another of the Curtiss-Wright saleswomenturned her back cold on a training school for kindergartenteachers, and one of them taught physical trainingin a fashionable girls' finishing school.It is a far cry from anyone of these professions tosky stuff, yet they are all doing it, and obtaining excellentresults. If you have ever been carrying on a nicegossipy chat with one of them and seen the glint in hereyes as she broke off suddenly with, "So long, herecomes my Moth prospect," you know how bussinesslikeand how resolute they can be in the matter of making asale.Madeleine B. Kelly sells for Curtiss­Wright Flying Service at the Alameda base in California J ane W . Willis was a physical traInIng teacher at Denver, Colo. Then she became the star pupil at the Curtiss­Wright base there: and now she isBetty Russell is just eighteen, enough tobe a limited commercial pilot. She is011 the Alameda, Calif., sales staffMildred Harrington is using her experienceas an advertising woman tosell Curtiss-Wright equipment andcourses, particularly to the womenof Bridgeport, Conn.Dorothy Pressler, operations clerk at theOklahoma City base, is a licensedpilot and does her share ofCurtiss-Wright sales-talkingn who help make EAA such a success.Air Y~cht

TktU~SwaU~ May 1974 issue of Vintage Airplane has the story of the Swallow'sdiscovery in the uptown section of Chicago.See March 1975 issue of Vintage Airplane for the story where theydecided to re-enact the Cuddeback flight that initiated air mail 50 yearsago.The January 1976 issue of Vintage Airplane carries the story of theoriginal flight by Cuddeback.This issue carries the GRAND FINALE, a successful completion ofthe re-enactment by "Buck" Hilbert.By Edward D. Williams (EAA 51010) 713 Eastman Drive Mt. Prospect, Illinois 60056 11

The Swallow that Toffinette, Hilbert and Schroederunearthed in a garage in uptown Chicago, hasclimaxed its short two year career.The restored Swallow biplane on April 6, 1976, reenactedone of the significant flights of aviation history,but not without a lot of luck in completing the 'restoration of the plane in time, and not without considerableflying skill and courage by the pilot in thefli ght itself. The flight was made from Pasco, Washington to Boise, Idaho by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert, of ·Union, Illinois, a United Airlines DC-8 captain . Itwas made exactly 50 years after a flight from Pascoto Boise to Elko, Nevada, in a Swallow by Leon D.Cuddeback, chief pilot for Varney Air Lines. Cuddeback'sfli g ht marked the beginning of p ermanentscheduled airline service in the United States.Having purchased the Swallow two years beforeUnited's 50th birthday, there seemed to be a lot oftime to completely restore the Swallow, but, as itturned out, the deadline was just barely met. The Hilbert-Toffenetti-Schroederbiplane is a Swallow Commercialjust about identical to the Swallow Mailplaneflown by Cuddeback. Edward E. McConnell, a FederalAviation Administration certified ins pector andan aircraft restorer, specializing mostly in Piper TriPacers, was assigned the restoration job. With Mc­Connell doing most of the restoration work by himself,while Hilbert scoured the country for parts, thework went very slowly. Hilbert went to Oakland, Californiato visit Cuddeback and discuss details of thefuture re-enactment, and Cuddeback strongly recommendedthat Hilbert install at least a Wright J-4 or noteven attempt the re-enactment. The original K-6 engine was completely out of the question, Cuddebacksaid, even if one could be found .Hilbert, in California, located one of the few remainingJ-4s in existence and traded his OXX-6 forit. He then had the J-4 sent to Memphis, Tennessee,for a complete overhaul and sent to South Bend to getwhat might be the only existing J-4 engine carburetorin the world. He also went to Iowa to get the propellerand to the states of Vermont, Washington, Kansasand New York to get miscellaneous but vital parts.The instruments posed less of a problem becausethe few instruments available to pilots in 1926 didn' tfill up much of an instrument panel. A much neededreplacement was a reliable compass for the one in theSwallow, which Hilbert said " probably told the pilotonly if he were in the Northern Hemisphere".It looked for a while like Hilbert would not be f1yingthe Swallow at all on April 6, 1976, because restorationwork hit several snags as time sped by. Hilbertexplained that earl y biplanes like the Swallow werenot mass