Elk County Forum

Howard Courant
October 3, 1929

Dale Walter, a Severy boy not quite 21, has made an airplane that will fly.  He did all the work himself, and has been at the job ever since a few days before Christmas 1928.  The plane was built from a blue print of a Heath plane, has a a wingspread of 25 feet, and is powered by a 25 h.p. Ace motor.  The young builder's tools have consisted of a blowtorch, a hammer, saw, drawing-knife and pocket knife.  He made the radiator, the tanks, and everything but the engine and propellor.  The plane took the air the first time last Wednesday piloted by Jas. Knight, an experienced flyer, after it had been inspected and pronounced good by an expert from one of the Wichita factories.
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This news story is of particular interest to us, as this is one of Don's great-uncles.

Would this guy be related to Gene Walter?

Yep!  'Fraid so.  It's his great-uncle also. In case you are wondering.....Don and Gene are second cousins. (In one line.......in another line, they're 3rd cousins)

Does that actually make them 2 1/2 cousins????

 ??? ???  On the Walter line, Don and Eugene "Gene" are 2nd cousins.

I'm just harrassing you, Lois.  Trying to get a laugh.  If Gene and Don are second cousins in one line and third cousins in another line, then you split the difference and get 2 1/2 related.  I know that doesn't make sense.  Just making a joke about relationships.  ha ha

Ta Ta, are you sure you haven't been takin too many "nips" from the bottle?  :laugh:

Dale had a love for flying and airplanes.   He built them, gave flying lessons, and during the 1930's Dale and Roy Campbell had an airport located about three miles northwest of Howard, Kansas. Here are a couple of advertisements that appeared in the newspapers of the day.

May 8, 1930


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Oct. 4, 1930