Convairiety, Volume 12, Number 21, October 14, 1959 Page: 4 of 8
8 p. : ill. ; 44 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Page 4
CONVAIRIETY
Wednesday, October 14, 1959
Collection of Old Time Weapons
Includes Revolving Barrel Rifle
LOW MAN BUYS—Antique “bar" gun is part of collection owned
by J. H. Gaunce, above, Convair Fort Worth guard in industrial
security. Gun was used in contests and low score bought drinks—
hence gun's nickname.
Convair Youths Score at Fair
With Prize-Winning Livestock
JUMPERS —Melba Brown (SD
Dept. 25) and Wesley Waits (SD
Dept. 160) keep feet on ground
for this picture. They are mem-
bers of San Diego Sky Divers,
parachute from planes for the
sport of it.
Sky Diver
Convair Girl
Parachutist
Leaps for Fun
A Convair SD woman takes an
important step almost every
weekend. The step is not forward,
however, it’s down, straight
down, sometimes a mile down.
Melba Brown (Dept. 95) takes
her important step out of an
airplane, right into the sky. She
is one of only two feminine mem-
bers of the San Diego Sky Divers
Club.
"Parachuting can be a sport,
the same as water skiing, tennis
or golf,” Melba asserts. “We are
not a bunch of daredevils. Proper
precautions and training, coupled
with expert guidance, make para-
chuting no more dangerous than
any other form of athletics.”
The record of the club during
the past six months of full-scale
activity backs up her claim.
There has not been one accident
more serious than a bruised knee
or strained muscle.
Melba and her husband, Ver-
non, got in on the sky floor, so to
speak,, when the club was formed
at San Diego about a year ago.
An article appearing in a popular
men’s magazine by a sport para-
chuting expert, Jacques Estelle,
kindled the interest of the
Browns.
The local club was formed
when more than 30 answered a
newspaper advertisement.
Membership in the club now
is around 20. Advocates range
from ex-Army parachuters to
others who were “just curious.”
Another Convair SD member is
Wesley Waits (Dept. 160).
A safety program is set up
that meets all the requirements
of the Parachuting Society of
America. Members must com-
plete a prescribed training course
that includes jumps off a plat-
form, parachute rigging, static
jumps (in which the ripcord is
pulled automatically), canopy
manipulation and correct falling
posture.
Club members utilize facilities
at Gillespie Airport in El Cajon
and parachute into a wide open,
fairly level area around Santee.
The more expert in the group
jump from more than 10,000 feet
and practice spot landings. Some
hope to compete with the Rus-
sians during the next Olympic
games.
“I’m no expert by any means,”
Melba hastens to add. “I was
more curious than anything. The
sensation of floating to earth is
hard to describe.”
Temple Will Attend
Chicago Conference
F. R. Temple, Convair Fort
Worth chief safety engineer, will
participate in the Oct. 19-23 con-
gress of the National Safety
Council in Chicago.
As chairman of the nominating
committee for the aeronautical
industries section, Temple will
present the slate of nominees for
office.
Push Broom Sprouts
In California Sun
Everything grows in South-
ern California — even brooms!
Ken Pauley of Dept. 31 at
Convair SD discovered grass
sprouting from an ordinary
two-foot push broom after it
had been out in the bright sun-
shine over a recent weekend.
The broom, used to swamp out
the hydrostatic test tank at the
seaplane ramp where Convair
880 fuselage tests are under
way, performs in ideal growing
conditions — moist and warm.
At last reports, the green
blades were up two inches and
still thriving.
F-106 Shivers
In 65 Deg. Cold
At Eglin AFB
Man-made ice and snow coated
a Convair F-106A at shivery tem-
peratures which reached 65 de-
grees below in cold weather tests
recently completed at Eglin AFB,
Fla.
The Convair-built jet intercep-
tor spent two months in Eglin’s
Climatic laboratory, from the
middle of July to September, to
test operation of aircraft systems
and Hughes radar system and
armament, GAR-3 missiles and a
MB-1 rocket.
Although testing was primarily
for check-out of aircraft and
equipment for operational suit-
ability in cold weather, tempera-
tures ranged from minus 65 de-
grees F. to 130 degrees above,
said L. G. Atkinson, Convair SD
senior design engineer of avionics
and armament group, who acted
as Convair coordinator.
“The F-106A performed within
specifications,” said Atkinson up-
on his return. “Although we do
not yet have final analysis of the
tests, indications are that the
plane and equipment proved out
satisfactorily.”
Rain, snow, and ice was created
within the climatic hangar with a
dry cold or wet cold condition
achieved by raising or lowering-
humidity. Test crews were in the
hangar with the plane, operating
its systems during actual tests.
Ground support equipment, in-
cluding electric carts and air
conditioning, was placed along-
side the F-106 to experience the
same conditions.
Other Convair SD men at Eg-
lin during the two-month test
period were Richard Hathaway
and R. P. Castle, senior design
engineers of mechanisms group;
William Tatum, instrumentation
engineer; and Fred Robb, field
service representative.
First F-106A to go through its
paces in all kinds of weather
early this year completed clima-
tic tests which took it to Eglin
AFB; Wright Air Development
Center at Dayton, Ohio; and
Alaska in a joint Convair-Hughes
test task.
People at Convair Fort Wortn
are “gunning” without malice for
J. H. Gaunce, guard in industrial
security.
Gaunce, whose hobby is col-
lecting guns, says his friends at
the plant are always helping him
look out for antique weapons.
He began his collection before
he came to Convair — and that
was 18 years ago. Most of his
guns have their origins in Texas
and carry with them historical
backgrounds.