produced as modern planes in which everypart for one plane is identical to the same part onanothe r plane. " They were a ll pretty much custommade," he said. So a part that could be used on oneSwallow did not necessarilv fit another Swallow.Feeling the pressure O'f the deadline, Hilbert beganspending almost all his free time at Seneca, workingwith McConnell. He also pressed into service alongtime friend, Michael X. Drabik, of Chicago, anEAA member and a retired United Airlines mechanic.The almost impossible ta sk of locating vital parts longsince out of any aircraft firm's inventory put the workmore behind schedule.Hilbert appealed for help to United, which assignedtwo more of Hilbert's antique-expert friendsfulltime to the work at Seneca. They were RichardMoen of Dundee, illinois, a United pilot also flyingout of O'Hare, and Michael Branand of River Forest,Illinois, a furloughed United pilot who was workingas a mechanic at United's San Francisco MaintenanceCenter while waiting recall to flying status. McConnell,Drabik, Moen and Branand all hold current FAAairframe and powerplant mechanics licenses.Hilbert had originally planned to complete therestoration at Seneca in time to test fly the Swallowand then fly it to O'Hare for shipment by United DC­8F Cargoliner to Boise. But the silver and blue planewas rolled out of McConnell's hangar on March 22,too late for any test flying. On that day the Swallowwas disassembled and trucked up to Chicago, about80 miles to the northeas t. On March 23, the 90 mile-anhourbiplane was loaded into the Cargoliner and flownto Boise at a speed of .8 the speed of sound.The United Cargoliner normally flies daily fromChicago nonstop to Seattle, Washington, but it wasflown March 23 with very little other cargo, with aspecial stop at Boise, to accommodate the Swallow.The 32-foot long wings and the tail assembly wereloaded easily in the Cargoliner's 106 foot long cargocompartment. But the 24-foot-long fuselage, on itsown landing gear, barely cleared the top of the 85"by 140" main cargo door opening. Inside, the topcylinder of the J-4 engine came within two inches oftouching the ceiling of the cargo compartment, evenafter the Swallow's tires were partially deflated .Although the DC-8F could have carried 80,000pounds of cargo, the Swallow - with an empty weightof only 1,570 pounds - and some miscellaneous boxesand cra tes were the only cargo.Previous to the completion of the Swallow at Seneca,Hilbert made a preliminary trip to Bosie to determinewhat facilities might be available for the Swallow si ncethere was still some work to be done before it couldbe flight tested. It also needed hangar space.At Boise, Hilbert met with Dean Wilson, head ofth e Bradley Air Transporta tion Museum owned byJoseph L. Terteling, Idaho indus triali st. In a moves taggering for its generosity, Wilson told Hilbertthat Terteling offered the use of a flat bed truck totransport the Swallow from the Boise airport on arrivalin the Cargoliner and the n the use of hangarspace in his museum northwest of Boise for reassemblyand other work needed for the plane for as long asneeded . Without these facilities, the Swallow projectwould not have been completed in time for the April6 flight.As it was, the United crew of Hilbert, Moen, Branandand Drabik worked long hours every day to getthe old plane ready. Finally, six days after its arrivalby Ca rgoliner, the Swallow was test flown by Hilberton March 29. The J-4 operated perfectly, and after a15 minute flight, Hilbert followed with another for30 minutes.The next day, on one of the test flights from Terteling'sprivate s trip, Hilbert was forced to land theSwallow at an abandoned dirt strip nearby because offuel starvation. After some readjustments, the Swallowwas flown again the nex t day, and what appearedto be a final blow developed.The J-4 was eating itself up and developed considerableroughness in flight, forcing Hilbert to setit down as quickly as possible on Terteling's strip.Close inspection showed that there were metal particlesinside the e ngine, indicating that completefailure would probably occur shortly if the Swallowwere flown again with the J-4.But luck was with the Swallow project, and againTerteling's people came to the rescue. Dean Wilsonpointed out that the museum's L-13A had a 220 horsepowerContinental engine built in 1942 that weighedabout the same as the J-4 and could easily be interchangedwith it. Wilson put his crew of 10 museumemployees working on the project, and the Unitedcrew, which had been joined by McConnell a few daysearlier, worked through the night. The J-4 had failed,and some authenticity was sacrificed, but at least Hilbertnow had a more powerful and more reliable enginefor the flight.12

