What stage of construction is the airplane in? A couple of photos would help others understand what might be needed in the way of materials or skills or both.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Search found 694 matches
- Wed Jul 09, 2025 11:35 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Piet build
- Replies: 1
- Views: 16
- Tue Jul 01, 2025 4:21 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Got it. And if it's any consolation, pretty much anything in or on the passenger's seat is directly on the CG, so it won't affect the balance if you add weight there. In my W&B spreadsheet, I ran what-ifs to test the forward and aft CG limits. With the lightest possible pilot solo in the pilot's ...
- Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:10 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Interesting detail: the tapered wedges that slope the front seat bottom just a tad. Improves the pax comfort over a flat seat bottom. Was it originally that way, or is that improvement yours?
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Thu Jun 26, 2025 9:50 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Alternative Woods
- Replies: 5
- Views: 86
Re: Alternative Woods
N41CC, weighed with 3 qts of oil, prop, and its Cont A75 engine, no electrics and no starter, was 636 lbs. This is very close to what Mike Cuy's Piet weighs as well. They can be built light.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Wed Jun 25, 2025 11:16 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Alternative Woods
- Replies: 5
- Views: 86
Re: Alternative Woods
Douglas fir has been used in quite a few Piets, NX41CC included. Weighs just a tad more than spruce, is just a tad stronger than spruce in some respects, doesn't work quite as nicely as spruce sometimes, but is FAR easier to find and at less cost.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Thu Jun 19, 2025 11:16 pm
- Forum: Classified Ads
- Topic: Struts needed for Pietenpol Air Camper
- Replies: 2
- Views: 69
Re: Struts needed for Pietenpol Air Camper
Are you building a new plane, or looking to replace some existing struts? If new, you might consider the extruded aluminum streamline struts that used to be from Carlson, now available from Wicks Aircraft Supply.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Tue Jun 17, 2025 3:14 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
The same happened to NX41CC. I repaired the seat front twice during the time that I owned the plane, and the last time I did that I also added some supplementary framing similar to what you've done to provide more glued surface area to transfer the load from the plywood to the framing. I should also ...
- Thu May 29, 2025 12:41 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Intro
- Replies: 48
- Views: 22032
Re: Intro
There will be at least two factors to take into account: (1) how high can you comfortably step, and (2) will you be shifting the wing aft on the cabanes. If you shift the wing, you'll probably have to incorporate a flop panel into the trailing edge of your wing so you can get into the cockpit, or ...
- Sun May 18, 2025 11:33 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
It looks like an Air Camper rudder bar
-Oscar Z.

-Oscar Z.
- Mon May 12, 2025 11:06 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Wheel Brake Pedal Configuration
- Replies: 3
- Views: 151
Re: Wheel Brake Pedal Configuration
Are you thinking of mechanical brakes, or hydraulic? Both have been done. Although I no longer own it, my Air Camper had a rudder bar and toe-operated hydraulic brakes. The brake masters were from a Cessna 172 and the wheels/ brakes were Clevelands from a Bonanza. Tires were 6.00x6 Aero Trainers ...
- Sun Apr 27, 2025 11:35 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Sky Scout drawing updates?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 234
Re: Sky Scout drawing updates?
I have not heard of any, Tim. There is a likelihood that the reason for that is that far fewer examples of Sky Scouts have been built and flown than there have been Air Campers, and also that many (most-?) Sky Scout builders have implemented some of the tweaks that Air Camper builders and pilots ...
- Wed Apr 23, 2025 4:29 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: New Member
- Replies: 10
- Views: 348
Re: New Member
Tim, it sounds like you have studied the plans and other examples of the airplanes enough to get an excellent handle on what goes into building them. You are way ahead of the game!
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Wed Apr 23, 2025 12:23 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: New Member
- Replies: 10
- Views: 348
Re: New Member
Since the Scout is a single-place, there are some things about the Air Camper than won't play into your build. Most of the rest of it should be much the same, although the classic setup for the main landing gear on a Scout is different from what it is on the Air Camper, in that the Scout has the ...
