Original Posted By: "Clif Dawson"
Wow what a great day for me. I got to look over Gardiner ("airlion")'s Piet at his hangar in LaGrange=2C Georgia earlier this afternoon. Couple of weeks ago I bought a little pickup on eBay=2C out of Atlanta=2C and needed for someone to stash it till I could get over there to pick it up. I approached Gardiner and he was yet another example of a Southern gentleman. He picked it up for me at the dealership and stored it at his house till I could fly out today=2C Saturday=2C to get it and drive it back to San Antonio. I'm writing this from Rm. 104 in the Super 8 motel in Mobile=2C Alabama... continuing back on I-10 to San Antonio on Sunday through Lake Charles=2C LA where I'll stop for lunch with friends.I met Gardiner's lovely and sweet wife Susan at their house when I showed up to collect my little Ford Ranger and she was so very nice. Pulled out of the driveway and about an hour and a half later I was in LaGrange at the hangar=2C looking over Gardiner's airplane.The main thing that struck me was how wide and "super sized" his cockpits are! He widened his cockpit to 26" and it makes a huge difference. Very nice improvement! So many other details of construction that I could comment on but I don't remember most of them. Memorable is the elevator trim that he's got=2C with a lever in the cockpit back to a trim tab of about 4"x6" on the port side elevator=2C operated via Bowden cable. Also memorable are the hinged door on the passenger cockpit=2C the front cockpit cover that he made out of glued strips of thin wood=2C the retractable steps for rear cockpit entry=2C gap seals on tail surfaces=2C and experimental streamlining on his wing strut brace cables and just about everything else. His airplane is a flying testbed for many different ideas=2C and my understanding is that vortex generators are next. His is not a "set it and forget it" airplane =3Bo)The man is understated=2C hospitable=2C soft-spoken=2C excited about flying his Piet=2C generous=2C outgoing=2C and so typical of Pietenpolers in general. Thanks=2C Airlion=2C for your hospitality and generosity. Oscar "OZ" ZunigaAir Camper NX41CC "Scout"San Antonio=2C TXwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net ________________________________________________________________________________
Pietenpol-List: Gardiner Mason's Piet
Re: Pietenpol-List: Tail Wheel Spring Question
Original Posted By: "Skip Gadd"
Tail Wheel Spring QuestionA friend of mine with an Aeronca broke one of the threeleaves on his and it cost him a prop so it seems to meyou would be just as screwed anyway.Good thing it swerved left into the enbankment. The otherway would have put him and his passenger on a 100'rollercoaster ride!Clif Was wondering if I could get by with just one leaf to save some weight, understanding I would be screwed if it broke. Jack________________________________________________________________________________
Tail Wheel Spring QuestionA friend of mine with an Aeronca broke one of the threeleaves on his and it cost him a prop so it seems to meyou would be just as screwed anyway.Good thing it swerved left into the enbankment. The otherway would have put him and his passenger on a 100'rollercoaster ride!Clif Was wondering if I could get by with just one leaf to save some weight, understanding I would be screwed if it broke. Jack________________________________________________________________________________
RE: Pietenpol-List: hangar life isn't so bad.......
Original Posted By: Gboothe5
Gary, You are right, the weather here is NOT great.Skip----- Original Message -----
Gary, You are right, the weather here is NOT great.Skip----- Original Message -----