*Unofficial* Mini Pietenpol

PHerder

Member
Here's mine...

Flown a couple of times before painting (just in case! :p)

MiniPietenpol.jpg

Building a House of Balsa Pietenpol Air Camper (~ 63" wingspan) with modifications from the Pietenpol Four plans (i.e. flat wing with ailerons!). The FT one was quicker to get into the air! :applause:

Paul
 
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Ross

Member
^^^ Good looking Pietenpol. I finished up my templates and then the skies opened up and gave me over 40" of snow since last Thursday, another 12" maybe tomorrow. Chomping at the bit to build this one but life is getting the way.
 
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Ross

Member
Getting close to building the landing gear, is a standard push rod that comes in the speed built kits too thin for this? A wire coat hanger seems to heavy and thats my only other option right now.
 
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PHerder

Member
It is heavier than the standard push rod but it is also not as heavy as a coat hanger... depending on the coat hanger. I have some "thin" ones that are ~ the thickness of the landing gear.

YMMV but I would use the thinnest coat hanger for the landing gear. The standard push rod would work but you would be straightening it out after each landing and sooner or later it would break at the bends.

My Pietenpol has been retired. Last contact with the ground (cart wheeled) broke the glue connections on the struts internal to the fuselage and before I do more (fatal) damage, I put it up as a display. I believe I do not have the correct hot glue as it does not stick to the water resistant foam board very well. :(
 

Ross

Member
Thanks, I kind of thought I needed something in between those options. Sorry about your Pietenpol, mine will probably have a similar retirement ceremony.
 

PHerder

Member
Better than my FT SE5a. Did a similar "landing" and it broke off both wings. :( :censored: And that was on it's second flight.

The electronics found their way into the FT Pietenpol to live for another 4 flights... :eek:

I seem to need a smoother landing area for these minis and the first thing to go is the landing gear struts. One bounce on them and they are all busted up. You might leave them off for your first flights...
 

Gazoo

Well-known member
First and second attempt

Here is my first attempt in green. It is in DTFB. Lots of mistakes. The second one in blue is with Ross foam board. Looks a little better. After crashing one, I'll try a third attempt.
 

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Maxstudio

New member
My Piet

Here's a few pics of my Piet. this is my first R/C plane and my first experience with painting water resistant foam board. so the paint job went bad when i removed the tape after second color, but being my first plane i figured i'd crash it anyway....and i did...but got it flying great now. but having an issue today with motor glitching and not turning over. but here's my piet so far. I've already purchased a second piet and 4 other speed build kits, lol Motor Piet.jpg Peit.jpg piet pic 2.jpg piet pic.jpg
 

Usafa93

Member
Hey, Sponz. What kind of 3D printer are you using? Also Mac OS or Windows? -- I just got my Forge 3D from FT. Having trouble with setup parameters in Cura to get print working properly...
 

Ross

Member
That's a fantastic looking build! Do you have the files for the dash boards? They ad a certain je nais se quois.

Maxstudio:

I would also like to add the dash boards on mine if you have something to share. Also, what is the material you used around the cockpit that looks like padding?
 
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Maxstudio

New member
it's 1/16" craft foam , you can get it at the local craft store in sheets. I'm presently making front wheels for the guinea pig out of sheets of 1/4" black foam as the wheels they sent me are like 1".....no way they will roll where i fly! and they don't stock 1.5 wheels in the store currently.

Also, all my pilot figures i downloaded from the thingyverse web site in my last cockpit comment. not all were meant to be air craft figures but it's easy to just cut off any figure you want at shoulders and make a pilot out of them. I use a free program called MeshMixer.
 

Maxstudio

New member
Hey, Sponz. What kind of 3D printer are you using? Also Mac OS or Windows? -- I just got my Forge 3D from FT. Having trouble with setup parameters in Cura to get print working properly...

I don't know what Sponz uses but i have a Robo 3D i purchased from the local college instructor, i run it on windows 10, and use "MatterControl" interface program.

3d printed twin 9 cylinder radial dummy blanks installed on my Guinea pig build
20170324_192357_resized.jpg
 

SP0NZ

FT CAD Gremlin
Staff member
Admin
Moderator
Mentor
Hey, Sponz. What kind of 3D printer are you using? Also Mac OS or Windows? -- I just got my Forge 3D from FT. Having trouble with setup parameters in Cura to get print working properly...

I have a Anet A8 printer. It's a Prusa i3 Mk2 clone. I use Simplify3D running on Windows 10.