Dear friend,

Thank you for your interest in Pietenpol Airplanes.

The following information is provided by The Buckeye Pietenpol Association. We're a world-wide organization that promotes the building and flying of airplanes designed by Bernard H. Pietenpol, and the recognition of Mr. Pietenpol's contribution to the world of sport aviation.

Pietenpol airplanes built to the plans of Bernard H. Pietenpol are straightforward, no-nonsense airplanes. They're great for puddle jumping or even long cross country trips. They fly low and slow, the same way they have for over six decades -- almost seven.

Pietenpols are low in cost, durable and FUN. Probably the biggest reason they are inexpensive to build is that almost no aircraft rated-materials are required by the design. They are durable because designer Pietenpol went out of his way to make every part of the ship stronger than necessary.

We know of no failure of a Pietenpol ship that can be attributed to its design. Naturally, with the hours flown in designs as popular as the Air Camper and Sky Scout, there have been injuries -- even fatalities. But in every case we know of, the mishaps can be attributable to factors other than the original design of the airplane.

In short, we have found Pietenpols to be real honest-to-goodness airplanes, built simply and inexpensively by honest-to-goodness people.

Who was Pietenpol?
Bernard H. Pietenpol was a self-taught mechanic and ''tinkerer'' who lived 'most all his life in tiny Cherry Grove, a crossroads in southeastern Minnesota. (You'll sometimes see Spring Valley given as Pietenpol's address -- that's because Cherry Grove was too small to have a Post Office so Pietenpol used nearby Spring Valley's.) He was a skilled machinist, an electrician and builder of radios. As a young man of twenty or so he became very interested in flying and built a number of small airplanes. When the Model ''A'' Ford was introduced in the late 1920's, Pietenpol experimented with its engine in his airframes. He produced the first really successful two-place airplane to be powered by a relatively inexpensive and readily available automobile engine.

Are plans available?
Yes. The plans for the two-place ship were first published by Fawcett Publications, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota in its annual Flying and Glider Manual and its monthly magazine Modern Mechanics and Inventions. The design was named the Air Camper by one of Fawcett's editors. Sales of the plans were brisk so the publisher asked Pietenpol to provide plans for another ... a single-place ship to be powered by the less powerful, older, and much less expensive Ford Model ''T'' engine. The Sky Scout was born. Plans were published in the FGM. Reprints of the early annuals are available from the EAA. The '32 and '33 editions contain the Pietenpols. In 1993 they were $6.95 each. Order from Order Processing, EAA Aviation Ctr., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086; Phone 800-843-3612. Probably no builder should even think about beginning a Pietenpol without acquiring and reading these famous articles. You'll even find a steel tube fuselage in one of the articles. (Wood remains more popular.)

Soon after the original Air Camper plans were published, Pietenpol improved its design and issued new plans dated 1933. These are the plans many Pietenpol builders use today and are still available from a son of the designer, Mr. Don Pietenpol, 1604 Meadow Circle, SE, Rochester, MN 55904-5251. Send Don $5.00 for an information kit. You'll find he has drawings of the Corvair and Continental 65 mount, a longer fuselage, full size rib drawings, etc. In 1998 the Pietenpol family created a web page here on the Internet for immediate access to detailed ordering information, etc. The URL was www.pietenpol.com, but the site was removed late in 1999.

The original Flying and Glider Manual plans are also still available - from the man who drew them. Mr. Orrin Hoopman was a friend and neighbor of Pietenpol back in the 20's and 30's. Pietenpol gave Hoopman the original Sky Scout in partial payment for making the original drawings. Hoopman also made drawings of many other airplane parts and system tried and used by Pietenpol over the years; an underslung radiator and a side-mounted water pump for the Ford engines, a wheel for the tail skid, a propeller for the Model ''A'' engine, etc. It's worth sending him a self addressed postage paid envelope for a list of his drawings. Orrin Hoopman, 800 17th Street NW, Austin, MN 55912-1643.