- Tue Apr 22, 2025 11:06 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: New Member
- Replies: 10
- Views: 348
Re: New Member
Welcome, Tim. It will be interesting to hear & see what you intend to implement in your build of a Scout. Well, as long as it doesn't involve beta thrust or Cat IIIc instrument approach capability
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Fri Apr 18, 2025 5:40 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Looks like you're going about it the right way, which is "do it right the first time and you won't have to do it again". Steady as she goes!
-Oscar Zuniga
Medford,OR
-Oscar Zuniga
Medford,OR
- Sun Apr 13, 2025 11:29 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Cockpit Cowling
- Replies: 4
- Views: 254
Re: Cockpit Cowling
The workmanship on that plane looks impeccable, Dan. Talk about a perfect fit of the cowling aluminum around the cabane tube!
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Tue Apr 08, 2025 4:23 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Cockpit Cowling
- Replies: 4
- Views: 254
Re: Cockpit Cowling
NX41CC, same thing. Screwed directly to the longerons using PK screws.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Mon Apr 07, 2025 10:57 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Richard; you became a celebrity the day you acquired three four kilo papa and began your Pietenpol journey. But hey, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of publicity. Back when Mr. Pietenpol first flew his Air Camper, television was just becoming commercially viable, so your radio interview this ...
- Fri Mar 07, 2025 11:51 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Rudder Hinges
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1822
Re: Rudder Hinges
I am certainly not in it for the money. I'm in it for Pietenpol builders! However, I must say that people who supply the hinges in finished form do a beautiful job with the hinges that they sell. I also offer the oval Air Camper data plates that Brian Amato used to offer in aluminum (and may still ...
- Thu Mar 06, 2025 4:50 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Rudder Hinges
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1822
Re: Rudder Hinges
It depends on what you're looking for. One source out there can provide you with complete, finished, nicely executed pairs of hinges and for a Piet, you'll need 9 pairs (3 pairs on each elevator and 3 pairs on the rudder). If you're willing to work with as-cast blanks and perform the hand operations ...
- Mon Mar 03, 2025 11:00 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: airspeed static port
- Replies: 7
- Views: 545
Re: airspeed static port
I think it's quite common in open-cockpit airplanes to just read static pressure at the back of the instrument rather than running a tube from an actual static port on the exterior skin, but I'll let others chime in.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Wed Feb 26, 2025 10:52 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Ford Model A conversion
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4300
Re: Ford Model A conversion
Some very interesting and useful ideas here. I'm not a Model A engine guy but the ideas are useful nevertheless.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Sun Feb 23, 2025 10:48 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Intro
- Replies: 48
- Views: 22032
Re: Intro
Nice progress-!
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Sat Feb 22, 2025 4:43 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
I see that little wedge shim filler at the bottom
Nice work.
-Oscar

-Oscar
- Thu Feb 20, 2025 11:11 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Richard; the area that I had some problems with over the years that I flew N41CC was the front seat's front face vertical support plywood. On more than one occasion it got kicked by the pilot hard enough to break the plywood free (not by me though). I finally ended up tearing out the entire assembly ...
- Fri Feb 14, 2025 10:50 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: hard-wire bracing
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1810
Re: hard-wire bracing
Wish I could remember the young fellow's name, but in any case you can go to the search box in the upper RH corner of this forum page and enter 'ferrule' or 'tail brace wire' or some such thing and you should be able to find a useful link or two.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Thu Feb 13, 2025 10:39 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: hard-wire bracing
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1810
Re: hard-wire bracing
There are some websites and videos that provide exactly that: step-by-step methodology for making those beautiful wrapped and folded wire ferrules and ends. There was a young builder in this group who is exceptionally talented at making those but I've forgotten his name.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:24 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: SoCal Piet
- Replies: 2
- Views: 784
Re: SoCal Piet
Where in SoCal? Scott Liefeld is somewhere over in the Lancaster area, by Palmdale.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Tue Jan 14, 2025 11:13 pm
- Forum: Classified Ads
- Topic: AirCamper Plans for sale- SOLD
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1346
Re: AirCamper Plans for sale
Doc: still got these plans for sale?
