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APRIL 2012

The Henley’s Mark, Tanner, and Johnathan ■ Mark is an ATP and has been a pilot since 1976 ■ Tanner is a student pilot who flies every chance she gets ■ Jonathan is 18 and has been a private pilot for one year

Our L-4 was based in the US During WWII from 1943 to 1945. We bought it early this year and have enjoyed every minute of it. The stearman was built in 1942 during WWII and we have owned it since 1975. Owning and operating antique aircraft has been a part of our family for 3 generations going back to 1963 when my father Tom bought a Piper Tripacer. Our family has owned aircraft ever since. Our aviation roots run deep in this family, and that is why we choose AUA as our agency. They have a long distinguished record of service with the types of aircraft we operate, and understand our problems and concerns.

Thanks AUA !

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

Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers: Lower premiums with payment options QAdditional coverages On-line quote request available QAUA is licensed in all states

Flexibility on the use of your aircraft

Q

Experienced agents

Q

Remember, We’re Better Together!

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

800-727-3823 Fly with the pros… fly with AUA Inc. www.auaonline.com Vintage April 2012.indd 2

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A I R P L A N E Vol. 40, No. 4

2012

A P R I L

CONTENTS 2

Straight and Level Inspection time by Geoff Robison

3

News

5 21,000-514-2,625 Volunteers make EAA AirVenture fun by Steve Krog

6 VAA Board Appoints New Advisors 8 C3B Stearman Yet another Ron Alexander project by Budd Davisson

14

8

On Flying an Icon by Rich Davidson

15 The Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly -in Featuring phenomenal “fun, fellowship and hospitality” by Sparky Barnes Sargent

21

Light Plane Heritage Lessons from the Hawker Cygnet by Bob Whittier

29

The Vintage Mechanic Splicing a wood wing spar by Robert G. Lock

34

The Vintage Instructor Aborted takeoffs by Steve Krog, CFI

36

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

38

Classifieds

COVERS

15 STAFF EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Business Manager Senior Art Director

Rod Hightower J. Mac McClellan H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Olivia P. Trabbold

Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Fax: 920-426-4828 Partner Relationship Manager, Heidi Hamm Tel: 920-426-6565 Email: [email protected] Independent Business Relationship Representative, Larry Phillip Tel: 920-410-2916 Email: [email protected] Business Relations and Classified Advertising Coordinator, Trevor Janz Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]

FRONT COVER: One of the most r ecognizable logos fr om the Golden Age of aviation is the Wester n Air Expr ess ar twork as featur ed on the side of Ron Alexander’s Stear man C3B. Read mor e about the r estoration of this big biplane in Budd Davisson’s ar ticle star ting on page 8. EAA photo by Chris Miller , Stear man C3B being fl own by Rich Davidson.

For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800- JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

BACK COVER: From the EAA ar chives comes this illustration ar twork from the Cur tiss Aer oplane and Motor Company of Hammondspor t, New Y ork. The color ful illustration depicting a Cur tiss Jenny in a countr y setting is par t of an br ochure about the company and its air craft.

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STRAIGHT & LEVEL Geoff Robison president, VAA

Inspection time

A

s I write this on the 14 of March, the temperature here in northeast Indiana reached 86 degrees. Oh, how I have longed for the days ahead that are certain to provide us with soft warm breezes through the open hangar door, along with reduced gas and electric bills that go along with that March fantasy. Like many of you in the northern half of the United States, we have actually experienced a very mild winter here in northeast Indiana, but we are really looking forward to the springtime, and some premium flying time. I will be all set to go once I get the C-170 annualed and a BFR entry in the logbook. With spring’s arrival it’s critically important to again remind everyone to perform an extensive preflight inspection of your aircraft prior to that first breakfast run. If you’re like me, your aircraft will lay idle in the hangar for months throughout the winter, and it is clearly susceptible to those fuzzy little four-legged visitors nesting in the most remote areas of your airframe. Taildraggers are particularly vulnerable to these little critters, so you have to get in there and do a thorough inspection including the tail cone, the wings, under the floorboards, and behind the panel. Pull the inspection plates and use a mirror and flashlight to get a good look all around. If you see an unusual stain on your headliner that you can’t account for, you better look into it! These critters can leave behind very caustic materials that

over time will cause serious corrosion issues on your airframe. Even if you have never seen any mice in your hangar, it is always a very good idea to set traps to keep their population to a minimum. Rock that wing and sump a little more fuel

It is a r eal disconcer ting feeling when one of these critters tries to r un up your pant leg on your initial takeof f run. than normal to make certain you have no contaminants in your fuel system. Be sure to pop open the engine baffles and check for nesting materials. I could go on and on, but you get the idea here. Be thorough in your inspection prior to that first flight, and don’t get in a hurry. It is a real disconcerting feeling when one of these critters tries to run up your pant leg on your initial takeoff run. Trust me, I know the feeling! The Monocoupe restoration continues with recent focus on stripping and refinishing the numerous metal parts and pieces that have to be reinstalled on the airframe. We are on track to having the 32-foot one-piece wing reinstalled on the airframe in mid-April during the first spring work party in Oshkosh. The ominous concept of user fees continues to haunt certain operations within the GA community. Even if

it doesn’t directly affect our personal operations, we certainly don’t want that camel to get his nose under the tent flap! A $100 per flight user fee for turbine-powered aircraft operating in controlled airspace. Really? We actually fought the good fight and were able to yet again get user fees removed from the heavily negotiated FAA funding bill that finally emerged from the House and Senate and, after passage, was sent to the executive branch for the president’s signature. Now, where is the sensibility in signing the reauthorization bill and then submitting the fiscal 2013 budget calling for this new type of GA user fee, with the supposed intent of reducing the deficit? Thank goodness we continue to witness a continuously growing level of bipartisan opposition to any user fees by the Congressional GA Caucus (now 195 members strong). Because of their efforts I am pretty confident now that any attempts at creating any new user fees on the GA community will very likely fail. If you were one those who chose to speak out to your representatives in the U.S. Congress on the issue of user fees, I thank you for your efforts, but let’s all continue to fight this good worthwhile fight. Please consider engaging your congressional representatives on this pesky initiative, and solicit their support of no new user fees. Just a reminder to all of our valued Vintage volunteers that our first spring work party is scheduled for April 13, 14, and 15. Come join continued on page 38

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VAA NEWS AD Mandates Aeronca (Rogers) Sedan Wing Inspection The FAA recently issued Airworthiness Directive AD 2012-04-10 requiring owners of the Aeronca 15AC Sedan to have initial inspections of the exposed trailing edges on both the upper and lower main spar cap angles on both wings. The inspections are looking for signs of cracks, intergranular exfoliation, and corrosion. While a wing failure has not occurred in any of the approximately 255 Sedans on the FAA registration rolls, corrosion in the structure of a few Sedans was discovered and prompted the FAA to issue the AD. The first inspection must be accomplished within 25 hours time-inservice (TIS) after April 17, 2012 (the effective date of the AD), or within the next six months after that date. If the wing has been repaired within the past 10 years, different inspection intervals come into effect. If significant corrosion is found, the wing must be repaired by replacement of the spar cap angles, and no splicing of those components is allowed. If the initial inspection does not reveal cracks, intergranular exfoliation, and corrosion, a more in-depth inspection must be accomplished within 12 months after April 17, 2012. The installation of inspection panels and associated doubler plates is needed to accomplish a visual inspection of the entire length of the spar. The inspection and installation of the panels and plates must be done in accordance with Burl’s Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC06-08-10, dated June 8, 2010; Burl’s Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC06-0810, Amendment A, dated June 23, 2010; or Burl’s Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC0608-10, Amendment B, dated June 23, 2010, Rev. Original, September

15, 2011; and FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13 - 1B, Change 1, Chapter 6. (The aircraft is known to the FAA as the Burl A. Rogers 15AC Sedan, since Burl’s Aircraft is the owner of the type certificate previously held by William Brad Mitchell, who had acquired the TC from Aeronca, the original manufacturer.) You’ll note the identification number of the three versions of the Burl’s bulletin is the same; only the revision letter changes. Rogers advised us that the inspection method is identical in all three of the references. Some changes to inspection intervals and additional language required by the FAA were added in subsequent revisions. Service Bulletin No. 15AC06-08-10, Amendment B, dated September 15, 2011, is posted on the company’s website at www. burlac.com/Helps_and_Hints.html. Frankly, it would have been simpler to understand if only one reference to the inspection service bulletin were listed in the AD. After each of the inspections, it is recommended that the spar be treated with a corrosion-inhibiting compound. In the event the spar cap angles must be replaced, the FAA estimated that each wing could cost $8,000 to repair, if the work were hired out to a shop that charged $85 per hour for the estimated 80 man-hours needed to accomplish the job. While we were under the impression that comments and procedures for an alternate method of compliance (AMOC) were submitted to the docket during the public comment period, the FAA stated that when it issued the AD a written, detailed procedure had not been submitted. The agency further mentioned it would consider an AMOC. We understand that an inspection procedure has been created using a borescope to thoroughly inspect the

DiMatteo Named EAA Vice President of AirVenture Features and Attractions Decorated U.S. naval aviator Jim DiMatteo has joined EAA as vice pr esident, AirVenture features and attractions. DiMatteo will be r esponsible for developing and coor dinating the pr ograms for the annual EAA AirV enture Oshkosh fl yin, “The W orld’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” DiMatteo led the successful Centennial of Naval A viation Foundation programs nationwide last year . He previously (2006-2010) ser ved as inter national race dir ector for the Red Bull Air Race World Series. During his 20-plus Navy car eer, DiMatteo flew mor e than 5,000 hours in five different fighter air craft, including 72 combat missions in suppor t of Operation Deser t Storm. He also ser ved as commanding offi cer for TOPGUN Adversar y Squadrons in Florida and Nevada (VFC-111 and VFC-13), wher e his squadrons earned the unprecedented “Triple Crown of Naval A viation”—top honors for operations, safety , and maintenance. Following that achievement, DiMatteo was promoted to a position r epor ting directly to the commander of Naval Air Forces, overseeing all TOPGUN Adversar y Programs. “Jim DiMatteo is an excellent addition to the EAA staf f,” said Rod Hightower , EAA president/CEO. “His backgr ound, exper tise, and leadership will enable us to make EAA AirV enture—alr eady ‘The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration’— even better.”

