Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Brian Amato

We lost our good friend, Piet builder and BPA member, John Greenlee. His wife, Maryann would consider selling his lovely Aircamper if anyone is interested. It's a real beauty. In fact, it's on the cover of the recent newsletter. That's John, in his Piet, taxiing it. It's in Bowie, TX If anyone is in...

Brian Amato

OK...here's the deal. Realizing I don't have enough lifetime or wherewithal left to finish this project as an honest to God Aircamper, and since I have these lovely Ribs and Tail Feathers all done, and the aileron horns all fashioned, it occurred to me "maybe I could turn this into an ultraligh...

Brian Amato

Very nicely done

Brian Amato

No one? Not even curious?

Brian Amato

I've struggled with this decision but I realize now, at my age, I'm not likely to finish the Air Camper project I have under construction, I'm too lame to get in and out of it and I have no where to store it so..... I have the entire set of ribs all done and looking very nice. You can see some photo...

Brian Amato

Looks like terrific work....and how lucky you are to have such a nice big area to work in.

Brian Amato

Congrats to Dan Helsper and the terrific two page color photo spread of his Air Camper in the recent issue of EAA's Sport Aviation. Over Brodhead at sunset. Terrific

Brian Amato

4130 is very easy to gas weld. I built my entire Corben Jr. Ace fuselage out of 4130 and it welds like a dream. I know....that probably sounds like a smart a## thing to say if you're just starting to weld but, really, it's pretty easy after you've done a little practicing.
Use mild steel rod.

Brian Amato

Bass wood in other areas: Good idea ......I might be able to use it in other areas. It's lovely stuff !!

Brian Amato

I agree with Oscar. Best to follow the plans. Guys that think they have a better idea and start changing things wind up chasing their tail through the whole build. Just not worth it.

Brian Amato

Thanks everybody. More a case of lazy and frugal on my part than anything else. A good friend had this basswood and offered it to me. I built the Corben Jr. Ace using nice, straight grain, Doug Fir and it was terrific. Even the FAA inspector said it was superior to much of what he sees. We have a sm...

Brian Amato

Fair enough. No basswood

Brian Amato

I've been offered some lovely 2" thick, 16' long bass wood by a friend who has been storing them for years. I'm wondering about planing and ripping them for the longerons. I have the rest of the wood (Sitka) for uprights and cross members but I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts about bass ...

Brian Amato

Thanks Tom. By "sheets"...what size did you mean?
B

Brian Amato

Love it Oscar....I always forget about the airplane supply isle at Lowes.
B

Brian Amato

Where have you guys been buying your 1/8" plywood for the fuselage gussets? Aircraft Spruce? Boat Builders supply houses? Home Depot?
I'm ready to start the fuselage and wondering what you've been doing about this stuff?
Brian

Brian Amato

Thanks guys !!

Brian Amato

Thanks guys....makes perfect sense. (Nice welding, my the way) As I look at your photos, I see the mid braces and cross braces at both the top and bottom of the fuselage, don't actually touch the longerons but touch the gussets at the longerons. Does everyone agree that's as it should be? Can't see ...

Brian Amato

Sounds like a plan EAB4. So you're saying, the fuselage is mostly assembled including the inside and outside gussets at each of the longereon/strut joints but not the plywood sides. The plywood sides act like one giant gusset really. You've boxed the fuselage all together except for the plywood side...

Brian Amato

I'm ready to start the fuselage and I not only want it to be strong and to the correct dimensions, I want it to be fairly attractive when you looking inside the cockpit. I can already see where I could wind up with some unattractive glue "ooze-out" between the plywood sides and the struts ...

Brian Amato

Yes....John Eagen. That's the guy

Brian Amato

I could do that too

Brian Amato

Great. Hope it will be of some help to all of us still working through the "what the heck are the plans trying to show here" phase and at least see how another guy did it. For sure, there will be those who say "naaa....that's not right. He didn't do it the way the plans show..." ...

Brian Amato

Here's a better idea....go to this album:
https://myalbum.com/album/bNQLRUSE6foQ

Brian Amato

See if you guys can open this album. This is a first for me.
https://myalbum.com/album/bNQLRUSE6foQ

Brian Amato

Makes sense. Let me figure out how to make an album. Any words of advice?

Brian Amato

Just got back from Brodhead and Oshkosh. EAA was featuring the Corben and the Pietenpol and a guy (I've forgotten his name but he's on staff at EAA) had is Aircamper on display. Appeared to be completely done and ready to cover. It gave us all a terrific chance to walk around and see how every littl...

