Obscure Old Roucraft Sparks Inquiry

A recent e-mail discussion brought up a question about an obscure roucraft.  With a little detective work (searching through musty photo albums and early victory records), I was able shed some light on the subject and perhaps provide a little lesson in memory for all of us.  The question involved a stick-and-tissue Guillow kit Sopwith Camel gerper, originally constructed by John Dana and later sold to (Donald) Macy Hallock, probably in 1961.  Hallock promptly turned the airplane over to Macy Aircraft Works, which then (for reasons known only to Douglas Dash) converted it to a low-wing monoplane.  Under Jungolian law, the modification was sufficiently extensive to qualify the airplane for a Jungolian designation, and it was dubbed the Macy M-2.  The M-2 then went into service as a rouer.  In the recent e-mail discussion mentioned above, Col. Macy Hallock (JAC, retired) described the aircraft as "pure agony.......a defeat just waiting to happen."  Hallock said he remembers Dale Wingard (a.k.a. Michael Howard, his preferred nom de guerre) flying the M-2 as a guest rouer and that Howard suffered a defeat while using it.  This may be at least partly correct, but it's not the whole story.

It must be remembered that this was in the very early days of rouing.  By the end of 1961, only nine victories had been recorded.  The next three vics occurred on New Year's Day, 1962.  The first two vics of that day were scored by David Smii with his new AJ-2 Pursuit, which he had just received as a Christmas gift.  These were only his third and fourth vics (he wasn't even an ace yet).  The third and final vic of that day was scored by Macy Hallock over Pin Croft, who was flying an NP-3 Sleek Streek.  This was Hallock's first vic, and he achieved it flying none other than the one-and-only Macy M-2 Converted Sopwith Thingy!  The vic occurred at The Regular Rouing Corner at 5:25 P.M. (so it must have been nearly dark).

The M-2 went on to make at least one other appearance in the record book.  On January 15, 1962, John Dana, flying an NP-4 Star Flyer, finally vanquished the until-then undefeated M-2 flown by -- yes -- Macy Hallock.  This was Dana's fourth vic, and it occurred at Hillman, site of his first vic.  John's jumbled memory of this incident may have been what led him to later misremember (in the latest e-mail discussion) obtaining his very first vic over the M-2.

About Macy Hallock's insistence that Michael Howard flew the M-2 to inglorious defeat, we must remain somewhat uncertain -- but it certainly could have happened.  Rouing vics accumulated so fast in early 1962 that the official record keeper (that would be me) was unable to keep up.  I remember hastily writing down notes on scraps of paper and stuffing them in my rou box to be transcribed later into the official record.  For many of these vics, I neglected to note the aircraft involved.  However, the persons were always noted, and the name of Howard appears twice, both times in the defeated column.  David Smii's AJ-2 (dubbed the Fluged Nose) treated him to his first defeat as he flew an NP-2.  The documentation of Howard's second defeat, also delivered by Smii, is more sparse, as neither airplane is noted.  It's a safe bet that Smii was again flying his famed Fluged Nose.  And there's a good chance that Howard was flying the notorious Macy M-2.  Aside from Macy Hallock's memory, we also have this tantalizing evidence (see photo below):

Dale Wingard (aka Michael Howard) with the Macy M-2 in 1962.

Moral of the story: Always keep good records!
~Lloyd Bruce