| The following article appeared in the April 5 1962 issue of The Bakersfield Calfornian in a column called "Pipefuls" by Jim Day. The column published a letter by "Chesty" Chesmore. |
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Dear Jim: How would you like to soar off into the wild blue
yonder in this version of a sail plane? This decision called for the expenditure of more money and Vic's dad decided Victor should sell his interest in the project, which he did to a neighbor of mine, Arthur "Art" Hannigan, a native of Bakersfield, who was residing with his sister and brother-in-law, the Floyd Websters. Mr. Webster put up the necessary cash and allowed the boys the use of the Webster basement as a workshop. A jig for making of laminated wood struts with proper curvature, was purchased and construction started on the new ship. Finished in 1911 About this time, one of the early barnstorming flyers by the name of Christopherson came to Stockton with a bamboo constructed biplane which was able to fly in and out of the Stockton ball field at Oak Park. Of course Willis and I attended all of this two-day demonstration. - I knew the loose board in the right field fence - and Willis was able to talk with Christopherson, with the results that before he left town he came out and took a look at the project. He said the construction was much better than the one he was flying, and suggested Willis put in a motor support behind the pilot's seat and convert it to an aeroplane. Install Motor Well, to make short story longer, the plane was completed, the Overland automobile dealer entered the project by furnishing a 30 - horsepower Overland engine and the plane towed, by a roundabout way, to a filed a field. After some minor adjustments the plane was declared ready for flight by and Willis offered the honor to his financial partner, Art Hannigan. Art, with visions of pancaking with a 30 horsepower motor between his shoulders blades, graciously declined in the honor of the Overland dealer., who being adult, could not chicken out before the three kids. He, the dealer, made three runs down the the field without being able to get the wheels off the ground. (I don't think he was disappointed). So how it became to Willis, as the engineer, to try out his theory. He, being lighter than the dealer, was able to bounce off a few squirrel hills, but unable to get airborne. After a few adjustments and some tightening of turnbuckles, all concerned decided to let me prove my statement, "I bet I can fly it, I bet I can," by letting me. Lightest Pilot As I was short, I had to slide down the pilot's seat in order to get my feet on the rudder bar. In this position I could no get my arms over the aileron control - which was a wooded bucket seat contraption. I solved this by putting my arms through the side and around the corner posts, got a firm grip on the wheel - which I think worked the rear elevators and also the front elevators. Everything being set, the ground crew having a firm hold on the wing tips, I reached down, retarded the ignition a couple of notches, eased the throttle back to wide open and with all thirty horses a-rarin', raised my right hand - which was the signal for the ground crew to let go. Off I went, roaring and bouncing over the cow chips, heading for the barb wire fence at the far end of the field. My theory being that the others were afraid of running into the fence and therefore chickened out before they got up enough speed to fly. Just as the ground crew was sure that was going through the fence,I leaned straight back as far as I could, which was wasn't very far in my already slid down position and at the age of 12 soloed on my first flight over the barbed wire fence to a hard three point landing on the other side with some slight tears by bar wire in the rear flippers. I was able to close the throttle and by the time the rest ran up was climbing out a little shook up from the heavy landing but cocky as h---. All Came Here Now by a strange coincidence all of the participants of this Stockton project, with the exception of Willis Yount and the Overland dealer, became residents of Bakersfield. Floyd Webster was connected with the Bakersfield Hardware and later retired from the second road district and moved to Morro Bay in the 40's. Art Hannigan was in the auto supply business when he came to renew his driver's license in 1939, and Victor "Vic" Dallons had operated a motel on South 99 and is now associated with his son in the engraving business at the same location. |
"Chesty" Chesmore
This box kite on wheels, was constructed
in the back yard of Vic Dallons's home. The young man standing
in the pilot's space is Jim Yount, a school chum of Vic's, who
did the engineering, with Vic's dad putting up the money for
material. The theory of this contraption was that it would be
towed by an automobile and would be controlled in flight by the
movement of the pilot's body. Luckily, for the pilot, this theory
was not tested in actual practice, for the reasons Willis had
done some research in aerodynamics in those early times and decided
to change the construction to that of a Curtis biplane which
once in air could be cut lose from the tow line and then soar
to a landing (alla same sailplane).