( Don Pellegreno - 5/1/2006 )
John did all the [restoration] work and covered the thing twice.  The wing pictures are for the new type of construction used on the Rhinehart-Rose aircraft [Aerobatic Model A-4C]. John did all the wings for the new Roses and used the same construction on s/n 103. After John's last cover job, it was stored in a metal building where it stayed for the next twenty some years. The fabric continued to tighten on all the structures.

I uncovered, fixed the landing gear, and assembled the airplane. It then hung , unassembled, on the hangar wall for over a year while I worked on the paper work.  John sold me the airplane with a C-90 8FJ engine and no papers placing the engine on the airplane. Once I got to the right FAA person, I was able to get a one-time STC for the engine installation.

(Don Pellegreno - 4/15/06)
A Cessna 140 ran into the Rose as it was taxiing to get off the runway. I landed to the North at Lake Texoma and was about 2 to 3 hundred feet from the end of the runway. I was the fourth one of our Sunday breakfast group to land to the north. The Cessna was landing to the South, and hit me just as he was touching down. He hit me with his right wing in the center section. He did not see me on the runway during his downwind, base leg, or final. He was a member of our group, and we always joked he could not see and was going to hit someone. Luck of the Irish!

I got to fly the Rose for 128 tach hours. Cruise was 115-120.  It is being rebuilt by someone in Iowa.