150% Modded Pietenpol

[Tonero311]

it is amazing how light and strong CF is. The ironing definitely helped out huh?

Really no need for the CF at this size when using the iron. Unbelievable the difference in strength just ironing edges and hinges. Literally exact same flex between CF and non-CF tail feathers. This will be used on all builds from now on. Never realised a simple household iron would do just as well as a modelling iron. Best £6 I've spent yet for such great results. That's about £25 saved to go into a nice motor😀.
Wonder how good a STOL plane I could make this?🤔

 

[BATTLEAXE]

Really no need for the CF at this size when using the iron. Unbelievable the difference in strength just ironing edges and hinges. Literally exact same flex between CF and non-CF tail feathers. This will be used on all builds from now on. Never realised a simple household iron would do just as well as a modelling iron. Best £6 I've spent yet for such great results. That's about £25 saved to go into a nice motor😀.
Wonder how good a STOL plane I could make this?🤔

I imagine that with the flaps and the size of prop you are goin with you may be taking off in a meter or two

 

[Tonero311]

I just started a standard Pietenpol project. I have all the parts cut out of paper and have started cutting out the foam. Any tips you have learned while building and flying yours?

I used a power pack f setup on 850 mah 3s with 4 x 5g digi plastic gear servos with good results on my 2nd build. Though I built the 2nd one with a straight wing and ailerons. I never got on with the original 3 channel version for some reason.
One thing that does stick out on my mind as a bit of a pain was placing the electrics. The esc motor wires were just about long enough to place it behind the landing gear support plate, then double the battery connector back through. I placed the bec in the faux engine.
Some reinforcement 'disc's' in the powerpod and powerpod cheeks really help with durability there. I use bass guitar picks cut in 3 with an appropriate size hole drilled in the corner. These are great for tight, awkward powerpods too. I've had crashes the skewers were guillotined with next to no damage to anything else.

 

[Tonero311]

I imagine that with the flaps and the size of prop you are goin with you may be taking off in a meter or two

If it does that then I've nailed it. This will be first plane I hopefully do a ground take off on. Could never achieve it without nosing over on the mini's. Always had to hand launch, which is nice and easy to do anyway. Just took a little bit of the fun away for me, but led me to this project to achieve that. This has been really fun so far.

 

[BATTLEAXE]

If it does that then I've nailed it. This will be first plane I hopefully do a ground take off on. Could never achieve it without nosing over on the mini's. Always had to hand launch, which is nice and easy to do anyway. Just took a little bit of the fun away for me, but led me to this project to achieve that. This has been really fun so far.

That's exactly why I am building this Sportster, to teach me how to do clean take off and landings, by next spring I want to be flying off water. The only mini I got to take off from the ground was the Mini Scout off a gravel parking lot on 1 3/4" wheels. I have done it a few times in the Baby Blender but never landed without nosing over yet

 

[Tonero311]

So a little update that's not so much about the plane, but about how this hobby helped me overcome a set back I recently experienced.
Long story short, last Tuesday night I got laid off and lost my job. Being industrious by nature I got looking for another job immediately. Wednesday afternoon I went for a job interview and nearly every question posed to me was referred back to building theses planes and the process behind it. The interviewers eyes lit up and he was on the edge of his seat the whole time. Got the phone call an hour ago to start on Monday. To say i felt relieved is a massive understatement.
I owe a massive thanks not just to flitetest and all their staff, but to all who contribute and push the hobby a little further in their own way as well. You have indirectly helped a man(me) maintain the food on his families table.
Little bonus as well. The interviewer asked me how long the longest period of unemployment has been in the last 5 years. 'I haven't hit 36 hours yet'.
Interviewer:- 'I'm writing that down, that's funny.'
😂🤣Best interview ever.