FIFTY YEARS APART - Two pilots stand beside their planes illustratingthe Similarity between a historic flight made in 1926and a re-enactment flight made April 6, with the Swallow biplane.STURDY SKELETON - Waiting to be covered is the fuselage ofthe Uptown Swallow. E. E. "Buck" Hilbert kneels on the frontseat while Edward E. McConnell, who is restoring the old planehands him the instrument panel.The J-4 engine was something of ahistorical item in its own right. It wasone of three that powered the Fokkertri-motor monoplane flown by Adm.Richard E. Byrd and Fl oyd Bennett May9, 1926, when they became the firs tmen to reach the North Pole by air. Hilbertsaid his research on the serial numberof the J-4 e ngine showed it to bedelivered to Byrd for installa tion on theFokker airplane, the "Josephine Ford",for the historic Polar flight.Although there is no record of whatfinally happe ned to th e " JosephineFord", the engine turned up with a private a ntique a ircraft owner in Cali ­fornia, from whom it was obtained byHilbert.13Hilbert h ad located o nly three J-4stha t were o perable, and two o f the mwere in the Smithsonian Ins titutio n .He said the J-4 was origina lly manufacturedfo r the U.S. Navy and thatonly 199 were built. It also was the forerunner o f the engine tha t Charles A.Lindbergh used to fl y solo across theAtla ntic.Hilbert had said a t tha t time that heconsidered himself ex tremely fortunateas he was not aware of a ny o ther fl yableJ-4 e ngine in existence. Acknowledgingthe historical value of the J-4, theSmithsonian loaned the e ngine restorerThis photo at Seneca shows United pilot E. E. " Buck" Hilbertwith a restored Swallow that made the Pasco-Boise re-enactmentFlight April 6.

a parts manual and a manufacturer's brochure on theJ-4 from its files.Appreciating all that Terteling and Wilson haddone for the Swallow project and realizing the historicalsignificance of his J-4, Hilbert donated it tothe museum after it was taken off the Swallow. However,after its use in the re-enactment flight, the Continental220 was due to be returned to the museum orbe put back on the L-13A.The important thing was that the Swallow wasable to be test flown immediately with the new engine,and the re-enactment was only two days away.On Sunday, April 4, Hilbert ferried the Swallow toPasco for positioning, and he reported that all wentwell.Although Cuddeback on April 6, 1926, had flownfrom Pasco to Boise and on to Elko, the schedule calledfor Hilbert to fly only the Pasco to Boise leg on April 6and the Boise to Elko leg on April 7 because of civiccelebrations planned on those days by the communitiesinvolved.Matching as closely as possible the details of Cuddeback'sflight, Hilbert carried 9,285 pieces of mail insix sacks in the front compartment, which also canbe used as a second cockpit. However, the weathersituation was reversed. On Cuddeback's flight, hehad good weather between Pasco and Boise but raninto thunderstorms between Boise and Elko.For Hilbert, the weather on April 6 between Pascoand Boise was terrible but between Boise and ElkoHundreds of persons greeted E. E. "Buck" Hilbert on his wet arrival. The most interestedof the spectators was Leon D. Cuddeback (being escorted under an umbrella).One can only speculate that he is recalling his flight of 50 years before.The warmth of Cuddeback's greeting to Hilbertat Boise showed one pilot's appreciationof another.the next day was good.Hilbert got up at 4:15 A.M. on April 6 and wentright to the airport without any breakfast. Althoughhundreds of persons showed up later to watch histake-off at 6:23 A.M., Hilbert found himself alone atthe airport at first. The weather was menacing."I called flight service to get a weather briefingand the FSS man told me, 'I wish I could tell you thatthe weather will be better than it is'," Hilbert recalled."He said the weather was so bad over the Blue Mountainsin Oregon that he didn't think 1would get throughthe pass."By 5:45 A.M., special ceremonies with United andPasco officials got underway, and Hilbert fired up theSwallow at 6:10 A.M. Rich Moen, who propped theplane, said later he gave it five primes, " just like thebook says", and one more for luck, " and she poppedright off".At 6:23 A.M., the