Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Thanks Earl...looks great!

John C

Just wondering how you ended your turtle deck. I'm using foam board to get the basic set up. I now have the boards in place still using foam supports. Keep them all straight? Bunch them together?

Thank you,

John C

I'll weld the bushing first, then drill into it followed the reamer. It'll be interesting to see what it looks like when I'm done. Won't be much left I guess.

John C

Thank you Richard and Oscar. I am using AN5 in the rudder post hole. I will ream the .049 bushing. Is there any reason I can't ream it before welding? I can easily ream it in my lathe.

John C

I have a problem with the rudder post (or maybe it's the rudder bar). As per plans, I drilled a hole in the rudder bar to accept a bushing 1" long using 3/8" 18 ga (.049) tube. Plans show a 5/16" inch bolt welded to the rudder post and the rudder bar (bushing) rides on it, so I natura...

Guess I'll just bring the turtle deck to the 18" mark then. Thanks!

John

The long fuse shows 18 7/8" from rear to turtle deck. The short fuse shows 18". If the horizontal stabilizer is 18", why is the long fuse showing 18 7/8"? I'm trying to figure out where to end the turtle deck. Thanks!

John Cronin

Has anyone welded sections together for the Rudder Post? Bending it seems like a difficult task. Also, regarding the bushing in the rudder bar; plans call for 3/8" 18ga (.049) tube in there with a 5/16" bolt. A 5/16" bolt won't fit in such a tube. So, AN4 bolt with plans specified bus...

Those seven boards that go from the pilot seat-back to just forwards of the tail....I just found in my shop (been several years) I have seven boards labeled Turtle Deck and they are 1" X 1/4". I'll use them.

Thanks!

Stops short just before it hits my leg. I'm thinking once the plane is almost complete I can see where the travel is and sand a little from the "V" if I have to.

I must be blind; can't see it on the plans. What size are the boards of the turtle deck? Thanks!

I saw other builders that had to notch out the passenger seat to allow full (left) travel of the control stick. That's due to the rod connecting both sticks hitting the edge of the "V" hole. My aileron horn gets about 5/8" from the floor when I hit the seat. I'm not sure if the ailero...

Thank you. For the lugs in the forward and aft control sticks where the connector tube attaches, I'm thinking of AN415-2. For the front torque tube collar, it seems I'll need something with a small diameter. I also want to be able to remove and reinstall it while seated in the front cockpit. Checkin...

The plans show a rivet in the forward collar at the front of the torque tube. I'm wondering what other ways have been used to hold the collar in place. While I'm here, has anyone used a cotter pin to keep the tube in place (mounted on control stick lugs) which connects both control sticks? If so, an...

Thank you Earl and Oscar.

Is the pilot headrest board (typically with a door to the helmet box) attached behind the cross strut? That's how it looks on the plans, but I've seen photos where the builder apparently mounted it on top of the pilot backrest (in front of the cross strut). While I'm here, I can't find dimensions fo...