Brian Amato

Just got back from Brodhead and Oshkosh. EAA was featuring the Corben and the Pietenpol and a guy (I've forgotten his name but he's on staff at EAA) had is Aircamper on display. Appeared to be completely done and ready to cover. It gave us all a terrific chance to walk around and see how every littl...

Brian Amato

So....where are you with this?

Brian Amato

My two or three cents input on this and then I'll shut up and just lurk and read: For years, my brother and I built boats using good ol' "Weldwood Brown Powder Glue" The description is: Weldwood® Plastic Resin Glue is a powdered, ureaformaldehyde wood glue activated by mixing with water. F...

Brian Amato

I love that snow shoe weave. Light and looks "old timey"
Brian

Brian Amato

I'm with you Oscar. Back when I built the Corben Jr. Ace, the favorite wood glue at the time was FPL-16. (Forest Products Laboratories recipe number 16). Messy stuff, left white stains on anything it touched but boy did it hold two pieces of wood together! Now everybody thinks your airplane is going...

Brian Amato

I'd like to see someone talk about the merits of glue like the tried and true Weldwood "cold water brown powder glue" we've all used for years, vs T-88 vs something like Titebond-III. All very popular and proven for boat building.

Brian Amato

I'd be interested in the engine too...

Brian Amato

Joe...can I see some Pics?
Brian
kwesting2@gmail.com

Brian Amato

Ordaz: You don't want to try to do a babbitt job by yourself. In fact, you can't unless you have all the specialized equipment. I help my buddy here in town who spent a lot of money and time learning the trade and has all the equipment. Heater and crucible to melt the babbitt, the dams you need to f...

Brian Amato

What shape is the Model A engine in? Was it just recently rebuilt? How long has it been sitting without running? I'd pull the pan and get a look at the Babbitt job and see if there are any pieces of Babbitt floating around in there. No joke. We find it all the time. Guys that don't know how to do a ...

Brian Amato

Thanks to those of you who were kind enough to send me photos. The article is done and awaiting publication. They told me it will be the May-June issue of "The Restorer" magazine. The official magazine of MAFCA....Model A Ford Club of America. Once it's actually mailed out, I'll provide a ...

Brian Amato

Terrific job with the latest news letter. I know what a chore it is....I do our Model A Ford club NL and it takes hours.
Thanks for all your hard work !

Brian Amato

Yup. Doesn't seem to matter if you buy them at the dollar store or a paint store...all the same to me.
I had that happen to me when I was building the Corben. In the end, after it had dried well, I just used maroon Scotchbright pads and it knocked them right off and I was good to go.

Brian Amato

The covered tail feathers look great. Tell us how the Graco works out for you.

Brian Amato

Hi Oscar. Yea, that's what I thought. That's the same system I used on the Corben Jr. Ace only back then it was called something else. I really liked NO Fumes and water cleanup. It came out great for me. For the final paint job, though, I went to Randolph and used their line of Dope for the fabric a...

Brian Amato

What covering system are you using and do you like it so far?

Brian Amato

To our buddy in France: I posted this before and I'll pass it along again. Maybe it will be of help to you: Guys, I'm just passing this source along. I have no vested interest in his business. I found him doing a web search for all things Pietenpol. I wound up buying his set of control horns, all la...

Brian Amato

Guys, I'm just passing this source along. I have no vested interest in his business. I found him doing a web search for all things Pietenpol. I wound up buying his set of control horns, all laser cut from 4130 and perfect to the correct dimensions. Yesterday I bought his set of fuselage and tail fit...

Brian Amato

And, if you can, find you some nice, straight grain Douglas Fir. What your lumber guy will call Vertical Grain Doug Fir. It's an acceptable substitute for Sitka, according to the FAA and so much cheaper. Just look closely at the grain of the stuff you're buying. I was talking to Andrew Pietenpol the...

Brian Amato

Thanks Oscar and, yes, it really is a beautiful example. So nice I have it as my computer screen desktop background. Gives me encouragement every time I look at it.
B

Brian Amato

Hey guys, I'm very much involved in Model A Fords and I write a few articles each year for both "The Restorer" and "Model A News" magazines. The staff of "The Restorer" have asked me to write a photo story about the the history of the Pietenpol and the Model A engine th...

Brian Amato

I went to Home Depot plumbing dept. and bought a length of 4" PVC pipe and a PVC cap. I already had some PVC cement. The tubing only needs to be about 4 feet long because you're only worried about wetting out the first foot or so of the cap strips anyway. After I had a fist full of cap strips r...

Brian Amato

Tom.....that's brilliant !!
Thanx

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