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Sun Jan 12, 2025 11:04 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Pitot tube
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3218
Re: Pitot tube
14 CFR 91.205 covers day VFR flight for U.S. aircraft with standard category airworthiness certification and all it says is that an airspeed indicator is required, period. So if it's good enough for standard category, it should certainly be good enough for experimentals. I suppose you could use a ...
- Sun Dec 08, 2024 11:04 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Oddly Sized Piet Fuse
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2254
Re: Oddly Sized Piet Fuse
Just for the heck of it and for studying where things are relative to one another with the plane in the straight and level position, I've attached a plot of a CAD layout that I did of a conventional Air Camper pretty much by the plans (no brakes; Ford A engine mount; vertical cabanes)- except that I ...
- Thu Nov 21, 2024 3:05 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
I'll bet that fuselage frame is stiffening up nicely, what with the blocking and crosspieces and gussets getting installed. One of the most comforting things about a Piet is the robustness of its basic structural 'cage'.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Wed Nov 13, 2024 10:59 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
It's a wonder that the entire world isn't held rigidly in place with gussets. Got to have them!
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Tue Oct 08, 2024 11:32 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
They don't call it "working time" for nothing. Spread and smooth on all glue areas for all you're worth... you can feel it starting to get a little tacky... get it into place... lift and shift, align and clamp, unloosen and readjust... hurry! Hurry!. Then it's past the point of no return and you ...
- Thu Oct 03, 2024 3:18 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Well come on, Richard... floor it!
-Oscar

-Oscar
- Mon Sep 30, 2024 3:24 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
...and who doesn't love a nice piece of wood? Especially if it has an airplane part inside it!
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Sat Sep 21, 2024 5:22 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Now there's a forward-thinking man...
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Thu Sep 12, 2024 3:55 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
"Do or not do. There is no try." -Yoda
- Tue Sep 10, 2024 4:50 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Wish I lived closer to you. I have the plywood that you'd need without having to scarf it. I have the plywood for the sides, too. Leftovers from the Piet project that Corky started but never finished.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Mon Sep 09, 2024 10:43 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
And yet another example of how the simple things are often the most elegant. Very nice detail.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Fri Aug 09, 2024 10:26 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Length of center section struts
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3765
Re: Length of center section struts
The cabane struts on 41CC are the length shown on the plans but since they are slanted aft to adjust the CG, the wing is brought closer to the pilot's head and blocks access to the cockpit just a little more than if they were installed vertically. The plane has a centersection "flop panel" to make ...
- Thu Aug 08, 2024 3:06 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: Length of center section struts
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3765
Re: Length of center section struts
I think the ones on 41CC were extended a bit but I'll check. They are definitely tilted aft to improve the CG situation.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:27 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
I check daily to see what the latest work is looking like.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Wed Jun 26, 2024 3:08 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Yes, I was going to ask, "Would you like gussets with that framing sir?"
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Thu Jun 13, 2024 12:40 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Richard: even the pyramids were built one stone at a time, and so it is with building an Air Camper. You can't rush this stuff and if you do it right the first time, you'll only have to do it once
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Thu May 30, 2024 10:50 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: turnbuckles
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2483
Re: turnbuckles
Chuck, there are several locations where turnbuckles are (or can be) used in the plane and although most of them are for 3/32" cable, some builders use 1/16" for the tail braces (for example), so there is that.
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
- Thu May 23, 2024 3:24 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Wish I had thought of that nifty scarfing jig. It's nice when you have the working room for nice jigs and clamps and planes and spokeshaves to work with! It seems like anytime I need to make repairs to something, I have to work with small tools and work by eyeball in very tight spaces.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Fri May 17, 2024 10:44 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: West coast Piet
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5991
Re: West coast Piet
Yesssss-!!! Glad it's back!
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Mon Apr 29, 2024 10:19 am
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
That's gotta be a great feeling, Richard. I know it was a great feeling for me every time I completed a subassembly back when I was making repairs to my Air Camper. Patience and determination will eventually win the day.
-Oscar
-Oscar
- Sat Apr 27, 2024 12:21 pm
- Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
- Topic: N34KP's rebuild
- Replies: 154
- Views: 99117
Re: N34KP's rebuild
Looks like an airplane, from nose to tail.
-Oscar
-Oscar