Pietenpol-List: RE: Piet/Grega plans

[matronics]

Original Posted By: "McNarry, John"
Hi all...I got my Grega plans yesterday and had a chance finally to compare thePiet/Grega in detail. To my surprise the Grega is a totally differentairplane. About the only design details in common are the structure of thetail surfaces, the airfoil (although with a modified leading edge) and the general arrangement and planform.The Grega certainly seems overbuilt for its published gross weight of 1100 pounds, which really means that the structure is probably good for a gross that is much higher, which is good to know. I would have no problemoperating at 12 or 1300 pounds if the engine was good for it.While some of the fittings look overdone, like the wing to cabane plates, they are made from thinner material (.065) than the straps in the Piet (.080) so there may not be that much of a weight difference. It seems like most of the weight difference is in all the plywood in the aft fuselage and some ofthe fittings (the control horns are solid 0.090 plate instead of being builtup from thin sheet, for example). Mr. Grega said that he skinned the rear fuselage because of the ease of damagingthe lower longerons and to get the cg aft (I'm not quite clear on hisreasoning based on the note he included).For those who are not into following the Peit plans to the letter, thereare many details that you may want to adopt from the Grega, especially insofar as one of the things he did was make plans that show modernaircraft construction practices. The plans being only 25 bucks (they'reonly photocopied onto 11/17 sheets; no wonder they're so inexpensive...but that's all you really need anyway) it's certainly worth getting a set just to see if there are ideas to use.There so many differences in the dimensions of various things that it lookslike it would be tough to blend the designs together as far as basicstucture goes, however.John Kahn________________________________________________________________________________

[matronics]

Original Posted By: jkahn(at)picasso.dehavilland.ca (John Kahn)
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