Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Hi everyone,

I’m a new member of the forum and joining the BPA also.

EAA 461 at Clow International Airport (1C5) was given a partially completed Pietenpol and I volunteered to lead an effort to complete it and get it flying.

I built a conventional gear Sonex and am currently flying it at Clow, but long for some low and slow open cockpit fun.

Looking forward to learning more about the airplane and hopefully completing a safe build to get this one flying.

Robbie Culver
Naperville IL

Those little sonexes sure look like a lot of fun.
Maybe not as much fun as a Pietenpol but it sounds like your working on that.
Welcome aboard!

Thanks Dan!

It scratches one itch. But obviously a very different one than the Pietenpol.

We started an assessment of the aircraft today and I already have questions. Doing some homework before I ask...

Did you get a set of plans with the project?

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power

Hi Oscar

We did. In fact I have been looking them over.

The airplane is fairly complete. Both the fuselage and three piece wing are covered and painted. It has fiberglass fuel tanks. The cockpit is fairly complete.

I’ve been making a list of what we have, what we need, and where to begin.

But my experience with an aluminum airplane doesn’t translate to wood and fabric, and I know that.

My first question is about the fiberglass tanks. Did my homework, and it appears that since we are going to run 100LL they should be ok. But I know nothing about the subject other than reading forum posts.

It was also built for a Corvair. There is no engine mount, and the chapter has an A-65-8 we would like to use, although we also have access to a Corvair core if that is the route we should go.

Any and all advice is most appreciated.

Robbie

"tanks"- as in more than one? So does it have a wing centersection tank feeding down to a header tank, or does it have a pair of tanks in the wings? Fiberglass tanks can be a bit of a pain depending on the epoxy that was used to make them, and of course (as you noted) the types of fuel that they have seen. Not too difficult to inspect them internally though, and gently probe them with something that lets you feel if there are any soft spots. Goo, sloughing or flaking material, or any suspicious-looking sediment in the gascolator is a warning flag. They can be sealed though... some good info here, for example: http://jeffsplanes.com/Cub/MOGAS/mogas.html .

-Oscar

Robbie; also, about the engine, it will make a difference depending on how light the basic airplane was constructed. A heavier airplane will benefit from more horsepower, while one that was build lighter can do OK with a 65 or something similar. In either case, climb will be better with more horsepower. What does the aircraft weight & balance show for the empty weight with its original engine on it?

-Oscar

Thanks Oscar

We do not see a W&B anywhere...yet. I am literally digging through the paperwork. The first thing we plan to do is establish where we are at and what to do first, which is likely get it on the wheels.

Thanks for the advice on the tanks - yes, there is one in the center section of the wing and then the standard fuel tank in the forward fuselage. There are not tanks in the wings.