2013 – Page 25

01/09/2013

New Pietenpol, Gary Boothe, Cool, Calif.

Note, if the photos are small, try hitting F5 at the top of your keyboard.

Builders;

Below are some photos and notes on Gary Boothe’s Pietenpol Aircamper. He has had the plane flying since September, and the flight testing went smoothly and all the time has long been flown off. The plane is fantastically beautiful, a real tribute to Gary’s craftsmanship. The wood details, the choice of colors and the traditional landing gear make an attractive period piece. The fact the plane flew off the phase one time with little effort and is reported to be a very efficient and sharp performer says that its mechanical side is every bit as good as the visuals. The letter from Gary included is very moving. Enjoy.-ww

Above, Gary’s Piet at its first public display. I have seen a lot of detailed photos of the plane, and the fine points are just as good as the big picture above.

Above, Gary stands with the plane in a rear quarter view. Below is a letter Gary sent out to friends when the plane was done. His letter contained a fuzzy photo of the first Pietenpol he had ever seen, 40 years earlier. His note starts with remembering that day when he was 19 years old……..

I was 19 years old…and hung-over for the first time (its own bittersweet story!). Bad as my headache was, I wasn’t in such poor shape that I couldn’t recognize the simple beauty of a Pietenpol, telling myself, “Someday…” For those who may not know, this airplane was designed by Bernard Pietenpol in 1927. It has always only existed as a set of plans, by which aviation experimenters have been building Pietenpols around the world for the past 80+ years.

Fast forward 40 years, after realizing the futility of staying in aviation and raising a family since 1985, my dream of building & flying that simple little airplane has been finally fulfilled! This airplane is a tribute to my father, a die-hard do-it-yourselfer. The FAA ‘N’ number, NX308MB, contains his initials, along with the month and year of his passing, which, not without coincidence, is the month and year that I began work on the Pietenpol. I miss you, Dad…

Moving words indeed. There are plenty of people in this world who don’t have the same ‘dream’ if they don’t get it in 40 minutes, far less 40 years. The golden rule of homebuilding: persistance Pays. If your reading this and have spent a few decades unable to shake the feeling that you need to build a plane, perhaps Gary’s example may be the best path to follow. everything he has said about the experience since the plane was completed says the dream was well worth the treasure and toil.

Over the years, I have spent a number of hours hanging out with Gary. Simply put, he is good company. He has an easy-going demeanor, and the things he says are well thought out and insightful. In a world where ever more people are personally distracted, a guy like Gary who is focused and alert enough in conversation to really stick out in a day of speaking with 200 people, is unique. Over the years I have shared a lot of different aviation stories, some mainstream that many people liked, some speaking of an experience or a subject that was well off the common path, such as working in the shop in the middle of the night and thinking about long dead friends. Subjects like that make most people uncomfortable, and the stories don’t often generate return mail. In years past Gary is one of the very few people to write in to say that he found the stories thought-provoking. Like most people, I didn’t take enough time when I was younger to really thank the people who taught me the things I know about planes. Gary is the opposite of this, he is really good about letting people know that their assistance was much appreciated. He is an all around class act.

On the subject of “why choose a Corvair?”, a few thoughts; Below is a photo of Gary’s first engine run at CC#18 in 2010. 95% of people getting into experimental aviation today don’t really care to know much about the engine that will power their plane, they will be perfectly happy to have some type of appliance with a “no user serviceable parts inside” sticker on it. This isn’t a very rewarding approach, but I can also make a good case that it isn’t a safe attitude either. In aviation, ignorance isn’t bliss, at least not in the long run. In 25 years in aviation I have seen a lot of things, but I have never seen a single person ever get hurt because the knew too much about the care and operation of their machine. Gary, and builders like him are the polar opposite of people who enter aviation with the misguided and naive belief that you can somehow spend your way to safety, like it was some product that you can purchase by the pound.

Lots of potential Pietenpol builders pick an A-65 Continental because they want a ‘reliable engine.’ The last time these engines were new was 65 years ago. Very few of the ones offered for sale are in airworthy condition, even if they are advertised as ‘reciently overhauled.’ Most of them are built back up out of people’s junk parts piles. It is very common to find Standard pistons in overbored cylinders, cranks turned .030 under, and wasted valve trains. Any person who thinks that a 65 Continental in the flymart is more reliable than a Corvair that is carefully built of new parts is delusional. Airworthyness isn’t in the old battered data plate, it is in the carefully assembled quality components.

