Biplane flies to new home at Hood River museum

HOOD RIVER, Ore. — The 1928 Stearman biplane that R.J. McWhorter of Prosser lovingly restored and took to fly-ins throughout the Pacific Northwest until his death two years ago made a historic flight Sunday to its new permanent home in Hood River.

The rare open-cockpit aircraft that was built as a mail plane is the newest addition to the Western Airplane and Automobile Museum.

“This was the last one he built up,” said Joe Kovacich, McWhorter’s son-in-law.

The McWhorter Ranch, which spreads across the flanks of Rattlesnake Mountain, was base to several early day aircraft that R.J. McWhorter — or Dick as the family called him — collected and restored as a hobby.

The Stearman’s double set of wings had been gathering dust since McWhorter died at age 87, and no one in the family knew enough about the old bird to ensure it would survive in flying condition.

“There’s hardly anyone left who knows how to take care of them or fly them,” Kovacich said.

So a decision was made to let the airplane have a new owner. Selling to a museum that would let the Stearman C3B see some flight time was the perfect solution, he said.

Kovacich said after visiting the museum in Hood River he felt it was what Dick would have wanted.

“It is just like his shop,” he said.

Terry Brandt, founder and president of the museum in Hood River, said McWhorter’s biplane is an important addition to the collection.

“It has a nine-cylinder radial Wright Whirlwind engine, the same as Charles Lindbergh had in the Spirit of St. Louis to go to Paris,” Brandt said.

The early engine was rare among antique aircraft because it has exposed valve rods and rocker boxes that “are out there in the breeze,” he said.

Later models of the Stearman, including those built after Boeing Aircraft bought Lloyd Stearman’s company, had enclosed engine valving components.

The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum is housed in two buildings totaling 95,000 square feet. In addition to the airplanes, it has about 100 antique cars.

Brandt said the museum tries to show early examples of air and ground motive technology. “We’re into the airplanes and automobiles that taught Americans to fly and to drive,” he said.

Each second Saturday is a drive/fly day at the museum when items from the collection are taken out for drives and flights.

“Everything we have is kept in operating condition,” said Brandt, including the 1928 Stearman owned by Kovacich’s father-in-law.

— John Trumbo, Tri-City Herald