The Homebuilder’s Corner
Remembering Paul We are all saddened by the loss of Paul. In an effort to recover all of ones thoughts, when it comes to Paul H. Poberezny, where does one start? Paul was the selfless spark plug who was responsible for the continued freedom of private flight for more people than any other single person in aviation history. The vision and passion of this man went on for his entire life. He said that he could not think of a single day that he didn’t say the word “Airplane”. As the founder and horsepower behind the EAA and our SAA, Paul’s energy and ability to surround himself with effective Volunteers was contagious. He had a unique talent to organize thousands of passionate volunteers. This issue of “To Fly” is a tribute to Paul, along with other articles and reports which were planned for the fall. I am sure he would want us to “Carry On”, and spread the word of the SAA, which is to keep a home for the grass roots, little guy of aviation. Within the first year of SAA, Paul obtained a poem written by Paul Garber, entitled ‘To Fly’, which appeared in a very early issue of our magazine. We have re-printed it in this issue. SAA Member Update Your Board of Directors met in September, and among other things voted to establish a permanent dues structure to go into effect January 1st, 2014. As things transpired, we decided afterwards to reverse that decision, at least for the next year. We will stick with the volunteer donations to fund the SAA, and remember, all memberships begin on January 1st, and end on December 31st. of the year you join. We plan on a minimum of two “To Fly” magazines, 2
and four E-News updates. Three to four “To Fly” issues per year can be a reality, providing the members get involved by sending good quality articles with high resolution pictures. Send us a donation and we will “re-up” you for 2014!! I would like to welcome Bob Seevers to the SAA board. Bob hails from the Columbus, Ohio area and grew up in an EAA family, his dad being the founder of Chapter 443 in Columbus. Bob, a volunteer at our summer Wynkoop gathering, is enthusiastic and passionate about Grass Roots aviation. Welcome aboard, Bob !!!! As I was writing this, I heard a distinct sound of Small Continentals overhead, so I went out the back door and looked up to see two Baby Ace’s in formation, and I watched them fly out of sight. It seemed to be a fitting end to this column. Thank you, Paul, for your friendship, and all that you have done for aviation. ED Fisher
Volume 11 Fall - Winter
Issue 3
Editor, Publisher Ed Fisher, SAA #638
Editor/Art and Layout Jeff Lange, SAA #2789 Assistant Editors Matt Ferrari SAA #2954 Eric Whyte, SAA #1058 Photos by: PHP Photos courtesy Wes Schmidt/ EAA. Other photos by Bob Seevers, Butch Harvey, Janet Harvey, Randy Novak, Tim Kline, Linda Pietenpol Kelly, Andrew Pietenpol, Jeff Lange, Ed Fisher. Illustrations by Bill Blake and John Dormer.
SPORT AVIATION ASSOCIATION President: Ed Fisher Gilbert, SC Vice President: Butch Harvey Concord, NC – 704-467-3665 Secretary/Treasurer: Val Fisher Gilbert, SC
Contents 2 4 8 18 20 23 24 28 30 32 33 34
Homebuilder’s Corner by Ed Fisher Remembering Paul Building the Baby Ace Part 1 by Paul H. Poberezny Paul and the thing flies Why I’m building a Flying Machine By Tim Kline SAA Airventure Picnic by Randy Novak Wynkoop, A Gathering of Friends by Ed Fisher There’s Something about Pietenpols by Matt Ferrari Free Time by Mike List Engine Tech – Engine Spec Lie Detector by Pat Panzera Where Do We Go From Here? by Paul H. Poberezny To Fly by Paul Garber
Directors: Ed Fisher, SAA #638 P.F. Beck, SAA #1604 Butch Harvey, SAA #2819 Eric Demaray, SAA #2888 Bob Seevers, SAA #2481 Regional Representatives: Kent Misegades, SAA #2834 NC, VA – 919-946-7096 Tom Mitchell, SAA #2797 IA, SD, NE Merrill Isaacson, SAA #2140 FL – 352-250-9352 Pete Christensen, SAA #555 TX – 512-986-7093 Mark Klotz, SAA #2809 N.E. Ohio, Western PA TO FLY is published a minimum of two issues per cal-
endar year by the Sport Aviation Association, LLC, 361 Whiteplains Place, Gilbert, SC 29054. All memberships start at the beginning of each calendar year. Voluntary Contributions fund the Organization!
