What the heck is a Pietenpol?  It's a 1930 open cockpit designed by Bernard Pietenpol.  It is a two place, wood and fabric ship that cruises about 65 to 75mph.

In 1928, Mr. Pietenpol built and flew an airplane of his own design. The airplane was a single place open cockpit monoplane made from wood obtained at the local lumberyard, fittings fabricated from a blacksmith shop, and a covering of bed sheet material painted with clear varnish. The landing gear was constructed of gas pipe and motorcycle wheels. The prop was hand-carved from black walnut and powered by an Ace four cylinder water cooled engine. The airplane flew very well accumulating over fifty hours in the first two months.

Several design modifications followed during the next five years; however, the basic design remained unchanged. During the process of modifications, the airplane became a two place with space for a passenger. The split axle landing gear with air wheels improved take-off and landing characteristics. The Ford A engine became the standard power plant turning a 78" x 42" propeller. The final design and drawings for the Air camper were completed in 1934. No further changes have been made to the original drawings.  The picture shown is the last one Bernard built and is flying today.

I'm building mine from the 1934 plans.  This will definitely be a LONG TERM project.  Take a look at some of the construction pictures.  (double click on picture to enlarge)

Bernard Pietenpol	Jack Phillip's Piet	Vitalis Kapler	Tom Brown's Piet
Dan Helsper's Piet	Helsper Panel	Don Emch's Piet	Ken Perkin's Ship
Andy & Don Pietenpol	Edison's Piet	Mike Cuy's Piet	Frank Pavliga's Piet
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Engine Assembly)
Tom Wottrung did the pre-assembly, a fantastic fellow!
Starting assembly		Original tolerances
re-manned cam	Silk thread		Main bearing
Tom
That's an aircraft engine, no snapping crank here!    Case closed
		Proud owner	Fantastic Teacher!
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Wheels)
This is what I started with, a mess, brake disk too small, uneven hub			Very poor work
	9" disk	Cleaned up the left	Coming together
			groove for grease
Silver coat	Gloss 2nd coat	Nice gloss
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Bell Crank)
Ken Perkins design	Turned bearings to fit	Design ensures less slack in cables
2 pictures on right - part is shown reverse of plans
Machined thrust washers out of .050 for each end of Bell Crank tube
Elected not to use washers, capped bearings instead. String stretches too much, will use cable
Ready for oven	Need bigger oven
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Controls)
Front torque bearing	Aileron control horn	Safety strap formed over larger diameter tube
Elevator Stop	Powder Coated	Elevator pulleys	Plan to re-paint
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Rudder Bar)
Trial fit			Used 1/2" on left
		Tacked only
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Center Section Tank)
.032x21"x27"x5"=13 gallons aprox, riveted and Prosealed
Turned fuel fittings	Indexing on Lathe	Fuel float trial didn't use	Used this one
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Fuselage)
.090 cabane lower fittings, after fitting side ply will drill from inside out
Soaking 1/16" ply	1/16" Okume	Nice bend
Template	Belt but-outs	Brace for 90 degrees
11 stringers	375 lightening holes		Helmet box
Front seat back	F-seat supports	More F-seat bottom	Front seat
Seat going together	Brace form	1/16 x 1/2 ply strips	Thin super glue
Done	Panel test fit	R-seat lap belt point	Left side belt hard pt
Access panels cuts	Gluing backstops	1" panel compartment extension	1" extra allows long electric turn & bank
1 of a 100 layouts	1/16th bit for straight cut and knife for curve	24 1/4 wide	Trial fitting
Very little glued at this point
	Gluing cowl supports	Drill jig for strut fittings
Way too many choices for panel layouts!   Which will win?
Winner!  I think...compass will be in center section, GPS on top of cowl behind windscreen. Faint diagonal lines depict aileron cables behind panel.
			Plan to re-cut
		Too close
May do overlay
Using the right box	Cutout w/razor knife	Belt clears box	Instrument access
Lockable
More trials, not sure on portable nav/com, will use transponder
		Don't install wedge here as I did
2nd & 3rd pics-cutting out block in the way of lower engine mounts.  I elected to NOT cut
lower cross piece to make way for mount.  Altered mounts raising mount 1/2"
Upper mount	Lowers mounts	A big help for boring perfect holes, it works!
Mounts aligned and drilled, all fittings and holes matched very well, a good day!
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Gear)
Gear fitting, 110 degree bend, still cracked, may re-design with 3 pieces
Went with .130 1018 strap across bottom, .090 4130 doublers and side plates before welding
Don't forget	1/8" spacer for sides
New Grizzly G1006		Gear struts	Female & male ends
Scott tail-wheel, 4-1/2 pounds, 6"			Before clean-up
Before powder coat	Not happy with purchased hub, plan to redo, nice powder coat though
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS (Tail Group, Spars & Ribs)

