Vought Aircraft Industries Retiree Club

Vought
Retiree Club
NEWS
Vol. 20
April - June 2015
President’s Message
Larry Skinner
I hope this newsletter finds you
on “high ground” and in good health,
with no flood damage. What a
difference a year makes! I also hope you were able
to attend our annual BBQ Meeting in April. If not,
you missed a good time and some delicious
Eddlemon’s BBQ. We owe a lot of gratitude to Jim
Minge and the folks at Texas Trust Credit Union
for sponsoring this year’s event, and also a big
thank you for donating a Dodge pickup to the
VAHF to haul the ½-scale Corsair.
Speaking of the VAHF, we’re all very excited to see
the Restoration folks back in operation in Bldg. 32
(the old box shop/experimental hangar). They may
represent the last group that will ever work on
Vought airplanes/missiles at JSF or at any other
facility previously occupied by a Vought company for the rest of time. Thanks for carrying on the
legacy!
As always, I’m saddened to see the list of members
who are no longer with us, but was especially
moved by the announcement of Joe Engle’s passing.
Joe and all of the other LTV/Vought test pilots were
bigger than life to me, and I hate seeing their time
come to an end. He’s gone, but not forgotten, and
probably spilling coffee up there as we speak (ha!).
If you have any suggestions for social activities or
for our newsletter, we’d sure like to hear from you.
Our goal is to make things as enjoyable and
interesting as possible, for as many people as
possible, so we could sure use your input. With
that, I’ll wrap it up by wishing everyone a happy,
wet and cool summer in Texas or wherever else you
may be.
Larry
No. 2
If you have not renewed
your membership for 2015,
this is your last Vought Retiree Club News!
Call the Club at (817) 478-1885
or Email: retireeclub@vought.org
membershiprc@vought.org
East Texas Chapter
Charles Boyd
Forty three members and guests attended the
Vought Retiree Club - East Texas Chapter meeting
at the Hideaway Club House in Hideaway, Texas on
June 15, 2015. Everyone enjoyed great food and
fellowship with fellow retirees. Gaye Kortegast and
Janet Livingood presented a program enlightening
us about how to plan our affairs as we live
through our retirement years. Pertinent information
was provided about pensions, benefits, and
documentation that would be of great value to
family members when we reach the end of our lives.
Gaye Kortegast and Janet Livingood spoke on
planning our affairs during our retirement.
Kristi Hammond from Texas Trust Credit Union
also gave us some guidance about having the correct
identification on accounts and documents to make it
easier for beneficiaries to have access to funds in an
account.
Kristi Hammond from
Texas Trust Credit Union
Clint Miller was presented with a plaque by
Charles Boyd for his service to our club.
Clint and his wife Mary Ann (also a retiree and
member) are moving to Granbury.
Our next East Texas Chapter meeting is scheduled
for 11:00 a.m. on September 22, 2015, at the Texas
Tea Room in Quitman, Texas.
The annual Christmas meeting will be held at 11:00
a.m. on December 8, 2015 at the Sky Ranch facility
in Van, Texas
In Memoriam
by Ann Christmas
The Retiree Club has been notified since our last
newsletter of the following deceased members. Our
sincere sympathy goes out to the families of those
listed. Each will be missed.
James Nicholas Karas – 2014 – (date unknown)
Anna Elizabeth K. Beshears – 1-27-14
Morton L. Wright – 4-22-14
Jimmy Jay Farris – 12-31-14
John S. Hart – 1-23-15 (correction of year-posted in
March newsletter)
Marlow Milton Foster – 2-10-15
Jack Samuel Smith – 3-11-15
Peggy Francis – 4-9-15
Rex Shirey Armour – 4-13-15
Frank H. Edwards – 4-18-15
Etsel Walter Hunter – 4-23-15
Virgil Ray Hall – 4-27-15
W. Yvonne Hicks Riccius – 5-1-15
Clara Thomas – 5-3-15
Mary Helen (Bell) Johnston – 5-4-15
Charles Edward Bleigh – 5-7-15
Lola Faye Cannady – 5-8-15
James M. McKee – 5-8-15
Jessie Giles – 5-9-15
Robie Boozer – 5-10-15
Joseph Orson Engle, Jr. – 6-7-15
Truck donated by Texas Trust Credit
Union (TTCU) to VAHF
Texas Trust Credit Union has graciously provided a
truck for the Vought Aircraft Heritage foundation
(VAHF) to use in hauling its half-scale F4U Corsair
to events around North Texas.
