John J. Shanks Sr (1916 ?€“ 2010)

John's interest in aviation began with the building of model airplanes and numerous outings to the airport via streetcar. While still in High School, John bought a damaged Alexander Eagle Rock biplane for $50 to rebuild in his back yard. In 1933 John opted to raise money along with his father?€™s help so that he could attend Northland Aviation Mechanics School at the Minneapolis Wold-Chamberlin airport. During this same time, John began to learn how to fly by getting "stick time" while flying with friends and obtaining a few hours of instruction in Bill Shaw's Waco 10. Another acquaintance of John?€™s was Kenny Maxwell, who allowed John to make his first solo flight in his J-2 Cub. John eventually sold his Eagle Rock project so that he could go in with a partner on a Velie Monocoupe (NC5719) for $400 and soon after a trade up to the more stable, 3-passenger Waco 10(NC742E).
During these years of 1934 to 1936 John would go on many "Barnstorming" tours through Southwest Minnesota and South Dakota in the Waco 10. In 1936 John partnered with another friend to purchase a $650 Travel-Air 6000(NC8157) from John Kipp, who purchased the aircraft directly from Northwest Airways. In the summer of 1936 John flew this aircraft into the grandstand arena of the Saint Paul Fair grounds, which would grant him free admission and prospects for air rides. Later in 1936, after lending this airplane out, it would be involved in an incident at the Bird Island, MN fair, which would render the aircraft incapacitated. Shortly after this, John dissolved his partnerships with his friends and eventually purchased his very own Waco 10(NC6677). In the winter of 1938 John landed his aircraft on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis and trailered it up to his home on 46th and Xerxes. Here in his back-yard John replaced the Waco's 90-hp OX-5 engine with the lighter 150-hp Salmson radial engine increasing the aircraft's performance.
In 1934 John was able to secure a job as an apprentice mechanic with Hanford Airlines, when they took over the old Universal Hangars of the financially troubled Northland Aviation School. During this time, John worked for only streetcar fare and lunch money. However, he gained invaluable experience in working with his mentors and on many different aircraft types such as Ford Tri-motors and Lockheed Vegas.
In 1936, after Hanford moved their main offices to Kansas City, John took an aircraft mechanic job under his former Northland Aviation and Hanford Instructor Jerry Stebbins, at De Ponti Aviation. This job consisted of field maintenance on and around the Minneapolis airport.
In 1938 John was recommended by his mentor Jerry Stebbins, for a Laird rebuilding project. The airplane project, owned by Bob McManus and sponsored by his family's Seven-up bottling company, consisted of parts from both Speed Holman's Laird Solution (NC10538) and Jimmy Doolittle's Laird Super Solution (NC12048). John worked on this project in the 7-up bottling company located in Minneapolis where he engineered numerous modifications including a unique paint job applied by hand. Other modifications included the installation of a Wright Whirlwind R975 300-hp engine, where pieces of boiler plate were used to modify the engine mount to maintain weight and balance and rebuilt "I" struts and wheel pants replaced the original designs. Thin veneer paneling was used in place of fabric on areas of the lower wing to reduce drag. A damaged tail fin and wing were also repaired after the aircraft flipped over during initial tests. These flight tests conducted by Danny Fowlie proved the radial engine to overheat, with or without a cowling in place. John then experimented with baffling and engineered intake cooling louvers out of galvanized aluminum, which surrounded the large radial cowling to help solve the problem. Later in 1938 this same aircraft would be displayed on a parade float at the Minneapolis Wold-Chamberlain field, in commemoration of National Air Mail week.
In 1938 Hanford Airlines had reorganized and changed their name to "Mid Continent Airlines". Early in 1942 Mid-Continent obtained an Army Air Corps contract to modify B-25 bombers for a special mission led by Colonel James Doolittle. John was soon hired for this job at Mid-Continent after Jimmy Doolittle himself visited many Minneapolis maintenance hangars to recruit candidates.
