Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This past fall saw a lot of activity at the Vintage Chapter 37 Hangar here at home. With the Harold
Neumann Monocoupe now back in
the hangar, we have renewed our
efforts to see this project through.
We are now re-installing the interior in the fuselage and are also
busy with installing the fully restored instrument panel and the
skylight assembly. We are planning
another visit to Oshkosh sometime
this winter to prep and paint the
one-piece wing assembly.
We are finally approaching the
end of our hangar addition here
in Auburn, Indiana. I know, I have
probably mentioned this in at least
two or three other columns, but in
actuality, by the time you read this
column it will be officially completed. Stop and see us if you get
anywhere close to KGWB in Fort
Wayne, Indiana. We would be
happy to show it off to our fellow
VAA/EAA members.
Remember, its time to run your
checklist and buckle your seat belts,
because 2010 is shaping up to be
yet another exciting year for the
Vintage Aircraft Association.
VAA is about participation: Be a
member! Be a volunteer! Be there!
Lets all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation. Remember, we are better together.
Join us and have it all.
Come share the passion! See you
at EAA AirVenture OshkoshJuly
26-August 1, 2010.
A I R P L A N E
Vol. 38, No. 1
2010
j a n u a ry
CONTENTS
IFC Straight & Level
Midwestern Winters and Monocoupes
by Geoff Robison
News
12
18
22
26
STAFF
EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Director/Editor
Production/Special Project
Photography
Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy
28
33
Type Clubs
39
Classified Ads
COVERS
Advertising Coordinator
Classified Ad Coordinator
Copy Editor
Director of Advertising
Tom Poberezny
Mary Jones
H.G. Frautschy
Kathleen Witman
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
Sue Anderson
Lesley Poberezny
Colleen Walsh
Katrina Bradshaw
12
FRONT COVER: Jim Nelsons Piper PA-24 Comanche is one of those neat airplanes
that at first glance you may miss the many fascinating details that make up this modified family speedster. Read all about it in Budd Davissons article beginning on page
7. EAA photo by Bonnie Kratz.
BACK COVER: The Harlow PJC-2 is often referred to as a Baby Spar tan. They
are both professor/student aircraft projects from a time when that type of arrangement created some of the greatest aircraft of the past centur y. Read about this restoration by Matt Malkin of Seattle, Washington, in Sparky Barnes Sargents ar ticle
star ting on page 12. Photo by Gilles Auillard.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
VAA NEWS
VDER Update
Since the announcement earlier
this year that the FAA was creating
an addition to the designated
engineering representative (DER)
program administered by the
regional aircraft certification offices
(ACO), the VAA has spoken or
written to more than three dozen
members interested in applying
to become a DER. During our
conversations, its become clear
there are some misconceptions
regarding the qualifications
needed to be appointed a vintage
DER (VDER).
The VDER program is a specific
designation under the umbrella
of the DER programthe
qualifications needed for becoming
a VDER are nearly identical to
those needed for being appointed
a DER by the FAA. It isnt a DER
light program, nor does it create
a new program for those who
have no engineering expertise.
Thats not to say the appointment
cant be made if someone is not
an engineer; it simply means
applicants must prove their
expertise to be considered for
the appointment. As stated in
the Vintage DER Checklist, The
intent of the authority is to allow
individuals who dont meet the
conventional DER appointment
criteria to become VDERs with
limited approval authority in
multiple technical specialties
for repairs and/or alterations of
specific makes of vintage airplanes
and/or engines.
It is intended to allow a
person who has both real-world
maintenance experience with a
specific vintage aircraft type and
the appropriate level of engineering
expertise to create engineeringrelated data that is acceptable to
the ACO. The goal of the program
is to streamline the data-creation
process, shortening the time
2 JANUARY 2010
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
A Biplane Dream
Comes True
Earning her ticket in an RNF
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
his story begins in the
spring of 2003 when
I became acquainted
with a wonderful
woman, Susan Theodorelos, who possessed
a zest for life. Over the coming
months, we could always be found
at the airport or a fly-in, which,
looking back, shouldnt be too surprising; shes always been pursuing
adventure in one form or another.
Susan grew up the daughter of a
naval aviator, moving frequently
from city to city and country to
country. She always maintained
an interest in flying because of her
father. She even collected airplane
photos and built models. After receiving her undergraduate degree,
like her father, she joined the U.S.
Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander until she left the
service in February 1993. Following
her tour in the Navy, she went back
to school and obtained her law degree. Upon graduation, she secured
a position with the U.S. Air Force at
Wright-Patterson in Dayton, Ohio.
Over that first summer, Susan
had the opportunity to ride in nu-
4 JANUARY 2010
ANDY HEINS
Our two Wacos, a 1935 Waco YKC-S, NC14620, and a 1930 Waco RNF, NC663Y.
because this was a ball, and Im willing to take it back. To which Susan
replied, No way, its my airplane
now! We all had a great laugh and
pushed the Waco into the hangar
and opened a bottle of champagne
to celebrate the arrival.