Please mark your calendars and reserve these dates,
so that you can enjoy these times with your fellow
Vought retirees.
If you are interested in participating in our activities,
or would like more information about our chapter,
please contact Diane Vogt, the club Secretary, at
903-383-7888. The current East Texas officers’
terms of service will end in December of 2015. If
you are interested in serving as an officer in the
club, Diane would be happy to answer any questions
you might have.
Jim Minge, President and CEO of TTCU, presents
the key to the truck to Jim Ross and Larry Skinner.
Truck donated by Texas Trust Credit Union
The F4U in the wrap has Navy on the driver’s side
and Marines on the passenger side of the truck.
Building 32 will look like this when lettering is
applied. A large picture of the F4U Corsair will be
in the center of the lettering.
Executive Committee meets the first
Wednesday of each month
Jim Ross and the Mrs. (Joyce), who do the hauling,
are at the rear, while Hank Merbler and Cathie
Barrington hold down the front.
Ain’t the vehicle purdy !
Aircraft Restoration Folks are Back
at the Plant
After a year and a half, our aircraft restoration crew
is back on the job, courtesy of American
Brownfields Corporation, the new owners of the old
Vought plant. Our crew was kept together with
monthly gatherings at David’s BBQ in Arlington.
Even though the VAHF
Restoration crew has
moved back into the old
Vought plant facilities,
the Executive Committee
of the Vought Retiree
Club will continue to
meet at 9:15 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each
month in the office suite generously provided by
Texas Trust Credit Union in Cordovan Park at 5840
W. I-20 in southwest Arlington.
Reminder – 2015 Membership
Renewal !
by Gaye Kortegast
If you haven’t renewed your membership for the year
2015, this is your reminder that it’s that time again!
Our year runs January – December, and the dues
remain at $5/person per year. You may pay as many
years as you desire at one time. Also, we have
lifetime memberships available for $50.00 per
person. I look forward to hearing from you. Send
your dues to the return address on this newsletter.
(Your address label denotes your present membership
status.)
Call the Club at (817) 478-1885
VAHF Aircraft Restoration Crew back on the job!
or Email: retireeclub@vought.org
membershiprc@vought.org
XF8U-1 Rolls Out at the Museum of
Flight in Seattle, Washington
Number One lives again! On Wednesday, March
25, 2015, the fully restored XF8U-1 was rolled out
for all to see, at the 50th anniversary celebration of
the Museum of Flight at Paine Field at the
Restoration Center and Reserve Collection in
Everett, WA (in the Seattle area). Many years of
painstaking research and hands-on restoration
brought this bird back to its original configuration.
John Konrad must really be smiling!
The Beautiful Bird Shines Once More -XF8U-1 was rolled out at the 50th anniversary
celebration of the Museum of Flight
It was introduced formally at a ceremony attended
by many ex-Crusader pilots, including our own
Norm Driscoll, Vought Test Pilot for many years
(1968-1975). Norm was the VAHF representative,
and one of 3 speakers. He regaled the crowd with
Crusader history and Test Pilot stories as only Norm
can tell them. Thanks, Norm!
Not only was March 25th the 50th anniversary of the
Museum of Flight, but it was also the 60th
anniversary of the first flight of one of the
Museum's most historic military jets -- the Chance
Vought XF8U-1 Crusader. The occasion will bring
together many Navy and Marine Corps veterans
from around the country who flew Crusaders during
their military service.
Other speakers included the Museum's Curator, Dan
Hagedorn, and Tom Cathcart, Director of Aircraft
Collections & Restoration.
The Museum’s Crusader is the first prototype of this
family of military jets that soon set astonishing
flight records in the 1950s, and during the Vietnam
War became a weapon known as “the last of the
gunfighters.”
