An interesting read. Written by Michael Mossman
Don Roberts is passionate about airplanes. As the youngest of four children growing up in the Noblesville area, Don built model airplanes as a little kid. He was taught to identify by engine sound the aircraft overhead by his eldest brother, who
was a WW-II veteran.
Don graduated from Noblesville high school in 1956. He claims that when he left for college everything he owned would fit in one A&P shopping bag. After four years in college, his fortunes had doubled, as all of his earthly possessions would now fill
two shopping bags!
Don learned that he was about to be drafted just a few weeks before graduation at Ball State University. He visited a Navy recruiter, who promised that if he joined he would be allowed to graduate before starting his training. Don started out in the Navy serving on an aircraft carrier (the first that he had ever seen) in the V1 Division, which was the flight deck division. As Don tells it, this was an extremely dangerous division, as the carrier lost sailors at the rate of about one per week, even in peacetime. He says that they often had to drive a Jeep across the deck at night without lights,escorted by sailors on foot. There would be tugs moving aircraft, cranes, elevators and catapults in operation, all the while
there were spinning propellors everywhere.
Don got himself promoted to V2 Division (Catapults and Arresting Gear), then V3 (Hangar Deck). Next came V4 (Fuels and Ordnance) and V6 (Aircraft Maintenance); there is no V5 Division in peacetime. V6 became a very lucrative position for the young sailor. Don learned that the Navy discarded many parts overboard, and was allowed to keep much of what was no longer needed. Taking a cure from sailor on board who was a member of the EAA, Don rounded up many parts and instrments for his eventual first aircraft project.
After leaving the Navy Don started out teaching Industrial Arts at a junior high school. His school's principal had been a brigidier general. Since Don had recently served in the military he quickly earned the respect and friendship of his principal.
Next. lured away for only $40 a year more, Don started teaching Auto Mechanics at a high school. He managed to acquire some tractor engines for his students to learn on. Always looking for something new and different to motivate his students,
Don started having them rebuild an aircraft engine. Don had written a letter to the professor of Air Science and Butler University. The professor drove out to visit him,
bringing many books, and eventually brought a set of primary glider plans. The school administration was not interested in funding Don's educatioin projects, so he was left to bankroll them through his own meager earnings.
One day, while sitting on the bleachers at school, he noticed that they were made from Douglas fir. Some of the school staff mentioned that there were many more Douglas fir boards around. Don "liberated" a few boards for his class projects. He found some materials on grading aircraft wood and used that knowledge to craft the glider spars from the fir. From an acquaintence Don learned that a local company was building garage doors from aircraft grade spruce. He managed to scrounge up some spruce supplies for the rest of the glider parts. Don and his students covered the glider with locally-provided silk and painted it with yellow school bus paint.
Don flew the glider at Terry Airport, often towed behind a pickup truck driven by his students. Don, his students and the project were featured on Channel 8 and 13 newscasts and in several newspaper articles. A channel 13 reporter asked to fly
the glider. The reporter stalled it at about 20 feet of altitude and crashed but emerged unhurt. Don eventually donated the glider to the EAA museum.
Don began looking for his next project. Through his research he learned that Great Britain had sponsored a design competition so hew got a set of the winning plans for a single-seat aircraft. He changed the design from a tricycle gear to conventional gear and got his students committed to building it. After completion it was eventually sold to a buyer in Rome,GA for the princely sum of $2400. Don believes that it is still flying.
Next, Don wanted to build a scaled-down warbird replica. He knew that he wouldn't be able to scale down a mid-wing aircraft, so he searched for a low-wing model that might be built. A friend of his claimed that Grumman would often send engineering plans just for the asking. Don ended up getting a set of model aircraft plans for the SBD aircraft and tried to scale them up. From his school's audio-visual department he learned that proportions would be true from an overhead projector, but only near the center of the screen. Further, he discovered that to maintain accuracy the projector would have to be positioned in exactly the same spot for every drawing. So Don "nailed down" the projector on a Friday afternoon and spent the entire weekend with his more talented students tracing the scaled up drawings on the wall for the project.
Don realized that the paper or acetate plans would expand as the projector heated them up so he tried to stabilize them with a piece of glass. To his surprise the glass exploded from the heat. He devised a system of fans to keep the projector
operating at a consistent and reasonable temperature. From these plans Don and his students built a three-quarters scale Dauntless dive bomber from metal. In this scale Don says that the plane was tail heavy. They sold the plane to a fellow in Oklahoma City, who corrected the balance problem.
Eventually it was donated to an air museum in San Diego, where it still resides.
After the Dauntless were Tri-Pacer and Stinson rebuilding projects. While the Tri-Pacer was in the shop, Don was visited by a new director of education, who declared that the projects weren't "education." Don's political woes were starting to dominate his profession. Don claims Industrial Arts are at the bottom of the educational caste system. He was never given any project funding and rarely any tools. After 23 years of teaching he resigned his position as department head but
continued to teach.
Don and his students finished up a Japanese Zero replica in 5/8's scale during his 24th year of teaching. He says that in this scale the wood-and-foam aircraft balanced very well. It was donated to the EAA. During his 25-year tenure as an Industrial Arts teacher, Don and his students built four airplanes and rebuilt another 11. He
financed nearly every bit of these projects from his own pocket and acquired many of the materials through his resourcefullness. Over the years he put up thousands of dollars in front money for his student projects, many times having to wait until the kids had enough money to pay him back for the engines or tractors or whatever else they were requilding. He says that he lost only $200 once from his personal investment in his students's education.
When researching materials for his students, he contacted Vincennes and Purdue universities to see what books they used. Both were using 43-13, so the Noblesville Industrial Arts students were reading 43-13, too.
Don says that he was never able to earn a real living from teaching and had to work a second job to make ends meet. Frustrated with the political climate in education and the long hours working two jobs, he resigned after 25 years as a teacher.
Don started a new career rebuilding or completing unfinished houses. Not content to walk away from his passion for airplanes, he and Larry Jacobi bought some land started Noblesville Airport so that he and his students wold have a place to
fly from. At 72 years of ages, Don doesn't think that he wants to start another aircraft building project. Don says that building his own airplanes was among his greatest and most satisfying accomplishments.
He used airplanes as motivators and teaching tools. Among the many airplanes he acquired for restoration and repair projects were two jets. Originally Don promised his students that if they earned an A in his class he would give them an airplane ride. Later, he discovered a few challenged students who really wanted a ride but were unable to to get the A. He revised his requirement, only asking that they write him a letter asking for a ride. Don estimates that he put "10,000 hours" on his Aeronca Chief giving rides to students.
Several of Don's students have kept in touch with him over the years. One female student is now an airline pilot and calls regularly. Another works for a company that makes aircraft parts; he travels all over the world. Yet another student
designed some parts for the lunar excursion module (LEM) used on the moon. And one student now flies an Airbus to Europe. Naturally, Don's taught his share of students who got into trouble, too. While touring an air force base museum, some of the
kids broke away and managed to sit in some of the exhibits, where they were caught by the military police. Don requested that the MPs scare the heck out of them. They were taken to the brig and shown the cells. Now one of those former students
is flying cargo planes.
At 72 years of age, Don doesn't think that he wants to build any more airplanes. After finishing four one-year terms as president of Noblesville's Chapter 67, he's kept busy with his business, operating the airport and flying his airplanes.
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