We were only able to make a few
flights in the RNF prior to bad winter weather setting in. As spring
2006 arrived, Susan resumed her
flying lessons. She became reacquainted with the Aeronca Champ
and quickly soloed again. We then
had her go to the Piper J-3 to get
used to not being able to see forward, especially when taxiing. She
soloed the Cub in 6.8 hours on
March 30, 2006. Susan flew it solo
several times, and then we moved
her to the Waco. After 5.6 hrs of
dual instruction in the Waco she soloed on May 21, 2006. At this point
in time, over a three-year span, Susan had a grand total of 29.7 hours
logged and had soloed three different types of airplanes. She was now
in command of her own little red
biplane, and she never looked back.
She could be found nearly every
night at the airport either taking a
lesson or flying around by herself.
Over the next three years Susan
spent a lot of time flying the RNF.
In fact, just one month after soloing
the Waco, she led a four-ship formation of Wacos on a short crosscountry flight to the National Waco
Club reunion! She continued to get
90-day signoffs to remain current,
but she just didnt take that last
step to finish. What she dreaded
most was having to fly something
else besides her little Waco to accomplish the requirements for radio work and instrument and night
flying. Finally, she had to relent
and go fly a nosewheel airplane, a
Cessna 152. Over this past summer
she completed all the remaining
requirements and now faced the
checkride. The previous summer
Susan had spoken to a local examiner, Martha Lunken, a local legend
in her own right, about the possibility of using the Waco RNF for her
checkride. Martha seemed to think
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
The Cub proved to be helpful as Susan transitioned to an airplane with less visibility over the nose.
6 JANUARY 2010
BUDD DAVISSON
BONNIE KRATZ
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
8 JANUARY 2010
CRAIG VANDERKOLK
BONNIE KRATZ
The late Roy LoPresti spent a lot of time engineering revisions to the Comanche to make it even faster. The changes
include a new cowling with full-length nose wheel door and door motor, flap track fairings, flap gap seals, horizontal
stabilator mass balance, and counterweights. The modification to the Hartzell propeller with the very noticeable trailing
edge extensions, or flaps, is also a LoPresti design, manufactured by Hartzell.
those were
huge projects,
and even
though I was
in management,
they werent
mine. The
Comanche was
going to be mine,
pure and simple.
Shortly after the interior was installed, copper wiring replaced the
aluminum wiring of that eras Comanches, followed by a full panel
of King radios and Johnston wingtips. Those were specially shaped
to flare upwards just enough to let
the wingtip vortices spill around
the wing in such a way that it improved the tip vortex action and,
especially, aileron sensitivity. The
tips also had the running lights
faired into them. That was the first
of many little changes we made
with the goal of reducing drag and
improving performance.
Drag reduction was why we
changed the gear legs from the
double-fork units to the single-fork
ones. On the double-fork legs, the
The Johnston wingtips are specially shaped to flare upwards to allow the
wingtip vortices to spill around the wing so that aileron sensitivity is enhanced.
Many pilots see the Piper Comanche as one of the sleekest four-place airplanes
ever built in its original form. The design has lent itself well to modifications that
enhance the already good performance of the low-wing four-place speedster.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
The new medium/light blue interior with sculpted seats keeps a vintage 60s
feel to the airplane, while a neatly installed suite of modern avionics keeps the
airplane up to date in modern airspace.
brake assemblies and part of the
fork hang out into the airflow. The
337 for the installation requires
some wing rib doublers for the single-fork installation and results in
the brake assemblies and fork being
completely retracted into the wheel
wells, with a much cleaner lowerwing surface resulting. I also took
the airplane to Webco in Newton,
Kansas, for installation of half-inch
glass all around during this period.
Even though he spent a lot of
time working on the airplane, it
flew more than it sat, and he and
his wife and family thought nothing of crossing the country in it.
It was on one of those trips,
when the engine was just about
10 JANUARY 2010
BONNIE KRATZ
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
One Harlows
12 JANUARY 2010
Engineer Max
Max B. Harlow was a Stanford
University aeronautical engineering graduate who started using his
engineering skills in 1928. He was
chief engineer, or design engineer,
Hallowed
Family History
(www.Pasadena.edu/about/history/
missing/harlow/harlow.cfm), the first
step was building an experimental
plywood mock-up of the fuselage,
which the students used to determine cabin space and size. Then they
went to the drawing board, designing and refining the design under
Harlows watchful eye. Next, they
built airframe components and procured items such as the powerplant,
propeller, wheels, and tires. Final assembly was completed at the local
airport, and the airplane was ready
to be test flowna mere 10 months
after the project had started.
