Original Posted By: grhans(at)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Anyone building wings who wants a quick leading edge piece can goto their local lumber yard and purchase stairway handrail.* I found mineat $ 1.02/ft and bought two fourteen-footers and a 3' piece. (3pc wing).Two cuts thru your table saw will give you the leading edge piece withabout 5 minutes of light sanding after installation. I think my railing isdouglas fir. I had to shop around some-most places wanted more $/ft.While looking at mouldings, I bought five seven foot lengths of standardpine baseboard moulding and ripped off the top 1 1/4" to serve as mywood trailing edge. (with those 1/16" ply tabs on top & bottom to holdit in place-plans) * Be careful as these come in various dimensions. ________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Easy L.E. Wing
Pietenpol-List: Re: Easy L.E. Wing
Original Posted By: Ted Brousseau
I read with interest Michael D. Cuy's letter on stairway handrailbeing useful for Pietenpol wing leading edge and wish I had thoughtof this idea years ago when I built mine. It would hav saved a lot of work shaping the L.E. and would have provided a more uniform shape than what I was able to get.Although it is not an authentic method for the Pietenpol, if I everbuild another (highly unlikely), I will use a wrap-around aluminumleading edge typical of many designs. Probably .020" 2024T3 (.016"might be a bit light, but false ribs between regular ribs could dothe trick. Also, built-up ribs of aluminum alloy angles rivetedtogether would be used (I have used this type of construction ona "Wag-A-Bond" with success and hav built a sample Pietenpol ribalong the same lines).Those little 1/2 inch wide 1/6 inch ply tab gussets securing the trailing edge to the ribs tend to warp under fabric tension overthe years; when I recovered my a/c in 1985 (when it was 15 years old), I had to replace a lot of them...and I know of others whohave encountered the same problem and corrected it by using a triangular-shaped gusset.Graham________________________________________________________________________________
I read with interest Michael D. Cuy's letter on stairway handrailbeing useful for Pietenpol wing leading edge and wish I had thoughtof this idea years ago when I built mine. It would hav saved a lot of work shaping the L.E. and would have provided a more uniform shape than what I was able to get.Although it is not an authentic method for the Pietenpol, if I everbuild another (highly unlikely), I will use a wrap-around aluminumleading edge typical of many designs. Probably .020" 2024T3 (.016"might be a bit light, but false ribs between regular ribs could dothe trick. Also, built-up ribs of aluminum alloy angles rivetedtogether would be used (I have used this type of construction ona "Wag-A-Bond" with success and hav built a sample Pietenpol ribalong the same lines).Those little 1/2 inch wide 1/6 inch ply tab gussets securing the trailing edge to the ribs tend to warp under fabric tension overthe years; when I recovered my a/c in 1985 (when it was 15 years old), I had to replace a lot of them...and I know of others whohave encountered the same problem and corrected it by using a triangular-shaped gusset.Graham________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Re: Easy L.E. Wing
Original Posted By: Ted Brousseau
>>I read with interest Michael D. Cuy's letter on stairway handrail>being useful for Pietenpol wing leading edge and wish I had thought>of this idea years ago when I built mine. It would hav saved a lot >of work shaping the L.E. and would have provided a more uniform >shape than what I was able to get.>>Although it is not an authentic method for the Pietenpol, if I ever>build another (highly unlikely), I will use a wrap-around aluminum>leading edge typical of many designs. Probably .020" 2024T3 (.016">might be a bit light, but false ribs between regular ribs could do>the trick. Also, built-up ribs of aluminum alloy angles riveted>together would be used (I have used this type of construction on>a "Wag-A-Bond" with success and hav built a sample Pietenpol rib>along the same lines).>>Those little 1/2 inch wide 1/6 inch ply tab gussets securing the >trailing edge to the ribs tend to warp under fabric tension over>the years; when I recovered my a/c in 1985 (when it was 15 years >old), I had to replace a lot of them...and I know of others who>have encountered the same problem and corrected it by using a >triangular-shaped gusset.>>Graham>>Hope this idea helps, Not easy to write (hope I could scketch in e-mails):In the Sorrel's Guppy plans the leading edge recomended is something like this:to put a long piece of 1/2" x about 1 1/2" or 2" wide all the span of thewing in the leading edge front, with this the front of the airfoil will besquare, and the cap strips will not be so curved (because they dont get allthe way to the front). Then glue a piece of balsa (or blue foam) and grindit to get the shape of the airfoil, then put the the thin ply to finish the"D". and cover the wing the normal way.Hope I got understud and it helpsSaludosGary Gower________________________________________________________________________________
>>I read with interest Michael D. Cuy's letter on stairway handrail>being useful for Pietenpol wing leading edge and wish I had thought>of this idea years ago when I built mine. It would hav saved a lot >of work shaping the L.E. and would have provided a more uniform >shape than what I was able to get.>>Although it is not an authentic method for the Pietenpol, if I ever>build another (highly unlikely), I will use a wrap-around aluminum>leading edge typical of many designs. Probably .020" 2024T3 (.016">might be a bit light, but false ribs between regular ribs could do>the trick. Also, built-up ribs of aluminum alloy angles riveted>together would be used (I have used this type of construction on>a "Wag-A-Bond" with success and hav built a sample Pietenpol rib>along the same lines).>>Those little 1/2 inch wide 1/6 inch ply tab gussets securing the >trailing edge to the ribs tend to warp under fabric tension over>the years; when I recovered my a/c in 1985 (when it was 15 years >old), I had to replace a lot of them...and I know of others who>have encountered the same problem and corrected it by using a >triangular-shaped gusset.>>Graham>>Hope this idea helps, Not easy to write (hope I could scketch in e-mails):In the Sorrel's Guppy plans the leading edge recomended is something like this:to put a long piece of 1/2" x about 1 1/2" or 2" wide all the span of thewing in the leading edge front, with this the front of the airfoil will besquare, and the cap strips will not be so curved (because they dont get allthe way to the front). Then glue a piece of balsa (or blue foam) and grindit to get the shape of the airfoil, then put the the thin ply to finish the"D". and cover the wing the normal way.Hope I got understud and it helpsSaludosGary Gower________________________________________________________________________________