Search found 637 matches

by taildrags
Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:21 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: A new French builder?
Replies: 3
Views: 3398

Re: A new French builder?

35 kts = 40 MPH, I'm pretty sure my Air Camper can do this. Maximum weight 650-700 lbs: my Air Camper is right in that range, and that's including a few things it doesn't need, like a venturi vacuum, vertical speed indicator, and turn/bank indicator. Maximum gross weight of 992 pounds can be met by ...
by taildrags
Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:21 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: Pietenpol 90th Anniversary Poster
Replies: 3
Views: 4840

Re: Pietenpol 90th Anniversary Poster

Ordered mine! It will get framed and hung in my hangar. Definitely a keepsake.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
by taildrags
Mon Apr 01, 2019 10:13 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Steel Fuselage Progress
Replies: 6
Views: 5020

Re: Steel Fuselage Progress

What I like about rigidly linking the front and back controls is that it helps keep the rudder horn from getting loaded too heavily if the pilot presses with both feet at the same time. I've found myself in many a demanding landing when on rollout I noticed that my legs were very tense on the rudder...
by taildrags
Sun Mar 31, 2019 5:18 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Steel Fuselage Progress
Replies: 6
Views: 5020

Re: Steel Fuselage Progress

ArthurD; very interesting to see that you're using a rudder bar in front and pedals in back. Do you intend to link them together using cables, or using rods/tubes?

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
by taildrags
Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:12 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Instrument Panel
Replies: 11
Views: 8628

Re: Instrument Panel

Ken, I like your method of navigating! Simple and foolproof. No sir... they'll never call you Ken "Wrong Way" Bickers ;o)
by taildrags
Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:23 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Instrument Panel
Replies: 11
Views: 8628

Re: Instrument Panel

Hey Ron- Help! I've tried turning my mag compass every which way but can't find 12 o'clock on it! ;o) I've had a couple of vehicles that seemed like they were designed to have the gauge needles more or less centered when the readings were normal, and I know a lot of race cars are set up that way so ...
by taildrags
Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:20 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Instrument Panel
Replies: 11
Views: 8628

Re: Instrument Panel

I like where you have the magnetic compass. Mine is roughly "top dead center" in my panel, where you show your ASI, and it's apparently close enough to the steel control stick that when I move the stick towards or away from the compass- the heading readout changes. Oscar Zuniga Medford, OR...
by taildrags
Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:28 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: offset vertical fin
Replies: 10
Views: 7626

Re: offset vertical fin

Mine is offset 1/2" to port but the offset would be in the opposite direction if you have a Corvair or other engine that turns in a direction opposite to Continentals and Lycomings. I honestly don't know which way a Ford (or a Jeep) turns. I have no need or desire for in-flight adjustment of ru...
by taildrags
Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:28 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: offset vertical fin
Replies: 10
Views: 7626

Re: offset vertical fin

Mine is offset 1/2" to port but the offset would be in the opposite direction if you have a Corvair or other engine that turns in a direction opposite to Continentals and Lycomings. I honestly don't know which way a Ford (or a Jeep) turns. I have no need or desire for in-flight adjustment of ru...
by taildrags
Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:18 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Tail Wheel weight consideration?
Replies: 4
Views: 4754

Re: Tail Wheel weight consideration?

Wow... you polished up those hinges to a real shine!

-Oscar
by taildrags
Mon Mar 11, 2019 12:32 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Bill Rewey
Replies: 14
Views: 11392

Re: Bill Rewey

Surely there must be-??!! Bill gave so many rides to so many people! Bill must have been in the big formation flight of Piets from what, the 75th anniversary? The 80th-?
by taildrags
Mon Mar 11, 2019 12:29 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Tail Wheel weight consideration?
Replies: 4
Views: 4754

Re: Tail Wheel weight consideration?