Aviation historian and author Joseph Juptner wrote that the PJC-1
was test flown on September 14,
1937. As the last part of its certification tests the PJC-1 was loaded
Warner engine and fixed pitch Curtiss metal propeller, and the other a
2-place enclosed tandem trainer of
all metal construction powered with
a 165 hp Warner engine and a Hamilton constant speed propeller. During the year Harlow secured an order
of PC-5A trainers for export.
Construction Features
The all-metal PJC-2 was designed
to be strong and relatively simple
to build. Its neatly tapered, semimonocoque fuselage was composed
of narrow lengths of Alclad sheet
riveted to transverse rings and longitudinal extrusions. Its one-piece,
cantilever wing was wide at the wing
root and tapered toward the tip, and
it also was semi-monocoque construction, with a NACA 23012 airfoil
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
GILLES AUILLARD
GILLES AUILLARD
Matt Malkin and his sister Anya on the wing of Grandpa Macs Harlow.
4 inches from nose to tail wheel, and
its one-piece wingspan is 35 feet 10
inches. It has an empty weight of
1,661 pounds and a gross weight of
2,294 pounds. It carries 34 gallons of
fuel and burns about 9.5 gph while
cruising at 138 mph (max 160 mph)
for a range of nearly 500 miles.
Grandpa Mac
Californian John C. MacPherson
owned Serial No. 7 from 1960 until
2003. During World War II, Mac
was a primary flight instructor, teaching in PT-19s, at Hemet, California.
He worked a variety of jobsone as
a commercial fisherman, fishing albacore up and down the West Coast.
He also owned a wrecking yard in
Lancaster, and he was an aircraft and
powerplant (A&P) and inspection authorization (IA) mechanic for a very
long time in Salinas, said Matt. He
retired from the military in 1963 as a
lieutenant colonel. One of his claims
to fame is that he flew the N9M flying wing in 1945 while he was in the
Army Air Corps at Muroc Army Air
base [now Edwards Air Force Base].
Serial No. 7
Serial No. 7 was completed August 5, 1940. Originally powered
by a 145-hp Warner S-50A, it was
equipped with a Curtiss fixed-pitch
metal prop. Interestingly, this PJC-2
was first owned by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) in
Washington, D.C., and was used for
business purposes. Records show that
it had certificate number NC67 in
The tallest fellow (third from the left) in this group shot from World War II is
Matt Malkins Grandpa Mac.
1940 and 1941. CAA pilots flew it
118.5 hours in its first year, and in
May 1942, they increased its range
by having an auxiliary fuel tank installed in the baggage compartment.
Historian Juptner, in his U.S. Civil
Aircraft Series, Vol. 7, stated, The
Harlow was a lovely little airplane
of very advanced design. The first
large order came from the Bureau of
Air Commerce which stationed the
airplanes in districts scattered around
the country for use by government
inspectors. Even tho the prototype
(PJC-1) had crashed in an unfair
spin test, the Bureau felt somewhat
obligated for the mishap and gave
the subsequent examples a clean bill
of health, as it were. The government
inspector-pilots enjoyed the little
Harlow, and were more than happy
to use it in their work.
After World War II, a February 19,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
GILLES AUILLARD
Family Memories
Matt inherited NC65296 in October 2003 after his maternal Grandpa
Mac passed on. The family decided
that I would be the one to take care
of it, reflected Matt. Grandpa originally bought the airplane in Lancaster, California, and in the 1970s he
moved to Salinas, California, where
he had it the majority of the time he
spent with it. His flying was all just
private flying, for pleasure. During
the summers my mom and my sister
and I would visit him. I did [fly with
him in this airplane], and there are
photos of my sister and [me] standing on the wing. I was probably 8 or
9 years old then, so its likely that this
was the first small plane that I was
ever in. I do remember my grandfather being a pretty positive influence in my young life; he was a man
of good humor and just a real gentle
characterand someone I admired
greatly as a child.
Matt soloed in a Cessna 150 and
has logged close to 800 hours since
then. Like his grandfather, his flying
16 JANUARY 2010
Grandson Matt
Since the Harlow was down south
in Salinas and Matt was living in Seattle, he literally traveled the extra
miles for about nine months in order to bring NC65296 into airworthy condition. Every month Id go
down there, said Matt. Id fly commercially to San Jose, rent a car, stay
with my grandmother at her house,
and spend a weekend working on
the plane. It was generally flyable,
though out of annual, and it needed
a bunch of minor things. Clay Anderson helped me work on it, and
I also worked with my Uncle Tim,
who was a mechanic, and he knew
the airplane well, since hed worked
on it with Grandpa.
When the PJC-2 was ready to be
flown, Matt had the good fortune
of finding a local instructor at Salinas who had once given Mac a biennial flight review in the airplane.
He checked me out in itthe Harlow has brakes on both the left and
right sidesand we flew together
on several weekends. I never felt uncomfortable in the airplane, Matt
said and smiled. Its actually fairly
well-behaved, though its a little
short-coupled, so on the ground you
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.