The second factor on engine choice is support. A person picking the Continental may have some buddies,local ‘experts’ and on-line friends to advise him, but none of these people are in the profession of installing engines in experimental aircraft. Conversely, if a builder like Gary selects the Corvair as his power plant, we will directly support him. I offer every part to mount the engine on his plane, I know the W&B issues, and I make it my business to teach every detail of the Corvairs care and operation. Over time, I answered all of Gary’s questions, covered details on tuning his carb, and highly encouraged him to get a test pilot. Gary directly credited the success of his project to factors like these. And lets not forget the big one: They don’t have events called “Continental Colleges.” No one from TCM or any other engine supplier hold free Colleges where builders can build and run their engines under expert supervision.

I have done things like the Weight and Balance project that support all Piet builders, no mater what engine they have chosen. There are valid reasons why an individual might want an engine other than a Corvair for their Piet, that’s personal choice. However I do take a dim view of any suggestion that we don’t support builders, and a very dim view of the one or two ‘internet personalites’ who continuously criticise anything to do with Corvairs. In light of our service to Piet builders of all types and direct support of Corvair/Pietenpol builders, internet critics of all things Corvair reveal themselves to be vermin without anything to contribute but hollow criticism of others.

Above, the moment of truth: Gary’s Pietenpol engine firing up at Corvair College #18 in Livermore CA. He did an excellent job and it ran perfectly. If you would like to see a youtube video of the engine running, check out the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrY-3JYjg0

Hats off to Gary Boothe, builder and flyer of an outstanding Corvair powered Pietenpol.-ww

01/08/201301/08/2013

New Pietenpol, EAA #1279, French Valley CA

Note: If the pictures are small, try hitting F5 at the top of your keyboard.

Builders;

Steve Williamson, Pres. of EAA chapter 1279 in French valley CA wrote to say that their multi-year Pietenpol project had flown. This is a very important milestone and an outstanding effort that his chapter can be very proud of. It is a little publicized statistic that less than 10% of Chapter projects are ever finished. The flight of this plane is a serious tribute to Steve and all of his chapter members. It is physical proof that they have outstanding spirit, skills and persistence. Hats off to the whole crew.

Below are some photos and a letter Steve sent, followed by some photos and notes from our flycorvair.com website, and some comments on the type of support that we offer our builders. Enjoy and learn, -ww

Above, the Piet out on the French valley ramp. 1279 wisely brought in a very experienced Piet pilot for the first flights. There is nothing unusual about the Piet, but I have a lot of respect for a person who chooses to put the most qualified pilot in the plane for the first flight, rather than the typical ‘I built it, I fly it’ mentality. The first flight went as planned, no surprises.

Above, the plane takes to the air. It has a 2700cc engine. It is built around a short fuselage and straight axle gear with spoked wheels. Below is Steve’s announcement letter:

Dear Members,

I am happy to report to all of you who have been following progress on the Pietenpol Air Camper project being built at the French Valley Airport by members of EAA Chapter 1279 that the airplane has made its maiden flight. On Saturday, January 5, 2013, long-time Pietenpol owner and pilot Scott Liefield made the trip from his home in Lancaster, California to the French Valley Airport near Temecula, California to do the honors (see photos below).

Construction on the airplane was completed in October. DAR John Shablow performed the final inspection on Saturday, October 29, 2012. As part of his inspection, John performed a formal weight and balance calculation before issuing the Certificate of Airworthiness. With all of the paperwork completed and the C of A in hand, the first flight was scheduled for Sunday, November 11. Unfortunately, an engine problem developed which delayed the first flight for a couple of months while we made the appropriate repairs.

By the first of the year everyone was satisfied that the airplane was ready to go. Scott and his father arrived early Saturday morning. We all did a thorough inspection of the airframe, making careful notes of anything that needed attention. With the engine cowling in place, we tied the tail down and started the engine. We warmed up the engine before running it up to full throttle for a full two minutes. It ran smoothly and all of the gauges were within normal operational limits. After a brief cockpit check, Scott climbed in, taxied the airplane onto the active runway, and took off. Staying within a mile or so of the field, Scott climbed to three thousand feet and checked the flying characteristics of the airplane. He later reported having to hold in some left rudder during the entire flight. This he thought could be eliminated by offsetting the leading edge of the vertical fin by a half inch. The airplane topped out at 88 miles per hour at full throttle in level flight with the engine turning 3,000 RPM. Scott said that stalls in the airplane were straight ahead with no tendency to fall off on a wing. It recovered normally with simple release of the back pressure.

After 30 minutes in the air, Scott returned and made, by his own account, one of his best landings in a long time. A perfect ending to a momentous event.

For those of us involved in the building process, it was a moment that brought smiles, hand shakes, and high fives all around. To those of you who have been following our progress through these regular updates or through our chapter website, we thank you for your interest and your encouragement.