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Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program

Steve Wittman’s J-1 Standard Photo On the back cover of the Febr uary issue of Vintage Airplane, we ran a wonder ful black and white photo of Steve Wittman with his Standar d J-1. We do need to clarify one point, and we can elaborate fur ther on the photo, thanks to the gener osity of a few of our r eaders. First, the “ANDERSON GARAGE, HAMIL TON, WIS” adver tised on the side of the fuselage of the J-1 is not near LaCr osse, but is actually right near Steve’s home town of Byron, Wisconsin. That Hamilton has never been incorporated, and does not appear on the state map, but it is indeed a little bur g just west of Highway 41, along Highway 175. Our thanks to Rollie Olm (who is still fl ying a ’41 Cub), Nels Anderson, and Carol Dodge for fi lling us in on the cor rect location for the Anderson Garage. An early type of aerial adver tising was shown on the sides of the fuselage of Steve Wittman’s Standar d J-1. The Anderson Garage of Hamilton, Wisconsin, was a part of the small town until it r ecently closed. Typical of small businesses of the 1920s, the garage also had a side business selling Atwater Kent radios. The building still exists, along the west side of highway 175, just nor th of the entrance to the west side of the Michels Materials Hamilton quar ry. The location is just a few miles north of Steve Wittman’s home town of Byr on. In addition, we also lear ned, with near cer tainty, the identity of the other fellow in the photo; it’s Per ry Anderson, Steve’s par tner in the airplane (and later , his brotherin-law). Jim Stanton, of Lake Havasu City , Arizona, r eminded us of the chapter in The Golden Age of Air Racing, written by Dr. Aaron King, in which Dr . King also points out that the Standar d was Steve’s mount for his fi rst air race, which took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1926. He took second place.

JEANETTE MERTEN

The American Bonanza Society has rolled out a new online version of its highly regarded Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program (BPPP). The new plan allows pilots to complete online a 13-module course containing all of the material covered in the normal BPPP course seminars. After pilots complete the online course they can schedule up to four hours of flight review and instruction with an approved BPPP CFI who is most conveniently located to the airplane owner. Cost of the course and flight instruction is $495, and you must be an ABS member.

HG FRAUTSCHY

wing, but without the installation of a large number of inspection holes. We would also expect that some may wish to submit an AMOC for the installation of inspection panels and doublers of their own design. In most cases, Sedan owners will have to repeat the inspection on an annual basis after the initial in-depth inspection is accomplished. You can download the AD from the FAA’s website at http://rgl.faa.gov.

From the Comfort of Someone Else’s Home If camping at EAA AirV enture Oshkosh just isn’t your thing and other lodging is booked, or if you’d just rather have a home away fr om home for your Oshkosh experience, a private r ental is the per fect option. Thousands of people who come to AirV enture rent space in private homes for their stay . Along with hotel and dor mitor y listings, www.VisitOshkosh. com includes hundr eds of private r entals. Both entir e resi-

dences and individual rooms are available. Some r entals offer a full bed and br eakfast experience, and some even pr ovide transpor tation to AirV enture. Jack Morrissey, EAA 282894, r ented a bedroom for AirVenture 2011. The homeowner , Mark Cook, had been r enting his home for 25 years. One of his r egular renters, a couple from Texas, has stayed with him for 20 years. “Mark is at his local baker y by 6 a.m. to make sur e his doughnuts and rolls ar e fresh and right out of the oven,” Jack said. “Over the years I have hear d many tales fr om various attendees regarding what a gr eat family they ar e staying with, and how gr eat the meals ar e,” Jack said. “One I r emember is a family who r ents out r ooms, and the father is a retired airline captain and insists on feeding his r enters br eakfast in his full airline unifor m.” For private r entals, www.VisitOshkosh.com allows users to sear ch by number of r ooms and for specifi c amenities, including Inter net access, car r ental by homeowner, and pet-friendly homes. The website pr ovides contact information for each listing, and some include photos and even videos. If you’re looking for somewher e to stay for EAA AirV enture Oshkosh, a private r ental may be the per fect fi t.

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21,000–514–2,625 Volunteers make EAA AirVenture fun BY

STEVE KROG

PHOTOS COURTESY STEVE MOYER

What are these numbers and what do they represent? No, these numbers are not this week’s winning Powerball numbers, nor are they the current national debt figures! They may mean nothing to you presented in this context. But they do represent a great deal of dedication, toil, and sweat put forth by very devoted Vintage volunteers during EAA AirVenture ’11. Each year, several weeks before the opening day of AirVenture, dedicated folks from all over the country begin to arrive, offering their sweat equity to make the fly-in a success, at least in the Vintage Aircraft Association (VAA) area. They come from all walks of life: business owners, doctors, teachers, architects, salespeople, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and many other professions too numerous to list. In some cases, entire families volunteer. All have one purpose in mind: Do whatever necessary to make the Vintage area presentable, safe, inviting, and fun for all fly-in attendees, especially VAA members. Each year more than 500 VAA members step forward offering their talents, whatever they may be, making the weeklong event a memorable experience for all. In 2011, 514 members accumulated a total of 21,000 volunteer hours. That calculates out to be the equivalent of 2,625 eighthour days, or an accumulated 7.2 years of volunteer time.

These volunteers can be found throughout all VAA areas on the EAA grounds from parking airplanes, to popping popcorn in Vintage headquarters, to serving breakfast in the Tall Pines Café; some give hand-propping instructions, while others host the Vintage in Review area, and still more volunteer their time as representatives of type clubs. It seems there’s practically no end to what these men and women seem to be able to accomplish. It takes a lot of people doing a lot of things to keep thousands of people satisfied while attending this annual event. Although the number grows each year, the vast majority of VAA volunteers are repeaters. Once they offer their time, meet, and work with other volunteers, friendships are established. Families become acquainted and these friendships become lifelong. Each year it’s like a family reunion except, unlike most family gatherings, everyone gets along. All have one purpose: Do whatever it takes to make attending EAA AirVenture a fun, memorable experience for all. Next year, why not give a few hours or one day of your time and volunteer? It could prove to be an experience of a lifetime.

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TM

VAA Board Appoints New Advisors ore than 30 years ago, the Vintage Aircraft Association (back then it was known as the Antique/Classic Division) board of directors began a program that would have longlasting benefits for the division and its membership. They created a management environment that fosters a better understanding of a potential board member’s capabilities and interests. The new program, dubbed the “Antique/Classic advisor,” gave men and women who were interested in serving on the board the opportunity to learn more about themselves and the division, while giving the board the opportunity to evaluate a potential board member over a period of

M

Joe Norris Oshkosh, Wisconsin Joe grew up on a cranberry farm in central Wisconsin. Several neighbors had light a i rc r a f t , a n d some had airstrips on their property, so it was always easy to be around airplanes and airplane people. A close friend of the family was the ag pilot Jim Miles (EAA 158), who introduced Joe to EAA by taking him to Oshkosh for the EAA convention in 1970, where they camped under the wing of Jim’s Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. Joe joined EAA in 1976 and became a lifetime member in 2002. Joe is also a lifetime member of VAA (VAA 5982). Joe earned his private pilot certificate in 1978, and bought his first airplane in 1979—a 1955 Piper TriPacer. He flew it for about a year and then converted it to the PA20 Pacer (tailwheel) configuration. During this time Joe helped form EAA Chapter 706 in Wisconsin

months or years. Many folks who have served the division as advisors have gone on to serve as directors, and our most recent presidents, Butch Joyce and Geoff Robison, both started their volunteer leadership careers as advisors. During the fall board meeting, three new advisors were appointed to serve the VAA board in that capacity. They are Joe Norris, Tim Popp, and Ron Alexander. In June of each year, as we present the slate for the board of directors’ election, we publish a short biography and photo. So you can come to know these individuals better, here are the biographies of our three newest advisors.

Rapids, Wisconsin. Over time Joe has earned commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with airplane and helicopter ratings, as well an A&P certificate with IA. Joe also acted as a DAR for experimental aircraft for a number of years. Joe has been actively involved with EAA, serving as a technical counselor and flight advisor, and has been an officer in two EAA chapters. Joe has volunteered at the EAA convention for many years and was one of the five original members of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council. In October of 2001 Joe was hired as a senior aviation specialist in EAA’s aviation services department, a job previously held by longtime EAA employee Norm Petersen. In 2008 EAA created the position of homebuilders community manager, and Joe was selected to fill that role. In 2011 Joe decided to get out from behind the desk and back behind the stick, so he left EAA and has been working as a flight instructor at Cub Air Flight in Hartford, Wisconsin. Joe has served as the lead presenter for a series of vintage airplane maintenance sem-

inars that take place in the Vintage Hangar during EAA AirVenture. Joe currently owns and maintains three vintage aircraft—a Cessna 180, a Piper Super Cub, and a Waco UPF-7. He has previously owned a Piper J-5A Cub Cruiser and another Super Cub. Joe built and flew a Sonerai II homebuilt and also owned a homebuilt Pitts S-1C.

