Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Oscar, we're in sound agreement on all points, sir! Whomever purchases this bird is going to have a terrific plane on their hands!

I agree with your assessment, by-and-large, Oscar. The one complication I might add would be for a case like mine - I operate out of a strip that is within the Mode-C veil of a Class Bravo airport. If I had an electrical system, (or if my aircraft been given it's airworthiness certificate with one i...

Oh, very interesting! I’m headed to the airplane today to do some puttering. I’ll have to see if those might fit. I’m taken with the idea of making my own now, but that could be a good pattern to work from.

I hadn't thought of the aluminum route - that's an interesting idea. Knowing that I haven't completely overlooked a pre-made solution, I'll do some thinking and see what I can come up with!

Evening, all, I was in the hangar the other day doing some puttering, and noticed that a couple of the molded plastic (stick-on/glue-on, by the looks of it?) plastic cable exit fairings that the builder used on the wings and fuselage are cracked or missing. I'd like to replace the missing ones, and ...

I went for a cruise/fuel run the other day, and ended up getting back to the barn just a little before sunset. Boy is it a photogenic design!

Welcome! Show us some pictures of your project!

I think, like Oscar says, if you have a rudder bar, you're likely stuck. If you have pedals, you might be able to re-mount them. It's a fairly straightforward system on mine, but moving the pedals forward on my particular aircraft WOULD render my brakes unusable. YMMV.

Ezra, at 6' 1", I'm not quite as tall as you are, but I don't have any trouble with legroom on my Piet. I'm even able to fly in hiking boots, though it takes a little longer to thread myself into the cockpit properly. I DO find that, sitting straight up, I'm a bit above the windscreen protectio...

That video is alarming, to say the least! Good on you guys for grounding the airplane and figuring it out. Was there any play or movement noted in the V-stab during y'all's preflights leading up to this? Or did the movement only show up in flight?

Howdy, Jim! I’m just a steward, not a builder, but it’s a great design, and a solid community. I used to fly in and out of FWA a lot. It’s a neat area! Looking forward to seeing your project come to fruition. There is a ton of knowledge on here. Good luck!

Some of the other airport tenants have warned me that the hangars have some mouse problems in the winter, so I've spent a fair bit of time on mouse-defense measures instead of flying this past week. So far I've installed ultrasonic emitters around the hangar, and sprayed the perimeter with what is s...

I'll try to get a photo of 5TM's brakes next time I'm out at the plane (may be next week), but the guy who installed them did a pretty clever thing, in my opinion - and no, I'm not the builder! The master cylinders are under the box formed by the passenger seat, with the heel brake levers extending ...

Yowza! I knew my low time-in-type would probably hurt me, but geez. Sounds like I better keep hunting. the $1200 quote was from Starr. I'll have to see if Global is an option. My field has no insurance requirement, and I am really only interested in liability coverage myself - several other GA frien...

Oscar, that's supposed to be a lovely area - very cool. I've been happy with the performance of my Stromberg so far, and your early advice matches everything else I've found regarding it: If it's working, don't mess with it! So I won't. Feels odd not to have a mixture control, but I can't argue with...

I think I've seen the photo of KTOWN on his record-setting flight! :lol: Remarkable! I can certainly relate to the "high-altitude" willies. We used to run down as low as we could as a rule in Alaska... there was a pretty long stretch there where I was pretty sure that anything over 1500' w...

Richard, wow - now that sounds like quite a journey! One day I hope to get out to Brodhead myself. Definitely need to build my Pietenpol chops up a little first though! 5TM doesn't have a flop, actually. If I ever need to recover the wing, that would definitely be a modification I would do, however,...

One thing I notice this forum doesn't have that many type-specific forums do is a section to compile trip/flight reports! So, rather than start a new thread, I'll add mine here - I apologize if it doesn't belong! After several failed attempts to get the time/logistics/weather curves to line up, I fi...

No apologies on the string of posts - it’s all great info, thank you! The gentleman who owned 5TM before me and restored the airplane is an excellent metal-worker, and hand built those cooling eyebrows to replace some that were cracked and worn - I have a high degree of confidence they’ll hold up fo...

I’ll start with the disclaimer that I am NOT an electrical engineer, and go to extreme lengths to avoid wiring projects! I ended up going with a Sigtronics intercom box/mixer for my PTT solution. My ICOM plugs into the Sigtronics box, my headset and PTT switch plug into the Sig box, and my front pas...

Oscar! Thanks for the warm welcome! I’ve definitely noticed that the recipe 5TM follows seems to be a common one. And it seems to work - she’s a peach! I drive an A320 for a living, so the goal with the Piet was to scratch the stick-and-rudder itch - and I’m definitely on the hunt for every tip, tri...

Howdy! I have recently become the new owner and steward of N325TM, a 1986 completion, which recently underwent a light restoration and re-engine. It now has a C65 nestled in the nose. It's a stone-simple, no-electric/no starter airplane. I've long admired Pietenpols, and am thrilled to finally be ab...