 

[OliverW]

So a little update that's not so much about the plane, but about how this hobby helped me overcome a set back I recently experienced.
Long story short, last Tuesday night I got laid off and lost my job. Being industrious by nature I got looking for another job immediately. Wednesday afternoon I went for a job interview and nearly every question posed to me was referred back to building theses planes and the process behind it. The interviewers eyes lit up and he was on the edge of his seat the whole time. Got the phone call an hour ago to start on Monday. To say i felt relieved is a massive understatement.
I owe a massive thanks not just to flitetest and all their staff, but to all who contribute and push the hobby a little further in their own way as well. You have indirectly helped a man(me) maintain the food on his families table.
Little bonus as well. The interviewer asked me how long the longest period of employment has been in the last 5 years. 'I haven't hit 36 hours yet'.
Interviewer:- 'I'm writing that down, that's funny.'
😂🤣Best interview ever.

Awesome!!! Congrats on the new job!

 

[BATTLEAXE]

So a little update that's not so much about the plane, but about how this hobby helped me overcome a set back I recently experienced.
Long story short, last Tuesday night I got laid off and lost my job. Being industrious by nature I got looking for another job immediately. Wednesday afternoon I went for a job interview and nearly every question posed to me was referred back to building theses planes and the process behind it. The interviewers eyes lit up and he was on the edge of his seat the whole time. Got the phone call an hour ago to start on Monday. To say i felt relieved is a massive understatement.
I owe a massive thanks not just to flitetest and all their staff, but to all who contribute and push the hobby a little further in their own way as well. You have indirectly helped a man(me) maintain the food on his families table.
Little bonus as well. The interviewer asked me how long the longest period of unemployment has been in the last 5 years. 'I haven't hit 36 hours yet'.
Interviewer:- 'I'm writing that down, that's funny.'
😂🤣Best interview ever.

Congrats bro, no one goes hungry at your house.

 

[Tonero311]

Time to tackle the cabines. Everything lined up with location marks inside the fuse. Only thing I was unhappy about was the front cabines. They are just glued to the inside walls of the fuse, but it annoyed me there was nothing giving support between them. So I cut and measured up a new 'A' fold plate. Only been used a jig until my landing gear wire comes. I'll use this as additional support for the landing gear fuse plates too.
Whilst I was epoxying the CF cabines, I though I might as well start the other joints I can see/reach as well. So servo plate and rear cabine support all had joints expoxyed.
One tiny mistake I have noticed with making measurements to check everything is true, I've managed to install the radiator wonky by 1mm🤣. Nothing noticeable really, but I was able to find it with the ruler, verniers and just about by eye. You might be able to see it in the pic. Everything else is looking to be bang on, so far. Just waiting on epoxy to cure properly and I'll quadruple check again😂.
Now to epoxy the wing joints, and mark up my locations for the cabines to be inserted. Then it'll be powerpod Theres a few little things I do there to strengthen things up there and something new I'm gonna try up my sleeve too. To be continued.....😀.

 

[Tonero311]

Been thinking about the motor,esc, prop etc. Thinking I might throw a Sunnysky 2216 iii 1250kv, 40a opto esc, 9x4.7 prop and seperate ubec. Figures I have seen put that setup on around 1100g of thrust. Any thoughts or opinions on this setup or a better one will be much appreciated.

 

[Grifflyer]

Been thinking about the motor,esc, prop etc. Thinking I might throw a Sunnysky 2216 iii 1250kv, 40a opto esc, 9x4.7 prop and seperate ubec. Figures I have seen put that setup on around 1100g of thrust. Any thoughts or opinions on this setup or a better one will be much appreciated.

Sounds good to me!!

 

[Tonero311]

Powerpod with open cell foam filler. Before final fit, I'm going to harden up the insert with epoxy. There will be guitar pick reinforcement pieces inside the powerpod and inside of the fuselage cheeks. Makes them last for ages I find.
So all I have left is to glue the tail feathers in, glue the powerpod together and that's it. Now is the wait on the electrics being delivered.

Sounds good to me!!

Yeah, 1100g of thrust on a 600-800g trainer😂. What have I let myself in for? Taking bets now on how long the first flight lasts.

