TALESPINNERS - June, 2002

Hangar Flying
with Stu Faber

BIG CHANGES.  Member Bob Louderback guided me to a book, A History of American Aircraft Industry, edited by G. R. Simondson and published in 1968 by MIT Press.  It is a collection of 10 articles by various authors and reflects the history up to that date.

In the early years of WW I aircraft manufacturing was like a bunch of homebuilt design / build shops.  There were 130 patents for basic principles and nearly each plane built was infringing on some patents.  When Pres. Wilson asked for 2500 military planes the Allies quickly told him 25,000 were needed.  An association of the principle companies was quickly formed and cross licensing of patents agreed to.  Samuel Bradley, an experienced business manager was made the executive of the Association.  There was an immediate shortage of space for manufacturing and of skilled manpower but under Bradley's leadership a program was pulled together.  There was no time to design a number of new planes and engines so existing designs were used although most was not American.  The auto engineers from a number of companies did join together to design the Liberty engine almost over night.  Some new companies came on line and others converted.

In 1922 the war time association provided the leadership for the formation of the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce.  Some of those involved were Who's Who of aviation. Membership involved nearly all the businesses and individuals in the industry.  Again Bradley was executive.  Members included, Grover Loening, Pres; and Sherman Fairchild; Frederick Rentschler Pres. of Wright Aero Corp; Frank Russell Pres. of Curtiss; Lawrence Sperry; Charles L. Lawrence (Wright radial engine designer); Chance Vaught; and many others.  The Chamber was the focus of efforts to develop a national aviation policy and by 1926 national legislation was passed requiring the Dept. of Commerce to develop laws, standards, and licensing for aviation.  The Civil Aeronautics Board was established to promote aviation.  Military aviation was expanded.

In 1927 Lindbergh's Paris flight sparked an explosion of interest in aviation and by 1929 there were 5516 aircraft produced.  Came the depression and in 1932 only 800 were.  Businesses had dropped by 3/4.  Through the 1930s designs changed toward more modern cleaner designs of metal airplanes but production was limited.  Then in 1940 Pres. Roosevelt asked for 50,000 per year for the war.  Again it was a crash program.  No time for new designs to be developed.  And again a variety of businesses switched to aircraft and engine production.  This time production was more difficult.  A B-25 had 165,000 parts plus 150,000 rivets, plus engines, instruments, radios, and other parts.  The R-2600 engine had 1300 parts.  Space was way short and so was manpower.  Production of the first plane took 150,000 man hours, the 10th took 60,000, the 100th took 7500.  Production figures were also figured in total pounds of aircraft and horse power of engines.  There were 150 types in 417 models with thousands of minor changes during production.  Peak production was more than 150,000 in 1943.

In 1950 one writer predicted that air transport could expand to employ as many as 90,000 to 100,000 people and it might take as many as 700 40 to 60 passenger planes as well as 300 20 to 30 passenger types.  (As of March 2002 there were 800 airliners mothballed in Arizona.)  In January of 1950 the largest of the new aircraft companies listed was Chase Aircraft Co. of New Jersey.

PERSONAL MEMORY.  In late winter of 1930 or 31, for a short time I was visiting just north of San Diego CA.  Late every evening the mail and passenger plane to Los Angles flew over.  It was lighted by a powerful ground searchlight for advertising purposes.  I think it was a Ryan project as I believe Ryan ran a mail plus one or two passengers airline from San Diego to Los Angeles about that time.

POWERFUL 4 STROKE.  Bombardier's new SeaDoo jet ski is powered by a 155 Hp 1494 cc liquid cooled engine made by Rotax.  No spec on weight.  It is called a 4-TEC.  Probably revs pretty high for that much power.

BEING PREPARED.  Yes, I was a Boy Scout.  But during a WW II Aleutian Island tour I spent a few months as clerk and inspector in the 11 Bomber Command Hq. maintenance office.  As we set up the office I was required to organize a library of "Tech Orders" and other army manuals.  The Aleutian weather was usually bad which left plenty of time for reading.  Available reading was mostly Tech Orders and manuals.  My favorite was the one on using explosives for demolition.  That looked more fun than the 4th of July.  As I had a strong interest in staying alive I read the ones on survival with great attention and I have continued that interest to the present.  Following Eric Rood's lead in the Newsletter some additional thoughts on being prepared.

Being prepared, both mentally and equipment wise, is essential.  Thinking through what you would do in various "what if" situations, and then being sure you have what you would need to cope, is a good first step.  Where you plan to fly makes a difference.  Over deserts, frozen wastes, jungles, or open water, present different problems.  Most of the Midwest is less of a challenge but there is some pretty empty rugged country just east of us.

I feel sort of naked unless I have a few multi-purpose tools within reach.  A small first aid kit for more serious trauma type injuries takes up little room and could be very useful.  Most of the commercial kits are more like your home medicine cabinet and too costly and too bulky.  Several years ago 174 sold trauma type kits designed by Bob Porter.  Might even be a money raising type project to offer at air shows.

One of the most common problems in off field landings, even good ones, is hypothermia.  It can hit any time of the year in almost any weather.  The body can cool down until it quits functioning and body temperature doesn't have to be very low.  Are you dressed warm enough to spend the night outdoors?

Is this something the chapter would be interested in going farther with?

EARLY AIRLINER.  The book The Boeing 247 by F. Robert van der Linden is sub titled The first Modern Airliner which is a good description.  Around 1930 commercial air travel was just expanding from sharing a couple of seats with a load of mail bags in an open cockpit single engine biplane.  The Ford, Fokker, and Stinson trimotors were no longer adequate.  There were a bunch of small airlines scattered all over the map.  Bill Boeing had been building planes since WW I and was running a successful airmail airline.  Boeing and his friend Frederick Renschler, Pres. of P&W, formed United Aircraft and Transport Co.  They brought in Sikorsky, Vaught, and Northrop companies and a number of smaller airlines.  Needing a new plane they settled for faster rather than larger and based on Northrop's belief in metal planes, and the success of the all metal Boeing B-9, the 247 was designed with retractable gear, two 550 HP engines, a cantilever low wing, seating for 9 passengers, and a gross weight of around 12,000#.  Airliner, 12,000# ??.  It was fast but one engine operation was poor.  Saying they need all their production for their own United Airlines they would not sell any to TWA.  TWA went to Douglas which designed the DC-1 a better plane, and soon followed with the DC-2 with a still better payload and performance.  That was soon followed by the DC-3 and the rest is history.  The DCs and 247s looked much alike.  United eventually bought DC-3s and the 247s went to small carriers.

NEW CUBS.  When Piper quit making Cubs a company named New Piper Aircraft bought the design certificate but could not get low cost enough insurance to make it possible.  Cub Crafters Inc. has built about 50 slightly upgraded Super Cubs, which have been signed off by FAA, and New Piper is protesting.  They also plan to build J-3s.  Prices run from $145,000 to 200,000.  Wall St. Journal 5/31/02

ELROY JEPPSEN was a United Airline pilot who kept detailed notes on his navigation as a start.

ARMED PILOTS.  Early airmail pilots were REQUIRED to carry 45 Cal Automatics.  Cokie Roberts of Public Radio is afraid of berserk airline pilots shooting up the passengers.

Copyright © 2002 by Stu Faber.  All rights reserved.