Brodhead Pietenpol Association

I'm wondering about how many more hours I have to go. Theoretically, I can put 40 hours a week in...but 25 is more realistic. I decided I better stop trying to build a Rolex and make it a Timex, or I'll never finish it.

Ribs are all built (three piece wing). Vertical Stab and rudder are complete. Horizontal stab is in the jig ready for glue to be followed by elevators. Fuselage skeleton is done with seats and flight controls welded. Turtle deck is laid out with foam board and ready for wood. Two Corvair engines are in pieces in several buckets (still not sure that's the engine to use). Pilot seat-belt attach points ready.

Thanks!

What happens when you turn 65? Do your wings melt and fall off? ;o) That milestone has been in my rear-view mirror for almost 5 years now and I'm still flying my Piet. Some people enjoy the build process almost as much as the flying and feel a bit empty once they finish building. It sure seems like 5 years would be plenty of time to get done with your airplane. You might try writing down your remaining sub-tasks and guess at a time required to complete each one, then see which of them you can be working in parallel (engine build on the bench in one corner of the shop, while fabric covering on a wing is happening in the big part)- then add up the guesstimates to see what you come up with. Add 10% for time spent going to the hardware store or waiting for hardware or building materials to show up in the UPS truck. In any case, use your currently-excellent health to keep at it steadily.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power

Thank you Oscar. I just sent $343 to AS&S, so I guess I'm committed now. I sure hope I can finish it and fly it. The plans make me crazy at times and then I end up walking away for several months.

Wings will probably go together quicker than you think. I originally figured on one wing per summer (I have a 40 hrs + day job). I wound up finishing both wings in one summer with warm weather to spare.

can you post some pics of your project?

Thanks Danoliver. Doug, All my photos are here: https://imageevent.com/hatz/piet

In my experience, building the basic structure consumes well under half the total time. Fabric covering, painting, welding up an engine mount, preparing an engine, installing all the firewall forward bits, fabricating cowlings and nosebowl, running wiring, making cables (and cables and cables), fabbing a landing gear, connecting controls -- all of that takes time, too.

My advice, which I'll offer free of charge since you didn't ask for it, is to enjoy the build. Don't count hours. How many fishermen count hours fishing? How many golfers count their hours golfing? How many parents count the hours they spend with their children? Enjoy the build. Fabricate one component; fabricate another component; conjoin them; repeat. Eventually you'll discover an airplane.

Cheers, Ken

i looked at the pics and all is very nice. it does take much time to build a complete airplane; press on.

Want to get done in record time? Do SOMETHING every single day. Anything. As long as it intends to move forward. Doesn’t matter if it’s a mistake and actually doesn’t. Just has to have the intention of moving forward.

It’s those “walk away for months” that make builds take forever.

This doesn’t trivialize the process, merely states it in the most basic sense.

Some people are singular linear... step one to step done.

Some people are multi linear... step one to step done but multiple processes at once...

And so on and so on. Doesn’t matter, do SOMETHING that has to get done, EACH day. Even if it’s eliminate possible sources of materials, or whatever.

Keep in mind you are NEVER gonna find the perfect and one “right” answer, that’s the rub. You are eventually GOING to have to make hard decisions, just start now!

My dad has the discipline to do something EVERY day. I do not...

He ain’t perfect, he’s bailed on lots and lots of projects. The difference? He stalls due to a lack of interest, and the unfinished project gets sold or scrapped. Me, I have ZERO problem maintaining interest, but not half the discipline to do something EVERY day. I got waaaay too many 90 percent done projects, ugh.

Estimating on processes with which you are not totally familiar probably ain’t super useful...

Food for thought!

Tools

PS. As a side note and to paraphrase Monty Python, “I’m getting better...”. I did just finish a model airplane I started 25 years ago.

Thanks everyone. The big 60 came so fast and just threw me for a loop. I'll press on.

PoconoJohn; it's OK. 60 is the new "midlife" anyway ;o)

-Oscar