The Museum’s Crusader
The Crusader was designed and built by Chance
Vought to fulfill the Navy’s wish in the early 1950s
for a supersonic fighter. The long, low jet not only
fulfilled the requirement, but also proved to be an
enduring design that served for decades. The
Museum’s plane is the first prototype, the XF8U-1,
and is the first fighter ever to be flown past Mach 1
on its maiden flight. The plane was used as a test
aircraft until its retirement about five years later.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
loaned the aircraft to The Museum of Flight in 1987
(later donating it in 2004). Restoration of the plane
began in earnest at the Museum’s Restoration
Center in 1996. “Dash One,” as it was sometimes
known, now reflects the plane’s configuration and
livery seen during its March 25, 1955 first flight.
The aircraft will be installed in the Museum’s Great
Gallery.
Crusader History
Aviation’s prestigious Collier Trophy was awarded
to the Navy and Chance Vought for the Crusader,
“for concept, design and development of the first
carrier-based fighter capable of speeds exceeding
1,000 mph.” It won the Thompson Trophy in 1956
for setting a national and world speed record of
1,015.428 miles an hour. It was the first aircraft to
span the nation faster than the speed of sound
(flown on that flight by John Glenn), and it won the
first Certificate of Merit ever awarded by the Navy’s
Bureau of Aeronautics.
The Crusaders served for 45 years. They were
flown by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during
the Vietnam War, served Philippine Air Force into
the 1990s, and was finally retired by the French
Navy in 2000. NASA used two highly modified
Crusaders in the 1970s as research aircraft that
pioneered digital fly-by-wire systems, the
“supercritical wing,” and in support of the space
shuttle flight controls.
Chance Milton Vought Portrait and
Donation presented to UT-Dallas
On April 14, 2015, members of the Vought Retiree
Club and the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation
(VAHF) gathered at the University of Texas at
Dallas (UTD) to present a donation of $50,000 from
VAHF, for support of UTD’s History of Aviation
Collection. The Vought Collection consists
primarily of materials transferred from the Vought
Archive over the past 2 years. This is the final
payment of a $150,000 donation, which allowed
UTD to provide a full-time Archivist to manage the
collection.
In addition, a presentation was made of a formal
portrait of Chance Milton Vought, namesake of the
Company. This beautiful painting is placed on long
term loan by Victoria Vought, Granddaughter of
Chance Milton Vought.
Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation and UT
Dallas History of Aviation Collection personnel
gather for presentation of donations to UT Dallas.
This includes
L to R: Paul Oelkrug UTD Collection Coordinator;
BobbyeJo Crouch (UTD’s Archivist for the Vought
Collection); Larry Skinner, President of the Vought
Retiree Club; Dick Atkins (Vought Archive
Director); and VAHF Executives Hank Merbler
(CEO), Dillon Smith (Secretary), and Jim Hill
(President).
This cooperative program assures that the history of
the Chance Vought company and its family of
employees will be retained in perpetuity and
available to the world through the Internet,
correspondence, and personal visits to the
McDermott Library in Richardson, Texas. Contact
at UTD is bobbyejo.crouch@UTDallas.edu.
Dick Atkins (Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation),
accompanied by Larry Skinner (President of Vought
Retire Club), present $50,000 check replica
to Paul Oelkrug of UT-Dallas.
Chance Milton Vought portrait presented to UT-D.
L-R: Larry Skinner, Dick Atkins, Dillon Smith,
Hank Merbler, and Jim Hill.
At the completion of formal activities, an
outstanding meal was furnished for all attendees,
and dessert was a beautiful and delicious cake
adorned with the VAHF emblem.
VRC Caps + T-Shirt for “96 Years of
Vought Aircraft in Military Service”
Our new T-Shirt for the “96 Years” celebration was
a hit, and sold out. They have been reordered, and
you can pick one up at the Retiree Club office for
$15, or have it sent via Priority Mail for an extra $5.
The T-Shirt was designed by Bill Strother, and Bill
is shown here wearing the T-Shirt in the Vought
Retiree Club offices –
When LTV Aerospace and Defense split in 1992, the
wind tunnel went to the Loral Vought Systems
(missiles/space) side and was separated at that time
(fence, gate, and barbed wire) from the rest of the
Jefferson Street Facility (JSF) plant. It hasn’t been
accessible from the JSF facility since that time. It was
only accessible from the South parking lot that was just
east of the Guard gate off of Skyline Road. Lockheed
Martin bought the Missiles part of the company from
Loral on July 14, 1996 and leased the wind tunnel,
because both sides were reluctant to sell it, possibly
because the EPA might require multi-millions of dollars
of hazardous spill clean-up, etc. Fortunately, tests in
2014 showed no clean-up was required on the HSWT
six acres, so the purchase went through.