Cover... Paul at work in his ‘Aeroplane factory’, a place where many projects were underway. Back Cover… A great Ryan nose painting by Homebuilder and SAA member #2334, John Dormer.
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Remembering Paul We asked our members to share a few memories that they had of Paul. In their own words, these members came forward to share their own unique expierencies . I remember an instance back in the mid ‘80s, when my son, then about 3 or 4 years old, was with me at Oshkosh (and he has been just about every year since) It was the “fashion” then to put a leash on your kid, like a dog, when walking in large crowds. I did not like this approach, so I tied the leash to my backpack, and my son’s job was to hold the other end of the leash. It worked well. As we were walking along, Paul stopped us and commented to me that this method was different and he liked it. I now realize that this was his style, to get out among the everyday members and see what was really going on. I would often see him out on the flight line or in the camping area, often driving his RED 1, and stopping to talk with the people. I believe that knowing his membership was an important part of his job. -Tom Hubbuch, SAA#3008 You are so right that we owe Paul Poberezny a huge debt of gratitude for all he did to make our sport possible. I’m afraid I never met him so I have no memories to share, just a sense of “pay if forward” to continue to involve others in flying activities. In lieu of memories, perhaps a short story I’ve written of one local builder may come in handy for an upcoming issue (found on page 30 of this issue). In many ways the subject, Steve Sheridan, epitomizes the early days of EAA, scrounging for material, fabricating, purchasing, building everything himself, tinkering with it all in an effort to improve over time. -Mike List SAA#2852 4
Paul with Bob Taylor and a friend at the AAA Fly-in in 1998.
Paul utilizes clothes-pins requisitioned from the family laundry room to hold the fabric in place while covering the EAA Acro Sport.
Paul works on the original tail section of the Baby Ace in the basement of his home in Milwaukee, WI in 1952. After test flying, it was determined that more vertical tail area was required, hence, the tail shape you see on the airplane today in the EAA Founder’s Wing of the museum.
Steve Wittman’s famous Thompson Trophy racer was the first airplane acquired by Paul Poberezny for the fledgling EAA museum. Paul views the historic aircraft after being trucked to Hales Corners in 1959 while in storage pending eventual restoration and display.
Paul built “Little Audrey” from the damaged fuselage of Benny Howard’s “Pete” racer and a pair of cut down Luscombe wing panels. Its first flight was in September 1953.
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The above photo was taken in 1971 at a lunchtime break by volunteers at a pre-convention work party. Paul is at work at the homemade grill serving hot dogs, mustard and potato chips. Also had some soft drinks for the kids and a bit of beer for the adults. In 2000, my wife and I took over publication of The Oklahoma Aviator, a small monthly newspaper started by a good friend of mine in the 1980s. I routinely sent copies of each issue to EAA Headquarters. Within the first few months, we began getting personal letters from Paul encouraging us and commenting on some article he had read. Of course, we were proud to print his missives in our Letters to the Editor column. That continued through the next several years and I felt that, even though Paul knew thousands of aviation folks, he took the time to become friends with us. In 2004, I printed an article reminiscing about Oshkosh the way it was in 1970 when I started going there and lamenting the decline of grassroots aviation experimentation--some good, some not so good--that was in evidence in those early days. Not that I wouldn’t like to have owned one of the myriad RV-this or RV-that’s now in profusion on the Oshkosh flight line; it was simply that I miss the “experimental” character of early conventions, in contrast 6
to the slickness and sameness of today. Paul jumped on the subject “like a duck on a June bug”--in short order, we got an excited letter of praise from him. I believe it was around that time that he organized the SAA; we joined immediately. We are very pleased that the organization has now been resurrected! -Michael and Barbara Huffman, SAA#3054
Paul was selling his book at Sun-N-Fun fly-in in 2007. He was signing my book and I told him I was re-building my Baby Ace D. He handed me the book back and said “you had better hurry up or you won’t be able to get in it”. It “teed” me off but he was right, I had grown “out” considerably since the time I had taken it apart. I forgave him... and we all will miss him. -Mike Edwards, SAA#2870
Paul receives the prestigious Wright Memorial Trophy from National Aeronautics Association President, Donald J. Koranda. Presentation took place at the Hilton Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C. December 13, 2002 It was not uncommon of Paul to stop by our booth at either SnF or OSH and slip a $100 bill into my hand to “pay for his subscription� that I freely gave to him. He was just that kind of guy. -Pat Panzera SAA#2100
From left: Nicholas Wood, Paul Poberezny, Patrick Panzera, in the CONTACT! Magazine booth at Sun N Fun 2008.
