In the absence of Tony Anderson’s excellent newsletter ’Air Camper Appenings’, I decided at the beginning of the year to send a mail-shot out to everyone announcing the dates of forthcoming Pietenpol events. Somewhere along the line things got way out of hand, and that’s why you are now looking at the first and possibly only Issue of Airborne - a newsletter dedicated to getting Pietenpol Air campers and their builders up where they belong. The last thing I want to do is become a newsletter editor, and I welcome the day when Tony comes back on the scene to resume his Inimitable style. But in the meantime, I believe it is important that Pietenpol enthusiasts keep in touch through a common medium, either through print or electronic mail. I have been reliably informed that there are more than 50 Pietenpol projects on the go in the UK and some sources put the figure closer to 80! I am sure there would be fewer frustrations and a greater number finished projects if we can share the knowledge, ideas, problems and solutions between us all. For my part, I have always been on the end of a phone with advice for those who want it, but I am mindful that there are a good many experienced builders, engineers and inspectors amongst our crowd of Pietenpol followers,. It is to you I appeal for tips of the trade, snippets of good advice, progress reports and even details of any PFA Approved mods or changes that might help other builders. So lets hear from you! A quick ring-round produced some excellent progress reports on the building front as you’ll see in the pages ahead.
Nigel Marshall’s superb yellow and silver Air Camper G-PIET gained its full permit on the 23rd February, making it the 10th UK Pietenpol to fly. Having completed the test schedule myself, I can vouch for its excellent flying qualities, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both Nigel and Rob on building a beautiful example of the type. Hopefully, G-PIET will be one of the visitors at Sywell this year. Read Nigel’s report inside...
Peter Cooke‘s beautiful red white and blue G-BXZO is nearing completion at the time of going to press, so we may well see another Pietenpol gracing the skies in the near future. Joe Cronk has started covering that beautiful woodwork of his down in deepest West Sussex and Dave Hanchet is doing the same on his Lycoming 0235 powered machine. It may not go a lot faster than any of the other Piet’s but it should climb like a homesick angel!
Peter Cooke GBXZO writes: Hi Alan, thanks for your call of the 14th, giving the dates for "Sywell" and "The Picnic". Many, many congratulations on your Pooleys success you are an inspiration to us all. Talking of inspiration it was the article about G-BUCO that inspired me to stop dreaming and start building my own aeroplane. I find it hard to believe that it was January 1995 that I cut my first piece of spruce and here we are January 2000 and G-BXZO is nearly ready to fly. Finally assembly and rigging is underway in my hangar at Westfield Farm, Sussex and I looking forward to first flight around Easter. Alan (James) came to the strip at the end of the year to have a look at ZO and said that he would be pleased to do the first for me. ZO could not be in safer hands. At Alan's suggestion I contacted the PFA's John Tempest and gave him drawings, photos etc., of seatbelt anchorage’s and had them approved which should save a lot of time when it comes to applying for the permit to test. John Tempest was very helpful and did a few sums while I waited he said the front cockpit shoulder harness was as good as it is possible to get. I have drawings if anybody is interested. I also had to get a concession for the front lift strut jury strut spar fittings, as I had not bothered to fit the transport brackets. Also, I have not bothered to fit the auto connect mechanism for the ailerons as it did not seem to justify the extra weight and complexity; the wings are hardly quickly detachable are they? Engine runs have gone very well and only final tuning and flow checks need to be carried out before taxi trials can take place. I shall be running the engine on premium unleaded petrol. ZO is finished in Ferrari Corsa Red with white lettering and polished alloy cowlings. The first public airing was at Westfield Farm in the summer when we had a small fly in. We hope to repeat this later this year and would like a full set of Pietenpols to attend. Last year David Hanchett was the only one able to fly in as Alan had family commitments and Arthur had magneto problems. Lets hope we have better luck this year. Invitations will be sent giving strip details and dates to all Pietenpol pilots wherever possible. Perhaps a Pietenpol fly out to France or the Isle of Wight could be arranged for the following day. I'm sure we could make this a regular date. David and Alan both agree that Westfield is a perfect strip for our aircraft with plenty of interesting flying in the local area. Also PFA headquarters