American Brownfield bought the rest of the "LTV"
Jefferson Street facility from the Government last year.
Casino Trips
Vought Retiree Club caps, in blue or white, are also
available for $10.00 each + Shipping.
Since they have not been advertised for quite a while in
the newsletter, people were asking if the Casino trips are
still happening. Yes !
Choctaw Casino Bus Trips –
August 13th and October 8th
December 10th (Tentative)
If you are interested, contact Nelda Bacon, either by
email: neldabacon@att.net, or by phone: 817 5785544.
Informal Luncheons
by Pat Patterson
The Furr’s Cafeteria in Dallas has closed. For that
reason, our Informal Luncheons scheduled to meet at
that location have been moved to the Furr’s on I-20 just
east of Matlock in Arlington (300 E. I-20).
Call (817) 478-1885 or email retireeclub@vought.org
High Speed Wind Tunnel bought by
Lockheed Martin
The High Speed Wind Tunnel (HSWT) in Grand
Prairie was officially purchased by Lockheed Martin
in December 2014 from Triumph Aerospace (not
from the Government).
Volunteer Events
by Johnnie Johnson
Volunteer Event –
held April 22, 2015
Here's a special “Thank You” to all Retirees who
volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
distribution center on April 22, 2015, from 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Volunteers were: Mary Anderson, Bob Bardo,
Aretha Barnes, Cathie Barrington, Leroy Buchanan,
Camilla Gardner, Earl Hastings, Paula Hastings,
Johnnie Johnson, Sandra Jordan, Gaye Kortegast,
Karen Sauls, Larry Skinner, and Bill Strother.
Cathie Barrington shows how we did all that work
in only 3 hours !
This group of 14 completed: 16 full pallets -- 9374
pounds, 7811 meals, and 689 pounds of non-food.
Your support attributed to your outstanding
commitment and willingness to help make it
possible for the North Texas Food Bank to provide
many nutritious meals every day for those in need.
As Director of Volunteers, I and the North Texas
Food Bank thank you.
Camilla Gardner and Gaye Kortegast worked
together to put together the boxes to hold the food.
Amanda Mota introduces Vought Retiree Club
volunteers to the NTFB and its operations.
Karen Sauls, Leroy Buchanan, and Bill Strother
stuffing the boxes full of snacks
Hank Merbler, Star Patient of Dr.
Kathi Perry’s Chiropractic Care
We completed 16 pallets of at least 24 boxes/ pallet.
That’s at least 384 boxes!
Hank Merbler, 94 years young,
and going as strong as he was twenty years ago!
Health By Hands Wellness Center put Hank
Merbler in its online commercial, playing golf with
his buddies on the golf course. He attributes Dr.
Kathi Perry's Chiropractic Care and BStrong4Life
Program for maintaining his mobility and endurance
so he can continue to play golf in his senior years.
Video of Hank testifying to his improved mobility,
strength, and endurance -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfH2k9c9ECM
After the work was done, we went home with the
satisfaction of helping the NTFB provide meals for
hungry children, seniors, and families.
Upcoming Volunteer Event -Fair Deal at the State Fair
As we approach another exciting and fun event, we
are looking for volunteers to help collect Can Goods
in exchange for tickets to the State Fair of Texas.
Retirees, family, and friends are invited to volunteer
your service at the gates by collecting canned goods
from Fair goers, in exchange for discount tickets.
You are invited to come out and be a part of this
event, and have a lot of fun doing so.
For more information call Johnnie Johnson at 817293-6556 / 817-845-7576, or the Retiree Club at
817- 478-1885.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Johnnie B. Johnson
Hank works out on a Power Plate®, which provides
whole body vibration. The Power Plate® machine
creates instability in the human body -- with each
vibration, the body is forced to perform reflexive
muscle actions, multiple times per second. Also,
these muscle actions must work in multiple
dimensions, since the Power Plate® machines
oscillate in all three planes, like the human body is
designed to do. The net result is an improvement in
force production, or strength and power.
