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The passage discusses the history and restoration efforts of the antique Speed Bird airplane. It traces the company's origins in New Jersey and move to California in 1937. It also outlines the long process of restoring the only surviving Speed Bird plane in the late 1960s and ongoing efforts today.
STRAIGHT
ND
LEVEL
by
Espie
"Butch"
Joyce
ith
this issue
of
VINT GE IRPL NE
EAA Oshkosh
90
will be history. The Antique/Classic Division
will have hosted more than 800 classics and 120 antiques. All
of
this activity will have been administered by volunteer help.
It s
a monumental undertaking that gets bigger every year. Your Division
of
EAA now stands at
almost 7,000 members, making us close
to being the largest organization in the
world devoted to vintage airplanes.
We
have one
of
the finest monthly publications covering these airplanes and this
era
of
aviation.
We
spend a good deal
of
our time and energy managing the area
of
the EAA Convention devoted to our aircraft and the aviation pioneers who flew them,
not to mention those who restore and
maintain
these
fine
aircraft
today
. Throughout the year we also handle a
great deal
of
correspondence relating to these aircraft and their maintenance. People write from all over the world to
me and other members
of
the Board
of
Directors with their needs and concerns. One example
of
this
is
a gentleman from Australia who was having a problem
getting
his prop
overhauled
. Boardmember, John Berendt took care
2 AUGUST 199
€
8
of
the problem and solved the
man s
o
;
dilemma.
'
Q
I ve
had calls from people on cross-
countries
who
have
d
eve
loped
problems with unusual engines such as,
for instance, a Warner and asked if I
might know a mechanic in the area
familiar with the type. Sometimes I can
help, sometimes I can refer them to
another member who can.
It s
another example
of
how we at the A/C Di vision
are better
off
as a group rather than as individuals. A viation people are unique. They
trot off to the airport at every oppor
tunity while their friends are going to
the golf course. Aviation people would
rather work on an airplane than mow
th
e yard. Have you ever noticed that these
people also have other
inter
es
ts in similar areas? A number
of
pilots I know, for example, are also ham radio
operators, fly model airplanes, are interested in antique autos or hot rods. These
are the people I have come to know, and
love to be associated with.
I know that the friendships I make in aviation will be enduring. I know these
people will work tirelessly to help with
a
project and
contribute labor
and materials, while never keeping score. What I mean by this
is
that they also know the help
of
others is available to
them without their having to ask. This
is
what goes on all the time among avia
tion people. Oshkosh
is
a big event and we all enjoy the experience. When we return,
our flying buddies who stayed home will all want to know how it was.
We
will all do our best to pass along the
excitement and satisfaction
of
coming to Oshkosh, helping out where we could
and learn
in
g the many lessons to be
l
earned
abou
t p
eo
ple
as
well
as
airplanes. They will a
ll
say how hard
it
is to believe everyth
in
g and that they simply must get to Oshkosh next year.
We
need to continue to te
ll
everyone how fantastic the EAA Oshkosh ex
perience is and te
ll
everyone to ex
perienc
e it for
themselves
.
f
we continue to pass the word and unite our
selves, we stand a better chance
of
retaining
th
e
fr
ee
doms we now enjoy
in
personal flight. Ask a friend to join the Antique/Clas
sic Division. While we have a large
organization with close to 7,000 members, there are 35,000 aircraft registered
that do not have electrical systems.
That represents a large number
of
pilots and owners who could benefit from membership in the Division, and could
help the Division to he
lp
others.
As noted
l
as
t
month,
the A/C
Division voted to continue to give out
participant plaques this year. This is
now solely an Antique/Classic
Di
vision activity. We are endebted to Bob Lick
teig and Jack Copeland for their efforts
on this project.