same time of Cuddeback's takeoff,Hilbert was off the ground. He swung around andmade a low pass in front of the crowd, waved, andheaded the 244 miles to Boise.A fleet of photo planes and antique aircraft, includingDick McWhorter and Ed "Skeeter" Carlson,both in Stearman C-3Bs, took off to escort him, butmost of them dropped off soon after as the weatherworsened rapidly. Within minutes, he reached theBlue Mountains, which were smothered with lowhanging, thick clouds."Three planes, all with extensive instrumentation,were still with me," Hilbert recalled. "Therewas Dan Toeppen in his Cessna 182, Clay Lacy in hisFairchild Turbo-Porter and Jack Loeffler in his Cessna180." All three are United pilots."Seeing them still with me, 1 said to myself, 'Whatthe heck am I trying to navigate for'?" Hilbert said.14

WHISTLING IN THE RIGGINGby Tom Poberezny How do you rate yourself as a pilot? Ask yourselfthe following questions:- How do you rate your pilot ability?- What is your knowledge of your airplane's flyingcharacteristics?- What is your knowledge of aircraft regulations?- Do you exercise common sense during pre-flightand while in the air?- Do you respect weather?- Are you the pilot-in-command or do you dependheavily on air traffic control?There are numerous questions I could add to thislist, but the main purpose is to get you to take a goodlook at yourself in your role as a licensed pilot.The answers to these questions are going to dependa great deal on the number of hours per year you fly,whether you own your own airplane and whether ornot you are a professional pilot. But, I am sure thatafter a review of your flying activities, you probablywill rate yourself too low. Pilots, in many cases, arenot giving themselves enough credit.A strong case in point is your Annual Conventionin Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Throughout the day you willsee a mixture of aircraft in the traffic pattern varyingfrom small business jets and light twins to Bearcats,Mustangs, Taylorcrafts, J-3 Cubs and a host of singleengine airplanes. The traffic is handled safely and professionally.Common sense by controllers and pilotsalike allows Wittman Field to be the world's busiestairport for one week each year - Without mishap. Iam sure there is yet to be a visitor to Oshkosh who hasnot been completely amazed with the magnitude oftraffic and the efficiency with which it flows.Yes, credit should go to the FAA Controllers (WittmanTower and Gypsy Controllers) who work longhours. They rank with the best in the business, exemplifiedby the professional, efficient and courteousmanner in which they handle the air traffic. Instructionsare concise and to the point.But what about that pilot up there in that busytraffic pattern? He or she must react quickly to constantlychanging conditions and insure proper spacing withother aircraft of widely varying flight characteristicsand speed ranges. The pilot must monitor other trafficand be prepared to extend or shorten his pattern ata moment's notice. And most important, the pilot mustbe constantly exercising good judgment as to any unsafesituations that may arise.Pilots ... give yourself enough credit. Many ofyou are better than you think you are. For the few whomay think they are better than they really are .. . becareful. In all cases, exercise good common sense.Remember, you are the captain of the ship. Good, safeflying technique rests solely on your shoulders. Don'tever forget that.Speaking of pilots, what is being done today toencourage people to learn to fly or remain in aviation?Aircraft rental costs are becoming prohibitive for thenon-aircraft owner to learn or remain proficient. Whatenticement is there for aircraft ownership, consideringall the regulations, taxes, landing fees, and radio requirementswhich have driven aircraft costs and pricessky high. This is not to mention the inconveniencesmany aircraft owners face trying to get to their aircraftbecause of overzealous and costly airport security. Whatincentive is there for the Flight Instructor, A & PMechanic of Fixed Base Operator? Hours are long andpay is short. I am sure you have not heard of too manyA & P's or CFI's retiring at age 60 with a full benefitprogram.It's getting harder and harder to build new airportsbecause of e nvironmental rules. Development ofexisting airports must compete with highways, educationand so forth .. . hence, in many areas little is doneto the local airport. Much of it depends on the personalenergies