Many have heard of the QED reproduction built by the late Jim Moss. Rich Aldredge of the team of volunteers building and flying the QED sent this update on flights over the past weekend. Photos by James Polivka and Liz Matzelle.

Yesterday was another banner day for the QED. Carter was able to get in 2 flights each about 30 minutes in length. On the first flight we explored further the low speed flight regime only this time with some flap extensions. Found it takes a Herculean strength arm to extend the flaps past the first notch but at 1 notch everything was nominal for airspeeds from 80 to 135 kts. Also gave the beauty a bit more rein....saw climb rates over 1200 fpm at 135 kts with only 30 inches of manifold pressure. Also got up to airspeeds slightly over 180 kts during Flight 3. The beautiful beast really wants to get up and go.

Before the second flight (Flight 4) we adjusted the aileron trim tab and Carter then took her back up to get a better feel for flight stability. He seemed to be having such a good time banking, climbing and cruising we on the ground were afraid at one point he had left the area for parts unknown. He landed to report that the trim tab adjustment had made it a hands off flying beauty but there was now a problem with the turn and bank indicator. He said every time he changed power settings the little ball on the bottom seemed to bang back and forth from one side to the other. For all you flight control engineers I think we need to do some work on the lead/lag filters in our rudder control loop although I suspect this may be a self-correcting phenomenon.

Many of the QED Team were able to make it down for these flights and it was really great to see them get to enjoy the beauty of the beast in flight. It was also great to have so many helping hands when it came to moving her around and wiping a bit of exhaust/oil off the beauty.

A couple of Carter's friends from Heritage Flight Foundation, James Polivka and Liz Matzelle, were also present and took some really great photos. Attached are a few of their shots. I do ask that you not share these photos with any publications, businesses or organizations without first getting approval.

Next flight(s) may happen sometime next week...schedules and weather permitting. Will keep you informed.

Rich

Addison Pemberton at Felts Field, Spokane WA has updated us on the first flight of the Bucker that Ryan Pemberton has been restoring:

After 2 years of effort my son Ryan has finished the Bucker project for Mark Schafhausen. This was Mira Slovak's original airplane that was then sold to Ernie Gann. I remember this airplane flying air shows in San Diego's Mission Bay in the early 1970's between hydroplane heat races.

Ryan Pemberton did a beautiful job on the Krybis 180 Lycoming engine conversion and bringing the airplane up to modern standards. Ryan is also doing the test flights with the airplane and is falling in love with the Bucker. As we all know the Bucker has remarkable flying as characteristics. The airplane flew tried and true with killer performance. The airplane in the bright sunlight is truly stunning.

Larry Linrud has just finished the restoration of an Arrow Sport biplane for the Dakota Territory Air Museum in Minot. The airplane has been test flown and museum board member Warren Pietsch promises some shots of it flying soon.

The Iowa Aviation Museum in Greenfield, Iowa is planning an ambitious expansion, and has published a video describing their plans.

Giants in the Sky

Sparky Barnes Sargent covered the action at the AAA/APM 2013 Fly-In in this article in GA News. The article is on pages 24 and 25. Click here for the online edition of GA News with the article.

Here are the Texas Chapter October Newsletter and the Northwest Missouri Chapter September Newsletters.

We've just gotten this news from Ambar Mote of the AAA Flabob Chapter and organizers of the Flabob Flying Circus:

Sad but true. After attending last year's event, the FAA determined that the fly-bys of Aerial Cavalcade met the definition of an Airshow and therefore required a waiver. We thought we had the details worked out, but in the end, the paperwork requirements for the pilot and planes to comply were too much and time was too short, so we elected to scrap the Cavalcade portion of the Fly-In.

The good news is that the fly-in is still on and we're expecting a great turn out. Lots of great antiques and classics parked for your viewing pleasure. There will be plenty of flying going on too, just normal airport operations instead of an organized aerial demonstration. The airspace will not be closed and we'll be open all day for arrivals, departures and all other normal airport operations.

We're also waiving the $10 admission fee we were planning to charge, so admission is now free. Lot's of great airplanes to look at and free admission. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. See you there.....

Many photographers have been kind enough to share their images with us, and other than through videos we've struggled on the best way to show them. Now we've got a way, an auxiliary photo album website at http://photos.antiqueairfield.com.

Click here to see the new photo album website.

Here's a preview:

"Thanks" to the efforts of AAA member Stuart Nielson (M-21669) of Cleburne, TX, the APM is now in possession of a genuine airways beacon light.

This particular beacon has an interesting history that can be traced back to 1944 when it was officially listed as Waco- Ft. Worth Airway Beacon #48. According to official records it was located just N of the village of Parker, TX on the E side of Hwy 171 and at the SW corner of the emergency landing field. The beacon set atop a "standard structure about 50ft high, painted red & white and has direction lights pointing N & S. This is an intersection station".

While we are still researching the beacon's history, we understand that it was moved maybe more than once finally ending up on the airport at Cleburne.

It was a few of years ago while talking with Stuart about airways beacon & towers, that the subject of this particular beacon light came up. Stuart went above and beyond the call of duty spending two years negotiating and cajoling the officials in Cleburne and at the Cleburne airport in an effort to secure the light for the APM.

Ultimately his efforts were successful and the light officially became the APM's late last fall.

With the help of Terry Wallace (AAA Lifetime M-22889) and Jim Dougherty (AAA M-22143) the beacon light was transported to Antique Airfield during the 2013 AAA/APM Fly-in and was on display outside the main museum hangar.

Currently the beacon is on display in the main museum annex and appears with a good cleaning that it will be ready for use once again. We plan to mount (and make operational) the beacon on an authentic airways beacon tower donated by the Flabob AAA chapter. That tower is disassembled and currently stored at AAA lifetime member Ty Sundstrom's facilities in Visalia, CA awaiting transport to Antique Airfield.

It’s because of the efforts of people like Stuart, (along with Terry, Jim and Ty) that the APM and Antique Airfield continue to be able to move ahead in preserving aviation history for the future. We "Thank" them all for their efforts to save/secure this beacon light for the APM

Brent Taylor
Treasurer APM