Original Posted By: Ron Hargrove
Well I can't hold it in any longer. My twin daughter is in the hospitalawaiting twins any day now. So, I am grounded to home area. Had to cancelBrodhead and OSH. Moped all weekend thinking about Brodhead. So, went outon Monday and flew 3 different Pietenpols for 4 hours. Not quite likeflying to Brodhead, but my butt hurt just as much...I am test flying two different Piets for friends. It has given me a chanceto compare some things I have taken for granted. I want to share someobservations with current builders.When you finish the fuselage but before adding things like rudder pedals,throttles, etc. plug in a tv and tune in your favorite program and sit inthe fuselage and watch. And think. Put your rudder pedals where you thinkyou want them. Put your feet on them and sit and watch that program. Youwill soon start to see whether they are in a place that is comfortable orwhere you can barely walk when you try to get out. If the pedals are tooclose to you, your knees will be bent too much. Your ankles will also bebent back a lot and the heel brakes will be awkward to apply. The kneeswill also be in the way of the control stick and limit the amount of aileronmovement. Also, most of your weight will be concentrated on your tailboneand you will hurt after a short time.Other things to look at. Don't have the throttle so that your knee will hitit while getting in. Could ruin your day after you hand prop it but don'tyet have your feet on the brakes. Make sure the cables, like those thatattach to the rudder pedals, don't have cotter keys, frayed ends, or ends ofsafety wire protruding where it can gouge your shoes or ankles. Could bedistracting while trying to fly. Make sure your shoe is not going to jambetween the rudder pedal and an side upright or passenger seat part. Couldhappen at a most inopportune time. Same thing for levers or pull starters.Be sure they are located in places that make using them easy. On of thePiets I am testing has the pull starter located so that it almost cuts offyour fingers as you pull on it. Moved one inch forward it would be anon-issue.Make sure the brakes can be applied with ease while your feet are on therudder pedals. Not so easy that you apply brakes inadvertently, but not sohard to find that you might hit one and miss the other. If you have to liftyour feet off the rudder pedals to apply brakes, or if you have to make yourlegs and ankles do things that only a contortionist can do comfortable, youare looking at an accident waiting to happen.Sorry this turned out so long. I only wanted you to know that you can dothings that will affect the safety and pleasure of flying your Pietenpol.But, they are easier to do while building rather than after you start flyingit.Hope this helps someone.Ted BrousseauIn soggy, sunny, sweaty South Florida (who can't wait to join up with Corkyon the way to Brodhead next year.________________________________________________________________________________Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 23:04:51 -0400
Pietenpol-List: Fitting out your Pietenpol
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Original Posted By: Ron Hargrove