Tim Popp Lawton, Michigan Tim Popp joined EAA in 1988 and is now a lifetime m e m b e r. H e began taking flying lessons and attended his first EAA convention that same year and has attended every convention since. Tim earned his private pilot certificate in 1989 and later added a tailwheel endorsement and an instrument rating. He joined VAA in 1994, about the same time he began volunteering with the VAA Contemporary Aircraft Judges. He currently serves as the vice chair-

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man of the group. He owns a 1958 Cessna 172, which he purchased in 1994 and has slowly restored over the years. He is currently building a Van’s Aircraft RV-7. He is an active member and past president of EAA Chapter 221 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is an active Young Eagles program participant, having flown more than 500 Young Eagles over the years. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and is an environment, health and safety manager for a major pharmaceutical company. He has been happily married for more than 25 years to his wife, Liz, who also actively volunteers with the VAA.

Ron Alexander Griffin, Georgia Ron Alexander learned to fly at age 16 in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. He went into the United States Air Force in 1964, completing pilot training in 1965. He served a total of fi ve years in the Air Force including a combat tour in Vietnam. After military service, he was hired by Delta Air Lines. After starting his career in 1969, he retired as a captain in 2002 after 33 years of service. Ron has been involved with antique airplanes since 1975 when he first b e g a n r e s t o r i n g a P T- 1 7 S t e a rman. In 1979 he founded Alexander Aeroplane Company, which was later sold to Aircraft Spruce. Ron also developed the SportAir Workshops program that is currently being presented as the EAA SportAir Workshops program. He lives in Griffin, Georgia, where he has several antique airplanes, including a Stearman Model 6 and a Curtiss Jenny that is under restoration. He is developing an antique airplane museum that replicates the original Atlanta, Georgia, airport.

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C3B Stearman Yet another Ron Alexander project BY

BUDD DAVISSON

PHOTOS

CHRIS MILLER

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R

on Alexander doesn’t believe in leaving a lot of white space in life: If there is spare time available, put it to use. He appears to be a man who looks back at each day and says, “Did I invest it wisely and get something accomplished?” He could easily be selected as the poster boy for the “Get ’er done” generation.

His C3B Stearman that was on display at EAA AirVenture (to longtime fly-in warriors: read that as “Oshkosh”) 2011 was yet another immaculate example of how he likes to see his time and money invested: Take a basic concept, in this case, a really worn out airframe, and turn it into something that is beautiful yet meant to be flown. In fact, the airplane is representative of a lot of the business and personal philosophies that have always guided Ron’s way of thinking. For several decades Ron has had a pretty high profile in

sport aviation. So high that it’s easy for the casual observer to pigeonhole him as “one of the high rollers” and look no deeper. He didn’t develop that kind of profile by accident, and if someone feels driven to pigeonhole him (which is hard to do), it should be as “one of aviation’s serious achievers and entrepreneurs.” He plays hard (which is most visible), but he works even harder and has a natural flair for entrepreneurialism: He sees a need and builds a business around it. A lot of businesses, actually (see the sidebar). And then there is the C3B Stearman. When Ron and his partners combined Stits/PolyFiber, Randolph, and Ceconite, they were incorporated into the Poly-Fiber operation on Flabob Airport in Riverside, California. A part of that operated as Flabob Restoration, and that’s where he took the bedraggled C3B Stearman that followed him home one day.

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The aft pilot’s cockpit of the C3B.

The for ward cockpit has just enough instr umentation to give a passenger/pilot enough infor mation to keep the Stear man pointed in the right direction.

A brass venturi supplies vacuum to r un a pair of tur n & bank indicators.

Well, not quite “W right.” In an ef fort to pr eser ve the look of the Stear man, the W right lettering is applied to the r ocker boxes of the mor e-reasonable-to-maintain L ycoming R-680.

The fuel tank for the C3B is in the center section of the upper wing, so the fl oat-activated fuel gauge is mounted on the bottom of the tank, so the pilot can see it at a glance. 10 APRIL 2012

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“. . . the lines visually flow from the spinner, back up across the firewall to the fuselage. It’s very streamlined, in a clunky sort of way.” “There was no specific reason I got the C3B. I just happened to like the type, and the 1928 models are fairly rare. Plus the deal that popped up made sense. A tornado had dropped a hangar on my beautiful PT-17, and his C3B was located just a few miles away. The owner of the C3B, a good friend, wanted to restore the wrecked PT-17, so we traded airplanes. “This particular C3B had seen some of life’s rougher roads and, judging from some of the tubing modifications in the front seat, may have been a duster/sprayer at one time. It was typical of a lot of the big old biplanes that go through a series of hard times, with each owner making additional, and usually worse, modifications and BandAid fixes. It was way past due for a

total rebuild. “The original Wright J-5 had been replaced with a Continental 220, and the front seat had been raised 10 inches. Don’t ask why. We don’t know. Plus it had 30 pounds of lead in front: It had a very aft CG. But, it was flying. Sorta! In fact, I flew it that way for several years before I couldn’t stand it anymore and took it out to Flabob where I turned Brian Newman, and his helpers Hualdo and Nando Mendoza, loose on it. “All things considered,” he says, “the wings weren’t too bad. We didn’t have to do any major woodwork, spars, etc., other than repairing a bunch of ribs and replacing the hardware and leading edges. The fuselage was another story. “About all we used from the fu-

selage was the tubing structure itself, and much of that had to be replaced. The front tubing had been cut and welded in a number of places and had to be rearranged to match factory drawings, a sure sign that it had been a duster. And a lot of it was corroded. That’s true of all old airplanes, but dusters especially. The tail, being made of steel, was also badly corroded, so we did a lot of cutting and welding.” The landing gear not only wasn’t original, but also was rusted beyond saving. They would have been welding patches to patches, so they opted to build an entirely new one. The major struts and leg tubing are all round but are faired either with aluminum or balsa wood glued to the back of the tube and wrapped in two layers of fabric and

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seven-cylinder Wrights like the J-6, especially with all those long pushrod tubes. But, it’s a tough engine to support these days, so we wanted to go with something that had the same look but was more modern because we planned on flying the airplane a lot. The 220 Continental just doesn’t look right, even though it is much newer and easier to maintain. The only engine that looked right was the much later 300-hp Lycoming R-680. But, we couldn’t be seen flying around with a Lycoming engine on a C3B Stearman, so we decided to camouflage it: We hand lettered ‘Wright’ on the rocker arm covers. Most folks have to look twice, or three times, to see it’s not a Wright. “The Lyc is also a little heavier and combined with the 2D20 Ham-Standard prop helps the CG problem.” The fuel system was also rebuilt in the interest of reliability. Instead of having to use a wobble pump to get fuel from the 28-gallon fuselage tank up into the 46-gallon center section tank so it would gravity feed, both tanks are now plumbed to gravity feed. Antiques like the C3B were designed to work off grass fields, so when they are put on pavement, their manners are sometimes somewhat less than hospitable, which is greatly aggravated by the marginal tail wheels and brakes of the day. Brian and the Mendozas solved that for Ron by changing out the old cable-operated brakes for Red Line disc brakes and putting a steerable PT-17 tail wheel out back. It is a Stearman part, so that’s not really too awful, is it? The finished airplane is a classic piece of aviation art. And, as so often happens, someone wanted that airplane so badly that he was able to talk Ron out of it. Where some aviators are busy building replica aircraft, Ron Alexander is too busy building his Atlanta airport replica, Candler Field, to fly it as much as he would like. So, the C3B has gone to a new, highly appreciative home. And we’re all jealous.

PHIL HIGH

dope. Just the way they would have done it back in the day. Ron says, “The sheet metal was essentially worthless. Barely good enough for patterns and not even good patterns. Brian did all of that, and he really had his work cut out for him. While it looks simple, it’s really not. Especially with all the beading, curves, and access panels. And it had to be right. There’s something about the airplane that draws your eyes to the engine and everything around it, and if something isn’t right, it would really stick out. The spinner was spun in Chino, California, and even though that big old engine is between the spinner and the sheet metal, it’s as though it isn’t there because the lines visually flow from the spinner back up across the firewall to the fuselage. It’s very streamlined, in a clunky sort of way.” It’s not too surprising to find that the covering and finish on the airplane is Poly-Fiber all the way through: Poly-Fiber fabric painted with Poly-Tone and Aerothane (six coats of it) on the metal. What is surprising, however, is to find that there are no decals or vinyl markings on the airplane. All of the Western Air Express air mail markings are paint with the wonderful Western Air logo hand painted by Louie Check of Little Louie’s. One aspect of Ron’s plans for the airplane that probably has hard-core antiquers grinding their teeth was that he actually wanted to fly the airplane as if it were a regular airplane. He didn’t want to constantly worry about things breaking down. Especially when he knew there were acceptable ways to improve on some of the systems. Ron is all for originality but not when it compromises the reliability, safety, and maintainability of the airplane. At the same time, he didn’t want to deviate too far from the antique mold, and that began with the engine. “The original Wright J-5 is a unique-looking engine,” Ron says. “Being nine cylinders rather than seven, it just looks busier than later

Ron Alexander: Aviation Entrepreneur Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Ron says, “I’ve just always been an aviation guy. No one in my family had the bug, but somehow I caught it and joined the CAP when I was 14. In fact, my first airplane ride was in the back of a C-119 on a CAP trip. “I started flying a Champ,” he remembers, “when I was 16 and just kept going. By the time I got into Air Force ROTC in college, I already had my commercial ticket and CFI. Then, in ’64 I went into the Air Force and completed flight training at Reese AFB.” Ron flew C-130s for a few years before finding himself in Vietnam flying the de Havilland C-7 Caribou. “We did a lot of mission support for the special ops guys, most of which was pretty ‘interesting.’” He doesn’t mention it, but he received a Distinguished Flying Cross for some of the flying, which attests to the “interest” level attached to it. “I came out of the Air Force and went right to work for the airlines, retiring 33 years later, in 2002. I started out in DC-9s and ended up in 767s.” Ron worked for the airlines, but he flew for himself. Almost immediately upon joining the airlines, he started looking around for a vintage or antique airplane. “I really wanted a Stearman, and there were lots of

