Piets II
Ernie Moreno's Pietenpol, firewall forward...
revised November 8, 2001
Let's take a closer look at the front end of this long-nosed bird. Ernie has been an industrial engine mechanic all his life, so engines are his strong point. This one has had his hands in it for various things, but they are experienced hands. Anyway, here's a head-on view of the cowling, showing air filter, eyebrows, prop, and how the cowling is shaped.
This shot shows the two cutouts at the aft underside of the cowling, for cooling air exit. I think this could be improved, and it would help cool the magnetos, which Ernie says run warm and should have some additional cooling in that big void inside the cowling behind them.
Side of the nose and cowling. Yes, that's a long snout on the bird! Carb heat muff is the long sleeve on the exhaust pipe. Very boxy lines to this cowl.
Here's another shot of the air filter area and lower cowl.
Closer shot of the cowling, showing how the Eisemann magnetos fit into the big void area behind the engine, and how much room there is back there. Looonnnng engine mount (26" from center of top engine mount lug at firewall to center of rear engine mount bolt).
Here are those Eisemann magnetos, and other stuff down there. Rear engine mount point (bed-style mount), carb heat duct, things like that.
Here's the painted, galvanized sheet metal firewall. You can see the various cables and sensor leads, as well as the throttle linkage. Also visible are the cooling air exits down at the bottom aft edge of the cowling. I would improve this exit area to get hot air away from the magnetos.
Another view of the boxy lines of the cowling, and of the carb heat muff.
Closeup of the engine, showing the cooling eyebrow and some of the cowl construction. It's a Franklin 4AC-176-B2. Ernie rebuilt this side of the engine due to low compression on one jug. The engine has not really run enough since this rebuild work to break it in, and needs a couple of hours of hard climbs to seat the rings. You can see that the parts on this side are all new or rebuilt. And yes, by George, that's a little step for the passenger to use when climbing in.
So... are we ready to take a look at the cockpit areas? Click on A tour of the office to go there... or return to Oscar Zuniga's M-19 Project