Experienced agents
800-727-3823
Fly with the pros fly with AUA Inc.
www.auaonline.com
My Friend
Albert Vollmecke
Part 1: His early career
BY
Albert A. Voellmecke
18 JANUARY 2010
ROBERT G. LOCK
FIGURE 1
the age of 23, succeeded the great Immelmann as squadron commander
when the ace of aces was shot down
over the lines in WWI. Tweer was officially credited with bringing down
32 planes, a record that was surpassed
by few on the other side. By a strange
freak of fate he survived all his air battles only to lose his life while testing a
new plane behind the lines. The plane
caught fire and Tweer fell to his death
when he leaped from the burning
machine at a height of 100 feet near
Hanover. Vollmecke was too young
to enter the German air service until
the closing year of the war, when he
attended an army flying school. The
hostilities came to an end after he had
finished the course and been assigned
to an air unit on the western front.
Vollmecke told the story of a brave
German aviator who was engaged to
his sister. This aviator died when his
flying machine caught fire in the air
and he jumped from the craft before
it hit the ground. Could it have been
this man, Gustav Tweer? Tweer was
born July 5, 1893, in Osnabrueck,
Germany, and died November 1,
1916, in Hanover, Germany, at the
young age of 23. He learned to fly and
earned German pilot license number
180 on April 18, 1912. He became a
protg of the French looping and
FIGURE 2
diving aviator Adolphe Pegoud. The
photograph in Figure 2 is Tweer and
his Bleriot monoplane.
Pegoud had met Louis Bleriot and
learned to fly in a Bleriot monoplane.
Pegoud made the first parachute jump
from an airplane from an altitude of
250 meters on August 13, 1913, and
accomplished the first loop on September 21, 1913, in a Bleriot Type XI
machine. Pegoud died in World War I
when he was shot down by a former
student from Germany. He was only
26 years old.
In 1914 Tweer met Bleriot in
France. He learned flying and became an early Sturz- und Schleifenflieger (diving and looping
pilot) like Pegoud.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 4
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
FIGURE 5
newspapers in cargo type airplanes
with built-in hoppers, papers would
be jettisoned over a designated spot
from where local carriers would pick
them up and deliver them to their
customers. [See the company stationary in Figure 5.] Some mornings
when I pick up my morning paper
it looks like they were using Vollmeckes invention. The ships were
painted bright colors so people on the
ground would know when the newspaper ship was approaching.
The Heinkel Double Decker biplane was to be manufactured in two
sizes. The Model 39 had a payload
capacity of 1,150 pounds for freight
or passengers, and the Model 40 had
a payload capacity of 2,500 pounds
of freight or 10 passengers (including two pilots). A bundle of 100 average-size newspapers would weigh 28
pounds, thus in one trip the Heinkel
H.D. 40 could deliver 8,707 papers.
You can see the colorful paint scheme
in Figures 6 and 7.
The March 19, 1929, issue of AVIATION magazine carried a story regarding the Heinkel H.D. 40 German
freight and express plane (Figure 8),
which was to be manufactured in
America and powered by an American engine. The Arkansas Aircraft
20 JANUARY 2010
FIGURE 6
Company of Little Rock, Ark., manufacturer of commercial airplanes, announces it is now preparing to put in
production a type of plane suitable
for freight and express carriers by air
lines operating on regular schedules.
This plane can also be furnished with
a patented mechanical dropping device for the handling of certain commodities. This device was primarily
designed for the delivery of newspapers, and several of the large European newspapers are now using this
plane equipped with the dropping device in the daily delivery of their papers to distant towns. [Figure 9]
The plane was designed by the
Ernst Heinkel Airplane Works of Warnemuende, Germany, and is known
in Europe as the Heinkel model H.D.
40. It is through Albert Vollmecke,
chief engineer for the Arkansas Aircraft Company, who until recently
was associated with the Heinkel
Works in Germany, that arrangements are being made to manufacture
this plane in America.
The H.D. 40 follows Heinkel practice in construction in that it has a
large welded steel tubular fuselage with
high lift wood wings. It is planned
that these planes will be powered with
Pratt and Whitney Wasp or Hornet
engines or with Wright Cyclone engines. The plane was designed in compliance with the requirements of the
German Technical Department for
Aeronautics at Adlershof. Neither Arkansas Aircraft nor Command-Aire
ever constructed the airplane, which
was to be manufactured in the United
States under license to Heinkel.