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projects around, but at the time I just couldn’t quite swing something that big. So, I bought the next best thing: a J-3 Cub. At the time it cost $3,500. I was based at O’Hare and kept it at Olson Field, west of there. Four years later I was moved to Atlanta, and the Cub came with me. Unfortunately, it was tied down outside, and a thunderstorm severely injured it. It was resurrected and continues to fly today.” “The airplane that really got me started on the business side of aviation was a PT-17 Stearman project I finally found. It was an uncut duster from the Shreveport, Louisiana, area, and I was determined to finish it quickly. So, if I wasn’t in an airliner cockpit, I was out in my workshop. I averaged 12-14 hours a day, every day that I wasn’t flying, on the project. I really loved the work, and it was chosen as the ‘Best PT-17’ at Galesburg that year. So, I felt good about that.” A Stearman of any kind is a huge project and entails every aspect of building aircraft: wood, steel, fabric, paint, aluminum. The airplane gave Ron a crash course in aircraft building, from sourcing and ordering the materials to developing the handson skills to put those materials to work. In so doing, he clearly saw what the amateur aviation craftsman was up against in every area. “First, I was having trouble finding supplies of all kinds, but especially covering materials. Although there were sources out there, they just weren’t convenient, and one thing led to another and I wound up buying a Stits distributorship. And, since I was suddenly in the business of selling aircraft-covering materials—when I wasn’t flying for the airlines, that is—I found I was going to need to both form a company and come up with a catalog. The business was Alexander Aeroplane Company, and we put the first catalog together on my kitchen table. “As we started marketing the Stits products, I decided to expand the product lines we were selling and, amongst other things, became

a Randolph dope distributor. Then it was other types of aircraft parts and hardware. Before I knew it the company had grown into a sizable project of its own, and marketing was central to it. “In ’91 I thought it would be a good marketing move to have a distinctive aircraft of our own to take to fly-ins, so we bought a $50,000 DC-3 that was sitting at Tamiami, Florida. We put about six months’ worth of elbow grease into it including painting ‘Alexander Aeroplane Co’ on the side and have been using it to go to fly-ins since.” Although Ron knew airplanes really well, that original Stearman reminded him of all the things he didn’t know, and his entrepreneurial mind reasoned that he wasn’t the only airplane guy in that position. “To me, it seemed as if there was a real need for hands-on education in aviation. When we got the Aeroplane Company going, that became even more obvious because I had to run classes for my salespeople. Most of them had come to us from outside of aviation, so we had to train every one of them on how to use the stuff they were selling. I felt that they had to be more than order takers. For a company to be successful in this field, they had to be able to answer the tough questions. A good percentage of our customers had never worked on an airplane before and were naturally looking to us for advice. So, as part of building our customer service, I had to formalize training for the salespeople. From there it was a simple and logical move to make that same kind of training available to our customers, and an entirely new product line was born: the SportAir Workshops. “Since so many of the skills we were teaching were very portable, we began setting up traveling roadshows, and that program took on a life of its own and continued to grow. Eventually, the EAA took over the workshops, which I think was a good move for all concerned. The EAA’s charter is based on education,

and ours was selling aircraft products, so the SportAir Workshops concept works better in an educational environment.” Actually, staying up with all of Ron’s various aviation business dealings can get a little daunting. For instance, he sold Alexander Aeroplane Company to Jim Irwin, owner of Aircraft Spruce, who reopened it as the eastern branch of his own California-based company. Ron had also purchased PolyFiber from Ray Stits and left it based at Flabob Airport in So-Cal. He merged Poly-Fiber with Ceconite and bought Randolph Paint Co., a leading manufacturer of dope and aircraft finishes, and brought that out to Flabob as well. Are you losing track? This is understandable. Us too. Ron had always wanted his own museum that would be a true flying museum where every aspect of it not only displayed aviation’s roots, but also would put most of those aircraft back in the air. He has sold out of all of his various companies and now concentrates on the Candler Field Museum located in Williamson, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. The Candler Field Museum is not exactly a museum. At least not the way you think of museums. It is to be an accurate re-creation of the original Atlanta airport as it existed in the 1920s when it was still known as Candler Field. It was named after Asa Candler, the founder of Coca-Cola, who had originally developed the land to be a racetrack and sold it to Atlanta to be its airport. Little by little Ron is re-creating all of the buildings that were on the airport at the time (the American Airlines hangar and Barnstormer’s Grill are finished, and others are under construction). Some house museum airplanes and cars, while others will have unique uses including apartments for aviation retirees. The replica of the art deco Candler Field terminal will house a hotel and banquet facility. It can never be said that Ron Alexander doesn’t think big.

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Flying

Icon

The very first C series Stearman was delivered to its owner the same month Lindbergh flew the Atlantic and the last Model T drove off the line. One year later, construction on the C3B, seen here, began. If you want to know how the Stearman may fly, study it with its history in mind. As a biplane you know it will have great lift. Mounted with an improved and slightly larger powerplant than original, you would also expect it to perform to or exceed the standards of its peers. Sitting tall on sturdy outrigger gear and large diameter wheels with high-pressure tires gives the aircraft an impressive stance. Yet its presence is only a byproduct of engineering. Designed to handily carry weight, driven forward by large diameter props, over wildly varying landing surfaces, the gear accounted for many design concerns of the day. In terms of flying, though, you should also see that P-factor and precession, along with a high center of gravity, are things to be considered during takeoff and landing. The fact it was originally constructed with a tail skid offers you the final critical piece; the plane was designed and built to be flown to and from a three-point attitude. Honor the design and it will honor you. Equipped with minimum instrumentation and nothing extra in terms of flight controls, from the pilot’s seat this aircraft feels surprisingly refined. Once comfortably inside, the small cockpit opening feels made to fit. This is partially due to the rakish windscreen that envelopes a large part of it. Inside, though, the cockpit feels huge. Below the panel, mounted well forward, rudder pedals hang just in front of a seemingly identical set of pedals that come up out of the floor that are actually the brakes.

BY CHRIS MILLER

On an

These pedals are the most commonly asked about item in the cockpit, but they are surprisingly easy to use, which is odd for aircraft of the period. In the middle, a tall control stick implies that leverage is critical to the movement of the control surfaces. As for fuel, the selector offers the options of off, main, and fuse to control a supply of 72 gallons of gas. Finally, left of the pilot’s seat, with the control lever sticking forward, is the stabilizer trim control that was obviously sourced from or inspired by Farmall, Oliver, or John Deere. Taxiing the C3B requires the same S-turn method used for most vintage aircraft. Safely taxiing the C3B requires it be exaggerated. Despite having enough visibility for takeoff and landing, the forward view, compromised by the small cockpit opening, is restricted enough to require extra attention. Takeoffs in the “B” are fun and easy. Push the throttle forward and hold the stick neutral. Thanks to the steerable tail wheel and outrigger gear, little effort is required to keep her straight. Yet, even if she wanted to wander, your groundspeed increases, the controls come alive, and she lifts off so quickly there is little time for you to screw it up. Once in the air keep pulling back until your airspeed is stabilized at 55-60 mph and you are on your way to vintage nirvana. A look at your wingtips excites you. In the B a 30-degree deck angle and a 1,000-plus foot per minute climb is not uncommon. Not every old bird climbs like this, and still the Stearman has more surprises. Level flight is something the C3B seems to have been made for. Although some owners of other

RICH DAVIDSON

C3s report just the opposite, Serial number 241 is a dream traveler. As if on a mission to go somewhere, straight and level is how she wants to fly. But that can also be an issue for prospective owners. The plane’s controls are a mix of effective rudder and elevator with ailerons that seem at times to not exist. Therefore, if you dream of your own C3B for short pleasure flights, it is not the plane for you. The meandering path of a local flier would quickly exhaust anyone flying this machine. On the other hand, if you dream of filling the tanks and taking off for a weekend destination, and for some reason you think it should be done in a vintage aircraft at 100 mph, you could not find a better machine. Landing the C3B is an exercise in vintage flying that starts a mere few hundred feet laterally from the end of the runway. Pulling the power to idle, the remainder of the approach involves lowering the nose to maintain 70 mph and starting a turn. Done correctly, you will roll wings level roughly 200 feet from the runway with an option to slip off the remaining altitude. Touchdown happens in a three-point attitude with a speed south of 45, and the rollout, like the takeoff, is almost too short for you to screw it up. There’s only one catch: the Stearman airfoil. Flare 3 mph fast and you’ll float 1,000 feet; do it 3 mph slow and you will touch down with the grace of a rock. It’s a terrific airplane, and I’m privileged that Ron allowed me to be his pilot at AirVenture 2011 because I truly love the B. Rich Davidson and Ginger, his aviator wife, are the proprietors of Lee Bottom Flying Field in southern Indiana, hard on the north bank of the Ohio River. Visit their website at www.LeeBottom.com.

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The Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-in Featuring phenomenal “fun, fellowship and hospitality”

BY

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT DON LOVINGOOD

F

lanked by lakes, trees, and pastoral fields in a scenic area near Greenville, South Carolina, Triple Tree Aerodrome seems like something out of a dream. Its expansive, emerald-

velvet runway stretches nearly to the horizon from pattern altitude, and it’s rather awe-inspiring to behold, especially during Triple Tree’s annual fly-in, when hundreds of airplanes migrate to the field in

well-orchestrated arrivals. The pilots of those planes have the uncommonly delightful opportunity to touch down and roll out on a 7,000- by 400-foot grass airfield, and they are heartily wel-

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MARTIN BETTS

Myriad airplanes on the fl ightline, and a tether ed hot air balloon in the backgr ound.

