[Gerryy]

So, here I am with an empty building board, well at least the Howard Ike Project is done and awaiting test flights when the warmer weather arrives. So my next project is going to be to get back to and finish my 1/3-scale Pietenpol Air Camper.
Here are some of the basic drawings I used to create the plans as well as a shot of the subject plane from the Rhinebeck Aerodrome. This is the original Pietenpol paint scheme.

[Gerryy]

Here's the 3-view I developed back in 1998 for a "Planes Worth Modeling" column in the December issue of MAN. I have this 3-view as a JPG so anyone wanting a copy, just email me and I will be happy to send it out.

[Gerryy]

As I mentioned before, I built the model exactly like the full size, just 1/3 in size. So I used spruce and plywood for most of the parts. I did replace verticals and angled fuselage members with balsa as I did with the ribs and wing sheeting, but the construction is the same with 1/32-inch ply gussets used to strengthen glue joints. Some longerons in the fuselage are cut from spruce boards where additional strength is required.

[Gerryy]

Here the side frames have been joined with cross-pieces and the side panels made from 1/16-inch ply and the 3/32 inch ply floor have all been glued together. Again, all made from the full-size aircraft plans. YOu may notice that I split the lower longerons lengthwise to make them easier to bend into shape along the bottom of the fuselage. I used epoxy to glue them once bent into shape.

[Gerryy]

The top-aft "D"-formers are made from lite ply, while the stringers are 1/8x1/2-inch spruce. All spacing and dimensions are scale.

[Gerryy]

The "Piet" is big and very simple. Here's the back (pilot) seat. Basically made of 1/8-inch lite ply sheet. The seat will be removable so that the servos for the pull-pull control system will be accessible. They are going to be located in a tray just aft of the back seat bulkhead. Later I plan to make black naugehide seat pillows to dress up the bear seat panels. Also, all of the internal surfaces inside the cockpit will be stained and clear coated with spar varnish.

[Gerryy]

The main landing gear is made from hard red oak and is attached to the fuselage with steel brackets. The axle is a one piece steel rod and it will be attached with bungee cord.

[Gerryy]

The cabane struts are attached to the fuselage with steel straps and bolts. Here you see the cabanes have not yet been rounded. I will round them except for the two ends which will retain flats and corners. 4-40 music wire and steel clevises are used to stiffen the cabane structure. It is amazing how ridge the wires make the structure.

[Gerryy]

The wing center section is attached to the top of the cabanes with steel brackets also. The bracket is basically an X shape with two arms bent upward and two downward. All hardware is 4-40. The hex bolts and nuts come from Micro Fasteners. The photo showing the instrument panel was taken with the camera in the back cockpit. The ribs in the wing center section are light ply and the spruce spars are reinforced with 1/16-inch ply doublers

[Gerryy]

The wing uses a scale Pietenpol airfoil which is close to a USA 27 airfoil. The wing has internal stiffeners passing through the ribs. The wing tips are curved sheet structures with full width fill to strengthen the tip rib against covering shrink. The panels attach to the center section with two 8-32 bolts and blind nuts and two alignment dowels

[Gerryy]

The aileron servos are located in front of the aileron cutouts and are attached to flush fitting hatches. The lift struts are attached to the wing panels with double steel strapes bolted through solid webs between the main spars.

[Gerryy]

This is the aft lift strut attachment arrangement

[Gerryy]

The tail surfaces are made from balsa and spruce. I used steel straps in scale locations to attach the tail feathers to the fuselage. The vertical fin and horizontal stab will be reinforced with stiffening wires and brackets just like the full size Air Camper

[Gerryy]

Here's the relatively complete fuselage framework. As you can see with it next to my Isuzu Trooper the model is pretty big. I am using cardboard templates to figure out the shape of the fairing sheeting to cover the cockpit areas.

[smartrobert]

Really nice project and pictures from the famous Pietenpol. Thank you. What Airfoil do you use?
smartrobert

[Gerryy]

The wing uses a scale Pietenpol airfoil which is close to a USA 27 airfoil. The full-size plans I used came with the template for the main airfoil shape. It is slightly undercambered from the TE to the main spar.
GY

[Kmot]

That's a big son of a gun! Looks great!

[cub driver]

Gerry,
Are plans for your 1/3 Pietenpol Air Camper available for purchase?
Thanks.
Bob ("cub driver")

[Debra]

Hi Cub Driver, plans aren't yet available, but hopefully Gerry will finish this plane and we can publish and get it into the AirAgeStore.com!

I'll let him know folks are interested.

[xairflyer]

I am looking at building a 1/4 scale one myself for a recently acquired OS gemini 120 FS and doing a search came across this build and this forum which I had not seen before, so a new member.

I have always loved the Air Camper and seen quite a few at fullsize events in the UK. There is a famous one here which is seen everywhere and has a really nice cream and green scheme which I want to copy.

Gerryy
Love that you are following the fullsize plans as much as possible, the fullsize is really just a big model.
I am doing the same with a 1/2 scale Bleriot XI that I am working on at the moment, it is actually a very good way of building a big all wood scale model.

[xairflyer]

Just realised this thread is over four years old, oh well I a new to here

[Gerryy]

@ xairflyer. Yes, there are tons of great airplane plans that are simple and ideal for building a scale model. I figured "why reinvent the wheel?" if it worked for the full-size plane it will work for a RC model too.
good luck
Gerry