Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: "tools"
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Am I building the wrong airplane? (Pilot Weight Again)> > Well, the one thing we can all agree on is that no two Piets will have the sameweight & balance, so sweeping generalities about maximum pilot > weight are just BS. However, here's another data point based on my > airplane. Scout has an A75 on the nose (same weight as an A65), > empty weight of 633 lbs., 4" swept-back cabanes, and a 16 gallon > fuel tank in the nose. I believe it's the 'improved' fuselage > length. Pretty stock.> > The spreadsheet shows that will full fuel and oil, the heaviest > pilot that can saddle up in the rear cockpit is about 215-220 lbs. > and although the airplane will still be under gross by 144 lbs., > the CG will be at the aft limit.> > With that loading, I can put a 144 lb. passenger in the front > cockpit and the CG stays about the same but I'm at gross. The > airplane has flown many times in that configuration and is quite > happy, but climb rate isn't spectacular.> > The other things to check (and Tools touched on this) are minimum > pilot weight and front-seat solo. My airplane has a minimum pilot > weight of 105 lbs (rear cockpit), because with full fuel and oil, > the CG falls out the front end of the envelope with a too-light > pilot, even though the airplane is only at 839 lbs. gross that way. > My airplane can also not be safely soloed from the front cockpit > for the same reason, so the front cockpit is placarded against > front seat solo flight.> > Get the W&B spreadsheet and play with it. Mine is attached, if > anyone cares to tailor it to their own airplane and use it as a > template.> --------> Oscar Zuniga> Medford, OR> Air Camper NX41CC "Scout"> A75 power> > > > > Read this topic online here:> > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... 383#394383> > > > > Attachments: > > http://forums.matronics.com//files/nx41 ... 10_155.xls> > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Pietenpol-List: Front seat flying, pax in rear

Original Posted By: "Boatright, Jeffrey"
Hey Steven,Starting a new thread on this so as not to hijack.I bought a piet to teach my kid to fly. It's a VERY stock plane, but no throttlein the front, so we added one, which was very light and easy.The issues we found, and one the very hard way, is the stock rudder pedal geometryis not so great for ground handling. My son has lots of flying and landingfrom the front, I've only got a few take offs and landings from there, and it'sgenerally ok, but uncomfortable, somewhat unnerving, it wasn't until the lastflight we learned that because you're so on top of the pedals, you can prettyeasily overcenter one and lay it flat on the floor...I'd recommend hanging them or designing some really good stops. Even better, dosomething like I saw on the EAA's Spirit of St Louis flying replica (which hasbeen modified for a front seat flyer) and that was to put little "wells" thatmove the pedals a tad further out into the empty area under the engine forwardof the firewall (they were made of stainless, so very structural and safein my opinion) just a bit. Enough so that you're swinging at the pedals witha similar knee bend as from the back seat. I'd really have to get pictures, itwas pretty cool and "should" work well in a Piet... A very minor deal that can cause big problems, one of the reasons ALL changes toplans REALLY have to be thought out well, considered, blah blah blah. Other than that, minor stuff, like the brakes (easily done in both cockpits, orjust the front), mag switches, some instruments.The pedals like they are, are fine for letting someone fly around from up there,just not great when you need lots of throw and quickly. I'm going to keep workingon making mine safely flyable from the front so that's there's a planearound that folks could get checked out in at Brodhead or similar events.Read this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... __________

Original Posted By: "Dortch, Steven D MAJ MIL USA NGB"
I have installed a bar up there exactly parallel tothe pilot's one. Just seemed to make sense to me.One thing I did find was that the rudder didn'tstop before running into the elevators. I've addedstops to the main bar so that the rudder now willstop a half inch away from the elevators.Clif>> The issues we found, and one the very hard way, is the stock rudder pedal > geometry is not so great for ground handling. My son has lots of flying > and landing from the front, I've only got a few take offs and landings > from there, and it's generally ok, but uncomfortable, somewhat unnerving, > it wasn't until the last flight we learned that because you're so on top > of the pedals, you can pretty easily overcenter one and lay it flat on the > floor...________________________________________________________________________________