Joe Engle Takes Flight
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother;
two sisters; and stepson, Larry.
Survivors: Beloved wife, Juanice; daughter, Mary
Ann; son, Joseph and wife, Cheryl; stepdaughter,
Patti and husband, Wylie; and numerous
grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and
nephews.
- from VAHF records, and obituary published in the
Star-Telegram on June 9, 2015.
Joseph Orson Engle, Jr.
(1925 - June 7, 2015)
After an 89-year preflight check, Joseph Orson
Engle, Jr. took flight Sunday, June 7, 2015.
Service: Held at Dallas-Fort Worth National
Cemetery.
Joe was born in 1925 in New Jersey, and grew up in
Peoria, Illinois. He joined the Army Air Corps as a
pilot, and was assigned the call sign Peter2Zero,
which followed him into his profession as a test
pilot at LTV.
He earned a degree in civil engineering. Joe came
to Vought in 1953. Career experience included the
following:
 Field engineer
 Test pilot
 Instrument landing system for Air Force
 Marketing
Joe and his wife Juanice had four children.
Joe retired in 1989. Joe was LTV's chief production
test pilot. He piloted the first A-7B (Bu No.
154363) when it took off on its maiden flight on
February 6, 1968. Joe also was involved in his
career with the XC-142A tilt wing V/STOL, the F-8
Crusader, and the Regulus cruise missile. His
hobby is flying a G5 Mustang.
Joe's contributions as a volunteer to the Vought
Heritage Foundation restoration effort include:
 Arranged to get these vehicles for restoration:
1. RF8G from Arizona
2. A7B from Pensacola, Florida
3. F6U from Connecticut
4. F7U-3 No. 1 from Colorado
5. Regulus II from Connecticut
 Traveled with Les Chapman Trucking Company
to bring the V-173 to Vought from the
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum.
Don Branson, Joe Engle, and Wat Watkins
Joe Engle working on F4U Corsair
Joe Engle and Burt Noble (also deceased)
working on F4U Corsair engine
Joe Engle,
with Space Shuttle Enterprise ALT Test Pilots
Retiree Correspondence
Humorous caption on photo of Joe Engle
Joe Engle with X-15
June 21, 2015
I live in the desert near China Lake; Joe (Engle)
asked me to retrieve parts for an A7 that the retiree
club was restoring. Someone else was to pick up
and deliver back to LTV. That fell through. Joe
talked me into loading up my pick-up and delivering
parts to Grand Prairie. I gave him a hard time, but
the trip allowed me to visit daughters in the area and
to visit with old friends.
Joe was always a delight to be around!!
John Konrad hired me, but Joe Engle was my Boss.
At the time, his expertise was in flying the
company’s T-33. Both he and John Konrad were
USAF types.
Bob Rostine was the only other test pilot current in
the F8. There were only five test pilots in the LTV
tower in 1964. No new a/c were on the horizon.
Joe was always the free spirit leading the group
from the huge pedestal in the midst of the LTV
Flight Tower. He was the leader of the morning
crossword puzzle solution group.
Joe was also the major procrastinator of many
projects which he sold me; there was the Ski Boat
that he had done a great job on the hull but lost
interest and sold it to me. I did get great use after
finishing the product! After that, there was the great
little sports car replica that would fit just great over
a VW frame.
Well, you get the picture, I really liked the guy!
P.J. Smith
Lockheed Martin Acquires
High-Speed Wind Tunnel,
Plans Upgrades
A RATTLRS cruise-missile inlet undergoes testing
at the High Speed Wind Tunnel at Lockheed Martin
Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie.
Lockheed Martin recently purchased the facility and
plans numerous upgrades.
DALLAS, March 25, 2015 – Lockheed Martin
[NYSE: LMT] has purchased a wind tunnel that is
one of only two of its kind in the United States, and
is planning key improvements to the facility.
Since 1958, Lockheed Martin and its heritage
companies have used the High Speed Wind Tunnel
(HSWT) in Grand Prairie, Texas, for subsonic,
transonic and supersonic research-and-development
testing. Although the company is the long-time
operator of the HSWT, it has leased the facility
from Triumph Aerostructures. The purchase will
enable Lockheed Martin to invest in upgrades and
manage scheduling, including testing by other
companies and government agencies.