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Introducing...
MI’s Baby Ace We thought it would be appropriate to reprint this in its entirty. Part 2 next issue.
An upsurge of interest in amateur-built aircraft has been reported by Civil Aeronautics Administration agents throughout the country and headed by Wiley R. Wright, director of the CAA’s general aviation staff, and his deputy Carl W. Clifford, the governmental agency is developing a program known as the “Aviation Incentive Movement” to stimulate the interest of American youth in all phases of aviation and to guide and expand this interest. In the following pages MI, in support of the CAA’s efforts, is proud to present plans and instructions for building a single-seater sport plane. The Ml Baby Ace is a practical light plane. Powered by a 65 hp engine, it has a top speed of about 110 mph, yet lands at only 30 mph in calm air. Cruising speed is 95 mph. Exceptionally stable in flight, its construction is based on a tried and tested design of the Corben Baby Ace which was popular around 1933. Most of the early tests were run at the University of Wisconsin. The plans were modified and brought up to present day standards by Stanley J. Dzik, who was Aircraft Design Engineer with the Waco Aircraft Co., of Troy, Ohio. The Ml Baby Ace was built by Capt. Paul H. Poberezny, a jet pilot with the Wisconsin Air National Guard, aided by several local enthusiasts. It has been flight-tested and proved in every respect. If you construct it in accordance with the instructions and plans you will have no difficulty getting your airplane licensed. A few words of IMPORTANT advice. Once you have decided to build the MI Baby Ace, get in touch with your local CAA Safety Agent. If he is to certificate the plane later on, he needs to be familiar with your plans, materials, etc., and examine your workmanship at various stages of construction. There is no charge for this service. You can obtain the name and address of the nearest CAA Agent by contacting your local airport manager, or by writing to the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Washington 25, D. C. Educate yourself on the basic principles of good design and construction. Civil Aeronautics Manual No. 1 describes the broad standards your aircraft must meet. It is available from the Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C, for $1. Another helpful book is CAA Technical Manual No. 103, called “Aircraft Design Through Service Experience.” This will help you avoid mistakes. Price is $1.25 from same source. 8
(This is part one of a three part series, taken from the 1955 issue of Mechanix Illustrated.)
Part 1
If youre really enthused about homebuilt aircraft, here's your chance to get into the air with a neat sport plane
BUILD THE
MI BABY ACE
Low speed, sturdy construction and exceptional stability are responsible for the high safety factor of the MI Baby Ace. Many parts can be obtained at low cost secondhand.
By Paul H. Poberezny
Ever since Ml published “They Build ‘Em And Fly ‘Em” in March 1954, I have been deluged with letters asking how and where to obtain information and plans for a home-built airplane. This series of articles on the Ml Baby Ace will enable you to get started on such a project, and I know that you will
have just as much fun building your plane as you will flying it. All the materials you’ll need to build the Baby Ace are available either through the Experimental Aircraft Association or through the advertising columns of Trade-APlane News, Crossville, Tenn. You can obtain a free copy by request-
ing it from the publisher at the above address In building the Baby Ace we made several changes so as to make use of various parts of the famous Piper J-3 Cub airplane. These parts are readily available and eliminate the necessity for fabricating some of the fittings shown (continued)
Paul H Poberezny, ANG jet pilot, built MI’s Baby Ace. Stan J. Dzik. engineer, modified plans. 9
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Poberezny nails ribs to wing spars while Carl Walter, another enthusiast, mounts plane 's instrument Panel.
