Pietenpols

created 2001; revised January 27, 2009

This is Ernie Moreno's Franklin 65-powered Pietenpol. He's been flying it for 16 years and has about 350 hours on it. Ernie is located on the Independence Airpark in Independence, Oregon. As you can see, the airplane's colors can best be described as "University of Oregon Ducks green-and-gold"... and that's all I'll say about that! The empty weight is 803 lbs., which is heavy for a Piet but that includes 40 lbs. of lead in the nose, weight that was added due to Ernie's not being a small guy to begin with. This weight could be removed if a lighter pilot flew it regularly and especially if the wing were shifted aft by moving it on the cabanes and lengthening the brace strut there. Anyway, now let's take a closer look at some details of it. First of all, is that a little wing dihedral he's got in there? Don't "real" Pietenpols have dead-level, zero-dihedral wings?

Oh yeah, and by the way- this is Ernie, with his beautiful Tri-Pacer and a Young Eagle. He is a very active member of EAA 292. Ernie is the one on the right ;o)

Well, look at this shot and you'll see that there is just the slightest little bit of dihedral. Ernie says it is noticeable, compared to flat-wing Piets. Just a tad more stable. And hmmm... notice anything funny here? Look at the cabane strut area. The port side has a brace from the top forward cabane attach lug down to the top engine mount bracket. Oddly enough, the starboard side does not have this brace; it is X-wire braced like the original plans show. The X-bracing has been replaced on the port side to allow easier passenger access to the front cockpit. It's common to see this added brace, but usually it's done on both sides, not just on one. But it works.

And here I am in the pilot's seat, checking out the fit in the cockpit (snug) and control travel in all axes. And grinning! I just have to fly this airplane! Notice once again the single brace tube on the right of the photo.

See the single brace strut on this side, and the X-brace wires on the other?

Rear quarter shot. Top of wing and front 'pit cover visible. The original builder did the semicircular wing cutout thing rather than the "lift flap" to allow better access to the rear cockpit. A grab handle is fitted.

Left side shot showing wing struts, jury struts, vertical cabane struts, and bracing. And is that a little step for helping to climb in? And is that me, still grinning even though the airplane isn't going anywhere?

Yep, it's still me, still grinning. Notice that I have a very effective set of "air brakes" stuck on the sides of my head. Airspeed gets out of control- all I have to do is stick my head out in the slipstream to get added braking effect! They are more effective after I've had a haircut, too. But hey, at least I don't have a beer belly that I would have to stand up on the seat to use as an air brake ;o)

To see more on this airplane, continue on to Cowling and firewall forward...

Or Cockpits...

Or Tail Feathers and Gear...

This is Mike Cuy's award-winning Pietenpol, as photographed by Brian and Bonnie Safran. Obviously low-and-slow fliers themselves, shooting from the Cub in this photo. Mike's bird is absolutely gorgeous, but certainly no hangar queen... Mike flies the airplane, gives rides, and he and Steve Eldredge do other stuff with their Pietenpols (keep reading and scrolling):

These guys are nuts! They take a bug sprayer (fertilizer sprayer, whatever)- they kind you pump up by hand and walk around spraying your posies with. They run the hose up to a tube to inject smoke oil (the kind the aerobatic pilots use) into the engine exhaust. Then they make a low pass over the field and cut loose! Is this fun, or what?

Yippeeee!!

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