G LOU FURLON

volunteer group of professional air traffic controllers give traffi c advisories from their lofty perch in Triple Tree’s refurbished Wo r l d Wa r I I - v i n t a g e control tower (which was previously the active tower at Donaldson Airbase in Greenville). Lou Furlong of Georgia has attended several hundred fly-ins throughout the past 50 years, and while s. es tn ar he’s enjoyed all of them, H u Lo Pat and Mar y Triple Tree immediately comed to enjoy the became his favorite when he attended its fifth annual fly-in in best amenities a fly-in has to offer. The Triple Tree Fly-in is quickly September 2011. “The arrival probecoming popular in the mid- cedures are well-thought-out and southeast region, as evidenced by safe. Definitely first class! Once on the 450 aircraft that flew in last the ground, I was impressed by the year. Aviation-minded people are orderly flow of traffic, thanks to encouraged to attend and camp the many trained volunteers,” Furon-site in the virtually manicured long explains, adding with a smile, “there is shaded camping, and hot camping areas. Triple Tree has had flying ma- showers and hot food available for chines ranging from powered breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They parachutes and gliders to a Corsair even have a ‘cook your own’ steak and DC-3, including a wide variety night, and a centrally located paof classic, vintage, and experimen- vilion has flat-screen HDTV for tal airplanes, fly in to the field. A the weekend football games! I was

most impressed with the positive attitude of the many volunteers. They went out of their way to ensure we were having a good time. Once I met Triple Tree Aerodrome owners Pat and Mary Lou Hartness, and event organizer Pat Derrick, I understood where all the enthusiasm comes from. They aren’t happy until you are happy!”

Genesis of Triple Tree The Hartnesses first bought the nearly 405 acres of neglected farm property in 1997, and commenced a tremendous amount of clearing, moving earth, and grooming—with a vision of creating a site for people to enjoy aviation. All told, it took them nine years to get the runway to 7,000- by 400-feet wide and usable before they would invite the public to a fly-in. Pat Hartness says: “When we bought the land, we wanted to create as fun a place to come fly as humanly possible, with the lakes and the hiking trails and the things that we claim makes Triple Tree a different kind of flyin.” He adds, “In the interim, while we were working on the land, we established probably the largest radio-control event on earth—we

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Airplanes everywhere! PAT HARNESS

The pavilion, surrounded by aircraft. DON LOVINGOOD

Four hundred fifty aircraft flew in for the fifth annual fly-in. JIM MARLAR

bring 6,000 to 8,000 people in to Triple Tree each year to participate in our large-scale, radio-control event, which is called the ‘Joe Nall Fly-in.’ But we could not have fullscale airplanes until we had a runway that we felt that would be safe on approaches, and have plenty of room for people that maybe aren’t

as gifted as someone else to land. That was part of our ambition to make the runway long, plus it was possible to make it that long because of the way the land was presented to us.” The funding for the Aerodrome improvements are derived partially from the modest amounts charged

for camping and registration during the Triple Tree fly-in, as well as the Joe Nall Fly-in (a world-renowned large-scale radio-control model-aircraft event), and from Pat Hartness himself. “The Nall,” as it is sometimes called, was named in memory of Joe Nall, who was Hartness’ college roommate at Furman University in Greenville. Derrick explains, “Joe later became the spokesman for the NTSB, and he was an emcee at the R/C events that Pat held before Joe was killed in a plane crash down in South America.” (The 30th annual Joe Nall Fly-in will be held in May 2012—for more information, visit www.JoeNall.com.) Pat Hartness and the volunteers have personally been leveling and sanding the earth with heavy machinery and getting the runway settled for several years. Next, they’ll be sprigging 419 Tifton Bermuda grass along 4,800 feet of the runway in early June 2012, so it will be ready for the sixth annual fly-in in early September. Hartness says: “We are making the runway where it will be equivalent to a really fine fairway for golfers—similar to the ‘Augusta National’—except it will be for full-scale aircraft. You can walk barefooted at Triple Tree, and it feels like you’re on a carpet. I think that’s a vast difference between our field and others. Why are we so inclined this way? We want the place to be discovered, and we want it to be able to perpetuate itself. Once our foundation is established, it will own the property. Our board of directors will be charged with the responsibility of making it work, in perpetuity. If it doesn’t work, the worst thing that can happen is that 405 acres will be a real nice piece of green land forever. But we want it to be aviation; we want aviation written all over it!” Pat Hartness says his inspiration for the Triple Tree Fly-in was nurtured by a desire he shared with several friends: “We wanted to have a culture of people that had the right attitude

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DON LOVINGOOD

Walkway to the pavilion.

JIM MARLAR

The roadside entrance to T riple Tree. to host people and allow them to have the best time that they could have—and for us not to be the bosses, but to be the best hosts and hostesses we could be. That was really the incentive, and then with the beauty of the place, we said, ‘How can we make it special, so that it will catch on to the magnitude that people will come in greater numbers, and we can be very successful?’ The actual motivation behind that was to have the best of the best, and really work diligently to make it be that. Pat [Derrick] is the first person I talked to about dreams and aspirations for Triple Tree, and then we shared it with our other 30 base members who help us in the fullscale as well as the model events that we host, which are numerous. My wife, Mary Lou, is also very involved and supportive.”

In fact, the Aerodrome was christened by Mary Lou. “There were three huge oak trees that were on this piece of land that was previously farmed with cotton, pumpkins, and watermelons for many years,” recalls Hartness, adding, “then the farm became kind of derelict, but the three big oak trees remained, and my wife named it Triple Tree. One tree died in a recent drought, but we planted another one in its place.”

Aviators at Heart Part of Triple Tree’s success is the fact that both Pats hail from a family background in aviation, and have been flying for years themselves. Hartness, who soloed a Cessna 172 when he was 18 and has been flying for 50 years now, fondly recalls his earliest memory of aviation. When he was just 4, his pilot parents took

him to visit Paris Mountain Airport in Greenville, South Carolina. “My mom and dad owned a Piper Cub then, and just seeing and being around the airplanes, I could tell that’s exactly what I wanted to do,” Hartness explains, adding, “my dad was a captain with the Civil Air Patrol, and my mother was a lieutenant teaching cadets to fly during the second World War.” As for airplanes, Hartness likes them all. He’s owned a 1938 Spartan Executive for 40 years, which he recently restored to a polished, mirror finish. It shares a 10,000-square-foot hangar with his 1946 J-3 Cub, 1944 BT-13, Extra 330 LT, and a 1942 Stearman. A Volksplane, which Hartness still enjoys flying, represents his entry into the world of homebuilding. “I built that back in 1971 and flew it 400 hours. It was my early experience with building and becoming an EAA member, and I also have a Phantom ultralight from that era which I still enjoy flying—that’s really flying!” Fly-in President Pat Derrick was also introduced to aviation when he was a child. His father had an airplane, and Derrick started flying gliders in 1973 in Virginia. He earned his power rating the next year, when he was 21. After operating his own flight school and flying for some companies in the Greenville area, he’s currently the company pilot for Hartness International. Additionally, Derrick enjoys flying Hartness’ BT-13 during a sunrise “dawn patrol” each morning during the fly-in.

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Activities Abound! While activities abound at this first-class airfield and its associated facilities, there is one activity that isn’t part of this fly-in—there isn’t any aircraft judging. That, Pat Hartness explains, is simply because “We just feel like if you come, you’re a winner!” And those who do arrive at Triple Tree will very likely feel like winners, indeed. The scenic acreage is accentuated by a stately pavilion and gazebos, which provide gathering places for aviators and their friends to relax and enjoy each other’s company. An aviator who flew perhaps the longest cross-country to arrive at Triple Tree this past September was Presley Melton of Little Rock, Arkansas. He reflects, “Triple Tree is the best organized regional fly-in I’ve ever attended, and it’s absolutely a wonderful place for a flyin. The facilities and hospitality are ‘over the top.’ From the 7,000-foot sod runway, to the steak cookout on the patio, to the bathhouses with built-in hairdryers, this place is first class all the way. Pat Hartness has done everything he can to make Triple Tree the best fly-in airport. He built this airfield and all its wonderful facilities because he wants people to have a place to come together and enjoy aviation.” Overall, Hartness describes a visit to Triple Tree as being “different from going and landing at an asphalt runway, where you wonder what to do next. There’s plenty to do here! It’s set up to help entertain and give the people a unique destination. One thing that has helped us do that, is that we’ve learned a lot from the people that have been coming here for the 29 years that we’ve run the Joe Nall Fly-in—we have lots of experience with hosting public events,” says Hartness, elaborating, “Triple Tree is like a really fun park, but it’s better than a park. We have the Enoree River running right by one end of our property, and we’ve created a grassy beach area from a sandbar,

PAT HARNESS

Aerial view of T riple Tree Aer odrome. where supervised kids can wade in the river.” There is also a 50-acre lake and an eight-acre lake, where people are welcome to catch fish and have them for dinner if they like. There are about seven miles of nature trails as well, which are neatly maintained and wide enough for golf carts, though most people enjoy just strolling or jogging on them. A large patio with an outdoor fireplace offers a place where people can sit in the shade of an umbrella and watch planes landing and taking off. There’s no problem getting from one end of the airfield to the other to enjoy all these amenities;

ground transportation is available in the form of school buses, which are driven by volunteers. Additionally, visitors can tour the beginning of Triple Tree’s museum hangar, and see their collection of airplanes and model aircraft. Aviation-related seminars and workshops are held during the flyin, and the Military History Club of the Carolinas brings Jeeps and other military vehicles for display. Some of the volunteers arrange tours of the magnificent downtown Greenville area, while kids enjoy their skateboards and bicycles, and others enjoy camping with their airplanes on the carpet of closely-

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JIM MARLAR

Relaxing on the landscaped patio. shows everywhere you look—from the organized arrival procedures published on their website and the traffic advisories, to the folks directing ground traffic and welcoming pilots and taking care of their arrival needs (such as fuel, camping, registration, food). Simply put, it’s a low-stress, just-for-fun event in a beautiful setting, with taxiways through the woods to camping sites, fishing ponds for kids of all ages, free transportation from one end of the field to the other, and lots of aviation-minded folks to mingle with. Where else is all this available, plus a 7,000- by 400-foot grass strip? Many thanks to Pat Hartness for sharing his aviation enthusiasm this way with the public!”