We
were also fortunate
to have the Polaroid Co. donate the
cameras and film to photograph our fine
antique and class
ic
aircraft for the pla
ques. Thanks Polaroid As I have said
in
the past, let
s
all pull in the same direction for the good
of
aviation. Join us and have
it
all. •
PUBLICATION
STAFF
PUBLISHER
Tom
Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT
MARKETING
&
COMMUNICATIONS
Dick
Malt
EDITOR
August
1990 • Vo1.18,
No.8
Mark
Phelps MANAGING
EDITOR
Golda Cox
ART
DIRECTOR
Mike
Drucks
ADVERTISING
Mary
Jones
ASSOCIATE
EDITORS
Norman
Petersen Di
ck
Cav
in
FEATURE WRITERS
George
A.
Hard
i
e,
Jr.
Denn
is Parks
EDITORIAL
ASSISTANT
Isabelle
Wiske
STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jim Koepnlck Carl Schuppel
Jefflsom
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION
, INC_
OFFICERS
President Vice-President Esple "Butch"
Joyce
Arthur R.
Morga
n
604
Highway
St
. 3744 North 51st Blvd. Madison. NC 27025 Milwaukee.
WI
53216
919/427-0216
414/442-3631 Secretary Treasurer
George
S.
York
E.E.
"Buck" Hilbert
181
Sloboda Ave. P.O.
Box
424 Mansfield. OH 44906 Unlon.IL60180 419/529-4378 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
Robert C. "Bob" Brauer
John
S.
Copeland
9345 S. Hoyne
9
Joanne
Drive
Chicago.
IL
60620 Westborough.
MA
01581 312/779-2105
ffJ8/366-7245 Philip Coulson William A. E
ckhoff
28415 Springbrook
Dr
415 15th
Ave
..
N.E.
Lawton.
MI
49065
St.
Petersburg.
FL
33704
616/624-6490
813/823-2339 Charles Har
ri
s Stan
Gomoll
3933 South Peoria
1042
90th Lane.
NE
P.O.
Box
904038 Minneapolis.
MN
55434
Tusla.
OK 74105 612/784-1172
918/742-7311
Dale A. Gustafson Robert D. "Bob" Lu
mley
7724
Shady
Hill
Drive 1265 South 124th
St.
Indianapolis.
IN
46278 Brookfield.
WI
53005
317/293-4430
414/782-2633
Gene
Morr
is
Steven C. Nes
se
115C
Steve Court.
R.R.2
2009 Highland
Ave
. Roanoke.
TX
76262 Albert Lea. MN 56007
817/491-9110
ffJ7/373-1674 S. H. "
We
s" Schmid
2359 Lefeber
Avenue
Wauwatasa.
WI
53213 414/771-1545
DIRECTOR
ENERITUS
S.
J.
Wlffman 7200 S.
E
85th Lane
Ocala.
FL
32672 904/245-7768
Co
pyright
I!;)
1990 by the EAA Antique/Classic Divi
si
on, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
Page
12
Page 22
Page 24
FRONT
COVER . . . Jerry
and Nancy Groat
Irom
Mesa. Arizona
rellect
a
lew
evening
sunbeams
in
their
polished
Emigh
Trojan
during
EM
Sun
'n
Fun '90. The Trojan's
externally
ribbed
wings
combined great
strength with ease
01
manulacture
(Photo
by
Jim Koepnick
.
photo
plane Ilown
by
Jim Dorman).
REAR
COVER
Another
rore
magazine
cover
Irom the collec-
tion
01
Ted Businger.
ADVISORS
John Berendt 7645 Echo Point
Rd
.
Cannon
Falls.
MN 55009
507/263-2414
George
Daubner 2448 Lough Lane Hortford.
WI
53027
414/673-5885
Jeannie Hill
P.O .
Box 328
Harvard.
IL
60033 815/943-7205
Gene
Chase 2159 Carlton
Rd.
Oshkosh.
WI
54904 414/231-5002 John A Fogerty 479 Highway 65 Roberts.
WI
54023 715/425-2455 Dean R
c
hardson
6701
Colony
Drive Madison.