The Arkansas Democrat newspaper
dated Sunday, November 6, 1927, reported the following interview of
Albert Vollmecke, Just before my departure from Germany I saw, under
construction, a huge plane designed
to carry 100 passengers. It will soon be
ready for testing and I believe it will
prove a success marking the beginning
of a new era in commercial flying. This
plane, built primarily for experimental
purposes, will be driven by six motors
of 1,000 horsepower each. Vollmecke
predicted that the trans-Atlantic planes
of the near future would be big hydroplanes that would fly at great height,
perhaps 15,000 feet and more, thus
soaring high above all fog and atmospheric disturbances. This was predicted just after Charles Lindbergh had
flown solo nonstop from New York to
Paris. Vollmecke offered another forecast for the future. Diesel engines will
eventually be substituted for gasoline
FIGURE 7
motors. The fuel consumption
of the diesel is much lower than
the types of gasoline motors that
were in use for aerial purposes.
This, he predicted, would help
solve one of the most troublesome problems of long-distance
flightthe excessive weight of
the fuel that had to be carried.
All this in November 1927!
Vollmeckes ideas on aircraft design came mostly from
Germany. In his collection of
technical books was a threevolume set of design ideas for
every type of aeronautical device one could imagine. Gustav
V. Lachmann wrote one such
technical paper that Vollmecke
commonly referred to. It was
authored July 1925 in Germany
but recorded by the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Washington, D.C., in July 1926 (Figure
10). The title is Development
of Light and Small Airplanes.
Vollmecke was always looking
for the ideal light low-powered
airplane. He was looking for efficiency and safety, and his designs reflected this philosophy.
This poor-quality photograph in Figure 11 comes from
Dr. G. Lachmanns NACA report number 370. It is a small
low-powered lightweight ship
produced by the Ernst Heinkel Airplane Works in Warnemuende, Germany. Asked if
he had designed or helped de-
FIGURE 8
sign this airplane, Vollmecke
said no, but he had flown it on
several occasions. Vollmecke
added, The wings folded for
storage, and it had full-span
slotted ailerons. The wing brace
struts and fittings were poorly
designed. While doing acrobatics a wing failed and the aircraft was destroyed. Note the
full-span ailerons as developed
and reported on by Dr. Lachmann in his May 1926 report
as published by the NACA in
Technical Memorandum number 393, dated January 1927. In
his report, Dr. Lachmann concluded, There is no doubt that
this form of lateral control has
greatly increased the safety of
flight in the region of the stall.
It is quite likely that it could,
with advantage, be applied to
fighting airplanes, as the ability to start a turn rapidly and
to maintain lateral control
when stalled with full engine,
on a turn of minimum radius,
is of very great importance.
Both model and full-scale experiments were made to see
whether the drag of the airplane had been increased by the
somewhat drastic alterations in
the shape of the wings in the
region of the ailerons. On the
model the increase in drag coefficient was about 0.001, and
on the full scale airplane was
too small to be detected. It was
continued on page 32
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
MCRAE
EAA 93
with a steel channel spreader bar supporting the two-piece axle. Each axle
was hinged at its inboard end, which
was about one-third of the distance
between the wheels. Shock absorbers were rubber shock cord wrapped
around the outer end of the axles and
landing gear struts. The tires were 171/2 inches in diameter.
The wings were of conventional
two-spar wood construction with
plywood web-type ribs using the
RAF 15 airfoil. The wire bracing was
of streamline 10-32 drawn steel tie
rods. Because of the high drag of
standard wire fittings, a special type
of end fitting was designed that
could be buried in the wing and still
allow the wire to swivel in all directions without putting a bend in the
threads. This was a difficult problem, as the rear spar was only 1-3/4
inches deep and the front spar was 2
inches deep. Ailerons were used on
the lower wing only with a torque
Editors Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAAs Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this series, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!HGF
22 JANUARY 2010
At the 1925
National Air
Races held at
Mitchell Field,
New York,
the Powell Racer
was flown by
Jerry V. Dack of
Dayton, Ohio, and
proved to be the
fastest lightplane
entered.
tube drive from the cockpit. The upper wing was built in one piece. The
short span allowed the dihedral to
be built in with no splicing.
The tail surfaces were constructed
with a plywood web making up most
of the structure. The hinges for the
tail surfaces consisted of continuous
strips of leather, which worked well.
The elevator control system had a
pushrod back as far as the rear seat and
a cable system from there to the elevator. The aileron control system used
torque tubes and push-pull rods. The
rudder was operated by rudder pedals
with a conventional cable system.
A standard 8-gallon fuel tank was
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
310 pounds
475 pounds
Wing area
76 square feet
Fuel capacity
8 gallons
24 JANUARY 2010
JUST A REMINDER...
You can buy your tickets online now and save time and money.
Go to www.airventure.org/tickets
and get to the fun fasterand cheaper.
J U LY 2 6 A U G U S T 1
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
MYSTERY PLANE
This months Mystery Plane comes to us
from an e-mail sent by Bill Goebel of Rhome, Texas. Its a scan of a
photo he recently purchased on eBay. The outline certainly looks
familiar, and the slats add a bit of technical interest to the shot.
Send your answer to EAA,
Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your
answer needs to be in no later
than February 15 for inclusion
in the April 2010 issue of
Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your
answer to mysteryplane@eaa.org.