of the FBO/Airport Manager.I am proud of the work that is being accomplishedby EAA members and chapters, deSignees, the AntiquelClassic Division, International Aerobatic Club andWarbirds. You are providing a reason to fly ... utilizationof the airplane. Through your efforts the publicis becoming more aware of aviation. Local chaptermeetings, fly-ins and your enthusiasm has rekindleda strong interest in aviation. As I have said before, thereis hardly an aviation event today where you don't seean EAA cap in the crowd.Much has been accomplished, but we've onlyscratched the surface. Your Headquarters staff is continuallyre-evaluating programs and looking for waysto promote a healthy aviation picture. Let's continuewhat is being done right and take action on what iswrong or not being done at all.To the Federal Aviation Administration, I ask: "Whatare you doing to foster and promote aviation in theUnited States?" I am asking this in a sincere, nonsarcasticmanner. Take a good look at your policies andregulations and then look at the problems and conditionof the aviation industry today.Enough said.It's hard to believe that the Annual EAA Conventionin Oshkosh is only 60 days away. Though much hasbeen done there still is a great deal of preparationfacing all of us for this year's event. We need volunteersto help prepare the site. If you can donate an hour, aday or a weekend, contact Convention site Foreman,Vern Lichtenberg at 414/233-1460.For those of you who will be flying non-radio aircraftto the Convention, please keep in mind that nonon-radio arrivals will be permitted after 4:00 p. m. Thereason for this is the air show and the heavy trafficthat results after its completion. Please plan your flightaccordingly.16

Mr. AI Kelch :Enclosed check for Antique/Classicmembership, I enjoy your magazine.I don't think many of the tricycle pilotsreally realize the debt of gratitude they owe the oldpioneer pilots that flew new air routes, andthe risks they went through to perfectthe equipment and aircraft they nowtake for granted.I'd like to see a monthly article like the"50th anniversary of Commerical Transportation"as per Jan. 76 issue.There were many distance or enduranceflights in the 20s & 30s. I believe some articlesof those flights would be of interest to somewho were too young to remember orflight records they never heard of.You have a good magazine and I enjoy it. Oran Barber, 66833 P.O. Box 244 Safety Harbor, FL 33572 March 3, 1976Gentlemen :I received the Jan. 1976 issue ofThe Vintage Airplane and note that it wassent to my bUSiness address. Please sendall future issues to my home address.Incidentally, I was a bit dismayed with thenew " oblong" format of the Jan. 1976issue. You are probably not aware of this, butmany of we Antique/Classic members haveour issues of The Vintage Airplane hardboundfor easier reference and long termpreservation, and " 10 & behold" you havedealt us a low blow. Seriously, I do hope thatyou return to the old standard magazinetype format. I do hope that youtake this good natured but serious critiqueto heart and either return to the oldformat, or retain the present format for quitesome time to come. (Hopefully, return tothe old format).Regards,Carmen D. Perrotti Jr., No. 2238 Mt. Hood TerraceMelrose, Mass. 02176Editor's Note: I have mine bound too. We will probably keep this format for some time. Info on binding will be forthcoming. January 5, 1976Dear Buck:I never did find any original wheel parts for myJ-3, so I am going to get a pair of plasticones and try to pound out some from aluminumwhich I hope will turn out well. I didsome of this sort of thing when I was at theBoeing School in Oakland back in the 1930's.You said in your last note that youwished you were retired. Well, I will have beenaway from the airline 4 years nextmonth. The first couple of years I just didn'tseem to like it and wished I was backat work. Gradually I got use to it, and now I do likeit and enjoy it. I have two planes, the J-3with a 90 hp Continental and a goodCessna 170-B with a 145 hp Continental in it.This makes it every nice as the enginesare alike in so many parts. I keepspare cylinders, pistons, valves, etc., and Ican use them in either plane. I have my A and Plicense and do some of the work myself.I enjoy getting SPORT AVIATIONand The Vintage Airplane magazines, alsothe ones from the AAA. In some ways Ithink the AAA is more on the righttrack than the EAA, especially in not tryingto have a field day for