“The High Speed Wind Tunnel in Grand Prairie is
an aerospace engineering treasure, serving as a
proving ground for hundreds of flight vehicles
designed over the last six decades for everything
from space exploration to national defense,” said
HSWT manager Mike McWithey. “We made this
purchase to ensure that development legacy extends
well into the future.”
The HSWT and a facility in Missouri are the only
two polysonic (subsonic-transonic-supersonic),
adjustable Mach-number wind tunnels in the U.S.
Products developed in the HSWT include the
Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Guided
Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Army Tactical
Missile System, PAC-3, PAC-3 Missile Segment
Enhancement, the A-7 Corsair II and the Space
Shuttle. The facility routinely supports programs for
NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, the Office of
Naval Research, DARPA, and numerous U.S.
aerospace companies.
Planned improvements include a new aircompressor system, which is projected to reduce
operating costs significantly, an updated dataacquisition system and the upgrading of utilities.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed
Martin is a global security and aerospace company
that employs approximately 112,000 people
worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture,
integration, and sustainment of advanced
technology systems, products, and services. The
Corporation’s net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion.
From the Lockheed Martin website
(http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/High
SpeedWindTunnel.html) –
The HSWT in Dallas, TX provides wind tunnel
model design, instrumentation, and testing services
for the aerospace and defense industries.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s High
Speed Wind Tunnel (HSWT) is a testing facility
that characterizes the behaviors of aerospace
products. It is a 4x4 foot tri-sonic blow down wind
tunnel with a Mach number range of 0.3 to 5.0. The
HSWT has completed over 1500 tests for customers
in the aviation, defense and space industries since
opening in 1958. Located in Dallas, Texas, the
HSWT administers a wide variety of critical testing
to advance new aerospace developments, including:
 Aerodynamic force and moment testing
 Jet interaction testing of maneuvering
thrusters
 Flutter analysis including digital high speed
video
 Store separation testing to include free
separation and captive trajectory
 Pressure measurements (up to 240 locations)
 Surface flow visualization
 Inlet performance evaluation
 Jet engine base-flow simulation using high
pressure gas
 Propulsion (wind tunnel and bench testing)
 Spin/roll damping and Magnus testing
 Dynamic stability testing
To protect its customers, wind tunnel data is
handled with the utmost security. As a government
contractor, government-approved policies are in
place for protecting proprietary and classified
information. Tunnel access during a test is
controlled in accordance with the customer’s
instructions.
Staff
An experienced staff is capable of executing all
testing requirements -- from instrumentation and
model design to final data reduction. Designers use
state-of-the-art solid modeling tools and finite
element analysis to develop complete, detailed
model designs for use in the HSWT and other
facilities. Designs include force and moment
models, pressure models, inlet models, drop stores,
powered models, and pyrotechnics. Our model
design engineers use custom design aids to ensure
sufficient design margins for all customer-furnished
model assemblies and can support model design
reviews and acceptance checks.
Dedicated test engineers aid in developing an
efficient test arrangement that takes full advantage
of the tunnel’s operating capabilities. Skilled
machinists provide basic model fabrication and
repair services in the on-site machine shop. A
variety of mounting stings and struts are available
for customer use, and custom mounting hardware
can be designed and fabricated in-house to ensure
proper fit and function with existing HSWT
equipment. The staff can support every stage of the
test process to help customers achieve the best
results.
Instrumentation
The HSWT has a wide range of instrumentation
capabilities available for testing various types of
models. The test instrumentation includes a large
selection of six-component force and moment
balances, five-component flow-through balances,
and low-loads rolling moment balances for
aerodynamic force and moment testing. The staff
designs, builds, and calibrates custom strain gage
balances for instrumented control surfaces in-house
to offer the highest quality of service to customers.
Thrust and test stands are available to support
propulsion testing. Pressure transducers and
pressure scanning modules are available to support
inlet and propulsion testing. High pressure,
regulated nitrogen supply is offered to support jet
reaction testing. For a full description of available
balances, see Balance Loads and Dimensions.
