Rare aircraft in EAA Museum
(From Sport Aviation, 01/1980, Page 15)
Photography by Lee Fray
(Photo by Lee Fray) This Knight Twister joins other racing aircraft in the racing section of the Museum. The new and as yet, unpainted engine cowling which Tom Love had started, will be completed by the Museum’s restoration shop.
Some rare and exciting aircraft have recently been acquired by the Museum. They are a Knight Twister, a Quickie and a Monocoupe Model 110 Special.
The Knight Twister, N3TL, was donated by Mrs. T. M. Love and Thomas M. Love, Jr., widow and son of Thomas M. Love, EAA 83170. Colonel Tom Love, Centerville, Maryland, was a retired U. S. Air Force pilot and had planned to donate this plane to the Museum before his untimely death in his Decathlon.
Tom acquired the Knight Twister from Robert M. Ubel, EAA 44423, of Cincinnati, Ohio who started construction of the plane in 1968 and completed it in 1970. The plane was originally powered by a Continental A-65 but later a 115 hp Lycoming was installed.
This aircraft is one of the most authentic plans-built Knight Twisters in existence and many Oshkosh attendees will recall seeing it and meeting Tom at the ’75, ’76 and ’77 Conventions.
The modernistic look of the Knight Twister belies the fact that it was originally designed some 50 years ago by Vernon Payne. N3TL is flyable, however it was disassembled and delivered here via a rental truck driven by Tom Love, Jr. and a friend who helped with the driving chores. This is the first Knight Twister ever offered to the Museum, and it is an outstanding example of this diminutive sport/racing biplane.
The Quickie, N2WX, was donated by Lee and Diane Herron of West Orange, New Jersey and it is the first plans-built example of this popular single place custom-built aircraft. Lee and Diane are ardent supporters of EAA. Lee is an EAA Designee and also a FAA Accident Prevention Counselor. This Quickie is Lee’s fifth custom built.
Like the Knight Twister, the Quickie also arrived at the Museum via surface transportation. When Phyllis Templin, EAA 87294, learned that Lee had donated his Quickie, she immediately offered to drive to West Orange to pick up the craft. Phyllis had a trailer hitch installed on her station wagon, then drove from her…
(We apologize – the rest of the article didn’t scan properly – ed.)