In the 1960's Bernard Pietenpol became interested in using the Chevrolet Corvair engine to power his ''Air Camper''. After much experimentation, he was satisfied with the combination and said ''The (164 cu. in.) Corvair engine has plenty of power for the Air Camper, and is the smoothest engine I have ever flown.'' The last ship he built for himself is Corvair-powered. It's in the EAA Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. When you're there, stop by Pietenpol's hanger at Pioneer Field.

So these three ships, the Ford-powered Air Camper, the Ford-powered Sky Scout and the Corvair-powered Air Camper are generally considered to be the ''purest'' of Pietenpols. Actually, there have been more than thirty different engines used to power airplanes of Pietenpol's design. But most members of our association will tell you that real Pietenpols fly behind Model ''A'' Fords or Chevy Corvair auto engines.

Are Pietenpol kits available?
No. Pietenpol did advertise and sell kits back in the 1930's. He also built a few ''fly-away'' models. Today, some members of the BPA make and sell some components. But Pietenpols are essentially ''scratch-built'' airplane .

How much will it cost to build a Pietenpol?
It's difficult to answer. In the late l980's, one BPA member finished a Ford powered Air Camper for less than $3500 in out-of-pocket expenses. However, he is an experienced builder who wanted to build for the lowest possible cost. Also, being retired, he had the time to ''scrounge'' materials.

How much time will it take to build?
Another tough one ... one builder started an Air Camper in November of 1988 and flew it in June of '89 . He too is an experienced builder and retired. At the other extreme, one Air Camper flew in 1990 for the first time; some twenty years after it was begun. Experienced builders remind the novice that ''airplane building is just a whole bunch of little jobs.''

Engines?
Many Air Campers are being flown today with the Ford Model ''A'' engine. Some of these ships are quite old; some are brand new. Many are currently under construction. Five million Model ''A'' Fords were produced and there are plenty of engines are available today. A rebuildable engine; block, crank, cam etc., can be purchased for less than $100. New pistons, boring, babbitting, align boring, etc. will set you back another $1500.00 or so. Start your looking by writing one or both of two national Model ''A'' Ford clubs: The Model ''A'' Restorer's Club, 24800 Michigan Ave., Dearborn MI 48124 and/or Model ''A'' Ford Club of America, 250 S. Cypress St., La Habra, CA 90631-5586. Ask for the name of a chapter near you, then phone an officer and attend a meeting.

Corvair enthusiasts also have a national organization: Corvair Society of America, PO Box 607, Lemont, IL 60439. Phone: 708-257-6530.

What about other engines?
There have been over thirty different kinds of engines used to power Piets.

We want you to know:
The Pietenpol designs have been popular and successful for over six decades. Like most of the best homebuilt designs, Pietenpols have been copied and modified by some builders . That's a legitimate activity. After all, most are members of the Experimental Aircraft Association. But we think itÔs unfortunate that the builders who change the design persist in calling their creations Pietenpols.

When looking at airplanes, remember the old adage ''Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery.'' Remember too, Pietenpol plans are labeled ''Designed by B. H. Pietenpol'' . If you want to build a Pietenpol, our organization suggests you build from authentic Pietenpol plans.

And, we want prospective Pietenpol builders to know that many builders, believing they were using authentic plans, have actually purchased the plans of others and started to build from them before discovering they weren't building a Pietenpol.

It is not our intent to denigrate the designs of others, nor to convince a builder to build one design rather than another. But, as members of a ''type'' club we are sometimes asked by builders for advice or help with their ''Pietenpol'' projects, only to discover the builder is not working on a ''Piet'' at all.

The Buckeye Pietenpol Association Newsletter is a quarterly clearing house for Pietenpol news, building tips, Pietenpol-related events, etc. Association dues (includes subscription) for U.S. residents are $10.00/year. For residents of Canada or Mexico; $12.00/year. For all others; $15.00/year. Payments accepted in U.S. funds only. Our address is 6364 Franks Road, Byrnes Mill, MO 63051-1103.