 

[Tonero311]

So that's everything done that can be done until orders are delivered. Here's a pic of the Pietenpol with its mini beside it for scale. I though I would weigh all that I had to give a rough idea.
Mini Pietenpol AUW is 440g with 850mah 3s.
The big one's wing weighs 226g so far, waiting on 4 servos/control rods/horns and wires. Fuselage weighs 197g and is just waiting on the motor, esc, rx and battery. That gives a total weight on this air frame so far of 423g.

 

[BATTLEAXE]

So that's everything done that can be done until orders are delivered. Here's a pic of the Pietenpol with its mini beside it for scale. I though I would weigh all that I had to give a rough idea.
Mini Pietenpol AUW is 440g with 850mah 3s.
The big one's wing weighs 226g so far, waiting on 4 servos/control rods/horns and wires. Fuselage weighs 197g and is just waiting on the motor, esc, ex and battery. That gives a total weight on this air frame so far of 423g.

Looks great man, I imagine this plane at not only twice the size will be twice the plane then you remember out of the Mini. Very well thought out and executed. You are hired...!

 

[Tonero311]

Looks great man, I imagine this plane at not only twice the size will be twice the plane then you remember out of the Mini. Very well thought out and executed. You are hired...!

Not quite twice the size this one, but I would be lying if I said a 200% hasn't crossed my mind. Making the wings removable would be biggest hurdle to overcome there.
This one should be a bit more frisky than the last mini with ailerons I built. It was a perfect little trainer. Better than the 3 channel original in my opinion.

 

[Tonero311]

Landing gear wire and control rod wire came. Got the Landing gear/front cabine support plates installed. Used 2.2mm music wire for the landing gear. Just about fit inside the CF tubes I'm using to give extra strength for my landing gear struts. Was not easy to cut so should be very strong.
I went around the tail feathers and expoxyed around all my hot glue tacks from the last day. Very very impressed with how stiff the tail is now. Very little flex at all on either the elevator or rudder.
Not be long until the fuselage is finished waiting on being married to its wing. Need to get the belly sealed up and start glueing my LG struts into the fuse with epoxy and tape.Had to go a bit overpowered with the ESC. Couldn't find a 40a with 5a bec, so Hobbywing skywalker 50a/5a bec will be made do. Should come in handy anyway if I ever decide to tackle a 200% version.

 

[The Hangar]

Landing gear wire and control rod wire came. Got the Landing gear/front cabine support plates installed. Used 2.2mm music wire for the landing gear. Just about fit inside the CF tubes I'm using to give extra strength for my landing gear struts. Was not easy to cut so should be very strong.
I went around the tail feathers and expoxyed around all my hot glue tacks from the last day. Very very impressed with how stiff the tail is now. Very little flex at all on either the elevator or rudder.
Not be long until the fuselage is finished waiting on being married to its wing. Need to get the belly sealed up and start glueing my LG struts into the fuse with epoxy and tape.Had to go a bit overpowered with the ESC. Couldn't find a 40a with 5a bec, so Hobbywing skywalker 50a/5a bec will be made do. Should come in handy anyway if I ever decide to tackle a 200% version.

It’s coming along and looking great!👍

 

[Tonero311]

Postman has been good to me at last. Time to get the show on the road again😁.

 

[PoorManRC]

SO impressive! The size will definitely have better flight characteristics, as in most larger Airframes. Ailerons will really make a difference!
Your build quality is excellent too!! 👍👍

 

[Tonero311]

It’s coming along and looking great!👍

SO impressive! The size will definitely have better flight characteristics, as in most larger Airframes. Ailerons will really make a difference!
Your build quality is excellent too!! 👍👍

Thank you both, your too kind. Just being slow, methodical and patient helps to keep it all good. Or it has so far. In contact with a local flying club. I think this one is going to be maidened the day of first introductions.
I wonder what your going to think of v2😁? This is the rough one🤣😂.