Be sure to include your name
plus your city and state in the
body of your note and put
(Month) Mystery Plane in the
subject line.
26 JANUARY 2010
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
Vintage
Mechanic
THE
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
Instrument systems
An airframe and
powerplant
mechanic (A&P)
cant make any
adjustments to
aircraft instruments
other than
swinging the
compass.
28 JANUARY 2010
FIGURE 1
Then move the airplane so as to
change the heading by 30 degrees,
noting the compass reading, until
back to the north heading. Your figures can then be transferred to the
compass correction card that will
be installed just below the compass.
If there are heading errors of more
than 10 degrees, the compass must
be overhauled or replaced. Figure
1 details a typical compass correction card.
TACHOMETER (Figure 2): All
old tachs were mechanically driven
off the engine accessory case. There
were no electric or recording tachs
FIGURE 2
made in the early days. Use care
when measuring the length of the
drive cable and housing; dont
make it too long, as excessive coils
or changes in direction can cause
friction and errors in rpm indication. Note the direction of the tach
cable drive at the engine, and make
sure the drive cable is wound in the
direction of the engine drive, not
in opposition to the drive direction. Also note that the drive cable
is slightly longer than the housing
so as to properly engage in both
the engine drive and tachometer
FIGURE 3
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
FIGURE 4
the case of the instrument. There
usually is a tee connection that allows static air to be connected to
the altimeter, and through another
tee to the rate-of-climb instrument
(if installed). Some simple installations will have the static air source
directed only to the airspeed indicator; the altimeter static air will
be opened directly into the cockpit
of the airplane through a 1/8-inch
pipe plug with a small-drilled hole.
The airspeed indicator should have
a red radial line marking the neverexceed speed (VNE) of the aircraft.
Figure 6 shows a typical early
pitot-static installation to an airspeed indicator.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
30 JANUARY 2010
FIGURE 7
ment to the local altimeter setting.
In the United States we use inches
of mercury as the unit of measurement. When these instruments are
accurate they are actually an aneroid barometer, which uses a type
of diaphragm that is more sensitive
to smaller pressure changes than
a simple diaphragm. To use it, set
the needle on the field elevation
and the instrument will tell you
the barometric pressure in inches of
mercury. When installing the sensitive altimeter, a placard on the rear
of the case should indicate that the
instrument is a 0-20,000 foot altimeter. Sensitive altimeters have two
or three needles on the dial and an
adjusting knob at the 6 oclock or
8 oclock position. The sensitive altimeter can be overhauled and certified for accuracy; the standard
altimeter can be overhauled but
cannot be certified for accuracy.
PLUMBING: The most common
type of tubing for instrument systems is soft aluminum alloy 3003.
It is easily hand-formed and flared,
and standard aluminum AN fittings
(blue in color) can be used. Route
the tubing so it does not chafe, and
clamp it to the structure if necessary.
OPERATION: Aircraft instruments need a certain amount of vi-
FIGURE 8
bration to work properly. It there is
no vibration, the needles tend to
be jumpy, especially the airspeed
indicator and the altimeter. Some
instrument panels were shockmounted, and some were not.
Many older airplanes did not have
shock-mounted panels; rather the
panels were mounted directly to
the fuselage frames.
TROUBLESHOOTING: A most
common problem will be an obstruction in the pitot line causing
an erroneous reading on the airspeed indicator. Remove the pitot line from the instrument case
(its the one in the middle) and reverse blow out the line with compressed air. Caution: Use a regulator
and start at 20 psi; continue raising pressure until the obstruction
is removed. Dont blast away with
a line pressure of 100 psi and above
or you can do damage to the system, especially if rubber hose was
used to join the tubing together.
If oil temperature gauge accuracy
is in question, heat water until it
boils, place the instrument probe in
the water, and check the reading. It
should read 212F or 100C. No adjustment can be made to the instrument. At overhaul each instrument
has a calibration card furnished, and
you might want to review that card.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31
32 JANUARY 2010
Vollmecke
continued from Page 21
TYPE CLUBS
Aeronca Aviators Club
Bellanca-Champion Club
Robert Szego
P.O. Box 66
Coxsackie, NY 12051
518-731-3131
staff@aeronca.org
www.aeronca.org
Dues: $29 1-yr, $55 2-yrs;
Intl $37 1-yr, $69 2-yrs
Aeronca Aviator, Qtrly
Robert Szego
P.O. Box 100
Coxsackie, NY 12051
518-731-6800
staff@bellanca-championclub.com
www.bellanca-championclub.com
$38 1-yr, $72 2-yrs;
Intl $43 1-y, $81 2-yrs
Publication: B-C Contact!, Qtrly
Lori Parsons
P.O. Box 1917
Atascadero, CA 93423-1917
805-461-1958
membership@cessna150152.com
www.cessna150152.com
$35/yr Internet; $45/yr Print U.S.
