Del, If you still have it, see the reply that Gene Rambo made to one of my notes from last night. He brought up the fact that you have to also worry about the rudder clearing the tailpost, when you start pivoting the horizontal stabilizer.Walt - your idea for a trim tab sounds very interesting, I'm looking forward to see if you include it or not.
Now Del (and Walt), y'all better be careful about having original ideas about building this thing;-). As I am to understand, they are planned completely perfectly, with absolutely nothing left out or anything left to chance. The plans are 100% accurate and complete, and no discussion is necessary about any of these "improvements". Besides, since Bernhard NEVER did any experimenting with this design, you should feel compelled to NOT personalize your project in any way. All Pietenpols are built EXACTLY alike, with no variations! Right? I hope no one used, or are planning to use, any of the synthetic coverings, or modern finishing systems on their Piet, and best to not use any of the more modern alloys of steel or aluminum either. Just wouldn't be right - wouldn't be a "Piet". You'd better go out and find the old alloys and bedsheets that were on the "real" Piets! Better not use that nasty T-88, or any of the other modern glues either. Better use casein glue, that way it'll be a "Real Piet". I wonder if using modern lubricants and fuels invalidates it's "Pietness"? Is it possible, that if you built a "Piet" from a composite of all the different plans, would it be a "Real-Piet" or maybe a "Franken-Piet"? Is the long or the short fuselage the "real" Piet? One-piece or three? Where is the type certificate that describes what a "Real Piet" is supposed to consist of? I want to see it, study it, adhere with religious zeal to it, so that I won't go astray and build some Piet-like flying device, which isn't a "Real" Piet, but some red-headed stepchild of an airplane! Seriously, Del and Walt, if you enjoy tinkering, having actual ideas, then trying to work them out, then I think by all means do it! I think it's great! I think it's great that you're beating the bushes, asking for opinions, or ideas. I have some ideas that I'm gonna build into mine, but as I keep looking over the plans while I build, I keep coming back to the fact that for the most part, I'll end up sticking with the original plans. As far as it being a "Real Piet", WHO CARES?! Make it a Piet with YOUR ideas incorporated. Then call it a Piet anyway, you own the plans, and you can call it what you like. I'll be here building my own version of the Pietenpol, and since I'm not a purist, but a pragmatist, you can bet I'm gonna call mine a Pietenpol, and I look forward to seeing both of your planes someday to see how your ideas worked out and compare notes! Good luck and keep up the good work!Gary MeadowsBuilding ribs and cutting tail wood________________________________________________________________________________Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999 06:13:43 -0500