Now we begin a new chapter in the history of Pietenpol Air Camper N1279Z. The airplane will continue to be based at French Valley and will forever be associated with EAA Chapter 1279. It is our hope that wherever we go with the airplane, it will provide inspiration to others pursuing their own dreams of building and flying their own airplane. Blue skies!

Steve Williamson, Pres. EAA Chapter 1279 French Valley, CA

What kind of support do we offer our builders? This question comes up from time to time when people on the internet who are not yet builders comment that I don’t return email questions in an hour, and they got our answering machine when they called. The 1279 Piet is a good illustration of the difference between companies that offer consumer mentality instant gratification of quick email, and ourselves who are focused on real builder support where it is effective, in-depth, and aimed at getting people safely flying. I personally find the later a more valid goal. If you are new to homebuilding, read these notes to understand what real support is.

Above is the 1279 Piet at Brodhead, the national Pietenpol gathering in 2010. Steve and his crew brought it all the way from CA to have it on static display in WI. That year it was displayed both at Brodhead and Oshkosh. While the plane was at Brodhead, I put it on electronic scales and did a full weight and balance on it to allow the 1279 guys to make adjustments to the plane before it was covered. While my work is alternative engines, I am all about getting people flying, and I have a very high degree of airframe expertise. The W&B was part of a large multi-year project I undertook to weigh 30 Pietenpols of all types and publish comprehensive data in the Brodhead Piet Association newsletter. Is there any one out there that thinks the ownership of Rotax is doing things like this for the good of homebuilders? Only an internet newbie to homebuilding would value an instant response to “E-mail sent from a Verizon Blackberry” over having an accurate weight and balance done on your actual aircraft, (at no charge to anyone.)

Steve was invited by the EAA to put on an indoor display on the project all week at Oshkosh 2010. His presentation was extremely well received. I stood in the back of the last one with the EAA’s Director of Homebuilding, Joe Norris. At the end of his presentation, I gave Steve a special present: the cast aluminum valve covers that flew on our own Pietenpol years ago. He was moved. While I had previously seen 50 chapter projects that were bound for oblivion, it was easy to see that Steve and his crew had what it took to finish and fly their plane.

Later in 2010, when I was in northern California for Corvair College #18, I made sure I reserved time to travel all the way to the southern end of the state, and I personally came out to inspect their project for a few hours, and meet with members of 1279 that I didn’t make it to Brodhead. Again, I think of this as effective support, not the appearance of it.

As Steve’s letter explains, they had an engine issue on ground testing. In all of our manuals, I specifically state that the plane is to be tied down and run at full power for 2 minutes without any type of compromise. When the 1279 guys did this, their engine lost power, and they were quick to investigate. They sent me photos which revealed that a poorly done spark plug helicoil was hanging in the combustion chamber and acting as a glow plug and tripping off detonation. With the assistance of West Coast 601/Corvair builder and pilot Ken Smith, the issue was quickly and inexpensively resolved. Steve later wrote me a letter thanking me for the flight ops manual that gave detail information on first flights and the two-minute test. He directly credited this information with preventing a disaster on the first flight. He said the plane ran well before the two-minute test, and without it, the first flight would have likely ended very poorly. Again, this is the kind of support we are focused on providing.

When the engine issue was being corrected by Ken, I took the time to track down the home phone number of Scott their test pilot. Although I had never met him, I had no hesitation to call him up at home. We had a very productive late night call that covered every detail that a guy who had never flown a Corvair powered plane might need to know. This was over an hour of time well spent. I was able to offer Scott insight not only on the Corvair, but on the specific plane he would be flying, having made the house call to see the plane in person. Combine this with knowing the builders and the guy working on the engine and having personally owned the same airframe/engine combination, and we were able to have a lot more useful combination than shallow non-truths like “it should fly like a Cub.”

Again, if there is any other alternative engine guy out there offering this kind of support, send me his name, I’d like to meet him. We would get along great. In reality, most companies don’t make house calls because there is nothing in it for them. They already have your money, they are moving on to the next sale. Most of them would be just fine if your plane was never finished or flown, their legal departments know that this is the best liability position for them. Think I’m kidding about this? Hang out very late at night at Oshkosh with me and I will take you to the bars where only the industry people go. Pull up a bar stool next to the polo shirt clad reps on their tenth beer and you can hear this type of commentary yourself. These people still rub elbows with me because I write entertaining stories like “Unicorns vs Ponies” and because they know I can write exposing things about our industry all day long and it isn’t going to change the fact that 95% of the people arriving in experimental aviation are pure consumer mentality, and have little or no interest in becoming an aviator, through the traditional Learn Build and Fly passage.