WI
53717 608/833-1291
The
words
EM,
ULTRAUGHT,
FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM,
SPORT AVIATION,and the
logos
of
EXPERIMENTAL
A
IRCRA
FT
ASSOCI
A
TION INC.,
EM
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION,
EM
ANTIOUEJCLASSIC
DIV1SION
INC
.,
INTERNATION
AL A
EROBATIC
CLU
B
INC
.,
WA
RBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are
registered trademarks.
THE
EM
SKY SHOPPE and
logos
of
the
EM
AVIATION FOUND
A
TION INC. and
EM
ULTRA
UGHT
CONVENTION
r
e
trademarks
of
the
above
associations
and
their use
by
any person other
than
the
above
associations
is
strictly prohibited. Editorial Policy:
Readers are
encouraged
to
submit stories
and
photographs
.
Policy opinions expressed in articles
re
sofefy
those
of
the authors.
Responsibility
for
aocuracy
in
reporting rests entirely with
the
oontributor. Material should
be
sent
to:
Ed
i
tor
,
The VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, Wi ttman Regional Airport. 3000
Pobefezny
Rd., Oshkosh,
WI
54903 ~.
Phone
:
414/426-4800
.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (SSN
0091-6943) is published
and
owned
exclusively
by
EM
Antique/Classic
Division,lnc.
of
the
Ex
perimental Aircraft Association,
Inc. and
is published monthly
at
Wittman Regional Airport. 3000 Pobefezny
Rd.,
Oshkosh,
WI
54903-3006
.
Second Class
Postage paid
at
Oshkosh, WI
54901
and
additional
mai
l
ing
offices. Membership
rates for
EM
Antique/Classic
Division,lnc.
are
$18.00 for current
EM
members
for
12
month
period
of
wNoh
$12
.
00 is
for
the publication of
The
VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
Membership is
open
to all
who are
interested
in
aviation.
ADVERTISING
-Antique/Classic
Division does
no
t
guaran
t
ee
or endorse
any
product offered through our advertising.
We
invite oonstructive criticism
and
welcome
any
report of inferior merchandise
obtained
through our advertising
so
that corrective measures
can
be
taken
.
POSTMASTER:
Send
eddress changes
to
EM
Antique/Classic Division, Inc
.
P.O. Box 3006,
Oshkosh
,
WI
54903-3086.
Dear Mark, Thank you very much for the copy
of
the
June
issue
of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
You have a nice way
of
wording things in the rear
cover
credit and both
of
us appreciate that. The story
of
Franny Rourke s career (Interesting
Member)
by Charlie Harris was very illuminating.
I ve
known Fran for about 10 years and learned a lot from Charlie s story. Mr. Rourke is a super nice guy, too.
Do you
think we
can
encourage
Charlie to write about some
of
the other good guys in the Tulsa Chapter?
It s
a nice picture by Ted Koston
of
Ed Marquart at the Jenny on page 22. Try to take it easy during the Convention week. Say hi to Jack Cox and Mary Jones for
me
.
Our
best to all the other nice people
at
EAA Headquarters. Cordially, Ted Businger Evening Shade, Arkansas
4 AUGUST 199
adiak Speedster
Dear Norm Petersen,
On
page 90
of
the May 1990 issue
of
SPORT A VIA TlON is a photograph
of
Everett David s Kadiak Speedster. I purchased the airplane in 1942 from someone in Benton Harbor, Michigan. I kept it at the old Hoosier Airport while I was teaching flying during World War II. As the war drew to a close in 1944, I advertised it in Trade-A-Plane and sold it to someone in Texas. He didn t pick up the plane for quite a while so I stored it in an old barn at the airport until it was picked up, several years later. A
few years
after that
I
saw
it in Huntsville, Alabama. Several changes had been made on the plane. Solid gear had been replaced by a spring gear and the Lambert engine and cowling by a four-cylinder opposed engine. Some
time later I saw an article about the plane at which time it was based in Sacramento, California. I thought this information might be
of
interest. Thank you, Robert H. Young Martinsville, Indiana