Pietenpol-List: Flying NX899DE
Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:17 pm
Original Posted By: "walt evans"
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Flying NX899DEIn a message dated 4/23/2006 10:38:35 PM Central Standard Time, EmchAir(at)aol.com writes:Hi guys...Sure Greg I can give a first flight report. I first flew it back in September. I hadn't flown in a couple of years and had no tailwheel time. I thoughtflying in a mixture of planes would help to learn new flying qualities. I gotsome time in a Champ, Cub, T-Craft, and Citabria. After those I started taxiing the Piet faster and faster until I was running down the runway with the tail in the air. One evening I was doing this with my wife and 3 kids at the airport with me. After one run I taxied over to my wife and told her I felt pretty good with it. She was very supportive and said'I think you're ready too'. I sat at the end of the runway flying the flight in my head for the 1000th time! I firewalled it for the first time( all the taxis were partial throttle) and wasn't sure this would be it until it was trying to lift off the ground. It was a short flight, but all went well. It was a fascinating mixture of exhilaration, adrenaline, excitement, and outrightfear! It is a very forgiving and gentle flying airplane though. The flight went so well because of the design not the pilot!Since then I've gotten to know it better. I absolutely love flying it! It is very easy to land as long as you are straight at touchdown. If you aren't that tall narrow gear will let you know! I really liked how the Cub flew, andof the four it is the most similar. But I like how the Piet flies MUCH more! Lots of fun!Some specs are;A-65 with 72 x 44 Hegy prop ( I'd like to find a 72 x 42 Falcon)Split axle gear with 19" homemade hub wire wheels with go-cart brakes4" homemade tailwheel on tail skid A- frame14.5 gallon nose tankLong fuselageSky Gypsy type cowlTakeoff run lasts about 7 secondsCruise about 80mph (full throttle shows about 88mph, but the aiframe acts like it doesn't like it there!)I pirated a lot of ideas from other Piets at Brodhead and if there is anyway I could help someone and return the favor please let me know! I put a pictureon the Frappr site;http://www.frappr.com/?a=photo&gid=2729 ... etickerDon EmchNX899DEDon,Great report !!Posts like this really offers a LOT of encouragement for all those folks out there in the building stage and it's a great way to exchange thoughts about the flying characteristics, too. What is your tach read at full power, level flight ? My plane also lets me know that she doesn't like those high speed, full power runs !! It's like she tightens up, and buzzes at me !! Does yourmechanical tach have any error...checked possibly with an electronic tach ? Does your airspeed have any error...have you checked with a GPS yet ? I supposethere are lots of ways to calibrate ASI...like pace yourself with traffic, or if you have good section lines to go by in your local terrain, do a timed one mile straight, level flight, on each of the cardinal compass directions, then average the time speeds and see how it compares with indicated speed. Also, I'm curious as to what your oil temp indicates, and what the ambient temp was ?Chuck G.NX770CG________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 05:30:28 -0400
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Flying NX899DEIn a message dated 4/23/2006 10:38:35 PM Central Standard Time, EmchAir(at)aol.com writes:Hi guys...Sure Greg I can give a first flight report. I first flew it back in September. I hadn't flown in a couple of years and had no tailwheel time. I thoughtflying in a mixture of planes would help to learn new flying qualities. I gotsome time in a Champ, Cub, T-Craft, and Citabria. After those I started taxiing the Piet faster and faster until I was running down the runway with the tail in the air. One evening I was doing this with my wife and 3 kids at the airport with me. After one run I taxied over to my wife and told her I felt pretty good with it. She was very supportive and said'I think you're ready too'. I sat at the end of the runway flying the flight in my head for the 1000th time! I firewalled it for the first time( all the taxis were partial throttle) and wasn't sure this would be it until it was trying to lift off the ground. It was a short flight, but all went well. It was a fascinating mixture of exhilaration, adrenaline, excitement, and outrightfear! It is a very forgiving and gentle flying airplane though. The flight went so well because of the design not the pilot!Since then I've gotten to know it better. I absolutely love flying it! It is very easy to land as long as you are straight at touchdown. If you aren't that tall narrow gear will let you know! I really liked how the Cub flew, andof the four it is the most similar. But I like how the Piet flies MUCH more! Lots of fun!Some specs are;A-65 with 72 x 44 Hegy prop ( I'd like to find a 72 x 42 Falcon)Split axle gear with 19" homemade hub wire wheels with go-cart brakes4" homemade tailwheel on tail skid A- frame14.5 gallon nose tankLong fuselageSky Gypsy type cowlTakeoff run lasts about 7 secondsCruise about 80mph (full throttle shows about 88mph, but the aiframe acts like it doesn't like it there!)I pirated a lot of ideas from other Piets at Brodhead and if there is anyway I could help someone and return the favor please let me know! I put a pictureon the Frappr site;http://www.frappr.com/?a=photo&gid=2729 ... etickerDon EmchNX899DEDon,Great report !!Posts like this really offers a LOT of encouragement for all those folks out there in the building stage and it's a great way to exchange thoughts about the flying characteristics, too. What is your tach read at full power, level flight ? My plane also lets me know that she doesn't like those high speed, full power runs !! It's like she tightens up, and buzzes at me !! Does yourmechanical tach have any error...checked possibly with an electronic tach ? Does your airspeed have any error...have you checked with a GPS yet ? I supposethere are lots of ways to calibrate ASI...like pace yourself with traffic, or if you have good section lines to go by in your local terrain, do a timed one mile straight, level flight, on each of the cardinal compass directions, then average the time speeds and see how it compares with indicated speed. Also, I'm curious as to what your oil temp indicates, and what the ambient temp was ?Chuck G.NX770CG________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 05:30:28 -0400