My only experience is with the Scott 2000 and the Matco T6. I have flown both of them on my Piet and the Matco is 0.4 lb lighter than the Scott, using the same 2-leaf steel spring on both setups. On my scales, both the Scott 2000 and the Matco T6 came in at between 4.5 and 5 lbs., but from previous ...
by taildrags
Thu Mar 07, 2019 10:25 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Vi Kapler style hinges
Replies: 14
Views: 9741

Re: Vi Kapler style hinges

Rick; email me at taildrags@hotmail.com for more info. They are $35 for a set of nine pairs of hinges, as-cast, ready for the builder to finish.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
by taildrags
Mon Mar 04, 2019 10:10 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Elevator Covering Time Lapse Video
Replies: 4
Views: 4409

Re: Elevator Covering Time Lapse Video

He said EkoFill, which means he's using the Stewart Systems (water-based) covering system. Everything I've seen about it has been favorable, but I've never used it myself.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
by taildrags
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:46 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop hub snap ring
Replies: 8
Views: 6449

Re: Prop hub snap ring

If I may wander off to the side just a little bit here, if I recall the situation with my old A65, it was not possible to remove the prop bolts from the hub with it installed on the engine... the back of the hub was just too close to the engine cases for the bolts to be able to back out. What this m...
by taildrags
Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:02 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop hub snap ring
Replies: 8
Views: 6449

Re: Prop hub snap ring

You may find that the safety bolt should be the last part to go in, otherwise you may have trouble slipping the snap over the nut past the safety bolt.
by taildrags
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:47 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop hub snap ring
Replies: 8
Views: 6449

Re: Prop hub snap ring

Well, as near as I can tell from the prop hub removal/installation procedure (which, by the way, was also published in the Spring 2014 issue of the BPA Newsletter), the snap ring would be the last thing to go back into the hub after the propeller hub nut is installed and torqued. There is a snap rin...
by taildrags
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:16 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop hub snap ring
Replies: 8
Views: 6449

Re: Prop hub snap ring

OK, now I've got it... you're referring to the tapered shaft prop hub on Continentals. The article on how to deal with this hub, by Bob Gehring and Steve Krog, is on the Flybaby site. I'll have to see what it says about the snap ring... my old A65 had the tapered shaft hub but I never had to remove ...
by taildrags
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:12 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop hub snap ring
Replies: 8
Views: 6449

Re: Prop hub snap ring

Tbopper: need more information! What engine does your airplane have? Corvair? Ford? Continental? Each of those uses different prop hubs, and of those three, the only one that I've heard of that might use a snap ring is the Corvair. Not too many people used the snap ring on the Corvair safety shaft/h...
by taildrags
Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:01 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Bill Rewey
Replies: 14
Views: 11392

Re: Bill Rewey

I'm sure this is very premature, but has anyone talked with the family about the possibility of continuing to make Bill's packet of "idea drawings" that he used to sell? They are great. I've misplaced the set that I've had for a number of years and wish I could get another. Oscar Zuniga Me...
by taildrags
Wed Feb 06, 2019 11:17 pm
Forum: Photo Section
Topic: A call for photos
Replies: 3
Views: 4742

Re: A call for photos

Brian; oh, there are some Ford-powered beauties among the Air Campers out there! We featured one example, Dan Helsper's airplane, on the cover of Contact! Magazine some time back but I believe those photos were copyrighted. I can check with Dan to see if they can be shared with other publications, b...
by taildrags
Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:33 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop Question
Replies: 4
Views: 4127

Re: Prop Question

Since no one else has replied, I'll throw in my opinion: connect with one of the prop manufacturers and get their recommendation. My prop is a Tennessee Props (now Culver) 72x36 and my engine is a Cont A75. This engine develops its 75 HP at 2575 RPM, which is quite close to where the 2600 that the C...
by taildrags
Mon Feb 04, 2019 9:53 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Prop Question
Replies: 4
Views: 4127

Re: Prop Question

Pat; when we post replies to this type of inquiry, how do we know that the person who raised the question gets the replies? If they are not subscribed to the list, surely you don't have to forward them back and forth?

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
by taildrags
Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:00 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: forming control horns
Replies: 8
Views: 6308

Re: forming control horns

Brian; by fabricating the horns in the cupped-sandwich style, you get the torsional rigidity and bending stiffness of a tube without the weight of a solid billet of the same dimensions. There are several control horns back on the tail where weight needs to be kept to a minimum. I'm not a welder and ...
by taildrags
Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:53 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: New member, rookie question
Replies: 6
Views: 5021

Re: New member, rookie question

See, I learn things almost every time somebody posts to this list! Lownslow, that's a very interesting setup you have, with a removable center section of the pilot's seat that gives you access to the control elements that pass beneath the seat. On my airplane, the entire plywood seat piece is loose,...
by taildrags
Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:51 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots
Replies: 9
Views: 7582

Re: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots

If you know of someone who has a sailboat, or if there is a sailboat shop in your area, they use a cable tensioning gauge to set up the standing rigging on the boat and you should be able to either borrow it to check your cables, or perhaps give them a tour of your shop if they'll bring the tensioni...
by taildrags
Thu Jan 24, 2019 10:16 am
Forum: Photo Section
Topic: Does everyone's shop look like this?
Replies: 5
Views: 6065

Re: Does everyone's shop look like this?

