Looking at building a Pietenpol Air Camper in Canberra

[Paul42]

Hi Everyone,

 

My name is Paul. Thank you for letting me join the group. I am looking at building a Pietenpol while I am in Canberra as my Quickie 2 project is in storage in Qld. Any advice on the piet, where to get Spruce from locally or importing the kits from Aircraft Spruce would be gratefully accepted.

 

All the best

 

Paul

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Hi Everyone,My name is Paul. Thank you for letting me join the group. I am looking at building a Pietenpol while I am in Canberra as my Quickie 2 project is in storage in Qld. Any advice on the piet, where to get Spruce from locally or importing the kits from Aircraft Spruce would be gratefully accepted.

All the best

 

Paul

A search of this forum yields several people building Pietenpols. Bubbleboy is one, and has posted extensively on this forum.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

... where to get Spruce from locally...

Spruce is getting harder to obtain, so many builders, even overseas, now use hoop pine from Queensland.

I've used lots of hoop pine ply from Mr. Plywood. Lovely stuff to work with.

 

 

[old man emu]

Paul,

 

I think that the best bloke to contact is Bubbleboy. Haven't heard from him in a while, so he must be out flying his Pietenpol.

 

He was going to fit a 6 cylinder Corvair engine to his. I think that he would be the bloke with the most up-to-date knowledge on building one of these fine airplanes.

 

OME

 

 

[408059]

Welcome Paul

 

Piet Fil is Canberra based and building a Pietenpol. I say this in the knowledge that he is intending to move down to Victoria and has quiet on this forum since August. As an aside, there are a few people in the Canberra chapter of the SAAA building in wood.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

 

[Paul42]

Thanks Guys,

 

I appreciate the welcome and advice. I need to contact Phill about joining Australian Pietenpol Builders.

 

All the best

 

Paul

 

 

 

(?)

 

 

[boleropilot]

welcome Paul, finding this forum is the absolute best thing that could possibly happen to you (apart from winning Lotto and getting a team of 18 year old nymphomaniacs to build your Pietenpol for you)

 

I envy you (and all other Pietenpolers) - did I just invent another word? magic little aircraft BUT I don't get the idea of having a clunky old Ford A motor up front (not to mention that damn radiator!!!)

 

BP

 

and of course I must now apologise to the myriad of PCers I just offended...sorry....no, really....well, maybe...

 

 

[old man emu]

Clunky Ford A model engines went out with button-up boots. Even the Pietenpol family moved over the Corvair engines in the 60's.

 

I reckon a Corvair in a Pietenpol would be as smooth as a whore's silky drawers.

 

 

[boleropilot]

yeah OMU I know but it's amazing how many are still using the Model A engine - I'd have it off there and on the end of me anchor chain in a flash !!!

 

love that Stampe that was on the cover of SA recently too...

 

 

[bexrbetter]

You could have a "clunky" lightweight Donovan Model D engine up front.

 

Loosely based on a Model A engine but 100hp at 2800 rpm! I'm surprised no one uses them in aircraft, same price as Rotax etc.

 

Donovan is very famous in drag racing, have been building aluminium V8 blocks forever.

 

http://www.modelaparts.net/hiperf.html/donovansem.html

 

Donovan Model D Block - Donovan Aluminum Engine Blocks

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I don't know why anyone would use a Model A engine at all, I could never get that wrapped up in history, maybe consider something like a VW 1.9 diesel to give a similar character, sound, smoke, etc (and weight!) but with modern reliability if that's your thing.

 

 

[old man emu]

I don't know why anyone would use a Model A engine at all,

At the time the Pietenpol was designed an built, the Ford A model engine was a good, cheap choice. More a case of when you've got lemons ... etc.

 

Some recently built Pietenpols have Subaru engines. The beauty of the Corvair is that it is a 6 cylinder engine, which means that it runs smoother than a 4 cylinder engine since with a 6 cylinder there are more power strokes per 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation.

 

 

[mnewbery]

If Corvair cores weren't so coveted I would be looking at one. I like the look of a rotec on a pietenpol. It comes down to something Bex alluded to: Do you place a premium on authenticity, convenience or performance, or something else?