is just down the road at Shoreham. If all goes well I would like to be able to fly to Sywell this year and perhaps park ZO outside the homebuilders tent at the PFA Rally this year. When I spoke to Alan the other day we thought it might be a good idea to have the weights etc., of all Piets. Also things like control surface angles and limits might be of benefit to future builders. I don't know if everybody names their aircraft, but I think the perfect name for mine would be " NOTAFINKIT", as it would answer everybody’s first question "Is it a kit?" (a friend is building a Murphy Rebel "ITS A FINKIT" could apply). I am looking forward to hearing about everybody’s progress via Alan's newsheet but it seems a pity that everything Piet seems to fall on his shoulders. Perhaps when we all meet at Sywell we could set up a rota or something for news letters. Looking forward to seeing everybody soon. From: Peter Cooke 765229@dialstart.net
Peter Ganzakowski (G-BRXY) finally got airborne again last summer after a frustrating episode following his unfortunate arrival at Cranfield in 1996. His aircraft flipped over on touchdown during a fierce crosswind, and a lot has to be said of the piet’s strength when you realise that damage to the airframe was relatively light. The engine was stripped and airframe repaired, recovered and painted in new colours of green and cream and a chequered rudder. Mods include elevator trimmer and aileron auto connect. Peter completed the permit schedule himself last summer, which went fine apart from one problem which is worth pointing out to other builders. The pivot bolt for the rudder bar gradually bent forward during use. This went undetected until Peter could not get any right rudder on finals! Fortunately, he landed OK and the pivot bolt has since been beefed up. Peter has a brake pedal arrangement on each end of his rudder bar and so possibly exerts a greater pressure than the design intended. Other builders should take note. Another problem concerns that hairy old chestnut - the front seatbelt attachment points! Francis Donaldson insisted that the shoulder harness points be improved to acceptable standards before a new full permit could be issued. A sketch of this new arrangement was approved for G-BRXY and it is currently being fitted. Peter hopes to be at Sywell this year and is looking forward to catching up on his Air Camper flying.
2nd April – Tea & Sympathy with Joe Cronk (Near Chichester, West Sussex) Last opportunity to see Joe’s Air Camper before he covers it all up – and your chance to talk Pietenpols with other builders. Tel: 01243 670382
25th April - The Sudbury Pietenpol Evening. (Sudbury, Essex) Hal Danby is once again opening the doors to his home and workshop for an informal gathering of Pietenpol builders and fans. Not to be missed! Tel: 01787 367973 or e-mail: Hal@winthrop.co.uk
21st May - Annual Pietenpol Gathering at Sywell. (Northampton) Where you can see the finished article and maybe get a flight in the machine of your dreams. Only one landing fee for visiting pilots offering rides. Accomodation available for those overnighting in the on-site Motel. Tel: 01604 644917 for Airfield details or Alan James: 0118 966 3955
Peter Cooke’s Pietenpol fly-in. (Near Hailsham, East Sussex) Time & Date to be advised Tel: 01825 765229 e-mail 765229@dialstart.net 17th September - Popham Pietenpol Picnic. (Near Basingstoke, Hants.) Also Solent Aviation Society fly-in same day. Lots to see at this little oasis for flying enthusiasts. Tel: 01256 397733 for Airfield details or Alan James: 0118 966 3955
. David Hanchet G-BYZY writes: Dear ed, congratulations on taking up the vacancy. Seriously though the newsletter is badly needed as it is our only link. If you need to bounce things off a head rather than a wall or need some help I'll do what I can. Tony seemed to have no problem with copy, each newsletter was more like a book. I will be happy to provide some articles for you. My first flight of the new millennium was in Malcolm Whatley’s Air Camper. He's had a few problems with a magneto, which took several weeks to resolve and turned out to be tracking in the ferrules in the mag casing, which has happily been resolved. I have now registered my aeroplane G-BYZY and have covered the fuselage in December. I am waiting for better weather to dope and paint. Ken Fern has supplied me with a propeller 74" x 48" so it will be nice to have something to hang on the end. Metal cowlings are all finished. Lift struts finished and painted. In fact, after spraying the fuselage, I shall be bolting everything back on and trundling the aeroplane down to White Waltham for some engine runs. Despite the size of the airfield, facilities are poor, parts of the field are a quagmire with no hard standings outside hangers and little, if any, spare hanger space. I am therefore looking for a better alternative but have so far come up with nothing. I'm glad you've organised Sywell. Happy Millennium.