If your 2013 plan is to expand your personal capabilities in aviation, and be the master of new skills, and do this in the company of like-minded builders, then you are a 5 percenter, and you have come to the right place. I don’t have the capability or the intention of trying to change the minds of people who are only looking for a consumer experience. We are here to work with builders like Steve and the 1279 crew who are committed to really meeting the challenge of getting everything they can out of homebuilding, not just having another surface experience in a life of surface experiences. If the majority of our industry doesn’t care about traditional homebuilding, don’t let it bother you. I have always focused my work on traditional builders, and we will be here to offer them real support for the long run.-ww

01/07/201301/07/2013

2013, What will be your reality?

Builders;

We now have about 357 days left in 2013. All of us who love aviation have had a chance to consider what we accomplished in it during 2012, and have also had the chance to make some plan for this year. Weither you had a fantastically productive and rewarding 2012, or if the things you promised to do 53 weeks ago eluded your efforts, 2012 is now gone and beyond our grasp. 2013, is an entirely fresh year, full of as many options as you are willing to believe in and work for. The single biggest factor in your year remains as always, internal. What will you make for your own aviation reality in 2013?

Over the weekend, Old hangar gang members David Vargesco and Seve Upson stopped by. They came up to update Dave’s 2700 cc Corvair. The engine was built to 2005 specs, with a nitrided crank but no 5th bearing nor any gold systems. It was a good visual reminder of how far we have advanced the ‘state of the Corvair art’ in the last seven years. In 12 hours of work, the three of us took the engine down to the case, Installed a retrofit Dan 5th bearing, refreshed the valve job and installed exhaust rotators, honed the cylinders, repainted the external metal, switched to the latest valve train hardware, put on Gold starter brackets, top cover and billet oil pan and changed out the dual points distributor for electronic/points. The parts cost of these updates was about $1,600. For this modest price, Dave now has a 2013 spec, engine. He wasn’t waiting to get going in 2013. He didn’t miss the starting gun. His reality is real progress.

Speaking of reality, most people into aircraft saw at least some of the History Channel show “Ice Pilots NWT” about the Canadian group that flies cargo in radial engine aircraft in the North West Territories. I myself watched a little because I wanted to see film of a C-46 Commando flying. As far as reality shows, it seemed real….until I spoke with Seve while we were working on Dave’s engine. As many of you know, Steve has long been the Chief of maintenance on our friends DC-3. The particular plane is in good mechanical shape, but it is fighting a cosmetic issue from living outside in Florida for several decades. Last year, The producers of the TV show Ice Pilots quietly went shopping for a DC-3, Not to star in the show flying, what they wanted was one they could chop up and take the fuselage. Why? Because a lot of this ‘reality show’ is evidently fake. They wanted a plane that could live in a soundstage and be carefully rigged up to look like they were filming new airborne episodes. The producers didn’t give a damn about classic planes. The show makes money, and they had it to spend. They were willing to offer top dollar to anyone owner willing to cut up a perfectly good DC-3 so they could make some more fake TV and real money. Our friends, who have poured their life savings into keeping their DC-3 alive told the TV people to drop dead.

TV isn’t reality, and it hasn’t been since Murrow broadcast “Harvest of Shame” and Armstrong set foot on the moon. Back then, there was journalism and actual experts covered issues of national importance. Likewise, current magazines are not experimental aviation reality either: A few days ago I was cleaning up the hangar of a friend who passed away last year. I found a box of Sport Aviations from 1958-63. They are fantastic. Bob Whittier, my favorite aviation writer of all time, wrote something in most of the issues. His work is timeless and fresh. His experience was first person. Today, there is little ‘reality’ in our aviation journals. Technically, Edward R. Murrow and ‘Dr. Phil’ practiced the same profession, but the comparison draws bile to the back of the mouth. Likewise, it could be said that Bob Whittier and ‘J-mac’ (the current head of EAA publications) both have written on homebuilts, but again, this ludicrous comparison has the same gastric reaction. Everyone recognizes that we have been on a national sliding board in journalism of all kinds for most, if not all, of my lifespan. However, taking a moment to remember this at the start of a new year has a constructive purpose.

This year, and what you will do with it is almost entirely up to you. If your candidates lost, it isn’t going to prevent you from building an engine or airframe this year. If you candidates won, they aren’t going to repay your support by showing up and building your plane for you. Same goes for your NFL team, and every other external group we are trained to tie our happiness to.

Today will have 24 hours in it, and the biggest factor on what you will have accomplished at the end of the day, week and year remains “What are you willing to do with your mind, your hands and your determination?” Homebuilding is facing 1,000 moments to quit and go watch TV. successful homebuilding is reminding yourself 1,000 times that there is nothing on TV that will ever make to feel like you will the day your plane flies. What will be your reality for 2013? Exactly what you are willing to make it. -ww