A select bibliography:

Cook, Leroy ''Flying an Air Camper'' Kitplanes May 1989 pp 30 - 35 illus. Mark Anderson, third generation Piet builder/pilot and his Air Camper are the subjects of this excellent article.

Cox, Jack ''Bernie Pietenpol Ñ1901 - 1984'' Sport Aviation February 1984 p. 4 Nice tribute to BHP.

Cox, Jack ''Paul Castine's Pietenpol'' Sportsman Pilot Winter 1982 p. 8 illus. Nice photos of Paul's ''A'' powered Air Camper.

Cox, Jack ''A Round Engine Pietenpol'' Sport Aviation April, 1990 pp 45-47 illus. EAA's Jack Cox describes the 5 cylinder LeBlond-powered job built by Dick Weeden, Ted Davis and Francis Saunders of Brodhead, WI

Cox, Jack ''Jim VanDervort's Pietenpol'' Sportsman Pilot Winter 1990 pp 25 -29 illus. Editor/publisher Cox writes a nice long story on Jim, his Corvair powered Piet, some about BHP, and some about Jim's other ships.

MacLaren Grant E. ''Building Wire Wheels - There's nothing like spoked airplane wheels to set off a Pietenpol.'' Kitplanes March 1990 pp 36-38 illus. GEM describes how Howard Henderson built wire wheels for a straight axle Pietenpol gear. reprinted in issue #45, BPA Newsletter

MacLaren, Grant E. ''Howard Henderson's Model ''A'' Ford Powered Pietenpol'' Sport Aviation February, 1989 pp. 16-20 illus. The title describes it.

Pavliga, Frank S. ''Sky Gypsy'' Sport Aviation February, 1985 pp 42-45 illus. An authority on Pietenpols builds and flies a beautiful show quality ''A'' powered Air Camper.

Pietenpol, B.H. ''The Pietenpol Air Camper'' Flying and Gliding Manual, 1932 . An EAA reprint. See above.

Pietenpol, B.H. ''Plans for the Pietenpol SKY SCOUT'' Flying and Gliding Manual, 1933 See above.

Sources:
EAA, Sport Aviation, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Kitplanes - PO Box 6050, Mission Vieho, CA 92690
Sportsman Pilot - PO Box 2768, Oshkosh, WI 54903

More information: BPA Newsletter editor Grant MacLaren offers a copy of his Pietenpol Notebook on computer disk (specify DOS, Windows or Mac) or printed paper copy for six bucks. Includes building tips, Piet history, large bibliography, etc. It's a good way to get up to speed (apx. 60 mph).

Some more about Pietenpols and the Buckeye Pietenpol Association.

Your BPA exists to promote Pietenpol airplanes, and acknowledge Bernard H. Pietenpol's contribution to the world of amateur-built aircraft. The association was formed in 1981 by thirteen Pietenpol enthusiasts from Ohio, the Buckeye state. It's grown to be the preeminent voice of the Pietenpol movement with members in many countries.

We are a loosely knit group with no officers or regular meetings; watch the newsletter for invitations to events.

Our newsletter is published quarterly. Contributions in the form of articles, photos, letters, etc. are always welcome. Your subscription will start with the earliest issue in stock or the next issue to be published (depending on how many recent back issues we have on the shelf) and expires as of the date displayed on your mailing label.

Xerographic copies of some back issues are available. Issue No. 1 carries the date of July, 1983. Frank S. Pavliga was editor of No.1 through No. 26; Grant MacLaren since No. 26.

How about Aluminum ''BH Pietenpol Aircraft'' name plates to install on my Piet's panel or my desk at the office?
- from Brian Amato, 3871 Whispering Oaks Dr., Traverse City, MI 49684. $7.50 each. (Ask Brian via email if these are still available. His email address should be on our "email" page.)

