Pietenpol Aircamper

[justin.schoeman]

Thanks for that info - I didn't realise that you could use so many VW parts. When I initially looked at the corvair option, I was told that most parts had to be imported. I have had a look at www.flycorvair.com .

If you don't mind being a guinea pig, it would be great to get your final costs on producing and maintaining a flying corvair in SA. I was seriously tempted to buy a kit from aeromax, but in the end, couldn't afford it.

Thanks!
Justin

[bryan]

Hi Oldtimer
what is the latest news on your build. We are keen to hear and see more!!!!!!!!
Regards
Bryan
ZUBFR

[Oldtimer]

Bryan,

Yes, I've been very slack with updating my build report.

I have assembled the main wing ribs on the spars and temporarily joined the spars in the middle with off-the-shelf DIY bolts until I can get the proper AN bolts in the correct size. Does anybody have six AN6x51 bolts with nuts lying around somewhere, not Placo nor RAP has any in stock.

I have also stripped all of the metal parts off the fuselage, painted and re -fitted them.

I have fitted the elevators and will fit the rudder this coming weekend.

Also for installation this weekend is the drag- and anti-drag wires inside the main wing.

I have fitted the center struts on the fuselage and had to remove some plywood covering over the instrument panel housing in order to fit the bolts. I will have to replace the playwood in a way that can be removed easily without damage for future maintenance.

The next big issue will be to "Steam and bend" the 1500mm long Spruce wingtip formers. I plan on using a 110mm PVC pipe fitted over one of the wife's cooking pots and made to stand over a gas burner. I will make one or two test attempts before placing the final pieces in the steamer.

I also need to source a stronger tailwheel coil spring as the bigger external spring that I have does not nearly take the weight I need it to take. It collapses fully under the aircraft own weight, even without the full empennage fitted. I will have to look at something with a 38mm diameter x 150mm long coil spring constructed of min 6mm thick wire.

Unfortunately all of the photo's taken during the past couple of weeks are on my VERY unreliable friend, or soon to be EX friend' digital camera. He is currently on a work trip into the Northern Cape and should, for his sake Hopefully, be back within the next couple of days. As soon as I can get him to download the pictures I will post some.

[Stephan van Tonder]

Placo ordered bolts for my project when I needed them and they were here within a week. They get it from aircraft spruce incidentally. It actually cost me less than I could have brought it in myself.

[Oldtimer]

Stephan,

Exactly what I will do, just thought I'd see if there were some lying around in a toolbox somwhere.

[Oldtimer]

Some more pictures of the build progress

[WollieW]

Hallo Johan

Wanneer verwag julle die enjins?

Groete
Wollie

[Oldtimer]

Wollie,

Hieronder is 'n uittreksel uit 'n e-pos gesprek met dieselfde vraag gevra aan Phillip van Bundu Aviation:

Hi johan.
Finaliseer nou die order.
Behoort desember te verskeep.

Grte
Philip

-----Original Message-----
From: Johan De Graaf [mailto:Johan.DeGraaf@bombelacjv.com]
Sent: 24 November 2009 08:27 AM
To: philip@bunduaviation.com
Subject: Corvair engine

Philip,



Enige nuus wanneer my Corvair engine hier gaan wees?



Kind Regards



Johan De Graaf

Senior Quantity Surveyor: DP7 - Stations

Bombela Civils Joint Venture (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27 (0) 124420465

Cell: +27 (0) 833265863

Fax: +27 (0) 865047987

e-mail: johan.degraaf@bombelacjv.com <mailto:johan.degraaf@bombelacjv.com>

Ons was oorspronklik vier ouens wat elk 'n enjin sou bestel, twee van die manne het vroeg reeds kop uitgetrek en Phillip sou die derde enjin vir homself inbring maar het nou ook daarteen besluit.

Een ding is verseker, myne is reeds betaal so ek wag nou net vir aflewering.

Groete daar.

[bryan]

Kom nou oubaas hoe gaan dinge. Hoe lyk dit met n update! Jy het n besonderse vliegtuig en baie van ons wonder wat gaan aan Haal uit en wys met fotos
Groete
Bryan
ZUBFR

[Oldtimer]

Update!!

Since moving the Pietenpol from Kitty Hawk to DFC I have re-assembled the Pietenpol to exactly the status it was in before the move.

I have bought some Nicopress sleeves for the drag and anti-drag wires as I will start fitting the wires soon. Thereafter will follow the leading and trailing edges.

