TEX RANKIN'S GREAT LAKES AEROBATIC BIPLANE TO BE RESTORED.

The Oregon Aviation Museum has completed arrangements to acquire and restore the "Rankin Special" Great Lakes biplane, NX315Y, which crashed in the mid- sixties. After languishing for many years in a Pennsylvania junkyard, this famous aircraft was "found" by a Great Lakes enthusiast, and will be transported to Oregon when weather permits.

When NX315Y left the Great Lakes factory in 1931, it had been built with aerobatics in mind, and was registered as NC315Y. As Tex wrote later, it was not "the stock job". Late in 1931 Tex set the long-standing record of 131 consecutive outside loops in NC315Y, an amazing feat for an aircraft licensed in the standard category with a 100 h.p. engine.

Dorothy Hester purchased NC315Y in 1932, and apparently flew it at airshows where she and Tex were often the main attraction. Tex acquired NC315Y for the second time in 1936, and had it rebuilt by Timm Aircraft Company utilizing a Menasco engine. It was then re-registered as NX315Y, and referred to as "the Rankin Special". Prior to WWII, it was flown extensively by Tex at airshows, and for promoting Hollywood films.

The Oregon Aviation Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Oregon's colorful aviation history for future generations. It is an affiliate of the Oregon Historical Society. The airplanes and artifacts in the Museum's collection are housed in several storage facilities throughout the State, awaiting the building of a restoration-display facility.

A fund-raising drive has been initiated to complete the purchase, and to start the restoration of NX315Y. Funding is being provided in two separate ways:

1. By Donations: Individuals and organizations can make tax-deductible donations by check to the Oregon Aviation Museum. With widespread support, relatively modest contributions from the aviation community can make the restoration a reality.
2. By Club Memberships: Those individuals that have actually seen Tex fly his Great Lakes are eligible to Join a unique club --- the I SAW TEX RANKIN FLY CLUB. Membership will be granted to each person that donates a minimum of $25.00. Each member will receive a copy of an autographed photo of Tex standing beside his Great Lakes, plus a certificate of membership with the person's name, the location, and approximate date of the event, as furnished by the member.

Both types of donations are tax deductible and can be sent to:

Oregon Aviation Museum
P.O. Box 553
Cottage Grove, OR  97424

Please note on check: Tex's Great Lakes.

To facilitate the Great Lakes restoration project, the Museum would also like to obtain memorabilia and information that pertains to Tex Rankin's career, including dates and locations where the TEX RANKIN AIR CIRCUS performed.

Please help preserve Oregon aviation history.

For more info on Tex, the man, check out the Tex Rankin bio as reported by the Oregon Aviation Museum.

For more info on Great Lakes biplanes, check out Great Lakes Lovers website. Also, thanks Mike Townsley for the use of the 'Rankin Special' image (from the collection of Harvey Swack).