Only 2 fit	T-nuts too wide, will add x-piece and move in		Fit, note plugged hole
Need to move bottom bolts out so bottom straps fit, redo straps, plug holes	Bottom straps won't fit	Shim for fabric	Some plugs to fix
Finally got the middle and rear stab fittings finished, note washer spacers for fabric & tape.  2 pictures to right-added 3/8" to rudder bottom, despite calculating for plan difference.
H-Stab Fittings	Slide cable through clamp to hold sleeves		3/32nd cable
With tape	Tape and shrink tube	Tail cables finished
The beginning....
Planing some spruce	About $300 of spruce	Rib jig	Rib and capstrips
Nice fit	Rib	Bending cap strips	Clamping gussets
Lots of clamps	Gluing tail stock	Starting horz stab	H-stab, main beam
Test fit H-stab	Stab and "clamp"	H-stab	H-stab center, clamps
H-stab gussets	Hinge cut-out	Need more practice!	Rib in jig

Right elevator	Right elevator	Shot weights	Right elevator
Slow but sure! 11-05	2 1/2" hole-saw	Sand on drill press	Cut out for hinge
V Stab tip	Getting closer	Ribs	H Stab and Elev
New bench for fuselage	End ribs w/uprights	Ribs done!!!	Web & cap stock
1/12 scarf for web	Ready to glue	Top one done, nice!	Pretty good joint
Fir stock for caps	Ripping & planing	Many blades later	Gluing
More scarfs, 1 p/cap	Trial spars, 9mm, 7 ply webs, 5/16x1"+ caps		Spar drawing
C-Section started	C-Section strap	Gluing 2" rib cap	L-rear cabane fitting
Starting 2nd bend	Makeshift brake	Front cabane fitting	Cabane fitting & strap
Ready to weld	Front fitting	Rear Fitting	Elev & rudder horns
Bead roller for horns	Larger roller	Harbor Freight 34104 is 18"	12" model would be big enough
Aileron horns	Horn braces	Rudder horn brace	Great weld!
Special thanks to Jerry Grogan for his expert welding on the critical parts!
Control horn (oversized)	Welded horns	Remade both of these
Sticks tacked, will leave final welds to pro	Center bearings	Outer bearings	Wingtip braces
C-section trial fit	Drilling straps	Strap ply, don't glue yet	Pedals started
Didn't use, made thicker	C-section cut-out	Straps done!	More C-section
Left wing started	From outboard end	Wingtip Glued	Four fir plys
Clamped tip	Gluing root doubler	Comp strut cut-outs	Comp struts test fit
Scarfing 1/16" LE	Root rib cut-outs	Additional brace	Aileron end
Cross brace seat	Must be cut out	C-section-L-wing test	Test fit
Cutout progressing	Trailing edge cut out	X-tra comp struts wing tip	First coat varnish
2nd wingtip formed	Mounting hardware	More hardware	Tip brace-drag wire
Fitting aileron hinge	Nutplates	Aileron hinge	Wow it works
Inboard end	Need more angle on both bearings	Bottom	Root  rib braces-rear bay
Inboard rear bay