Digital photography and video recording is included
for all test setups and test runs, with shadowgraph
imaging available for supersonic test runs. High
speed digital video can be provided for recording
high-frequency model dynamics.
A multi-stage compressor provides 450 psi air to the
40,000 ft3 of storage tanks, allowing typical run
times from 15 to 110 seconds. A typical test run
consists of 3-4 pitch or roll sweeps. The remotely
controlled model motion cart can provide
continuous pitch sweeps from -12 to +22 degrees on
the Straight Roll Sting, or -4 to +30 degrees on the
Offset Roll Sting, with roll capability from 0 to
+270 degrees. The High Angle Remote Roll Sting
provides selectable pitch ranges of 0 to +30, +30 to
+60, or +60 to +90 degrees, and has a full 360
degree roll capability.
Annual Meeting and BBQ
-- April 15, 2015
The Vought Retiree Club Annual Meeting and BBQ
was held at the Ruthe Jackson Center in Grand
Prairie on Wednesday, April 15, 2015.
Ron Fox, Earl Hastings, Harvey Morris, and Bill
Condon at the BBQ
Wat Watson welcomes Mary Bardo to the BBQ
Frank Laubenthal, Richard Roberson,
and Billy Newbery at the BBQ
Vynita Hutson, Dorothy Watson, and Connie
Singleton register guests at the BBQ
John Hill and Dorothy Burdine at the BBQ
Jim Minge (Texas Trust CU President and CEO)
and Jim Ross at the BBQ
Shary Crow and Pat Bishop at the BBQ
Bob Collier and
Graydon Bushart
Allene Deuson
Billy Curb
Camilla Gardner and
Ann Christmas
Jim Minge & wife Pat
and Brenda Skinner
Walter Goddard
Bert & Ann McDowell
Huey Barilleaux
Rebecca & Sam Collier
Connie & Ed Singleton
Jerry Fischer won $50
Kayla Davis and
Kay Snegon
Wildo Alexander
Byron Looker and
Patricia Looker
Dick Guthrie and
Don While
Robert & Verna Brown
Stu Reichert
Marilyn Laubenthal
John (Dodie) Dodenhoff
Bill Strother and
Cathie Barrington
Don Wooldridge
Richard Barry
Jane and Randy Hogue
Ann Christmas,
Hank Merbler, and
& Johnnie Johnson
Al Schahn shows 1877 Colt
replica at Annual BBQ
Alfred N. Schahn showed his 1877 Colt Lightning
.38 caliber double action revolver replica at the
Vought Retiree Club Annual BBQ on April 15,
2015. Al designed and constructed the gun replica
from pictures after developing a full-scale model.
The barrel is 4 inches long, and the finish is greyblue.
Al also hand-crafted the wooden case for the gun.
According to Al, there were of the 165,999 of these
guns manufactured by Samuel Colt of Hartford,
Connecticut.
Wooden case also hand-crafted by Al Schahn
Al Schahn at Annual BBQ
Interior of wooden case
1877 Colt Lightning .38 caliber double action
revolver replica, hand-crafted by Al Schahn
First Class
US Postage Paid
Arlington, TX
Permit No. 285
Vought Retiree Club
5840 W I-20, Suite #280
Arlington, TX 76017-1098
Officers:
Directors:
President – Larry Skinner
1st Vice President – Karen Sauls
2nd Vice President – Gaye Kortegast
Treasurer – Madie Vernon
Secretary – Vynita Hutson
Sergeant-at-Arms – Wat Watkins
Past President – Charlie King
Activities – Pat Patterson
Annual Meeting – Sue Nutt
Historian – Don Higginbotham
Materials/Sales – Bill Strother
Mailing – Bob Snegon
Newsletter and Publicity – Bob Bardo
Phone Bank – Gene Cates
Volunteer Programs – Johnnie Johnson
East Texas President – Charles Boyd
Technical Support and Website – Roger Stites
Chairman of Major Programs – Jim Hill
V.P. - Membership Assistant – Ann Christmas
Call the Club at (817) 478-1885
Email: retireeclub@vought.org
membershiprc@vought.org
Retirees, call the “Benefits Center” toll free 1-800-577-2145 with all your questions on retiree benefits.
Printing services provided by Texas Trust Credit Union.