in the plans. For example, a J-3 landFirst step in wing construction ing gear is used, with slight modifi- is to make a jig in which the wing cation, because it is sturdy, reliable, ribs can be assembled. To make the and can be bought at nominal cost. simple jig, obtain a full-size drawing As construction of your Baby Ace This article, first in a series, is progresses, it must be inspected by reprinted from the May 1955 issue a CAA Safety Agent. Therefore, to of Mechanix Illustrated Its appearmake certain you follow CAA regance in a popular national magaulations governing home-built airzine with impressive circulation craft construction obtain a copy of was very instrumental in the earthe regulations. I'll be glad to send liest days of EAA in spreading the you a printed copy, free, if you'll enword about aircraft home-buildclose a stamped, addressed envelope ing. Many inquiries led to new with your inquiry. members and provided strong imA word about the accompanying petus to the fledgling homebuilddrawings. You will note that there ing association. Eventually scores of Baby Ace aircraft emerged from are many places where numerals builder's workshops and became appear in parentheses. For examone of the most popular aircraft ple, in the drawing of the wing rib appearing at early fly-ins. assembly you’ll find ("DWG 702") When reading this article keep following the words "Clark Y Rib in mind that prices, addresses, Assembly." Such references are to personnel, titles, companies and the large-scale drawings which carrequirements for licensing reflect ry numbers 700, 702, 704, etc., and conditions that existed in 1955 and indicate that the particular part are therefore outdated today. To shown will be found in greater detail get the latest information on who on the large-scale drawing bearing to contact for present day building requirements contact the SAA the number shown. In the case of office 1-330-518-8383, or EAA the Clark Y rib, it would be Drawing Headquarters 1-920-426-4800. 702.
of the rib (from EAA) and transfer the outline of the rib onto a board, 3/4x12x60 in. in size (see drawing), using a sharp pencil. If you don't obtain the full-size rib drawing, you'll have to scale out the outline from the dimensions given in the accompanying drawing. Make sure the surface of your board is smooth and free from warp so that the ribs will be true. After making the rib layout on the board, nail wooden blocks at various intervals on either side of your lines. These blocks, of 1/4-in. pine, are cut to fit the rib contour before being nailed to the board. Take great care in making the jig as the ribs must be assembled accurately. The capstrips which comprise the ribs are made from 1/4-in. square spruce. When these capstrips are placed within the jig formed by the pine wood blocks on the board they assume the proper rib shape (see drawing). The blocks hold the capstrips in place while you glue and nail the bracing gussets in position. You will note that the curve of the wing rib is greatest from the 11
leading edge to the front spar. This requires that you bend the capstrips into position on the jig after they have been soaked in hot water to make them pliable. With the capstrips in position in the jig, glue and nail the gussets in place, as shown in drawing. Use 1/16-in. birch or mahogany 12
to make the gussets. They can be cut to size and shape with a jig saw. The nails are cement coated 1/4x20 gauge aircraft type. Use casein glue. There are 28 ribs required, including the compression and root ribs (see drawing). The compression ribs differ from the others in
that they are reinforced with 3/4in. square spruce struts. Those struts are clearly shown in the drawings. Make the aileron ribs in one piece with the wing ribs, and cut them off later to save time and effort. The point at which to cut them is indicated in the wing rib assembly drawing.
The next step is construction of the wing spars. To start with, the four spars are made from 3/4-in. selected aircraft spruce. First square off one end of each spar. These will be the “root ends” that attach to the fuselage. Now cut the proper bevel on each spar as indicated in drawing. Measure and draw a line along the spar to represent the neutral axis, which is 2 9/16-in. from the bottom of the front spar and 1 11/16-in. from the bottom of the rear spar. Next, lay out the spars for drilling the holes as indicated in the drawings. In making such measurements, start at the root end of the spar and work out toward the
tip of the spar. Be sure that all of the dimensions check before you start drilling. Now just a short explanation of the action of the spars under stress so that a full understanding of the term “neutral axis” can be had. When a beam, like the wing spar, is subjected to a bending stress or load, this stress is not uniformly applied all over the cross-section of the beam. If the lift is upward, as in this case, then the bottom fibers of the spar will be in “tension” so that the load tends to pull these fibers apart. At the same time, the top of the spar is placed in “compression,” so that the load tends to squeeze
the parts together at this point. Therefore, there must be some intermediate point between the top and bottom of the spar where the compression merges into the tension stress and where neither compression nor tension will exist. This point in the spar, where there is neither tension nor compression, is a horizontal line running along the length of the spar called ”the neutral axis” of the spar. The neutral axis is used as a basis for measurement on the spars and that is the reason that I have taken so much time explaining it. Since this spar is not “symmetrical” or balanced about the neutral axis, the
By grasping the tail wheel it is possible for one man to maneuver plane in and out of hangar. Close up view, right, shows how drag wire fittings are attached to wing spar. See drawing on previous page.