. . . beyond question, engines and pistons are nice, but the smiling faces and

relationships are what it’s really all about.” —Pat Hartness cut grass. Campers may indulge themselves in the fully equipped bathhouses—which, in the women’s area, boast granite countertops surrounding the sinks, with eight thoughtfully designed private showers and stalls. One first-time attendee from North Carolina described his experience at Triple Tree in this manner: “There are many impressive things about the Triple Tree Flyin, but perhaps the most impressive is their theme of ‘Fun, Fellowship, and Hospitality.’ That is just what this fly-in is all about, and it

You’re Invited! Even as the variety of activities and attractive accommodations at Triple Tree continues to broaden, the Aerodrome’s lush, natural beauty is perhaps the most distinctive draw for this fly-in—enhanced, of course, by the contagious enthusiasm of the hosts and volunteers. Simply stated, Pat Hartness’ favorite aspects of the

fly-in revolve around the friendships and relationships it has allowed him to make: “These people are among the finest people that I have ever met in the world, and I look forward to them making their pilgrimage back to either the Nall or the Triple Tree Fly-in. Beyond question, engines and pistons are nice, but the smiling faces and relationships are what it’s really all about.” Derrick echoes that sentiment, adding, “you would not believe the amount of preparation for the event in terms of the man hours and the work involved, but it’s something that we really look forward to. We continually try to make Triple Tree the Augusta National [Golf Club] of airfi elds, and we really look forward to seeing those friends that we get to see once a year. When they leave, we always have a tear in our eyes when we wave them goodbye.” Pat Hartness cordially extends an open invitation to aviators, whatever type of aircraft they fly. “We have quite a variety, and everybody who is a pilot, a member of an aviation organization, or a sincere aviation enthusiast is welcome to attend. Come and discover a different kind of flyin! And when we say ‘different,’ we’re not saying anybody else’s isn’t good; ours is just different. We don’t want to be the biggest fly-in; we just want it to be as good as it can be. That’s what we want aviation people to discover about Triple Tree—our ‘Fun, Fellowship, and Hospitality’!” Note: Triple Tree Aerodrome (SC00) is located in Woodruff, South Carolina (near Greenville, KGMU). The dates for the sixth annual flyin are September 5-9, 2012. Fuel is typically available on the field during the fly-in. For more information, visit www.TripleTreeFlyin.com and www.Facebook.com/pages/TripleTree-Aerodrome/282990699292. To watch some videos of Triple Tree, tune in to www.YouTube.com/user/ TripleTreeAerodrome.

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Light Plane Heritage published in EAA Experimenter April 1993

LESSONS

FROM THE BY

HAWKER CYGNET

BOB WHITTIER EAA 1235

f a type of lightplane called the Hawker Cygnet were to show up in the ultralight section of a future fly-in, it’s very likely that most spectators would assume that it was another interesting new design in this rapidly growing field of sport aviation. In fact, because of its nicely rounded wingtips, fairly cleanlined fuselage, and curvy rudder outline, many would remark that it had more eye appeal than some other more straight-lined and angular types. It would therefore be very amusing to stand to one side and watch the expressions on their faces as they read the descriptive

I

placard standing in front of it—and found out that this design was created in long-ago 1924! Once that surprising information had soaked into their gray matter, many a younger aviation enthusiast might be prompted to ask, “Say, just how much progress has there been in small aircraft design over the last six decades?” Part of a well-thought-out reply to that legitimate question would have to be that the Cygnet was the creation of a professional and very competent design office. In addition to that, it was very carefully conceived to have the best possible chance of scoring high in a light-

plane design contest. In 1923 there had been a contest at the airfield of Lympne (pronounced Limm) in the south of England intended to encourage the development of light and economical aircraft suitable for private

Above: The sole r emaining Hawker Cygnet in flight, ar ound 1950, after being restor ed. Spot on fuselage side below fr ont cockpit is sunlight shining through the clear-doped fabric. Tiny windshields wer e typical of early 1920s airplanes. One r eason could be to minimize drag and to let pilots feel airfl ow on their faces in slips, etc.

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

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THE AEROPLANE

Oh what fun it is to taxi thr ough the grass and dandelions in a Hawker Cygnet! Restor ed around 1950, G-EBMB is the sole r emaining example and is on display at the R.A.F . Museum, Hendon. owners. While war-surplus military planes were still in good supply, they were fitted with powerful and very fuel-hungry engines. So much stress was placed on fuel economy, in fact, that the rules specified that engines that powered entries must have cylinder displacements of not more than 750 cubic centimeters. That’s about the displacement found in today’s intermediate-weight motorcycles, so you can understand that such engines were quite small for aircraft use. [Editor’s note: The two-cylinder Aeronca E-107 engine of 28 hp, which powered the Aeronca C-2, displaced 107 cubic inches, or 1753 cc—that equates to more than twice the maximum displacement allowed by the contest organizers!—HGF] In fact, because no aircraft engine manufacturer at that time produced such a tiny aero engine, those who wanted to enter this contest had to turn to the air-cooled and therefore reasonably light motorcycle engines then being manufactured. Even the best of these, of course, represented what was available in 1923 in the way of metals, bearings, valves, and other things, which means they were really not at all the equal of today’s Harleys and Hondas. What engines they had to choose from they modified as well as they could to suit them—they hoped!— for flight. But because these mills in many cases were forced to run at as much as 50 percent over rated

LEO KOHN

Rear view of the same shows the double ailer on horns used to minimize twisting of the light, full-span ailerons. Cockpits wer e a tight fi t, and the front one is awkward to get into.

power in order to coax planes aloft in a useful manner, persistent engine trouble plagued everyone. By the time the 1923 competition was over, everyone agreed that it had been a mistake to place so much stress on fuel economy. After all, the cost of gas—er, petrol—for weekend flying is but a small percentage of the overall cost of buying and owning an airplane. Early in 1924 new rules were issued for the second Lympne contest to be held late that September. They called for two-seat designs suitable for training and crosscountry flying in an island nation the size of Britain. Engine size was increased to 1100 cc. [Editor’s note: Still significantly smaller than even the smallest of the Aeronca engines, the E-107.—HGF] The new rules also laid stress on achieving as wide a spread as possible between minimum and maximum speeds. They hoped thereby to gain the ability to travel from point to point at speeds temptingly higher than the 30 mph average then possible by motorcars on the narrow, twisting roads of the 1920s. And because they also wanted these planes to be able to operate out of small, unimproved fields c o n v e n i e n t l y n e a r t o o w n e r ’s homes and destinations, quick takeoff and good obstructionclearing capability was specified. To eliminate both the “floaters,” too light and slow to be manageable in ordinarily windy weather,

and the “brick,” too fast and tricky for inexperienced pilots, the rules specified a cruising speed of not less than 60 mph and a landing speed of not more than 45 mph. As a result, where most of the 1923 entrants had been monoplanes for the sake of achieving lowest possible drag in order to attain the maximum possible miles per gallon of fuel, biplanes predominated among the 1924 entries for the sake of lightest possible weight on one hand combined with greatest possible wing area on the other hand in order to score well on takeoff and landing tests. Some of the 1923 entrants had been so carefully designed to be fuel-stingy that they achieved as much as 87 miles per gallon of fuel. Much use was made of wing flaps—the first serious use of this feature—not to help faster designs to approach and land at acceptable speeds, but to enable modestly powered planes to take off and climb out acceptably well. And once aloft, to cruise at useful speeds with the flaps retracted. A number of prominent aircraft manufacturing companies were attracted to the 1924 competition because of the possibility that success with two-seaters might open up a worthwhile civilian market. One of these firms was the H.G. Hawker Engineering Company Ltd., which had emerged from the famous Sopwith Company that had closed down in 1920.

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Designed specifically to scor e as high as possible in a 1924 design competition, the Hawker Cygnet amounted to a specialized airplane. The landing gear looks comically small, but it gave the smaller pr opeller ample ground clearance and helped keep the plane’s weight to a minimum.

During World War I, Sopwith had specialized in fighter aircraft in which both light weight and high strength were vital qualities. The Lympne two-seater project was put into the hands of a young engineer named Sydney Camm. He had joined Hawker in 1923, and this plane—named the Cygnet—was his first aircraft design project. Of course, Camm drew on the experience of others at Hawker, but clearly he was a capable designer and learned much from the small but well-thought-out Cygnet. Proof of this lies in the fact that he went on to design the fast Hawker Fury fighter biplane of the mid-1930s and then created the memorable Hawker Hurricane fighter of World War II. The Cygnet (which means “a young swan”) was a smallish airplane in that it weighed only 373 pounds empty and grossed at 730 pounds. But it wasn’t exactly tiny by reason of having a wingspan of 28 feet and total wing area of 165 square feet. While it wouldn’t

qualify as an ultralight under the current U.S. empty weight limit of 254 pounds, it was still very much a lightplane. It helps to grasp this by pointing out that the Aeronca C-3 two-seater lightplane of 1931 was considered to be a very light aircraft by American pilots. It had a 113 cubic inch (1852 cc), 36-hp engine, weighed 461 pounds empty and 875 pounds gross, and had 142 square feet of wing area. The twin-cylinder, horizontally opposed four-cycle engines used on the Cygnet weighed from 95 to 105 pounds. In contrast, today’s two-cycle ultralight engines in the 27- to 38-hp range typically weigh between 42 and 62 pounds. Beginning with an assumed engine weight of about 100 pounds, Camm was left with only 273 pounds for the complete airframe. To create a two-seater of fairly generous proportions within that weight limit with the materials and construction techniques available

in 1924 called for engineering work of a high caliber. All or most of the spruce fuselage longerons and cross-members were routed to I-shaped cross sections to achieve stiffness with minimum weight. The fuselage frame employed the efficient Warren truss and was assembled with plywood gussets riveted and screwed into place. That’s something that simply is not approved of today. To save a small amount of weight, the fuselage was made less than two feet wide. As a consequence, the cockpits were a tight fit for all but the smaller pilots. The wing spars were of the box type, with spruce upper and lower flanges separated by plywood webs. This called for much more hand labor than the flat, solid spruce spars typically used in later American lightplanes. To make such spars, rough lumber is merely fed through a planer to achieve desired crosssectional dimensions, and comparatively little labor is involved.