Registration Numbers?
DOT's advisory, ''Airworthiness Certification of Amateur-built Aircraft'' permits use of ''NX'' on Piets, ''Experimental'' label not required. Many use BH Pietenpol's number NX899 followed by builder/owner's initials. Nice tribute to Pietenpol.

Are Model ''A'' Ford engines still available?
Yes, Henry made five million of them and there are plenty still around. See the ''FAQ's'' information sheet.

Is my next door neighbor building a Piet?
The BPA publishes its' roster about twice a year. $6.00 per copy from the BPA.

Steel fuselage?
Yes, it's detailed in EAA's reprint of 1932 Flying and Glider Manual. Not nearly as popular as the wood version.

Shouldn't I redesign the _______?
WHY? Why would you want to? It's been working just fine the way it is for the past seven decades. People have been trying to "improve" the Air Camper and Sky Scout for seventy years. And the ones who build a second Piet always build it closer to the original plans than their first! There is a lesson here.

Where can I get a BPA patch for my cap, jacket, etc?
From ''Pete'' Peterson, 74 Doe Court, Terre Haute, IN 47802-4816. 4" diameter, multicolored, $4.00 each or two for $7.00.

Who makes components?
Gary Price (25 Taft Rd., Portsmouth, NH 03801-5732), for one. Send him $6.00 (refunded w/1st $25 order) for info. on wire wheels, fuel tanks, etc. . And Charlie Rubeck (RR 3, Box 545, Spencer, IN 47460; 812-829-2069) makes wing ribs. Also, see Good luck! column in recent newsletters.

Am I building a Pietenpol?
If it was designed by Bernard H. Pietenpol, it is. If it was designed by someone else, it isn't.

If I'm not building a Pietenpol, am I welcome in the BPA?
Yes, you bet your babbitt you are!

Your BPA publishes membership rosters. Watch the newsletter for availability. Their usefulness will be improved if your entry contains more than just your name and address. So please complete the form provided when you join the BPA and return it to your association. Thanks very much.

Pietenpols forever,

Grant E. MacLaren
Webmaster and Editor of the BPA Newsletter

by Tom Bowdler

Homebuilt aircraft history was made on May 20 1929 on the outskirts of the rural Minnesota town of Cherry Grove when a ''robin's egg'' blue and silver ship was propelled aloft by the unlikely hunk of cast iron that normally resided under the hoods of Model A Ford cars and trucks. Registered as ''626'' and built by Bernard Harold Pietenpol, it was the first of many of a design christened the ''Air Camper'' by Weston Farmer in Modern Mechanics and Inventions, a popular magazine of the time. Readers could purchase blueprints for $7.50, and a display ad in the June 1931 issue offered various Air Camper parts for sale; nineteen construction photos were available for $1.00. The November 1932 issue of MMI claimed that two hundred Air Campers had been completed, and in 1936 Mr. Pietenpol was selling assembled kits without engine, wheels or prop for $62.50!

My personal homebuilt aircraft odyssey began on February 14, 1993 when the first spruce longerons were placed in the newly completed fuselage jig to begin construction of my own Pietenpol Air Camper. Like all of you who have built your own plane, a considerable period of study and searching preceded that first piece of wood. Possibly by revealing some of my thinking, your road to the joys of aircraft construction can be shortened.

First and foremost I wanted a project I felt could complete. I enjoy building things and have many finished items to my credit, but also some unfulfilled starts. I would much prefer to cruise at 240 mph in my Ferrari-red GP4 on my way to EAA Oshkosh where I would be awarded the plans-built Grand Champion trophy. But get real! If it isn't there, I don't have to build it, and it won't break later.

I enjoy and am familiar with woodworking, so the primary material had to be nature's composite. Sound construction techniques combined with modern epoxy adhesives and varnishes virtually eliminate the ''dry rot'' concern. Wood is relatively inexpensive, non-toxic, and possesses an excellent strength to weight ratio.