 

I would not call a Corvair engine convenient when compared to for example a Continental O-300 or a Rotax 912-A

 

There are plenty of choices and plenty of examples for this airframe. Have a look but note the engine chosen will change how the rest of the build will go. It's just the way these things are.

 

 

[old man emu]

I really don't think that there is an "authentic" Pietenpol. Even its designer made changes over the years. While the airframe and wings have remained much the same as the prototype, the powerplant has tended to be whatever the builder can access. I doubt if the plane has much scope for improvement in performance. Perhaps one could build one using aluminium tubing for the airframe in place of wood, and foam wing ribs instead of wooden sticks. Use that heat shrink covering material and no one would know the difference. (Although some adjustment of weight&balance might be needed)

 

I suppose some Millennial might want to put a glass cockpit into one, but that would be a personal choice, which I would not condemn, but it would not be my style.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's a slow high lift high drag plane suiting a big prop. Reduction is the normal way to get this big prop, but I couldn't think of anything much worse than a high revving (relatively) motor up the front of something doing about 60 knots at best. I am (sort of ) considering a Bleriot XI. Perhaps that would fill the bill for you. ( Or another parasol design. Perhaps the biggest Kohler Vee Twin would power a light one easily. Look it up on line. There's plenty of interest in that sort of thing, and you won't spend a lot of $$'s Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I really don't think that there is an "authentic" Pietenpol... I doubt if the plane has much scope for improvement in performance...

Interesting point, Nev. That contrasts with my experience of the Jodel. It's also a home built wooden aeroplane but the design lends itself to considerable "improvement". From what I've seen of Bubbleboy's Pietenpol, that aircraft doesn't. It appears destined to always be a draggy high wing, with all the advantages (ground visibility, slow flying ability) and disadvantages that entails.

In the dozen years that I've been modifying my Jodel, my preferences have changed quite a bit. I guess Paul has thought long and hard about what sort of aeroplane he wants, and knows it's a damned big project; who knows what power plants will be available in a decade when it's ready to fly.

 

 

[facthunter]

That response is to OME, Not ME. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

That response is to OME, Not ME. Nev

Whoops, sorry about that. You blokes look too much alike!

 

 

[Riley]

Whoops, sorry about that. You blokes look too much alike!

At a fly-in when discussing a fellow aviator I had a very close Chinese friend say to me "I can't remember his name 'cause all you white men look the same". It cracked me up.

 

 

[facthunter]

IF you actually LOOK at groups of Chinese, they are very much NOT alike.. Nev

 

 

[old man emu]

Whoops, sorry about that. You blokes look too much alike!

No we don't

 

 

 

[w3stie]

It's a slow high lift high drag plane suiting a big prop. Reduction is the normal way to get this big prop, but I couldn't think of anything much worse than a high revving (relatively) motor up the front of something doing about 60 knots at best. I am (sort of ) considering a Bleriot XI. Perhaps that would fill the bill for you. ( Or another parasol design. Perhaps the biggest Kohler Vee Twin would power a light one easily. Look it up on line. There's plenty of interest in that sort of thing, and you won't spend a lot of $$'s Nev

How can you build a Bleriot XI? Do they have kits? Any links?

 

Sorry - thread drift. :)

 

 

[facthunter]

I just Google build a Bleriot XI. Heath Parasol etc Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

How can you build a Bleriot XI? Do they have kits? Any links...

A wonderfully historic aircraft, but would you like to actually fly one?

 

In this pic Louis B. has a look of sheer terror.

 

 

 

[boleropilot]

thank God my Drifter's not draggy...or slow - looking forward to my little jaunt to Cooktown in 2018 - much fun it will be, said Yoda...

 

hey, just did a flight on my simulator (FSX) in the Drifter for an upcoming navex - Boonah - Gympie - it is awesome how the sim shows you where the high bits are, not to mention roads and HT power lines - fab stuff, folks

 

I've now amended my tracks (around the Conondale Range mainly) and put that onto the map - looks gr8...will 'fly' it a couple of more times before I do it in the flesh

 

did the same thing before my trip to Lismore a few years ago and it was just as good then as it is now. ya definitely can't trust it 100% but it is so close to the real thing it's just a brilliant pre-flight exercise for navexs

 

if ya haven't got into FSX yet you are really missing out on a lot of fun...

 

BP