Pietenpol Aircraft Construction and Corvair Conversion

What is a Pietenpol?

• All wood aircraft.

• Three engine choices.

What is a Pietenpol?

• Designed by Bernard Pietenpol in the 1930s

What is a Pietenpol

• Some of Bernard Pietenpol’s early experimental designs

What Is a Pietenpol?

• Has met with great success with homebuilders for over 80 years

How I Chose a Pietenpol

• First heard about it in an article in EAA Sport Aviation

• Seemed like a simple plane to build

• I was somewhat familiar with wood working

How I Chose a Pietenpol

• After building several pedal planes I began to look more seriously at the Pietenpol

How I Chose a Pietenpol

• Contacted Bernard Pietenpol’s grandson, Andrew

• Ordered the plans

Construction

• I began with the fuselage

• I am building the longer fuselage for a lighter engine

• The two fuselage sides are built separately

• Ordered wood and began jigging up the longerons

Fuselage Construction

• Mitered and fit the cross braces

Fuselage Construction

• Began gluing in the uprights and cross braces

Fuselage Construction

Fuselage Construction

More Fuselage Construction

• Began adding gussets

More Fuselage Construction

• Added ply fuselage side

More Fuselage Construction

• Gluing on side

More Fuselage Construction

• Getting ready to join the two sides

• Began gluing in cross braces

Joining Fuselage Sides

Joining Fuselage Sides

• Glued up tail post

• Added Floor

• Added gussets on top of cross members

• Put plywood braces on fuselage top

Turtleback

• Cut a slotted spruce block for the stringers

Turtleback

• Added a sloted piece of plywood on the back of the fuselage former to hold stringers

Turtleback

• Made plywood formers

to hold stringers

Turtleback

• Glued in stringers

• Added gusset on front

Fuselage

Tail Surfaces

• Same method of construction

• I started with the vertical fin

• “T” shaped wood cut on a table saw

Tail Surfaces

• Glued up structure

Tail Surfaces

• Added ribs and gussets

Tail Surfaces

• Horizontal stabilizer rudder and elevators constructed in the same way

Tail Surfaces

• Cut mortises for hinges in horizontal stabilizer

Tail Surfaces

• Elevators

Tail Surfaces

• Rudder

Corvair Engine

• Six cylinder horizontally opposed

• Air cooled

• 100 horsepower

History of Corvair Engine as an Aircraft Engine

• Was first used as an aircraft engine by Bernard Pietenpol

• The last two aircraft Bernard Pietenpol built used Corvair engines

Why I Chose a Corvair

• We heard William Wynne talk about Corvairs at Brodhead

• It seemed like a good powerful engine

• Learning experience of working on the engine

Corvair Conversion

• Several modifications

• Crankshaft threading

• Fifth bearing

Our Corvair

• Partially completed project

• Major modifications done by Roy’s Garage

Corvair College

• Put on by William Wynne

• Three day builder assist

• First one we went to was the first weekend in March in San Marcos, TX

Corvair College 28

• At Corvair College 28 we were learning what we had for an engine

• Put on top cover, oil filter housing, prop hub and ring gear, and valve rotators

• Purchased the rest of the parts we needed to run it

Corvair College 29

• Last weekend in March in Leesburg, FL

• We were hoping to run the engine

Corvair College 29

Corvair College 29

Engine Run

The Corvair Smile

Support Staff