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neutral axis does not pass through the exact center of the spar. On the front spar, the neutral axis is 2 9/16in. above the bottom of the spar while on the rear spar it is 1 11/16in. from the bottom. There are two left and two right spars for each wing. In short, there is a right and left front spar and a right and left rear spar. Be sure that you don’t forget this or you will have a lot of wasted material. 14
Before drilling, lay out the tips of the spars at the outer ends of the wings. Now drill all of the holes to the proper sizes, after which you can cut out the angles at the outer tips. You can now start to assemble the wing. Slide all of the ribs in their proper places on the spars but do not nail at this time. Cut and fit all plywood gussets. The drawings show the hardware that is attached to the wing, such as drag and anti
-drag wire fittings, strut and wing fittings. We have kept the design as simple as possible and yet of sufficient strength. We (EAA) have on hand the material cut to proper size less drilling and bending for those interested. Following the drawings it is an easy task to make and install your fittings. Next will be the installation of the drag and anti drag wires. By obtaining the complete fittings from
a J-3 Cub you will have enough material on hand to complete the installation of your wires. The wires will have to be cut to length and threaded, using a 6-40 die. Your material should be 9/64-in. 1050 steel rod. The compression ribs and the drag-wires are the stressing members for pulling the rest of the wing into shape. Make certain to do this adjustment job carefully, taking plenty of time, so that the spars and edging will be parallel and so that all of the ribs will be square with the spars. First, nail and glue all of the compression ribs into place and you will then be ready to true up the wing. The compression ribs should be square with the spars to begin with or the job will be very difficult to carry out. With a large square, line up the front bay at the root end of the wing by adjusting the two dragwires at the end. Make sure that the
end rib at the root end of the wing is exactly square with the spars and when this is done, stretch a string along the front spar, extending from the root end to the tip. With this reference line before you, line up the remaining wing bays by adjusting the drag and anti-drag wires in the same way. After this is done, better check back again to insure that the first bays have not been disturbed by the adjustments on the final bays. After the wing is true, line up, nail and glue the rest of the ribs in place, avoiding contact between the dragwires and the ribs. In some cases it may be necessary to move the ribs a little so that they will not touch the
drag-wires. If there is contact, rattles and vibration will result when the engine is running and this vibration may ultimately loosen up the wing. Be sure that all of the drag-wires are drawn up tight, then tape up the ribs and wires at the point where they cross each other so that they will not touch. Electrical tape can be used for this purpose. When the framework of the wing is completed it is to be laid aside until the other parts of the structure are finished, for the wing covering or fabric should not be applied until the fuselage, tail group and other parts are also ready for covering. It is better to do all of the covering at one time rather than to cover the individual items as soon as they are completed. Welding of the wingtip in place will be explained in the June issue of Ml, as will be the construction of fuselage and tail group assembly. 15
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Why I’m Building a
Flying Machine
By Tim Kline SAA#2838
I’ve been asked why I’m building a flying machine from time to time. The answers one could hear are as plentiful as the stars, but for me it was to see if I could. I have worked in the Aerospace business for 30 years repairing and overhauling fuel systems for turbine engines. It began when I was 20 years old. I was a young boy with an aptitude for things mechanical. In other words, I knew instinctively which direction to turn a screwdriver and a wrench. One of my first teachers at my new job was an older gentleman getting ready to retire. Walter was an A&P mechanic, pilot and all around skilled tinkerer. As Walter taught me how to overhaul and repair fuel systems, he began to open up and tell me of some of his projects. He showed me a picture of an old Cessna 120 he used to own and fly, and another picture of a bi-plane he had built and sold but had never flown. Walter showed me another picture of a 1930’s Cord Speedster. Walter wasn’t restoring this car, he was building it from scratch. Not only that, he scaled it down to 2/3 its original size. Walter’s garage was sparse: an Oxy Acetylene torch, drill press, a lathe, and a few simple hand tools. I was amazed at what he had accomplished. Walter retired a year or so after, but I used to go up to his house for lunch to see what he was working on. Walter decided to build another airplane. By now, he was in his 70’s and he was building a single seat Cub like airplane of which the name escapes me. The fuse-
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lage was welded up and on wheels, the wings were built, covered and laying up against the wall, and the engine was freshly overhauled, by Walter himself, hanging on the nose. Everything was pushed to the side of the garage and a large table was constructed on the other side, where Walter was making his own propeller. I was simply enamored by this man and the things he could do. I didn’t know it then but I had been bitten! Walter had the 40 hours of his airplane flown by a test pilot, and it was given a clean bill of health. I later learned that Walter went back and got his medical, took a bit of dual refresher time and flew it himself. Still to this day I think of Walter and wonder. Fast forward 25 years, after migrating from California to Pennsylvania to my new place of employment next door to Chester County Airport. I went to the airport for lunch on several occasions and passed up that sign that all airports have. “Learn to fly here.” One day I got up the nerve to go ask the young lady at the FBO desk how one goes about it and she took me back to meet the Chief flight instructor. Steve sat down with me and spelled out the requirements to earn a Private Pilot Certificate along with the approximate numbers of how much it would cost based on the requirements questions in detail and then asked if I would like to schedule an introductory flight. I of course said yes! About a week went by and the day arrived. We headed out to a relatively new Cessna Sky Hawk. After the