I have also had a discussion with another Aircamper owner this morning who's aeroplane will soon join mine at DFC after I have handed him some cash. Yes, I am buying my second Aircamper, although not a Pietenpol but a GN-1 Aircamper. It is apparently in a very similar condition as mine was when I first bought it minus the wing ribs. (My) Toolboy will have to show his worth, for once, and start building the ribs!! as soon as the new aircamper hit's DFC. Should be during the next two weeks or so.

So, overall, nothing much except the work location has changed and we will have to jump in and get these birds finished.

I will also discuss with Joost Cloete the Audi engine option, although the fitting of the radiator and hoses might take something away from the Pietenpol, unless the radiator is mounted exactly as the original Peitenpol with the Ford Model A engine.

[cap232]

Hi Oldtimer,

Thanks for keepin us up to date on your project. Why the move to DFC, I didn`t know any private projects could be hangered there, tell more.

[Oldtimer]

The move to DFC was quite sudden and unexpected as I was very happy with the arrangement I had at Kitty Hawk.

I noticed the thread on Avcom where the rebirth of DFC was announced and with Col. Joos Cloete involved. He is my AP on the Pietenpol build and when I phoned him he told me they are looking for people who want to build/complete their projects at DFC as they have enough space available and, at the time, at no renting cost. My grey matter kicked in and I decided to make the move as it will save me R2000-00 per month on rent, which could be used on my build.

I became a member at DFC and moved my complete hangar over to Swartkops.

The downside of the whole move is that you lose the privacy of your own place where you can work and leave tools and sawdust lying around without anybody lifting an eyebrow at you and also you can make as big a balls-up of something and re-do it as many times as you want without anybody ever knowing (read "forever reminding you in front of your friends") about it. Another problem is that once your aeroplane is built and complete you will have to move it somewhere else where you can enjoy flying it unrestricted. The arrangement at DFC is that you can only have a flying aeroplane there if you place it with the Flying School, which means that you will have to rent your own plane from the flying school if you want to use it yourself, which defenitely will not work with my Pietenpol. There was already talk of the base OC wondering about the competencies of people using certain tools. Nobody on this earth will ever tell me I'm not competent to use my own electrical tools, ever!!

I have been looking around for a hangar for the past month and seeing as I am not willing to pay R2000-00 a month again I doubt whether I will find anything. I have started buiding myself a workshop next to my wife's knitting room at home and it will be 3,3m wide x 8,4m long and will easily take my Pietenpol with the wings removed and all of my tools and equipment.

My only hassle now is that I will be buying my second Aircamper in two or three weeks time and I, again, will need space. I will most likely place it in one of the long term lock-up type storage units for starters. Once my current Pietenpol is complete I will have to look at a long term hangar rental or even a lease/purchase option, but that's still a while away.

In retrospect, I miss Hangar 93 at Kitty Hawk immensely!!

[Oldtimer]

My days with the Pietenpol is over!

I spent Saturday at the Hangar and was introduced to a KR-2 owner and after some serious discussion around the PIET decided that it is time for me to hand over the reigns of the Pietenpol to Marius Van Den Berg.

I joined him to his house to have a look at the KR-2 project in his garage and, upon the shake of a hand, he became the owner of the Pietenpol and I became the owner of a KR-2.

I will collect the KR-2 tomorrow after work and offload it at AFB Swartkops and the engine with all of the loose components will first make a trip to my house.

Seeing as the KR-2 comes with a 2,4lt VW motor I will also not be looking for a powerplant, i.e. Corvair, in the near future.

For now the Pietenpol will stay at Swartkops untill Marius made up his mind about it's final destination.

Marius, again, thank you for the "trade", may you have hours of fun with the Piet!

I will add a thread under KR-2 and continue listing the progress there.

[Duck Rogers]

Good luck with the KR2 Johan.
There's plenty of helpful KR owners on the forum for you to use as back-up, when needed.

[Oldtimer]

Just to continue the thread thrue to the next one.

After a search of nearly two years, some problems arised and were overcome and Voilla, I have just found the CORVAIR engine I was looking for here, in the good old RSA, nearly on my doorstep.

I have spoken to the owner who confirmed that it is still available and I will collect it today or tomorrow, depending when I can get away from Site early enough for the drive.

This engine will feature in the Aviatika 890-u and not the Pietenpol as originally planned.

I'll start another thread to keep everybody updated on the conversion process from Auto to Aviation.