Culver Model V -

Brian Lott, e-mail, 08.07.2025

leonard cooke

Thank you for your response.

Gerald N. Butterworth owned Culver V N3038K, serial # V-257 which was the subject of SA1NE.

For two years I worked with a number of FAA employees at the Aircraft Certification Office attempting to obtain the STC information without success. First I was told by Erick Gross that they could not locate the file. Then he suggested that I submit a request under the Abandoned STC process, which I did.

This led to emails and phone calls involving a Cherice Clarke, Michael Schwetz, Scott Hopper, Gary Wechsler, Anthony Gallo and Kris Greer.

In April 2024 I was told that the verification letters would be sent out to Mr. Butterworth’s address at the time the STC was issued as well as his last known address which I provided to them. When I followed up with Cherice Clarke in September 2024 I learned that nothing had been done to proceed with my request.

When I told the group that I intended to take this matter directly to the FAA Administrator, Michael Whitaker, that is when Mr. Greer stepped in attempting to head my complaint off at the pass. I sent my complaint in anyway but Mr. Whitaker resigned in January 2025 following the election results and that was the end of it.

My research found that Gerry Butterworth flew 29.9 hours of flight testing using both a Sensenich and a McCauley fixed pitch propellor. This flight testing took place between June 12, 1972 and September 13, 1972. The results of his flight tests were submitted to the FAA in a document titled Butterworth Report 1000, which is part of the STC file.

I also learned that the STC was approved on a one time basis to be used by Mr. Butterworth on his Culver V, N3038K. It was not approved for anybody else’s use on any other Culver V aircraft. In fact, according to the FAA, even if Mr. Butterworth was alive and purchased another Culver V, he could not use his STC again without gaining a new approval under a new STC.

My interest in obtaining the STC was in wanting to help existing Culver V owners whose Vs are grounded due to not having an airworthy propellor. Ken Kinsler and Blake Reid are two that I am aware of. I also pursued this because I had an interest in wanting to purchase a V but, without an affordable solution to the propellor issue, it makes no sense to buy one.

If we could have used the Butterworth STC, that would have provided a cost effective solution to this problem. The FAA has been uncooperative and is clearly unwilling to assist in any way.

At one point they told me that they could not release the STC information to me because they had to protect the STC holder (Mr. Butterworth) because the STC has some value. Then they tell me that no one else could ever use that STC and that Gerry Butterworth couldn’t even use it again if he were alive. So I asked them, if that was the case, what is the value of the STC?! Zero, right?!

The only value in that STC is the knowledge that Gerry Butterworth obtained during his flight test activities. There are two very important questions that can only be answered by that knowledge:

How did the fixed pitch propellor impact the airplane’s performance?

Is it worth it to make the change?

That is at the heart of what I was trying to find out but the FAA is guarding this information as if it were a matter of utmost National Security. They simply will not release it.

They will release it to Gerry Butterworth who passed away on 9 /5 /2015. Of course, Gerry provided this information to the FAA in the first place so it isn’t likely that he would ever need it back from them, is it?

They will also release the STC information to the current registered owner of Culver V N3038K. The last owner of the V was Erle S. Hansen who passed away 3 /22 /2023. Mr. Hansen scrapped the airplane sometime during 1976 and it was deregistered on 7 /16 /1977.

I guess if we could find the scrap of wood that has the Manufacturer’s data plate on the V, then we could register ownership of it and the FAA would then have to find another excuse not to release the information to us.

The irony is that the FAA has maintained a paper file of this STC since November of 1972. That is more than fifty two years. Someone comes along looking for the information that it contains because it would be useful to multiple people. You would think that the FAA would be excited that someone could benefit from this information which they have stored for half a Century. You would think that they would be happy to help. You would be sorely mistaken.

They treated me like I was some sort of criminal up to some nefarious activity. I even told Kris Greer that if he had a problem with me and did not want me to receive the information, to send it to Antique Aircraft Association. Send a copy to the Vintage Aircraft Association. Send a copy to Ken Kinsler and Blake Reid. Let them benefit from the knowledge that Gerry Butterworth gained during his flight testing.

No, that would be too easy. Th ...

Brian Lott, e-mail, 08.07.2025

Brian Lott

(Continued) No, that would be too easy. The FAA wants the next guy to have to start from scratch, to reinvent the wheel and incur all the risks that Gerry Butterworth had to face fifty some years ago. How stupid can they be?!

Anyway, I did not see your name on the chain of ownership for this particular V. Gerry Butterworth sold it to John F. MacNeil on 4 /16 /1974. Edward E. Radcliffe purchased it on 8 /8 /1975 and Erle S. Hansen purchased it on 1 /12 /1976.

Apparently it needed a major rebuilding at that point and Mr. Hansen elected to scrap it instead.

One other interesting note. At one point, one of the FAA folks that I spoke with who had looked at the STC file stated to me during a phone call that “he didn’t see any performance data in the file”.

So Mr. Butterworth flew 29.9 hours of flight testing and provided no performance information?

So the FAA approved a propellor STC with no performance information?

I think we all know better, don’t we?!

Brian K. Lott

Culver Model V

1946