initial preflight, we hopped in but I did not expect to be sitting in the pilot seat. We ran down the checklist one by one, flipped on the Master Switch only to find out it had been left on and the battery was dead. Steve walked back to the office, grabbed the keys to the Piper, another preflight and we were off! The 1/2 hour flight passed in what seemed like 10 minutes, and in actuality I probably flew 20 of them but hardly can recount the experience. I signed up for flight training immediately after. Like all things new, the training was exhilarating! I would come home bubbling with stories of how it went and would tell anyone who would listen. My mother in California was my best audience. Flying was on my brain 24/7 and at times I think I talked about it so much (and sometimes still do) that people would yawn. I wanted my own plane in the worst way as I am sure all new wannabe pilots do. I looked at airplane advertisements daily, mainly at Cessna 152’s as they seemed to be within my grasp and were the type I was training in. Then I started looking at kit planes but the costs were really not within my reach at the time. One day I stumbled upon an advertisement: “Sonerai IIL $7,500.00”. Not knowing what it was, I Googled the name and absolutely fell for the design. Sleek, fast and affordable! I later learned it was experimental which led me to the EAA world. The plane was located in Utah and I was already in contact with the owner and seriously considering a road trip with trailer to bring it home. Some pictures of the plane followed after some initial correspondence with the owner. Not knowing much, it appeared to be a bit rough and I was told it was not really a beginner’s plane. Still I kept researching the design. I found a Forum group for the type www.sonerai.net which is a gold mine of information with current builders and pilots that have been flying them for over 20 years. I read everything.
Eventually, I stumbled across another ad for a Sonerai and it was located in Pennsylvania, only 45 minutes from my house. The original builder, a welder by trade, had gone west and his estate was being sold. I contacted his son-in-law and he told me the ad had only been out for two days and he had already received many calls, with showings requested. I made arrangements to get their first! I took two friends (airplane friends) with me to look it over. I got the yes nod from both of them, struck a deal with the owner, returned home and picked up my trailer, went to the bank to get some doe and brought her home. The plane had an almost completed airframe, almost completed wing, landing gear and wheels, a vintage Franklin engine and various other parts. I think I spent the next 3 weeks in the garage (nearly forgetting that I had a family). Flight training progressed, I soloed, and worked on my plane. When my 3rd 90 day endorsement for solo was entered in my logbook this would be the last time. It then dawned on me I had let the airplane building take precedent over getting my pilot certificate, and if I continued down that path, when finished with the plane I would have nothing more than a real nice “garage ornament”. I laid down my tools, got my face back in the book and earned my pilot certificate a few months later. When I first bought the project I figured I would be able to complete it within a year. After all, just finish the wing, build another wing, put an engine up there, screw on a propeller, attach the cowling, put a couple of instruments in the cockpit and string a few wires. Simple stuff for any seasoned mechanic. That was March of 2008. LOL. It seems like I have been at the 90% done with 90% to go stage for a long time now. Still I am asked quite often when it will fly and the best answer I can come up with
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is “When there is nothing left to do”. Although, I still keep a goal date in mind. One of the hardest things to contend with when a project has spanned many years is to keep up the momentum and the only way to do that is to try and get something done every day. Even if it is just preparing a thought plan of work to be accomplished the next time you intend to work on it. The longer you walk away from it, the easier it is to let it sit. Eventually everything gets stale and you forget exactly where you left off. Another thing is, stick as closely to the plan or have an unforeseen domino effect. Moving into the Landenberg area has been great! I had been eyeballing EAA Chapter 240 for some time. I could see it was an active chapter and I longed to be with airplane type people, but it was just too far from where I was living. Several weeks after arriving I decided to make a visit to the Chapter and I’ll never regret that. There are lots of nice people that I have come to know and there is a wealth of experience to draw from. The camaraderie is fantastic and I am proud to be a member. My timing was perfect as Glen Long was just finishing up his plane and hangar space became available for me. Hopefully I’ll be done sanding soon, before everyone gets tired of me making dust, and flying when there is just nothing left to do. Fast forward to the year 2013 The final assembly is near completion although the details seem never ending. The cockpit wiring is complete and am now working on the final engine installation but struggling a bit with getting the right 4 bolts that mount the engine to the fuselage. My secondary GPAS low height ignition needs timed, oil pressure, oil temperature, cylinder temperature and EGT, static, fuel
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supply and fuel vent, fuel transfer connections need to be made and I need to fabricate a fuel sight gauge. At this point it seems as if when I scratch one item from the top or the middle of the list two go on the bottom. I still hear the frequent question, when are you going to fly it? And my standard answer is when that’s all that’s left to do. Did I tell you I thought this would only take me a year?