I spoke to Cliff Piper about Cranfield 2000. It is going ahead at the earlier date of June 23-25th. The home-builders tent should be the same floor area as last year and I will be looking for helpers talkers and demonstrators as usual. We have a good representation of Pietenpolers but can always do with more. We would like to improve the outside line-up/avenue of home-built aeroplanes, in front of the tent. A bevy of Pietenpols would look good. This is easy to organise once the aeroplanes are at Cranfield, as you know. Help is needed at the end of the Rally to tear down and store away all the partitioning from the marquees in containers on site. 2-3 hours work and a free workers Bar BQ at the end. It was a good evening last year! Does Tony Anderson have an E-mail address?
Jim Wills gives sound practical advice in his drawings on testing cable end thimbles. I thought I could improve on this one night, by "in garage testing”, with the help of two fellow enthusiasts, Len Nash and Dave Jones. Our combined weight exceeded the test wt needed. The end of a cable was wrapped several times around a roof joist in the garage and some loops of rope tied through the thimbles. We stood on the loops and all the lights went out! I still don't know why electricians fix electric cables to the top of joists, perhaps someone out there knows.
The glass was down, Knowl Hill was barely visible through three kilometers of poor visibility, with lowish cloud above as viewed from the bar in White Waltham, but Cranfield Rally beckoned. As a fair weather pilot , to fly or to drive? I flew, open cockpit in Malcolm Whatley's recently completed Air Camper G-BWVB with son David in the front seat for company.1/4 mill and compass for nav. We followed the valleys of the Chilterns over Halton and on to Aylesbury at 1000ft. First mistake, never unfold a chart in an open cockpit. It wraps itself round you like cling film and makes it difficult to read. The chart was eventually rather unceremoniously pushed into the bottom of the cockpit. I looked around and thought that I had flown past Aylesbury but had lost sight of any recognisable landmarks, with only a maze of minor roads beneath me. Out of the murk 3-4 scud runners crossed my track from left to right, presumably Cranfield bound, but were soon lost from sight. Second mistake; don't assume where other aeroplanes are going. Nothing concentrates the mind like mild panic. Being clear of Luton Zone and with the M1 some miles to the NE running in a SE-NW direction I steered NE by compass. Well, signs of habitation started to develop to starboard. Dunstable is a small town, Luton, on the other hand is a large town, go and look if you don't believe me. Third mistake; don' t rely on a compass in an aeroplane in which you have only done confidence building local jollies! The only ti me I have ever dived down to read a motorway junction number. When all else fails……! Did a nice landing though. The error was later calculated at over 60 degrees! David Hanchet david@hanchet.demon.co.uk
There is a very good chance that this could be the last of the printed Pietenpol Newsletters and future editions may only be available on the Internet. There are already several UK sites devoted to Air Campers and here are some that I recommend you look at. Chris Marshall set up a site last year devoted to father Nigel’s recently finished Pietenpol G-PIET. It has an excellent picture on it prior to the first flight. You can find it at: www.pietenpol.co.uk An additional site has since been established by Chris which has the potential to become one of the two big sites where we can all share information on Pietenpols. G-PIET can be seen airborne here, and you are invited to add information of your own project. This can be found at: www.pietenpol-squadron.org.uk In the meantime, Paul Shenton has been busy working independently on another excellent Pietenpol web site. You’ll find details of his project and interesting anecdotes from contributors, plus a diary of events and a photo gallery. It’s a very professional looking site and you can find it at: www.flyerworld.com/shenty/ukaircampers Both these sites need your support if they are going to grow into a helpful and worthwhile medium for the Pietenpol enthusiast. Please support them by sending in news, updates, images & photos to the parties concerned. I intend to post any future information on at least one of these pages – so keep looking in from time to time, and feel free to e-mail me with any updates that might interest the group at: MADjames@theknapp.freeserve.co.uk or post it to my home address.