A .38 Colt that once killed a
man and was thrown in the Rio
Grande river, where it stayed for
years, is an example of the past
of Gaunce’s guns.
Rejuvenation often is a prob-
lem. One was so old and stiff that
Gaunce had to soak it in oil three
days before he could even budge
the hammer.
One of the Convair veteran’s
favorites is a pearl handled .45
Colt he bought from a man who
in turn got it from a federal
narcotics agent. It dates back at
least to 1871.
On the handle of the .45 is a
tiny engraved “two.” This means
it is one of a pair of identical
guns. Gaunce has tried unsuc-
cessfully to trace the mate, but
he believes it is probably in the
Fort Worth area.
“An interesting comparison can
be made between two Colt .45s
in my collection,” Gaunce claims.
One of the guns is more than
100 years old and has a serial
number “984.” Gaunce bought
the other recently as his personal
weapon. Its serial number is
229691.
Two rifles are included in the
collection. One is a rarity—a pin
fire .44 Winchester with a re-
volving barrel. The other is a 10
gauge Winchester, 1876 model.
Gaunce occasionally exhibits
his collection at gun shows. At a
recent showing which included
thousands of guns, Gaunce was
the only exhibitor of a rifle with
a revolving barrel.
One of the smallest is a cap
and ball pistol over 100 years
old. It is still in good shape, ac-
cording to Gaunce.
“I haven’t fired the pistol,
though,” the Convair guard re-
veals. “Just don’t like to fire a
weapon that’s over 100 years
old, no matter what kind of shape
it’s in.”
Hydraulic Article
Awarded $100 Prize
A technical article written by
August Lermer, operational sup-
port design engineer at Convair
SD, has been awarded a $100
prize by Applied Hydraulics and
Pneumatics magazine.
Submitted through the Convair
Writing Award Program, Ler-
mer’s paper was entitled “The
Influence of Elevated Tempera-
tures on the Operational Per-
formance of Hydraulic Flight
Control Systems.”
Youths from Convair San Diego
and Pomona won honors for live-
stock entered in the Los Angeles
County Fair last month.
A steer raised by Wayne Herd-
er, son of Ivan Herder of Convair
SD Dept. 21, was judged the Fu-
ture Farmers of America grand
champion.
A registered hereford calf
owned by Fred Woodruff, son of
Convair Pomona’s Arthur Wood-
ruff (Dept. 6), won first in the
“Jack of many trades and mas-
ter of quite a few” in the field
of fine arts is a fairly accurate
description of Convair Pomona’s
James L. “Jim” Marthai (Dept.
6).
Marthai ranks as a profession-
al. He worked for a number of
years as a design draftsman,
then attended Los Angeles Art
Institute and Los Angeles Art
Center School, and joined Con-
vair Pomona approximately eight
years ago as an illustrator in
engineering publications. At pres-
ent he is a publications editor in
this section.
In addition, he has sold num-
erous paintings, drawings and
pieces of sculpture. His latest
commission is a huge mural, 16
feet high and 40 feet wide, which
will be used at the annual Palm
Springs rally of trailer owners
Oct. 23-25.
The mural depicts the high-
lights of an European tour, the
Eiffel Tower, Tower of Pisa,
Rome’s Colosseum, etc. It was
painted in 20 sections, each four
feet high and eight feet wide.
To paint the mural Marthai built
an easel which would hold four
sections at one time.
Marthai apparently does not
favor any particular medium. He
does sculpture in wood, stone and
plaster; he paints with all types
“senior breeding beef” class and
first in showmanship.
Herder has won previous a-
wards with his sheep, hogs and
cattle. He had a grand champion
steer at last year’s LA County
Fair at Pomona and at this sum-
mer’s Southern-California Expos-
ition had one championship steer
and a reserve champion.
Woodruff is a junior at Covina
High School, majoring in agri-
culture.
of materials, although he has
temporarily given up oil painting
because it requires too much
time; he occasionally works with
ceramics — notably decanters,
vases and ash trays; and he does
sketches in ink and pencil. In
fact, there are few media he
has not tried at one time or
another.
“I try to make the best pos-
sible use of my spare time, and
I am always ready to try some-
thing new or different,” Marthai
explained. “This makes life much
more interesting.”
Marthai also writes poetry, and
hopes to publish a book of verses
in the near future. He is also a
student of philosophy. He believes
that everyone has talent of one
kind or another, and that every-
one should discover his special
talent, and develop it.
"Let's not forget the flowers, Bud."
FROST BITTEN—F-106A and crew huddle in man-made snow
made during climatic tests at Eglin AFB, Fla. Kneeling from left are
L. G. Atkinson, Convair SD, coordinator; H. L. Wright, WADC crew chief; Lt. J. R.
Lacy, WADC project engineer; A. A. Merola of Hughes. In second row are W. C.
Edenfield, Hughes; H. D. Clark, WADC; J. J. Woolf, Hughes; J. W. Bodey, WADC;
D. D. Wagner, Hughes; H. Z. DuVall, Hughes; J. V. Karches. In third row, F. R.
Tittle, WADC; J. R. Hoobler, WADC; E. N. Larson, American Electronics Industries;
and in back row (left to right), C. P. Coombs, WADC; S. F. Kulikowski, WADC;
C. E. Nelson, Hughes.
VERSATILE—Pomona's James Marthai is equally at home in many
art media. Here he paints section of 1 6 by 40-foot mural for trailer
convention in Palm Springs.
Talented Pomona Artist's Mural
Will Be Shown at Trailer Rally
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. Convairiety, Volume 12, Number 21, October 14, 1959, periodical, October 14, 1959; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1118033/m1/4/?q=%22United+States+-+Texas+-+Tarrant+County+-+Fort+Worth%22: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.