Cost is a concern, and scratch-built projects are definitely cheaper to construct. When I first joined the EAA in 1979, the era of complete and fast-built kits that challenge the 51% rule were still in the future. Scrounging for parts can be enjoyable, and starting with boards that end up as longerons that become part of a finished fuselage is very fulfilling. Some of my materials were purchased from a widow of a fellow builder. The wheels came from used motorcycles, the wing tip bows from another builder, the 1930's bubble faced compass from an antique airplane parts dealer, the engine from an Aeronca Champ. And so it goes.

If my butt is going to fly in this machine, a proven design will be carrying it. Sixty-four years seems like enough time to perfect things to me. No one really knows how many Pietenpol Air Campers have been built or how many hours they have flown, but the strength of the design is legendary. I have seen a list of known accidents involving examples of the type, and all involved factors other than the original design of the airplane.

The Buckeye Pietenpol Association fulfills my final requirement: a support group to aid my construction endeavors. Formed by thirteen Ohioans in 1981, it has grown to be an international organization with members in many countries. The BPA publishes a quarterly newsletter about Mr. Pietenpol and his airplanes, building tips and members' activities. A group of Pietenpol fans from Wisconsin sponsors the annual Brodhead Pietenpol Reunion held the first weekend of EAA Oshkosh. As many as 23 Pietenpol Air Campers have attended from as far away as New York, Florida, Arizona, Colorado and California. It is a great grass roots fly-in with delicious food, great camaraderie, answers to questions, and friends from all over with which to share Pietenpol lore. I had the opportunity to fly in five different Air Campers to confirm that it was the plane for me.

All of these points are probably debatable, and many minor reasons could be stated, but my choice was clear. My project is progressing well, and in a few more years any of you who want could have a ride in my Pietenpol Air Camper.

I hope you all will soon have the opportunity to build the bird of your dreams and join me in this very enjoyable pursuit. end

Date: Sun, Dec 31, 1995 16:09 MST -- From: JGreenlee@aol.com -- Subj: Re: Air Camper -- To: HarleyLund -- cc: GMacLaren

(This was John's email address in mid-1998:jgreenlee@morgan.net)

Dear Craig,

Thanks for your recent e-mail. Where did you get my screen name? I know I have posted a few times on the bulletin boards so perhaps you saw me there.

I don't know what you know about the Pietenpol so I'm not sure where to start. You mentioned seeing a Piet in New Jersey. Was that by any chance Jim Malley's Fiesta powered ship? I know he lives in New Jersey. It is a beautiful airplane and I guess will serve as a springboard for a short treatise on Pietenpols.

My life changed somewhat one evening in June or July of 1992. We were out shopping and I happened to stroll past a magazine rack and there on the cover of the July Kitplanes was a picture of a Pietenpol Air Camper. It was the ship belonging to Jim Malley I mentioned before. I thought 'what a neat old airplane', and picked up the magazine and flipped through it a bit. I bought the magazine and the rest is history.

I had not been involved in aviation in several years. I had logged about 20 hours back while I was in college, but had quit because it was so expensive, etc. Building an airplane was something I would have never considered that I could do. After reading and re-reading the article, I soon found a local gentleman who had started a Piet project a few years before. With his encouragement and the loan of a rib jig I was soon sawing spruce and building ribs. I have since completed my Private Pilot's license, and continued work on my ship.

I have said all of this to tell you
1. I am no expert on anything, but am quite enthusiastic about this airplane, and
2. To give you a little background as to my perspective regarding this subject. (I was privileged to meet Jim Malley a couple of years ago. When I introduced my wife to him, she kind of rolled her eyes ... kind of a 'so you're the one who did this' type of look.)

