Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: Oscar Zuniga
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Great report & photo Richard!!!Really happy for you Richard and you have persevered for so many years itmust be a fantastic feeling to finally be cut loose in your own airplaneand enjoy the fruits of your labors. You're airplane paint Scheme isabsolutely stunningly gorgeous and I don't think I've seen a Corvaircowling that is that aesthetically appealing yet. I can't wait to see yourairplane next summer at the Pietenpol fly-in!!!On Sep 24, 2016 5:48 PM, "Rick Schreiber" wrote:The list has been slow lately and I haven't posted much for a while so Ithought I would report in.After getting my taiwheel endorsement, I was able to start flying NX48RS. Ihad the Piet ferried from my home airport - Porter Co. Regional (VPZ) withlots of traffic and long hard surface runways, to Starke Co. (OXI) withlittle traffic and both grass and hard surface. I have been flying mostlyoff the grass and having lots of fun. I have a number of hours on the Pietand a few dozen landings. So far all is good with the engine and the plane.For those that don't know or remember here are the specs on the engine andplane. - I have a standard 2700 cc Corvair engine for power - 68" x 34 pitch cloudcars prop (same prop that Kevin Purtee uses) - 18 gal nose tank - Straight axle Jenny style gear - empty weight a hefty 758 #Here are some performance specs.... - WOT on climb out 2675 rpm - climb out speed 60 mph - 700 ft / min on climb out with OAT at 71 deg. I weigh 175# but my instructor also flew 478RS and saw the same climb rate, he weighs 216#. Kevin reported the same climb with his corvair powered piet. - WOT max rpm in level flight 2800 rpm which yields 85-90 mph (maybe even 95) - 2700 rpm = about 75 mph - 2400 rpm = around 70 mph ( I think) - fuel burn 5 gph, using 100LL avgashot oil pressure at cruise is about 40#. Initially the oil temperature wassteady at about 190 degrees, but has now dropped to 180. This is probablydue to the engine starting to break in.Yesterday I managed to get in a little sightseeing rather than just landingpractice. Got the Piet up to 2500 AGL to see how it would feel. No issueswith feeling frail in such a craft, though I admit its more fun to fly downlow. So far I am really happy with the Piet and the engine. I plan onflying again this afternoon and tomorrow and the next day.........No surprises in flying other than the amount of left rudder needed tocounter P factor on takeoff. Once the throttle is reduced to cruise, therudder is pretty much neutral. I *did not* offset the vertical stab. I dohave to hold some constant back pressure on the stick. I have checked theelevators and the horizontal stab and all is good. I may just use a bungeeto put in the required back pressure, either on the stick itself or on thewalking beam.Rick SchreiberNX478RSPorter Co. Regional KVPZValparaiso, IN________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: Rick Schreiber
On 9/24/2016 9:38 PM, taildrags wrote:>> Rick; that's great performance for a Piet. And I agree about how much more enjoyableit is flying these airplanes off of grass or dirt than hard surface.I really like the paint job... having been based just a short hop from KellyField for nine years, and having always had Air Force family in and around Kelly,is even more reason to like your paint scheme. Now you've just got to tryan early morning strafing run on an enemy supply train trying to run for theborder ;o)>> --------> Oscar Zuniga> Medford, OR> Air Camper NX41CC "Scout"> A75 power, 72x36 Culver prop>Thanks for the compliment Oscar. As I mentioned to you before, I was born and raised in San Antonio. My Father was in the Air Force during WWII and worked at Kelly for a number of years after the war as did a number of other relatives. I also had a Great Uncle that worked in the fabric shop at Kelly, covering Jennies during WWI. From an early age I wanted to own or build a WWI fighter. Once I became aware of the Air Camper, that desire morphed into NX478RS painted to look like a monoplane version of a Curtiss JN4.On a slightly different note....For those still building, keep plugging away. You will eventually have it done and be flying. It took me 13 1/2 years. Some have done it faster, much faster too be sure, some considerably longer. Don't worry about how long it takes, just keep working on it and enjoy the journey. Remember its your butt that will be flying it so work safely and surely...don't take short cuts. In my case NX478RS was flown by two separate test pilots before I flew it, so I knew it was airworthy. On my first flight I was certainly in a heightened sense of reality, but not for fear of the quality of construction, just my flying ability. As others have said before, Pietenpols are easy to fly and land easier than a J3 Cub.If enthusiasm for building starts too lag, get a copy of Mike Cuy's excellent Pietenpol building and flying DVD. Also try to make the annual pilgrimage to Brodhead, WI for the Pietenpol convention.Yesterday I took NX478RS up in a gusty 12 knot direct cross wind. It was a successful landing, but I sure need more practice before trying it again.Rick SchreiberNX478RS________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Great report & photo Richard!!!