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Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 4:51 am
by herbrose
Good Morning phbBB People!

I will keep this short, but yesterday my Pietenpol, NX709HR was given the airworthiness certificate. I know there's some out there that will go ballistic when they see my plane, but like BH, I sought to address the many issues I found during my build, and modify them as I went along.

9HR, has a longer stance, wider track, built very strong, and is powered along with a Subaru, EJ2.2, fuel injected power plant. While the building part is over the testing stage has just begun. The engine is controlled by the system Tracy Crook of Florida had developed; simple, and yet very adequate. The plane has MGL V6 Com, and standard steam gages for flight. I will begin flight testing once the weather breaks, but by the end of spring, I would hope to have a good idea of what's wrong with my ideas, and what worked best.

The build took five years, and is my second home-built aircraft; second to N657HR, a Bushby Mustang II.



Herb Rose
Sacramento, PA

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:32 pm
by MichaelCuy
Congrats on your Airworthiness certificate! May I ask which of you in the one photo is the FAA Designee?

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:03 pm
by taildrags
Beautiful firewall forward!

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:25 am
by herbrose
Morning Michael!

I'm the younger guy in the cycling shirt; Gene has been doing DAR work here in Central PA after a long career spanning four decades. I would suspect mine might be the last in his efforts to promote the home-built industry. The Subaru comes with an extreme pack of 150HP, and I have built the airframe and components, actually in some cases, over-built, but I think it will be a good flyer. Time will tell.

Herb Rose
Bendigo Field 74N

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:05 pm
by Pete_D
Herb- Love the airplane. I am considering building a Piet with my son (we are in Washington Crossing PA) and will probably fly it out of Van Sant.

Like you I will probably have to modify the aircraft slightly but want to control the mods as much as possible. Its not that I don't like the design; I love it. But I'm 6'5 and 240. I have all of the plans and just looking at them I'm thinking I'm not going to fit even into the extended fuselage. I figure if I extend a small amount more I may have an aircraft I can fly comfortably, but I'll be looking at weight and balance issues as well.

Are over the normal design gross weight of the aircraft as well?

Would love to hear more details about how you extended and widened the airplane. Nice work!

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:28 am
by Steve D
Herb, your plane is blasphemy. It is obviously dangerous and not airworthy. Too many changes from the original.

For your safety please take the wings off and ship it to my address. I will ensure that it is taken out of flight service. Of course, that could take decades and may involve many flights to document all the various flaws. I also think you should supply money for the fuel and upkeep during this long and laborious process. It will require many condition inspections, you will be expected to cover this also.


Seriously, Neat looking bird. I don't think Bernard would mind at all.

BTW Does anyone know what Bernard thought about the Grega modifications and the Grega design?

Blue Skies,
Steve D.

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 6:16 pm
by at7000ft
Pete_D wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:05 pm Herb- Love the airplane. I am considering building a Piet with my son (we are in Washington Crossing PA) and will probably fly it out of Van Sant.

Like you I will probably have to modify the aircraft slightly but want to control the mods as much as possible. Its not that I don't like the design; I love it. But I'm 6'5 and 240. I have all of the plans and just looking at them I'm thinking I'm not going to fit even into the extended fuselage. I figure if I extend a small amount more I may have an aircraft I can fly comfortably, but I'll be looking at weight and balance issues as well.

Are over the normal design gross weight of the aircraft as well?

Would love to hear more details about how you extended and widened the airplane. Nice work!
Building a mock fuselage with scrap wood is the way to answer all these questions before you start building your real fuselage with that expensive spruce. I ended up leaning my seat back and widened my fuselage 2".

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 8:17 pm
by herbrose
Good Evening Folks:

Today, I am most proud to announce that NX709HR took to the air for the first and second time. This is clearly not your father's Pietenpol, for in less than 125 feet of run-the craft is off the runway and sky bound. I had three of my friends here to witness and video tape the events, and they were impressed as to what they had seen today. The rate of climb at 4900 rpms, or about 2578 rpm's on the prop is right around 1500 fpm with a Sensenich 74 inch 52 inch pitch, powered by a Subaru EJ2.2 worked to a Dyno tested 150 crank HP. The oil temps might be running high 243'F, but all the guys running these in competition think they are well within the limits; for as soon as I throttle back, they drop to 220'F for oil and water with water running cooler sightly.

The plane tracks beautifully and still has the little spikes sticking out of the tires from manufacture having run it up and down the runway several times already.

Upon power reduction there is a slight nose down which I like a lot. The controls are very responsive and I think the tight gaps have proven this was a very good idea. Strongly recommended it having built and flown the Mustang II, N657HR.

Slipping to landing was an experience all of its own as I listened to the tone coming off my flying rods. It actually sings to you as you descend.

As of this evening I have flown 3.4 hours and landed the craft twice. Very impressed by its capability and can't wait to get back up tomorrow. Unfortunately, we have the honors of having Washington's greatest here in our home town of Harrisburg tomorrow afternoon into evening, so we have to play early if at all. TFR yuk!

To the Pietenpol family, I want to thank them for designing such a wonderful little flying machine. I am sure NX709HR will be an excellent flying machine and endure the test of time as all Piets have in the past.

Sincerely,

Herb Rose
Bendigo Field 74N

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 3:30 pm
by mstineman
Congratulations Herb!

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:55 am
by PhilCal
That is so nice Herb!

Re: Herb's Pietenpol

Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:46 pm
by onyoursix
Thoughts and prayers are with you, Herb. I hope you are recovering well.