Since Grant Maclaren stepped down from editing the Buckeye Pietenpol Association Newsletter, the BPA web site has all but disappeared, but fear not – you can now go to: www.aircamper.org which just about covers everything Pietenpol. One of the most interesting facilities on the site is the discussion list that makes fascinating reading – but be careful how you subscribe to it. I had messages coming through in triplicate for a while and that’s 40 or 50 a day! If you find any other sites about Piets, or have one yourself that we should know about, please let me know. I am also attempting to create an e-mail address list for the Pietenpol group for contact purposes – mail me if you want to be on it. Alan James
Nigel Marshall reports on the latest news with G-PIET: Hi Alan – Writing long spiels is really not my bag as I'm sure you'll gather, but hopefully the following will be adequate: After many years of `its going to fly next year' and in spite of PFA engineering, G-PIET finally took to the air on October 6, in the very capable hands of veteran ( that's experience, not age ! ) Pietenpol test pilot Alan (Bald Eagle) James. The initial test flight went exceedingly well and Alan did not reappear for 35 minutes, when he proudly declared that apart from a few set-up adjustments, she flew very nicely indeed. One of the early problems involved the two ASI's reading low, this made it quite difficult to work out at what speed the stall was occurring. This problem was finally tracked down to a leaking air pipe and corrected, stall actually occurred at 35 kts and according to Alan was very docile. Test flying continued right through until the end of January, partly due to other commitments but mainly due to some horrible weather during those winter months. I found it interes ting after all this time of building, to note our reactions to the first flight. Both Rob & myself were excited to see our creation fly for the first time, although I don't think the moment was anywhere near as nerve racking as the first engine start up and test runs. Also, after the initial euphoria of seeing your aircraft disappear into the wild blue yonder, the thought that immediately came to mind was, `I wonder what problems he's going to come back with' ! All this negative thinking proved totally unfounded and G-PIET performed well in excess of all our expectations. It certainly gives you a great buzz to take your first ride in the aircraft you've spent so long building (as a technical observer, of course) and in which you have such touching and total faith. As test pilot., I feel sure Alan James can give a much better account of events than I can, after all he was there at the time, but we’d both like to say a big thank you to Alan for all his help and encouragement (sounds like the Oscar's, doesn't it !) during the building phase and especially all his time and effort put in for the test flying. G-PIET is now fully permitted and hopefully will be at Sywell in May Nigel Marshall: Marshcouch@aol.com
Parkhurst Pietenpol Nigel Marshall reports: Rumours abound regarding an unfinished project about to be sold off cheaply, the builder has recently completed a very large banknote printing contract and now has to go `away' for some time (12 yrs). Anybody out there got change of a £20 note ? (For those who don’t know it, Nigel’s post-script refers to a gentleman who flew into Sywell a couple of years back, and was interested in building a Pietenpol. It turns out that he was ‘Mr Big’ in a huge banknote fraud in which over £30 million of £20 notes were printed! I was only too happy at the time to give him a ride in G-BUCO to spur on his enthusiasm, and he generously gave me some money to cover my expenses – yes, you’ve guessed it – he paid me with a twenty pound note! )
AJ Ian & Val Brice (G-VALS) report: Dear Alan - The only reason I have got time to type this update is that it's too cold to glue bits of the fuselage, it's only +3 degrees in the workshop and that's with the heater on. The empannage is finished (apart from covering) and signed off by the inspector. We have finished all ribs and spars and assembled the lot, It all fits nicely and the drag wires had no rib fouls, the wing assemblies have now been taken to pieces, (no assembly gluing was done) again the inspector has seen the wings in their semi assembled state and is happy with them, does not want to see them again until the assemblies are complete. The fuselage is coming on well, the 'box' is complete plus turtle decking and instrument panels, again the inspector has seen the fuselage, is happy and doesn't want to see it again until it's ready for covering. I would like to state that Alan James has now supplied my 'prop' and it's luverly !!, we have also got a nice tail wheel from Paul Prince, so we only need to complete the bit in the middle . I will not bore you with the details but my two remaining large metal items - namely the undercarriage and the engine mount + sorting out fittings and machining for the lift struts will now be done by Paul Grellier of the Andover Strut. Although I think I may be pushing it I am still declaring first flight for the summer of 2003. How that Alan James built a 'Piet' in 2 years and 2 months is beyond me. Next report - sometime!!! Regards Ian and Val Brice Gvals312@aol.com
Hal Danby reports: For almost a year I have been building my engine cowling. Yes, a year! But anything to keep the peace. It’s all the fault of my son, John, you see. John is a race engineer with Lotus and is heavily ‘in to’ carbon fibre, and it was his opinion that any self-respecting aircraft constructor should use this wonder material whenever possible. I had had thoughts of happily playing about with sheets of aluminium and rivets, but no, carbon fibre it had to be. To get the shape, the engine was mounted on a dummy firewall of the same shape, and upended so that the crankshaft was vertical. Plastic film covered the engine and we were now ready. Brown paper shuttering was built around the engine and a two-part foam was poured into the top to cover the engine. One or two leaks from the joint between the paper and the dummy firewall caused the liquid foam to spill onto the floor. Don’t do it. The mess is horrendous. After an hour or so the foam was hard and easily carved with the bread knife. Over-enthusiasm