Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Being into all things antique when it comes to airplanes, I've always been endlessly fascinated by the Bleriot XI. That plane has the cable-braced frame and no fuselage fabric covering. Can a Piet be flown without the fuselage covered or does the fabric provide critical structural integrity? I ask because I've often wondered if a Bleriot fuselage would have benefited from a Piet-style fuselage with wood stringers and gussets, rather than the cables. All that cabling REALLY had to add-up weight-wise.

Braol,

I don't have the skill set to say what the aerodynamic impact of leaving the aft fuselage uncovered might be.

What I do know is that fabric provides no structural integrity (except perhaps long term by protecting the structure from the elements).

I agree that it would look cool. One of the tradeoffs in covering a Piet is that it covers up so much of what is a beautiful piece of art.

One thought, for what it's worth: this might be a great use of a scale model. You could do some real world testing to see what difference the fabric covering versus lack of covering makes to flight characteristics.

Cheers, Ken

FWIW, Bullet (as in slower than a speeding) Flies much better than I anticipated from looking at it. I guess my main concern would be weight and balance. Since many Piets are tail heavy anyway.. it might be a plus.

Chuck,

Great looking airplane. I bet its a hoot to fly low and slow on warm summer evenings.

Cheers, Ken

Thanks, Ken. Yes, it is a really good dawn and dusk patroller. I built it during the pandemic for something to do thinking the fun would be in the fabrication. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying flying it. Think Cub with lighter controls, the doors open on both sides, and a really big engine in the nose. Besides that, I can hum the "Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines" while flitting about.
The Piet will fulfil the same mission, of course, except I can take my sweetie up to watch the sun rise and set.

I was meaning the wooden fuselage version of the Piet...I plan on covering mine, I was just wondering if the airplane can be flown without the rear fuselage fabric...from a structural, not an aerodynamic standpoint.

braol wrote: Fri Feb 02, 2024 5:45 pm I was meaning the wooden fuselage version of the Piet...I plan on covering mine, I was just wondering if the airplane can be flown without the rear fuselage fabric...from a structural, not an aerodynamic standpoint.

Of course it could.