Intl see website
Publication: 6/yr
Auster Club
Stuart Bain
31 Swain Court
Lake Ronkonkoma
New York, NY 1179
631-285-1095
memsec@austerclub.org
www.austerclub.org
Jeannie Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033-0328
815-943-7205
Postage donation
Bcker Club
614-937-4189
sbeaver@columbus.rr.com
www.bucker.info
Trevor Janz
Waupaca Municipal Airport
The Blue Hangar
P.O. Box 381
Waupaca, WI 54981
920-867-2800
trevor@cessnaflyer.org
www.cessnaflyer.org
$40/yr
Publication: Monthly
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
Cliff Crabs
25575 Butternut Ridge Road
North Olmsted, OH 44070
440-777-4025
ccrabs@aol.com
$15 initial, then as required
Publication: 4/yr
Carolyn T. Carden
P.O. Box 7117
Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
910-575-2758
coupecaper@aol.com
www.ercoupe.org
$25/yr Electronic
$30/yr Paper
Coupe Capers, Monthly
Corben Club
Robert Taylor
P.O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 magazines
Culver Club
Brent Taylor
P.O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues
34 JANUARY 2010
Fairchild Club
Mike Kelly
92 N. Circle Dr.
Coldwater, MI 49036
517-278-7654
hotfoot49@hotmail.com
www.fairchildclub.com
$20/yr
Publication: Qtrly
Hatz Club
Barry Taylor
P. O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues, Hatz Herald
Interstate Club
Robert L. Taylor
P.O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues, Interstate Intercom
Luscombe Association
Steve Krog
1002 Heather Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@luscombeassoc.org
www.luscombeassoc.org
$30 US/Canada; $35 Intl USD
Publication: 6/yr
Jon Hartman
P.O. Box 6656
Ventura, CA 93006
805-754-0044
jon@navionpilots.org
www.navionpilots.org
$25/yr
Navion Skies
Raleigh Morrow
P.O. Box 2678
Lodi, CA 95241
209-482-7754
Fax: 209-367-9390
navion1@clearwire.net
www.navionskies.com
Email newsletter monthly
Doug Eshelman
1563 Timber Ridge Dr.
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-400-3382
desh@comcast.net
www.meyersaircraftowners.org
Postage fund donation
Newsletter: 3-4/yr
Barry Taylor
Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues
The Parrakeet Pilot
Monocoupe Club
Doc Mosher
P.O. Box 3501
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3501
BPAN@tds.net
www.pietenpols.org
$16/yr
Publication: Qtrly
Cub Club
Michael Harms
P.O. Box 391641
Mountain View, CA 94039
650-966-8292
MichaelHarms@comcast.net
www.mooneymite.com
Dues: None
Steve Krog
1002 Heather Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@cubclub.org
www.cubclub.org
$35 US/Canada; $40 Intl USD
Cub Clues, 6/yr
Shortwingpipers.org
Steve Pierce
196 Hwy. 380 East
Graham, TX 76450
940-549-6415
www.shortwingpipers.org
Donations: Min $25/yr
Online Discussion Forum
Supercub.org
Straight & Level Productions, Inc
PO Box 150
Waldron, MO 64092
816-200-2827
www.supercub.org
Donations: Min. $25/yr
Online Discussion Forum
PO Box 1810
Traverse City, MI 49685-1810
888-300-0082
ics@villagepress.com
www.comancheflyer.com
$66/yr US, Canada, Mexico
The Comanche Flyer, Monthly
Rearwin Club
John J. Lumley
6778 Skyline Drive
Delray Beach, FL 33446
561-499-1115
captainapache@aol.com
www.piperapacheclub.com
$36/yr
Robert L. Taylor
P. O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
www.antiqueairfield.com
$18 for 3 issues
Tom Porterfield
3350 Cty. Rd. U; Hangar A
Abernathy, TX 79311
806-328-5347
porterfieldprops@sbcglobal.net
www.porterfieldplane.ning.com
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35
John R. Hodges
11298 Twin Spires Dr.
Flint, TX 75762
903-894-8993
editor@ryanclub.org
www.ryanclub.org
$15/yr Internet, message boards
Rich Nurge
7780 Oak Spring Circle
Gilroy, CA 95020
408-858-8018
info@westernwaco.com
www.westernwaco.com
$10/yr Electronic; $20 Print
Publication: Qtrly
Steve Krog
1002 Heather Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@gmail.com
www.taylorcraft.org
$35/yr
Publication: Qtrly
American Aviation
Historical Society
Robert L. Taylor
P. O. Box 127
Blakesburg, IA 52536
641-938-2773
antiqueairfield@sirisonline.com
$18 for 3 issues
Travel Air Talks
Anthony L. Wright
2264 Los Robles Road
Meadow Vista, CA 95722
530-878-0219
stinson2@juno.com
www.stinsonclub.org
$30/yr
Publication: Monthly
Jerry Impellezzeri
4925 Wilma Way
San Jose, CA 95124
408-356-3407
clear_prop2003@yahoo.com
www.travelair.org
$15/yr US; $20 Intl
Travel Air Log, Qtrly
36 JANUARY 2010
What
Wh
hat O
Our
ur Members Are Restoring
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37
Ninety-Nines, Inc.,
Charlie Nelson
P. O. Box 644
Athens, TN 37371-0644
Headquarters: 423-745-9547
Parts Department: 423-744-9696
Charlie: swiftlychs@aol.com
Secretary: swiftlypam@aol.com
www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org
www.SaginawWings.com
$35/yr
Publication: Monthly
Bart Bratko
19 Bay State Rd.
Natick, MA 10760
508-651-8287
bart_bratko@hotmail.com
www.unitedflyingoctogenarians.org
$15/yr
UFO newsletter, 6/yr
Jerry Reece
3288 Cherryview Ct.
North Bend, OH 45052
513-941-8108
www.silverwings.org