John's job on the B25 project was to design and fit a mid-fuselage fuel tank, which after being exhausted could be quickly disconnected and ejected out the bomb bay doors to save weight. John had designed this tank out of cardboard. The pattern was then sent out to a Minneapolis company for production. Once returned, John and his crew fashioned the mounting brackets and installed the tanks. Other special fuel tanks were also installed, along with weight reduction modifications to these B25 aircraft. Little did anyone know that these same aircraft would be used in the famous "Doolittle Raid" on Tokyo.
During the Mid-Continent B-25 project, Northwest Airlines was awarded a B-24 Liberator modification project of their own. At this time Northwest was based at the Saint Paul Holman Airport. During this project, Northwest would modify over 3000 aircraft for war service. With the experience John had with working on the B-25 project, he was quickly hired by Northwest Airlines in March of 1942. Shortly after, John was promoted to crew chief position, overseeing many of the B-24 modification crews. John modified and developed deicing systems for the B-24 aircraft propellers and windscreens. One design John engineered was a small door in the windscreen that could be reached through to scrape ice, if alcohol deicing spray proved inadequate. Another design that John engineered was a newly modified Bombay window that included a hydraulic wiper blade to clear rain or ice contaminates. He developed this idea from modifying the design of a streetcar window and wiper. Northwest Airlines and its modification crews received a special commendation award for playing a significant role in the victorious outcome of the Normandy invasion with the use of these same modified B-24 bombers.
In the 1940's, while working for Northwest Airlines, John helped train women who worked on constructing aircraft during the war. These women were more commonly referred to as "Rosie the Riveters". The photo below is from an original news article showing John in this task.
In early 1943, as a Northwest Airlines mechanic, John supervised a maintenance crew at the Accelerated Service Testing Center in Vandalia Ohio. The testing center's principal mission was to "de-bug" all new aircraft models produced for the military. Test findings and modifications were hurried back to the aircraft manufacturers, so that production line aircraft would be in top operating order for service. Here he worked on and modified many fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance type aircraft.
Another wartime project John had with Northwest Airlines later in 1943 was repairing and modifying C-46 Commando's in Billings, Montana. He and his crew installed plywood floors in these aircraft along with mounting large fiberglass fuel tanks. The aircraft were then used to fortify Alaskan military bases with soldiers and supplies. Here John would also ready aircraft such as the P-39 Aircobra for the military's "lend-lease" program to Russia. In another case, he and his crew rebuilt a C-46 Commando after a gear up landing damaged its engines, underbelly and wing while landing at Billings.
At the end of WWII, John stayed on with Northwest Airlines heading up the sheet metal shop. He was known by many to be able to work "miracles" with sheet metal. He was also one of the very few, at that time, who could actually Oxy-Acetylene weld aluminum. John was also a supervisor, foreman and inspector of numerous other shops at Northwest. He was eventually promoted to oversee all of Northwest's maintenance programs and scheduling. However, he felt most comfortable in the hangars, working directly on the aircraft, so that is where he returned. When John retired in 1979, he was foreman of the landing gear shop.
When John was not working at Northwest, he was working at running a small engine business in his machine shop garage. He also worked with his children to build gas model airplanes, steam engines, a riding tractor made from spare airplane parts, an antique car, and a snowmobile whose track was made from an old NWA baggage loader.
John also repaired, modified & built full scale aircraft in his basement and garage. These projects consisted of a Pitts Special S1-A, a Thorp T-18, a Globe Swift, and the center wing section of a 450hp Stearman belonging to Chuck Doyle, to name a few.
John also worked on aircraft at many of the surrounding airports. At Flying Cloud Airport, he oversaw all the maintenance of the Air Rangers Flying Association aircraft. Also, during the yearly Ranger Air Shows in the 1970's, John headed up flight line maintenance, working on many famous airshow pilot?€™s aircraft.
John's interests, hobbies and career not only involved him in Minnesota aviation history but allowed him to help create it. The technological advancements he helped develop through the years were substantial. John fixed everything from the 1930's bi-planes right up to the 1970's Boeing 747 jumbo jets. His unsurpassed engineering designs and skilled craftsmanship will forever leave a mark in Minnesota aviation history.
John Shanks Sr 1916 - 2010
Original Text submitted for inclusion in the "Minnesota Hall of Fame" by John Shanks Jr on 10/5/13
Photo?€™s curtesy of the Shanks family collections 2020.