with the foam meant that large quantities of foam had to be removed before a reasonable shape emerged. There was lots of standing back in a thoughtful pose before the final shape was agreed by all the family to be worthy of a Pietenpol. The remaining task in making the plug was to cover the foam in car body filler, sanding to perfection and applying more coats of two-pack car paint than I care to remember. It’s sounds quick and easy but the toil and mess in all these stages was incredible. If only I could have just taken this beautiful, shiny plug and bolted it to the front of the ‘plane. A three-part mould was constructed from fibreglass, which bolted together. This came out very well and is very solid. Removing the plug from the engine involved more chaos in the workshop, but I was glad to get back to some form of normality. Rough fibreglass lay-ups were done in the mould to prove them, and this gave me the first chance to look at my design on the completed fuselage. The styling is perhaps a bit modern, but I console myself with the thought that Bernard P. might have done something similar had he been alive at the turn of the millennium and had access to modern materials. The moulds needed modifying so that a joint-line return could be constructed with recesses for natty catches, etc. As I write, the bottom half is moulded in carbon fibre and fits like a dream. The top will follow shortly. During all of the above, I also constructed two CFengine ducts. This material is truly amazing. It’s incredibly light and fantastically strong. As I near the end of this three-act drama I think, “It wasn’t too bad. There wasn’t that much mess”. But it was, and there was! Hal Danby. Hal@winthrop.co.uk
Arthur Mason called to say that he’s decided to make a Swiss muffler for G-ADRA based on G-BUCO’s design. I can make no claim to it’s originality as I copied it from Malcolm Watley’s machine. I can confirm however, that it has made a significant difference to the comfort of both passenger & pilot. You can’t quite hear the clock ticking as you can in some other Rolls Royce powered machines, and I’ve had to cure a whistle that I can now hear coming out of the venturi! The aircraft also sounds better in my opinion, not so much a chugging noise as more of a purr. The exhaust pipes are made up from pre-bent stainless steel tubes of 11/2” diameter. They are available in 45 or 90 degree bends either via Aircraft Spruce or one of the UK Kit Car suppliers. Arthur Mason can probably point you in the right direction, or Nigel Marshall who has a similar twin silencer version on G-PIET. A semi-flexible joint is required at some point to prevent cracking due to vibration. Nigel overcame this with some flexible stainless steel hose that makes the whole job a lot easier than my own system. The silencers rely on absorption to deaden the sound, there are no baffles, and they are easy to make. Tony Bengelis describes how its done in ‘Firewall Forward’ For those of you who are considering a similar system, I have drawn a sketch of the plumbing in G-BUCO and will print it somewhere in this newsletter. I used to think that the old open exhaust sound was rather attractive in a vintage sort of way, until a friend came up to me and said, “ You were flying at the weekend, I didn’t see you but I heard you!“ This was not good news, especially with the Anti Aircraft Lobby in fighting mood at the time, and I now urge all Pietenpol Builders to consider the option of installing some sort of muffler to their pride and joy. Sooner or later it could be mandatory – so you may as well be ahead of the game. If you have a Continental, and you don’t want to make one, you can always install a Cub silencer – it should fit nicely in a Piet cowling. Try and get a second-hand one as a new one could set you back a bit. As for G-BUCO, I prefer the new sound – or lack of it– and now even the farmer who lives next to the strip doesn't hear me when I go flying! AJ.
All quiet on the Western Front: News from G-BUCO I ticked another ambition off my wish list last year with an entry in the ‘Dawn to Dusk’ competition. Having come up with an original idea (that’s the hardest part), I spent the first six months researching and planning my entry. My flight was to be a tribute to the Airmen and PBI (poor bloody infantry) who perished on the Somme Battlefields during the Great War. My route followed the same airfields and landmarks that the pilots flew from The Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough to the front line squadrons in France, and once we were over the Somme, my observer (Alan Watson) and I photographed over 100 sites of military, aviation and historic interest. G-BUCO played the part faultlessly, being comparable to types flown for reconnaissance during 1916, and proved the ideal camera platform. We patrolled the front line from Arras to St Quentin at barely 1000’ taking in the sights of battle. It’s amazing how much evidence is still visible if you know where to look and we both found it a very moving experience. We flew nine and a quarter hours that day, putting down at Headcorn, Calais, Arras, St Qu entin, Le Touquet and Lydd, finally landing just before dark back at Newbury. I spent the next 3 weeks writing up the log and photo album before sending it in to the panel of judges presided by The Duke of Edinburgh. The flight was in July but it wasn’t until the week before Christmas that we were invited to London for the results and to find there were entries from Canada, Norway, Spain and most of the UK. A nerve-wracking ceremony ensued as Trophies were awarded, and we stood at the back until there were only 2 pieces of silverware left. Our entry had caught the imagination of the judges and we were awarded the Duke of Edinburgh Trophy for first prize. We got the other Trophy too, The Pooley Sword for best-presented logbook. What a night! Until then, there was hardly a soul in the room who had heard of a Pietenpol Air Camper, and most of the people I subsequently spoke to were surprised and delighted that we’d won at the first attempt. You should have seen some of the looks I got when I said I’d built it in the garage at home……! The last Millennium had ended just perfectly for me, and I was airborne in G-BUCO before midday on 1st January 2000, making it the ideal start to the next.
