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from taking off without the body of the plane.  There was a mystery routine connected with this plane that could have been a scene from a Marx Brothers comedy.  Every morning the builders of the plane would roll the craft onto the field. In the distance would echo a bugle call from a nearby Boy Scout Camp.  Shortly three young scouts would appear.  We guessed their ages at twelve or thirteen.  Two of them carried a stretcher. [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] The third a pail of water.  The purpose of the water we never did determine unless this was the first air safety Water Brigade,  The boys would march onto the field, drop the [[strikethrough]] pail [[/strikethrough]] stretcher beside the plane, carefully place the bucket of water, discuss the situation in some detail then line up in attention ;beside the plane.   The owners of the plane, trying very hard to appear sophisticated and very nonchalant would look over the heads of the scouts, maybe they hoped to make them invisible. Anyhow one of the owners would climb into the seat, the other would start the motor, both would listen entranced, then look at the scouts, glance at the stretcher, shut off the motor and trundle the plane back to the hangar.  Whether the dam thing ever flew or not no one [[strikethrough]] has [[/strikethrough]] ever had the faintest idea.  If it didn't then those poor Boy Scouts were Really taken and did one load of Dawn Patrol for nothing.

There was another that was a lulu.  This builder put a bamboo tube about twelve inches in diameter, right up through the center of his plane. In the tube was a huge parachute. The idea was simple. If anything happened to the [[strikethrough]] mtor [[/strikethrough]] motor while the plane was in flight he would pull a special ripchord..the 'chute would come out of the tube, the plane would be completely covered and would float gently and effortlessly to the ground. Naturally he'd still be seated in the plane and would arrive comfortably and in one piece. If he pulled off this miracle I didn't see it.  [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]]  To this day I still feel cheated!

Transcription Notes:
Reviewed - removed the [[sic]]