Umm, Brian- you may want to rephrase that last comment. "I think it looks like a train wreck. So does my wife." She may not like the way that sounds :lol: :D
by taildrags
Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:21 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Stromberg richness
Replies: 8
Views: 6283

Re: Stromberg richness

...and of course, numbered drills go in the opposite direction of what you'd expect. That is, a #45 makes a bigger hole than a #50. Tom, I had not thought about the solder trick but that sounds like a reasonable way to start leaning the mixture. Back when I used to do a lot of deer hunting, we would...
by taildrags
Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:50 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Stromberg richness
Replies: 8
Views: 6283

Re: Stromberg richness

Paul; if you're going to open up the carb, that would be a good time to look at the main jet. Take a look at the comparison table below that shows the jet sizes for the different engine displacements. The A65 takes a #49 jet (the number should correspond to the same numbered drill size, 0.0730"...
by taildrags
Sat Jan 19, 2019 1:27 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: Stromberg carburetor
Replies: 3
Views: 4139

Re: Stromberg carburetor

Don; I just wanted to mention that I received the carb a while back. I had been out of town when it came in, then was down with a cold and crud for a week since then and I just realized that I failed to acknowledge receipt. Thank you. By the way, we discussed venturi sizes when we spoke on the phone...
by taildrags
Fri Jan 18, 2019 9:40 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Stromberg richness
Replies: 8
Views: 6283

Re: Stromberg richness

Paul; the Stromberg is a relatively simple carb as far as number of parts, but it's a very clever design. Looking at the fuel and air passages and how each of them comes into play in various stages of the engine's operation, I'm not quite sure how adjusting the float level will change the mixture th...
by taildrags
Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:19 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Stromberg richness
Replies: 8
Views: 6283

Re: Stromberg richness

Paul; I'm assuming that your Stromberg doesn't have a functioning mixture control? The NA-S3A1 carb was designed with a mixture control; the -S3B was blanked off. Some of them have the mixture control 'guts' removed and a blank-off plate over the place where the mechanism goes, while others simply h...
by taildrags
Wed Jan 16, 2019 10:15 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS
Replies: 11
Views: 8091

Re: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS

Maxray: are you kidding? I just looked at the Carlson site and (4) of those 106" long struts would be $280. Scrap? No! I'll take them; get with me offline at taildrags@hotmail.com to arrange for shipping and payment.
by taildrags
Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:29 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots
Replies: 9
Views: 7582

Re: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots

Whoa... wait a minute. Those show up as PDFs but the first two are actually Word documents that any word processing program should be able to open. Microsoft Word is the most available such program. The W&B spreadsheet is an Excel spreadsheet, xls format, that you can open with any spreadsheet p...
by taildrags
Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:26 am
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots
Replies: 9
Views: 7582

Re: Old Information for New Pietenpol Pilots

Brian; those are PDF documents... Portable Document Format... you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and view them. It's a free download, here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/
by taildrags
Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:18 pm
Forum: Photo Section
Topic: Warm in January
Replies: 5
Views: 6139

Re: Warm in January

Richard; yes... extremely rare for us, too. We had a high of 63 today... January 8... middle of winter in Medford, Oregon.
by taildrags
Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:28 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS
Replies: 11
Views: 8091

Re: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS

Also, the Air Camper plans show the lift struts as about 90" between the bolt holes and your struts are 16" longer than that so the length should work too.
by taildrags
Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:26 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS
Replies: 11
Views: 8091

Re: LARGE CARLSON STRUTS

maxray: I've run an analysis on the 'small' Carlson struts and they are several times stronger than what is required for a +3.8G loading on an Air Camper, so the large struts would be even more adequate than that. I am planning a writeup on analyzing the loads in the Air Camper lift struts in an upc...
by taildrags
Wed Jan 02, 2019 10:29 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: 1/8" Plywood
Replies: 4
Views: 4419

Re: 1/8" Plywood

Dan; I am not in the wood business and not in the FAA standards office business either. Just an ordinary builder with the usual curiosities, so I have often wondered what the circumstances might be where an experimental amateur-built aircraft might have its wooden structure subjected to boiling wate...
by taildrags
Wed Dec 26, 2018 3:16 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.
Replies: 15
Views: 11358

Re: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.