$25/yr
Slipstream, Qtrly
PO Box 730
Red Hook, NY 12571-0730
845-835-8121
ww1aero@gmail.com
www.ww1aeroplanesinc.org
Herman Schaub
168 Marion Lane
Berea, OH 44017
440-234-2301
www.airrace.com
$20/yr US; $23 Intl
Publication: 6/yr
38 JANUARY 2010
VINTAGE
TRADER
S o m e t h i n g t o b u y,
sell, or trade?
Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words
maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line.
Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1,
2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no
frequency discounts.
Adver tising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to
desired issue date (i.e., Januar y 10 is the closing date for the
March issue). VAA reser ves the right to reject any adver tising
in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue.
Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must
accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-6845)
or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards
accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of
card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable
to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications
Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
MISCELLANEOUS
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing. Visit
www.flyingwires.com or call 800-517-9278.
w w w. a e r o l i s t . o r g , Av i a t i o n s L e a d i n g
Marketplace
AERO CLASSIC
Vintage Tires
REAL ESTATE
Southern Utah # 1 Airpark in Southwest.
Grassy Meadows Sky Ranch UT47. Rare
Find: Mega home with 7,000 sq ft Hangar,
runway access, on 2.6 Acres. Nice selection
of Hangar/Homes & Lots on 1 to 2.5 Acres
for Sale. www.skyranchairport.com or Call
Nick Berg 435-668-3800.
SERVICES
Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC:
Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering,
fabric repairs and complete restorations.
Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-4721481 Ohio and bordering states
COLLECTOR SERIES
www.desser.com
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39
VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT
ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President
Geoff Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven, IN 46774
260-493-4724
chief7025@aol.com
Vice-President
George Daubner
N57W34837 Pondview Ln
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
262-560-1949
gdaubner@eaa.org
Secretary
Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-1674
stnes2009@live.com
DIRECTORS
Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-653-7557
sst10@comcast.net
Jeannie Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033-0328
815-943-7205
David Bennett
375 Killdeer Ct
Lincoln, CA 95648
916-645-8370
antiquer@inreach.com
Jerry Brown
4605 Hickory Wood Row
Greenwood, IN 46143
317-422-9366
lbrown4906@aol.com
Dan Knutson
106 Tena Marie Circle
Lodi, WI 53555
608-592-7224
lodicub@charter.net
Dave Clark
635 Vestal Lane
Plainfield, IN 46168
317-839-4500
davecpd@att.net
Steve Krog
1002 Heather Ln.
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@aol.com
John S. Copeland
1A Deacon Street
Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4775
copeland1@juno.com
Phil Coulson
28415 Springbrook Dr.
Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-6490
rcoulson516@cs.com
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hills Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-293-4430
dalefaye@msn.com
DIRECTORS
EMERITUS
Robert C. Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60643
773-779-2105
photopilot@aol.com
Gene Chase
2159 Carlton Rd.
Oshkosh, WI 54904
920-231-5002
GRCHA@charter.net
Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
Roanoke, TX 76262
817-491-9110
genemorris@charter.net
Ronald C. Fritz
15401 Sparta Ave.
Kent City, MI 49330
616-678-5012
rFritz@pathwaynet.com
John Turgyan
PO Box 219
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2910
jrturgyan4@aol.com
TM
TM
airventure@eaa.org
sportpilot@eaa.org
dwalker@eaa.or
mrobbins@eaa.org
airacademy@eaa.org
scholarships@eaa.org
tdeimer@eaa.org
slurvey@eaa.org
membership@eaa.org
membership@eaa.org
membership@eaa.org
vintage@eaa.org
tbooks@eaa.org
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA
IAC
WARBIRDS
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyright 2010 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA
Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane
magazine, is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO
ADDRESSES Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse
any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.
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with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.
EAA and EAA SPORT AVIATION, the EAA Logo and Aeronautica are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks
and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.
40 JANUARY 2010
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