everyone. I suppose thereare many pro's and con 's.I am also very strong in my opinion thatthe antique ought to be flown straightand level not wrung out. It seemsto me this should be a constant theme song .I feel so badly when I read , now andthen, about the failure of someantique that was being asked to do somethingthat it probably wasn't designed forin the first place, and that many yea rs ago.I also think Wag Aero is on the righttrack in making the plans available for theCUBy. Now wouldn 't it be something ifwe had plans to say nothing aboutkits, for the Wacos, Travelairs and soforth? That, to me, is somethingthat would really keep the antique movementalive and bring in the younger builders,who are what we must have eventua lly in both theEAA and the AAA. Seems to me theremust be some way to get these plans andspecifications. I'd sure like to build a newBellanca or Fairchild.Personally, I enjoy each issue ofThe Vintage Airplane very much. I think thestories are good, and I think it iswell worth the money. In fact, I think it is sogood that it seems to me it could be soldfor a higher price. I really like whatTony Bingelis writes in SPORT AVIATION.Seems to me if we had somethinglike that in The Vintage Airplane it would help.If we had the plans on how to home-builda Waco UPF or some other very goodplane, and ran it as plans in serial form,it would be a way to get EAA membersto want the antique magazine enough to jointhe division. There are probably better answersthan I can think of, but there are answers.Well Buck, I've rambled on and notsaid much, but in closing I want tothank you again for trying to help me findthose original pants for my J-3.Yours truly, Howard C. Holman Wayne, Maine 04284 Dear Sirs :Thank you very much for your letterdated Feb. 28, 1976. We would like to tell youthat our work on the VilMA-plane is goingrapidly forward . As far as we know, we aren'tshort of a single piece to that aeroplane andit is being put together now. We lookforward to have it test-flown beforemidsummer '76.We can also tell you that we have takenphotos every now and then during the work.Unfortunately they all are color. Weunderstood that you wanted to have black andwhite photos, or do you have any use ofcolor ones.The opportunity to write an article to yourmagazine is wonderful and we are more thanpleased to be able to send you thatstory of our VilMA. We hope that you can waitto the end of summer, because after thatwe will have some experience and somethingto write about. Then we will send youall the facts, history and other things concerningthis type, - and probably some photos takenwhen the VilMA is in the air!We enclose with this letter a card showingyou what ki nd of aeropl ane it is and howit was painted earlier. VilMA is as atype copied from the famous Focke-WulfStieglitz. The motor is the same one, Siemens­Halske Bramo SH 14 A 4. There are , accordingto my knowledge, three Stieglitz's flyingaround in Finland. We look forward to compairthese two types sometime.Wi shing you all the very best and ahappy Spring,Your'sMr. K. MustonenandMr. J. AhlstromDear Sirs:I'd like to order your Vintage Airplanemagazine for 1976. If it is possible I'd like tohave also the first numbers of 76.You can send the bill and the magazine to: Mr. John Ahlstrom Bergmansgatan 5 A 8 00140 Helsingfors 14 FINLAND, EUROPE Very many thanks in advance,Johan AhlstrOmIn regard to " Breath of Life" in Feb. 1976issue of Vintage Airplane.Mr. Richard Connoley of Ridgefield ,Connecticut, kept NC 11 Y at Danbury, Connecticutduring 1940-1941 . He flew it regularlyon business. Its big fuel tanks were a readysource from which to " borrow" gaswhen the Cub trainers went dry and Texaco waslate with deliveries. We washed her downwith " gunk" 'til the aluminum glistened andnursed sore muscles from pushing in andout of the hangar. For details write :Cliff Sadler, Manager, Danbury Airport, Danbury,Conn. 06810.Have photo taken at Danbu ry ifyou want.Charles Steffens, Jr.37 Coleman RoadGlastonbury, CT 06033WANTED: 1941 Stinson 10-A. Mu:" u" ferriable.Prefer one with 90 hp Franklin, but will considerany, including the 1939 model, HW-75. WayneAlsworth, Sr., Port Alsworth, Alaska 99653.FOR SALE: Waco S.R .E. Basket Case. Cabinbiplane with 450 hp, P&W engine. Blue printsavailable, $27.00. Ted Voorhees, 6778 SkylineDrive, Delray Beach, FL 33446.WANTED: Antique wood propeller for my den.W. N. Schultz, Jr., P.O. Box 386, Madison, NC27025. 919/548-9648, days; 548-2496, nights.18