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This drawing by retired Boeing engineer Geor ge Visk illustrates ef fect of air foil thickness on inter ference in airfl ow between the two wings of a biplane. In Figur e 3, shaded ar ea shows airfl ow overlap that can pr oduce a “mysterious” rumbling sound. Staggering the wings or making the lower one of r educed chord as in Figur e 4 ar e some ways to r educe inter ference. The air foil used in the wings also af fects fl ow. But these box spars put the spruce where it would handle loads to best advantage, and so this type of construction saved a worthwhile amount of weight. The wing interplane struts were also of spruce, each being made in two pieces, routed out, and then glued together to create hollow struts. Both weight and drag were reduced. Because the stabilizer spar was made the same way, it was strong enough to serve its purpose without external struts or tie rods. Throughout the plane an effort was made to keep the number of metal fittings to a minimum. The vertical tail consisted of a balanced rudder only, with no fin. Since this rudder was able to stand by itself, the weight of a fin and its

brace wires was saved. Because of the plane’s overall proportions, there was not much gap between the top of the fuselage and the underside of the top wing’s center section. Also, the center section support struts were held true with crisscrossed brace wires that would have been in the way of cockpit entry. So the front cockpit was located a little ahead of the center section. Overall balance was retained despite this forward positioning of that seat, thanks to the engine’s light weight in the nose. Getting in to and out of the front cockpit called for some wriggling, but once a person was in it, forward visibility was superb. The landing gear had an almost comically undersized look to it, but

its design made good engineering sense. Because of modest propeller diameter, it did not have to be long to offer adequate propeller ground clearance. Since a plane as light as the Cygnet would not usually be flown on more blustery days, the gear did not have to be particularly wide. The short, straight axle was light in weight and automatically lined up right and left wheels. It was lashed to the landing gear vee struts with rubber shock cord. Because these struts were short, they were light and also stiff, as a result of which they could be made of spruce instead of steel tubing. The only shortcoming of the low-riding straight axle was that it could drag through tall grass when operating from an unmowed field.

Early 1930s Cur tiss Condor, left, had top wing set high above fuselage to minimize “squeezing” of airfl ow in gap between upper and lower wing. The 1929 Boeing 80A, right, had wing attached to fuselage top. The smaller chord of the lower wing accomplished essentially the same thing. A similar ar rangement was used on the 1924 Hawker Cygnet. 24 APRIL 2012

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The sesquiplane concept takes various for ms and can be used to achieve various ends. In W orld War I Nieupor t fighters (above left), small lower wings were basically the lower beams of a low-drag biplane arrangement. In the 1927 Buhl (above right) abbr eviated lower wings wer e used to conver t what was originally a big-winged biplane into what was almost a monoplane, for the sake of speed. The 1929 Bir d Biplane (right) had small lower wings in or der to provide a passenger walkway to the fr ont cockpit and allowed the use of a lar ge but light top wing for aer odynamic effi ciency. You will notice in photos that the Cygnet had only clear dope on its fabric covering. This too represented a small but useful savings in weight over pigmented dope. During the latter part of World War I it became fashionable for fighter pilots to apply gaudy paint jobs to their planes. Some of them were unpleasantly surprised to discover how much the weight of the paint reduced their plane’s performance. Perhaps this was one of the Sopwith people’s wartime lessons that was passed onto Hawker personnel. The Cygnet was designed so that the wings could be folded back for storage, so it was probably assumed that a clear dope finish would have acceptable durability. And we must remember that the plane was designed to win a contest rather than to look wonderful in a showroom. To achieve folding, upper and lower wings were positioned so that the fitting on the rear spars of all wings were on a vertical line. Full-span ailerons were incorporated on both upper and lower wings. The control system was designed so that in ordinary flight,

aileron action only was achieved when the control stick was moved. But when taking off, all four could be moderately depressed to deepen the airfoils’ camber and so increase lift. Once at the desired altitude, the flaps could be retracted to flatten out the airfoil shape and increase cruising speed. This was yet another feature that would have made the Cygnet expensive to manufacture. Because the ailerons were both long and lightly built, the use of single control horns on each one would have subjected it to serious twisting stresses. So each aileron was provided with two horns to spread out the control loads. The lower wings were of less chord than the upper ones and herein lies an airplane design story that is rarely if ever put into print. We’re going to tell it because it helps not only to appreciate the Cygnet but also to understand biplane design in general. Today we rarely use the word sesquiplane, but it was often used in the 1920s. It means “one-anda-half” and describes a biplane in which the lower wing is half

or less the area of the upper one. Most sesquiplanes had a large upper wing and a small lower one. The Cygnet, by the way, was not a sesquiplane. The usual reason for using the sesquiplane design was to minimize loss of lift that results when fast-moving air finds itself squeezed between the underside of the top wing and top side of the lower one—while at the same time retaining the biplane’s advantage of light weight and rigidity that results from trussing the two wings together with struts and tie rods set at effective angles. Some months ago we noticed in a picture that the lower wing of the Boeing 80A trimotor transport plane of 1929 had less chord than the upper one—but was still not small enough to make this a sesquiplane. At recent Oshkosh conventions we noticed the same thing on the beautifully restored Pitcairn Speedwing and Mailwing biplanes. The Cygnet wings were like this, too. We wondered why. So we wrote to the Boeing company, whose public relations office passed our letter along to Mr. George

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This 1924 Cygnet was power ed by a ver y unreliable inverted vee Anzani engine. While the plane was indeed a ver y light draft, it was by no means tiny . The fi gure of the man helps visualize the 28-foot span of the top wing. Visk, a retired Boeing engineer for reply. The next several paragraphs are based on the very informative two-page letter he sent us. While experimenting with gliders in 1902, the Wright brothers built a simple wind tunnel and from the information it gave them concluded that the gap between upper and lower wings of a biplane should be equal to the wings’ chord. This proved to be an acceptable spacing for wings using the very thin airfoils they and others used in the 1903-1913 period. As the dashed lines in Figure 1 show, each thin airfoil displaces a modest amount of air, and therefore interference between upper and lower wings is not present. Between 1914 and about 1924 thicker airfoils gradually came into use. They gave much better lift-todrag ratios and also afforded the thicker wing sections needed to enclose deeper and stronger spars. Their extra thickness caused them to displace more air as shown in Figure 2, but still not enough to impair wing lift. The sharp leading edges of these airfoils resulted in sudden and vicious stall characteristics that caused many crashes. Work done by such researchers as Virginius E. Clark in the early 1920s resulted in the now very wellknown Clark Y and similar airfoils. They had well-rounded leading edges, flat or almost flat undersides, and more efficiently curved upper sides. Aircraft speeds and hence

ranges increased—Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis used the Clark Y.

When biplanes began to use the new, thicker airfoils, more air was displaced as shown in Figure 3. The all-metal Ford Tri-Motor also demonstrated the monoplane’s lower drag and greater speed and thus range. But early, lower-powered versions could not take off with a full load of passengers from such transcontinental airway stops as Cheyenne in Wyoming, which is 6,300 feet above sea level. To provide the newly organized Boeing Air Transport Company airline with a plane able to take off from Cheyenne with a full passenger load aboard, the Boeing aircraft factory developed the Model 80 trimotor. It was a biplane with lots of wing area: 1,250 square feet compared to the Ford’s 785. When biplanes began to use the new, thicker airfoils, more air was displaced as shown in Figure 3. If the wings were too close together,

air displaced by the top surface of the lower wing began to impinge on air displaced by the lower surface of the upper one. Note the shaded area in Figure 3. This interference created a new and initially very mystifying phenomenon in the form of a peculiar rumbling sound. Because we cannot see what rushing air is doing, it took some heavy thinking to pinpoint the cause of this strange and disturbing rumble. To stop it, one solution arrived at was to increase the gap between biplane wings, as can be seen in the Curtiss Condor twin-engined biplane shown in the accompanying photo. Another solution was to stagger the wings as shown in Figure 4. In the 18-passenger Boeing 80A the fuselage was so large and deep that it seemed reasonable to mount the big upper wing directly on top of it. By so doing the long cabane struts used on the Condor’s center section could be eliminated and the interplane struts made shorter. We don’t know if the Boeing 80A ever had a rumble problem, but it’s possible that the narrower chord of the lower wing could have prevented it from appearing by reason of disturbing less air on its upper side. But it must have had structural and aerodynamic advantages that we’ll soon describe. While staggering a biplane’s wings as in Figure 4 does cope with the interference problem, it also makes interplane struts longer and so increases their weight and drag. The