Kieth Hodge writes: Hi Alan, Somebody must think that this damn project is going to be finished this year, as he (Ken Davies, the duke of Westminster's pilot with 23000 hrs on almost every plane that has flown since the year dot plus Lear jets and citations and twin squirrels) who is going to do my test flights has asked me to see if there is any flight data plus pilots notes. I said that I did not know, but thought that I knew a man who did! (I’m working on it now – AJ) The project has now got to the stage that the wings await the gloss paint, the fuselage is ready to cover, the nose bowl has just finished being made in glass fibre and the cowls should be finished in a month. I am now awaiting John Tempest's approval on the engine mount and Francis Donaldsons on the fuel and ignition systems. Everything else is done and in fact we have had some engine runs which have been very successful as the measured static thrust from the engine/prop combination had been some 3% great than that measured on my inspectors 90 HP cub! Good ole electronic fuel injection / ignition! Keith Hodge – MadKeith@khodge.greatxscape.net VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR FRANCE I’ve had in mind a mass crossing of the English Channel by a squadron of Pietenpols. Peter Cooke appears to be ‘up for it’ and I know Arthur Mason would like to give it a go. I have contacts on the other side if we should want to make a week-end of it. Let me know if anyone else is interested. Alan James
I had 3 calls in quick succession earlier this year from people asking about the amount of control movement they should build in to the Pietenpol. Sounds to me like several builders are going to finish at about the same time! Anyway – here’s what I can tell you. Elevators: 20 degrees up/15-20 degrees down. I’ve run out of elevator before now in a machine with something less than 20 degrees up and found myself almost bending the stick trying to get a decent break during a stall test. Don’t be tempted to add any more – 20 degrees up is perfect. Rudder: I have fitted stops to retain 1” clearance between rudder and elevator at full deflection on G-BUCO. This works fine for me. Ailerons: You don’t want the down-going aileron spar to clout against the wing. I’ve fitted blocks to the fuselage floor under the ends of the aileron bellcrank to act as stops. They allow a gap of about ¼” between the wing and the bottom edge of a closed aileron. And whilst we are talking ailerons, tape over the gap on the upper surface during covering – it lightens the stick load considerably. AJ.
The first Air Camper metal fuselage from Aviation Metalcraft has just been delivered to Mark Elliott in Staffordshire. Mark reports that it’s going together very quickly – the floor and seats were in place soon after arrival and now he’s working on the turtledeck. A report may accompany this Newsletter if it gets here in time. Paul Prince of Aviation Metalcraft was hoping to get some information together but pressure of work has put paid to that for a while. I am sure he’ll have full details for everyone at Sywell. In the meantime if you want to know more about his metal fuselage you can give him a ring on 01472 360699 or e-mail: aviation@metalcraftuk.freeserve.co.uk
One last thing… I would like to remind our readers that this Newsletter was not intentional and that my initial aim was just to get the Diary Dates out to everyone in good time. With family commitments, work and time against me, I have only asked those people who have called me in the past couple of months with questions or updates to send in copy to boost the pages, so don’t be offended if you’ve been missed out. I would also like to point out that my mailing list is made up from those addresses that I have found in Popular Flying’s ‘Project News‘, my own diary and details passed on to me by other builders – so it’s bound to be a bit short. Tell everyone you know who might be interested about the diary dates, and if anyone else sees this and wants to go on the list for any possible future issue, please let me know. Don’t forget to support the Pietenpol websites and keep looking in for any new developments. Another Newsletter and mail-out will need funding, which is a good reason for it to appear on the net. Finally, I would like to say a special thank-you to everyone who has contributed towards these pages. Happy hangar flying to all the builders and happy landings to all the pilots. See you at Joe’s or Hal’s or Sywell, if not before. Alan James