Ture: yes, the 7-cylinder Rotec is the R2800. They also have a 9-cylinder model, the R3600.
by taildrags
Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:55 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Tail Feathers Confusion
Replies: 16
Views: 12593

Re: Tail Feathers Confusion

A quick check on the internet (Ashby Lumber stores in the bay area) shows 1/8", 3'x7' mahogany door skins for fifteen bucks or so.
by taildrags
Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:51 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Tail Feathers Confusion
Replies: 16
Views: 12593

Re: Tail Feathers Confusion

Brian; I'm pretty sure I've seen postings from folks who have used 3mm Lauan (Philippine mahogany or meranti) as well as 1/8" mahogany door skins for making gussets. My airplane has a variety of materials in use as gussets as well as map holders and other bits here and there.
by taildrags
Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:47 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Short vs. Long Fuselage
Replies: 1
Views: 5430

Re: Short vs. Long Fuselage

This is a topic that has been discussed since the time that the early cavemen first learned how to draw airplanes ;o) There are multiple variations of the Air Camper fuselage, but the two main versions that you're most likely referring to would be the "short" fuselage length that appears i...
by taildrags
Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:09 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.
Replies: 15
Views: 11358

Re: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.

You can also learn a lot from Jake Schultz's steel-tube fuselage Air Camper with 7-cylinder Rotec radial. Jake has posted many more photos of his setup, so search on his name and you should find more.
16.JPG
by taildrags
Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:05 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.
Replies: 15
Views: 11358

Re: Fueslage Modifications For Diffrent Engines.

Steve Mather captured 498K in this photo that was taken at the Wings 'n' Wheels event in Warren Ohio in 2015. 5-cylinder 90 HP Lambert radial. Absolutely gorgeous aircraft/engine combination and the cabanes appear to be vertical or nearly so, which would indicate that the weight & balance with t...
by taildrags
Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:15 am
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: Stromberg carburetor
Replies: 3
Views: 4139

Re: Stromberg carburetor

Don: by any chance did you know Deanie Montgomery from Corsicana? He rebuilt the first Stromberg that I flew on my A65. He was somewhat of a specialist on Strombergs. Passed away in 2012.
by taildrags
Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:32 pm
Forum: Classified Ads
Topic: Stromberg carburetor
Replies: 3
Views: 4139

Re: Stromberg carburetor

I believe I am the next owner of Don's Stromberg carb, or will be as soon as he gets my check. I love these carbs and I try to pick them up whenever one comes available. I helped someone get back in the air with a spare rebuilt Stromberg that I had on my shelf years ago, and this one will be lovingl...
by taildrags
Wed Dec 12, 2018 9:57 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: offset vertical fin
Replies: 10
Views: 7626

Re: offset vertical fin

Bob; although I won't say that my Air Camper now flies "feet off" in level cruise, it's a lot closer than it was before I adjusted the engine thrust offset and put a bit of offset in the vertical stabilizer. I would have put in a bit more offset to the VS to get things perfect, but the aft...
by taildrags
Wed Dec 12, 2018 4:59 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: offset vertical fin
Replies: 10
Views: 7626

Re: offset vertical fin

Bob; the VS on my Air Camper, Cont. A75 engine, is offset 1/2" from the vertical. I've seen some setups that have stacks of washers on each side of the VS to permit varying the offset by shimming.
offset.JPG
by taildrags
Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:48 pm
Forum: Pietenpol Builders Forum
Topic: Bracing for the flying strut
Replies: 4
Views: 4066

Re: Bracing for the flying strut

Tbopper; those are jury struts. They're very simple braces that help prevent the wing struts from buckling under negative-G loads and also help prevent the struts from getting into any sort of harmonic vibration. It is generally agreed that it's best to place the jury struts either above or below th...