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new and more varied strut and tie rod angles that stagger tends to introduce can complicate stress analysis. The Nieuport fighter of World War I, shown above, with its long and quite narrow lower wing, is a true sesquiplane. The reason this layout was used had little to do with interplane airflow interference but was the outcome of designer Edouard Nieuport’s strong feeling that drag should be reduced to a minimum. His skimpy lower wings were basically beams employed so that the rigid and sturdy biplane structural layout could be used but with as few struts and wires as possible. The Nieuports were such good fighters that the Germans hastened to use the same idea in their Albatros fighters. The lower pinions of these sesquiplanes can be called “wings” by reason of the fact that in order to streamline their single spars, it made sense to fair them with ribs and give these ribs an airfoil shape so as to coax some lift out of them. But these single-spar lower wings had so little torsional stiffness that in the fast dives often used in combat flying, they could start to flutter so violently as to cause Nieuports and Albatroses to disintegrate. But this does not mean that all sesquiplanes are bad. The Buhl Airsedan of 1927 started out as a load-carrying biplane having an upper wing of 42-foot span and a lower one of 32-foot span. To get more speed, another model of the same ship was fitted with an upper wing of 36-foot span and a lower one of 20-foot span, making it a true sesquiplane. The new, small lower wings had a fairly wide chord at their roots but tapered drastically so that at their tips, they were just short of being pointed. This taper gave them adequate torsional stiffness for civilian flying. Another sesquiplane that appeared in 1929 was the Bird Biplane. It originated as an attempt to get the best possible performance out of the heavy, low-powered war-

surplus Curtiss OX-5 engine. The one pictured has a lighter and more reliable Kinner radial engine. The fuselage of a biplane divides its lower wings into right and left panels, but the upper one is unbroken. By making it as long and broad as possible, its aerodynamic efficiency is increased because of the mathematics involved in what is called “scale effect.” At the same time, the bird’s noticeably smaller lower wings allowed the use of biplane-type trussing and also provided a convenient walkway for passengers entering and leaving the front cockpit. Now to get back to the Cygnet. It obviously was not a sesquiplane, yet its lower wing had noticeably less chord than the upper one. Why? We cannot know exactly what went on in Sydney Camm’s mind almost 70 years ago, but we can make an educated guess. In both this little plane and the huge Boeing trimotor, the lower wings are large enough to house

two spars rather than the single one found in the Nieuport and Albatros lower wings. This led to strut and tie rod layouts able to assure good torsional stiffness. And there could very well have been an aerodynamic advantage. Again, remember that we cannot see just what rushing air is doing. There is an aircraft design term called “induced drag.” Tape a length of light cord to the trailing edge of an airplane, and when in flight, you will be able to see clearly that instead of streaming straight backward, it will stream with a quite noticeable downward angle. This visualizes the downward impetus given to a volume of air by the wing that produces an equal but opposite reaction in the form of lift. To thus force air downward creates “induced drag.” Overcoming it is where a significant amount of an engine’s power is used. The long, narrow wings of sailplanes and moderately powered air-

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The A.B.C. Scorpion engine, left, was used in one of the 1925 Cygnets. It suf fered from valve tr ouble. The much more reliable Bristol Cher ub, right, per formed dependably in the 1924 competition. Note its similarity to the pr esent-day twin-cylinder Mosler engines of similar horsepower . craft built to climb to great altitudes (the U-2 spy plane) or fly long distances with modest fuel consumption (Rutan’s Voyager) have high aspect ratio wings to keep induced drag as low as possible. Now considering the Cygnet, its wings had a thin airfoil, there was generous gap, and speed was modest. Therefore the narrower chord of its lower wing could not have had anything to do with the factors concerned in Figures 1 to 4. But notice that the lower wing is shorter than the upper one for such reasons as ground clearance during sharp turns on a runway. If a short lower wing had the same chord as the longer upper one, it would have a lower aspect ratio…and low aspect ratio is a power-stealer whenever a wing is flying at high angle of attack, due to greater induced drag. But by reducing the chord of a shorter lower wing, its aspect ratio is kept the same as that of the top wing. When trying to coax a useful rate of climb out of a lower-powered plane, or getting a big plane off a high-altitude airport with a heavy load aboard, this is important. Hawker built two Cygnets for the 1924 Lympne competition. One was fitted with an inverted-vee Anzani engine, the other with a horizontally opposed A.B.C. Scorpion. Both engines were bedeviled with

problems such as broken rocker arm brackets, a bad magneto, and broken valves. When the Cygnets could fly, they performed credibly, however, due to their high structural efficiency and wing flaps. There was general agreement that the 1100 cc engines used that year were being overstressed by reason of being run at around 50 percent over rated capacities in order to fly two-seaters. In 1925 the much-improved and quite reliable Bristol Cherub engine was available. The rules then stated that any engine could be used that did not weigh more than 170 pounds. By boring out the cylinders 5 mm, Bristol raised the Cherub’s displacement to 1228 cc to get it to produce 33 hp at 2900 rpm and 36 hp at 3200 rpm. This slight increase in power plus the Cherub’s excellent reliability enables the Cygnets to perform very credibly. On a tour around England of almost 2,000 miles, one of them averaged 65 mph and 39.2 mpg. The slow-flight test was conducted along a runway with the stipulation that planes must not ascend higher than 20 feet, yet at the same time should not let their wheels touch ground. That called for some skillful low-and-slow flying. One pilot negotiated the course at 34 mph while another did it at

44 mph. In races, speeds in the 75 to 80 mph range were attained. The general agreement at Lympne was that the Cygnet design represented the first practical light biplane. However, a market for ver y low-powered lightplanes just did not develop. In February of 1925 the 60-hp de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplane came onto the market. It was comfortable, reasonably fast, versatile, and had enough reserve power to cope effectively with bad air conditions. It and similar biplanes caught on so quickly that they put an end to Lympne designs for all practical purposes. The two Cygnets were registered G-EBJH and G-EBMB to qualify them for general sport flying use. The former was destroyed in a 1929 crash, while the latter was put into storage in 1927. In the late 1940s it was restored to flying condition, flown at a number of air shows, and then put on permanent display at the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon near London, alongside examples of some of Sir Sydney Camm’s other designs. The lesson of the Hawker Cygnets and other two-seaters with 1200 cc engines might well be that planes that are very highly engineered to do well in competitions often do not do very well in normal usage. They’re too highly bred.

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Vintage Mechanic

THE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Splicing a wood wing spar

Illustration 1—CallAir A-9 damaged fr ont wing spar with split showing grain slope. In last month’s column we discussed wood defects. In this issue we look at splicing a wood wing spar due to an accident with a CallAir A-9 licensed in the restricted category for agricultural operations. The left outboard wing of the aircraft had tangled with the top of a tree. The tree won the contest: Tree 1, Spar 0. The good thing about a wooden spar is that it will break rather than bend, and leaving a short section of spar in the top of a tree is better than losing the whole airplane. The owner and pilot didn’t want to disassemble the ship to make the repair, so he asked if I could repair the wing and get the airplane back into the air as soon as possible. That was the task at hand. Illustration 1 shows the wing as I first saw it. Note the long split inboard when the spar was forced aft and that the break occurs at a fixed point of the compression member. The slope of the split indicates grain slope. Closely following guidance in Advisory Circular AC43.13-1B, the scarf cut must be made down the grain slope.

Illustration 2—Beginning the scar f cut down the grain slope. Illustration 2 shows the beginning of the scarf cut measuring a minimum of 10-to-1. The spar is 1-1/4 inches thick, thus making the cut 12-1/2 inches in length. Only enough fabric is cut away to gain necessary access along the remaining spar. You may be surprised to see the saw I was using, but make no mistake, this is a precision tool. I use a ripsaw that is dedicated solely to making spar cuts; therefore, the chisel-like teeth are very sharp. A cut like this takes about one hour to make, as extreme care must be taken to assure the cut is as straight as possible. This saves time in the long run when the surface must be hand planed.

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Illustration 4—Scar f cut on spar almost planed fl at.

Illustration 3—Scar f cut completed. Illustration 3 shows the 10-to-1 scarf cut. A scarf joint in a wood structure assures grain continuation and places the bond line in shear load. Properly executed, the finished product will return 100 percent strength back into the wing spar. The next step is to hand plane the old spar to make the surface completely smooth and flat. This is not as easy as it looks because one is working on a vertical plane, making it much more difficult.

The replacement spar section is then cut at the same scarf angle as the original cut was made. Care must again be taken to assure the cut is as straight and flat as possible. The new spar section is placed in a vise, and the scarf is carefully cut. It is then laid on a bench and hand planed to fit the existing spar cut. Note that the most difficult cut and hand plane scarf is completed first, then the easier cut and plane task is completed, assuring a perfect fit between the two surfaces. The AC recommends that these surfaces not be sanded because small fragments of sanding dust will enter the wood fiber and weaken the glue joint. Illustration 4 shows the scarf almost completely planed—just a little more to remove the low spot that the camera captured. After the two scarf cuts are perfectly matched, the joint must be assembled within an eight-hour period because moisture can enter the wood fibers and reduce the repaired spar’s overall strength. The fit between original and replacement spars must be very accurate. I use a straight edge to lie along, across, and diagonally across the planed surfaces to assure flatness. The length of each cut must exactly match. Since this repair is critical to safety of flight, I must assure that each step is correctly done because, once bonded, it cannot be tested.

What Our Members Are Restoring

A you nearing completion of a r estoration? Or is it done and Are you’re you busy fl ying and showing it of f? If so, we’d like to hear fr om you. you Send us a 4-by-6-inch print fr om a commer cial sour ce (no home ho printers, please—those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 4300-dpi digital photo. A JPG fr om your 2.5-megapixel (or (o higher) digital camera is fi ne. You can bur n photos to a CD, or o if you’r e on a high-speed Inter net connection, you can e-mail them t along with a text-only or W ord document describing your airplane. a (If your e-mail pr ogram asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For mor e tips on cr eating photos we can publish, visit V AA’s website at www.VintageAircraft.org. Check Check the the News N page for a hyperlink to W ant To Send Us A Photograph?

For more information, you can also e-mail us at [email protected] or call us at 920-42 920-426-4825. 30 APRIL 2012

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