Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: "Gene Rambo"
Soapboxes... hmmm... I wonder if you could flatten them out like oldQuaker Oats cartons and use them to make the leading edges of your wings?(Sorry, Mikee- I couldn't stand to listen to your singing in the showerso I had to throw out something to laugh at).I will have to say in all honesty that the leading edges of 41CC catchtheir share of bumps and knocks and I'm glad there is solid wood there.The paint is a bit chafed here and there along the LE of both wings fromvarious things, not to mention the dust-up four years ago Veterans Daywhen the airplane went over on its back, but still sound as can be andI didn't touch the wings after the nose-over incident.One of these days I'll pull out the yellow Poly-Tone and a brush andtouch up the wings, I guess.Oscar ZunigaAir Camper NX41CCSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: "Peter W Johnson"
Guys:This leading edge thing is getting wayyyy out of hand.The leading edge on the Pietenpol wing, as designed, is not structural. The ribs give it an airfoil shape, and the nose piece of wood holds the front of the ribs together. Bernie (supposedly) used cardboard for the covering WHICH GOES ONLY FROM THE LEADING EDGE TO THE TOP OF THE SPAR! We could also use cardboard, aluminum, plywood, or nothing at all with equal success and would lose no structural strength whatsoever. A number of the old biplanes (such as the Travel Air and pretty much everything from WWI) used nothing at all, just the fabric. You can see this in any photo where the fabric is scalloped between the nose ribs. This causes no loss of aerodynamics or strength, and I have never heard of a bird strike bringing down an airplane. And yes, I have hit birds with the Travel Air, they just bounce off.Wrapping plywood all the way around the leading edge from spar to spar would create, as many have pointed out, a "D box" spar for no good purpose that I can think of. It would be strong as a bridge where it is not necessary, it would be a b**ch to build (wrapping ply on that sharp radius at the nose is going to be damned difficult, and it could well shift a bunch of loads into an area where they were not meant to be. The only airplanes I have ever seen with a wooden D box front spar are cantilever wings (Cessna Airmaster, Fokker D VII, etc) Now, if you are going for a cantilever Pietenpol, I'd love to see it!!Anyway, Mike, have a beer and chill. No one is trying to put words into your mouth. By the way, the wing cut out for the pilot to enter the cockpit was in the original design, so when you "talk about a design change", you might want to use another example.Geneworking on my Model A engine________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
Gene,The PFA (now LAA) in the UK "require" a D section on the leading edge of thewing. I did mine that way and have no regrets.PeterWonthaggi Australiahttp://www.cpc-world.com _____

Original Posted By: "Dick N."
Perhaps someone could request that Matt Dralle create an "off-the-wall idea" list. It would help the 99% of us that don't want to redesign everything just for the sake of doing it continue to enjoy this forum.My $0.02.Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry________________________________________________________________________________

Original Posted By: Peter W Johnson
Peter:I would have to see what the requirement is. What are we actually talking about, a full D section structural leading edge, or just wrapping the leading edge material (such as aluminum) all the way around? I would be very surprised if they actually required a major structural alteration such as an actual D box.Gene ----- Original Message -----

Original Posted By: "Ryan Mueller"

Original Posted By: Ryan Mueller
I believe that I said wrapping the material (aluminum, cardboard, etc) all the way around. that was the point of my initial post, too many on here are using terms interchangably and not being specific whether the "leading edge" refers just to the wooden "stick" on the rib noses or the entire area in front of the spar. I may not have been clear enough, but read as a whole, I was stating that there is a difference between merely wrapping aluminum all the way around, and forming plywood and glueing it all the way around and to the spars, creating a D box.Gene ----- Original Message -----

Original Posted By: Michael Perez

Original Posted By: Michael Perez
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