FRED & CAROL’S TRAVELTIME
PRESENTS
N.W. ARKANSAS CULTURAL & SPIRITUAL TOUR OCTOBER 28-31, 2015
HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE & THE GREAT PASSION PLAY -- EUREKA SPRINGS
THORN CROWN CHAPEL
CHRIST OF THE OZARKS TRAM RIDE: EUREKA SPRINGS
CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM -- BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS
October 28th-31st 2015 -- ALL-INCLUSIVE 4 days 3 nights, ROUND TRIP Lone Star Coach, 1 night
NEW Wilhelmina Lodge, Wilhelmina State Park, Mena, AR. Park step-on guide tour; Crystal Bridges
Museum, Bentonville, AR; Passion Play; Holy Land Experience; Christ of the Ozarks; Thorn Crown
Chapel; narrated Tram ride, 2-hour, Eureka Springs; 3 breakfasts; 3 lunches; 3 dinners; plus 1 lunch
at Amish Farm House; and driver gratuities. Total $699 per person, double occupancy. Deposit
$100 per person, checks only. We offer Optional insurance at $55 per person. No refunds after
8/1/15. After 8/1/15, refunds only via qualifying insurance claim. Min 30, Max 48. Final payment
due 8/28/2015.
Send all payments to:
Fred & Carol’s Traveltime, 811 Sherwood Ct., Midlothian, TX 76065
email carol.smi@att.net 972-723-2814
Fred & Carol’s Traveltime
presents
SENIOR SNOW ADVENTURE
PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO – JANUARY 12TH - 17TH 2016
Fun time in the snow designed for Mature Adults.
Take a Sleigh ride pulled by horses, ride a snowmobile,
enjoy a wintery train ride, soak in the hot springs,
immerse yourself in the winter beauty of Durango, Colorado.
Travel by Lone Star Coach from Texas to Pagosa Springs, CO to High Country Lodge
for 3 nights. While there, enjoy a Sleigh ride, Dog sled ride, Durango Winter Train
ride, Snowmobile for 2 hours, an afternoon in the Hot Springs, and more.
$1295 pp 6 days 5 nights. All-inclusive. Deposit $150 pp by check. Insurance $75 pp
to be paid with deposit. Final by 11/1/2015. Refund by insurance after 10/1/2015.
Guaranteed departure with a Minimum of 30, and a Maximum of 48 on 56-passenger
coach.
Fred & Carol’s Traveltime
811 Sherwood Ct.
Midlothian, TX 76065
carol.smi@att.net; fred.smi@att.net 972-723-2814
15th ANNUAL WINTER CRUISE
FEATURING THE SILVER SERENADERS OF TEXAS
LIBERTY OF THE SEAS -- 5
SHIP – FEB. 7-14, 2016
RT Galveston; Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; & Cozumel, MX
PER PERSON DOUBLE-OCCUPANCY PRICING BELOW:
INSIDE STATEROOM $688.81.
PROMENADE STATEROOM $718.81.
OCEANVIEW STATEROOM $778.81.
BALCONY STATEROOM $1048.81.
Insurance: $59 per person all cabin categories. Highly Recommended
BOOK ASAP! WE HAVE A LIMITED QUANTITY OF
STATEROOMS AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE.
Lots of Entertainment, Fellowship, Food, Fun, & Royal Caribbean Singers &
Dancers + a Professional Ice Skating Show. Fabulous Ship, Fantastic Prices !
EXCLUSIVE: SILVER SERENADERS WILL SING TWO 45-MINUTE
CONCERTS ON THE LIBERTY OF THE SEAS FOR OUR GUESTS
DEPOSIT $250 by June 30, 2015; final payment due date: October 19, 2015
Deposit fully refundable until time of final payment.
ROUND-TRIP CHARTER BUS SERVICE TO & FROM GALVESTON / HILLCREST BAPTIST
CHURCH, CEDAR HILL -- $120 PER PERSON, PAYABLE BY CHECK ONLY;
DEADLINE FOR BUS PAYMENT IS JANUARY 11, 2016.
FRED & CAROL’S TRAVELTIME
811 Sherwood Ct., Midlothian, TX 76065
972-723-2814 or 214-450-7493 or 214-621-4271
fred.smi@att.net or carol.smi@att.net