The Pietenpol Air Camper was developed in the late 20's and early 30's by the late Mr. Bernard H Pietenpol of Cherry Grove, Minnesota. He designed it to be 'everyman's' airplane and based it around the plentiful and inexpensive Model A Ford engine. The airplane was a success and plans were published in 'Modern Mechanics and Inventions' magazine and in their annual 'Flying and Glider Manual'. Many airplanes were completed from these plans and his later 'Improved Air Camper' plans. Mr. Pietenpol also produced kits at the time and a few fly away airplanes.

In the 1960's, Mr. Pietenpol became interested in powering airplanes with the then new Chevrolet Corvair engine. He developed an engine conversion, testing it in an old Cub. He then built a new Air Camper for the Corvair engine. Supplemental plans are available to build this version.

You are probably somewhat familiar with the airframe but here are a few items of interest. It is built almost entirely of wood. Most of the fittings are fabricated of steel (tubing and sheet ) and are fairly simple. Very little or no machining is required by the design. The wing is square with all of the ribs the same size. It is a two place tandem, open cockpit 'flying machine', wonderful for tooling low and slow around the sky on a warm summer afternoon.

Plans are available today from two sources. Mr. Orrin Hoopman who drew up the original plans as a teenage boy, and Mr. Don Pietenpol, the son of the designer. If you are interested, I can supply their mailing addresses. It is a simple design that any man with average intelligence and average means should be able to construct. On top of that it is an elegant wooden 'antique'. (I can't afford a Waco or Travelair myself.)

Now, let me tell you a little about my project. I cut the first lumber August 22, 1992. I have started telling people it will fly by the end of 1996, but really am doubtful that I will make that date. Mine is being built from the 'Improved Air Camper' plans I obtained from Orrin Hoopman. I am building the standard length fuselage (there is a long version) with the original 'Jenny style' wooden landing gear with 21" wire airplane wheels and smooth tires. I have a 1930 Model A engine yet to be overhauled. I am using a 3 piece wing plan (1 piece is the other option). Currently I am building a 76 * 44 semi-scimitar propeller for the Model A.

So far, my fuselage is nearly complete with all stringers, etc. installed. The instrument panel is finished, gear finished, center section and fuel tank completed and installed, and motor mounts installed. The tail group is also complete. I have completed all ribs, but have not assembled the wing panels due to their bulky size and shape. The radiator is complete and installed. What I lack is fabrication and installation of the control cables, all aluminum cowlings, engine hook-ups, and a few minor adjustments on the items already finished. I have not completed the wings as mentioned before, and the associated struts and wires. Of course, it has not been varnished or covered as yet.

Pietenpols have been powered with nearly every engine imaginable: Model A's, Corvairs, Continentals, Lycomings, Fiestas, Escorts, Subaru's, Velies, LeBlonds, and you name it. We purists will try to tell you that 'real' Piets fly on Model A's. Yes, you can find one, and yes, it is reasonably reliable. There is something quite unique and special about that radiator and the purr that antique piece of Detroit cast iron makes.

The Piet has about the best support network of any homebuilt aircraft. The Buckeye Pietenpol Association newsletter is published by Mr. Grant MacLaren. He is on-line as GMaclaren@aol.com. The (U.S.) dues or only about ten bucks a year, but it would be a bargain at three times the price! I would highly recommend you join if you even remotely think you might want to build. You will find that Pietenpol people are much like the airplane itself: Straightforward and unpretentious. I have called many builders seeking advice at different times and they have all been more than happy to help. Also, members of the BPA hold a 'reunion' every year at Brodhead, Wisconsin the first weekend of Oshkosh. This is a 'must attend' event for Piet builders. You will learn more in a couple of days there than you ever will by studying the plans, books, etc. It is also the most fun you will ever have around airplanes!

I hope some of this helps. I recommend you contact Grant MacLaren for more information such as FAQs, newsletter info, etc. He or I or anyone connected with the BPA will be happy to answer your questions.

Good Luck!

John Greenlee