Sport Aviation Association
Airventure Picnic
Turn out was as expected, with about 58 attending. The group was a mix of SAA members, Sonerai builders and a few EAA Chapter 252 members. Food was good and it was not a bad view of the airshow either! On July 30th, the SAA had their AirVenture picnic at the EAA Chapter 252 hangar. Chapter 252 provided the location and grills. SAA provided everything else. The group shares some commonality with the Sonerai builders support group, so we had a few Sonerai builders/owners present with us as well. Burgers, Brats, beverages and the standard condiments were provid-
ed. A donation jar was also provided, and thanks to the generosity of the members, pretty much covered the cost of the cook out. Ed Fisher, Jeff Lange, and Chapter President Dennis Moehn did the largest share of the cooking and set up. Access to the Chapter 252 hangar was easy, with ample parking. However, it seems most people found it easier to ride the AirVenture shut-
SAA President Ed Fisher, and Chapter 252 President Dennis serve up brats. Members attending said they just followed the aroma to find the hanger.
Jeff Lange is the Editor of “To Fly” the SAA magazine. He enjoys racing his Sonerai, but is also rated on the Weber grill!
By Randy Novak, SAA#3055 tle buses around to the North side of the airport. The location provided an area for viewing the air show and a quiet place to get together and relax. The SAA is not exactly something new to Chapter 252. Several of the Chapter members and officers are SAA members. Coincidentally, the Chapter Hangar is only located a stones throw away from Paul Poberezny’s hangar. Thank you to the officers and members of Chapter 252 for the use of their facility! During the week at the SAA forums, President Ed Fisher spoke about the organization, its past and possible future. The organization is presently headquartered out of Gilbert, SC, with regional representatives scattered around the country, a setup similar to the structure used by EAA in it’s early days. However, Fisher reported that a Board Meeting is planned for this fall at which time topics such as future election of officers and a nominal dues structure will be discussed.
Evidence of the Oshkosh roots of the SAA is demonstrated by Ed Fisher, standing by the entrance to Paul Poberezny’s hangar.
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WYNKOOP A Gathering of Friends
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he gathering of SAA friends on August 16th thru 18th, at Wynkoop Airport in Mt. Vernon Ohio was a huge success!!! Good planning, good weather, good airplanes, good food, and good fellowship made for a great get-together. Over the course of the previous 3 months, Chairman and SAA V.P. Butch Harvey met with Brian Wynkoop and a band of Ohio based volunteers, mostly all SAA members, to plan the event. There was much work to do, with mowing, toilet rental, mowing, cooking, mowing, parking layouts, and did I say mowing? and such to make this quiet country style airport a bee-hive of activity for three days in August.
96 REGISTERED AIRCRAFT! Yup, that’s correct. For a first-ever attempt at an Ohio based SAA gathering, it was huge. No dings, no scraped wingtips, but many full bellies. All of the comments I heard were positive, and the folks who attended were glad they did, and are already asking if we will do it again next August. Thursday, August 15 dawned with fog, but a later high overcast did not prevent early arrivals from getting there. Steve Carruthers, flying a Bobcat LSA from Charlotte Hall, MD. was there by late morning, parked along side a Cessna 172 flown in by newest Board Member R.J. Seevers from Orient Ohio. A few more airplanes trickled in, but Friday many more arrived. In late afternoon SAA sent out for several Pizzas for those remaining or camping at the airport, and as dark approached we all settled in to watch the movie “Barnstormers”. Saturday things got busy, at one point you could find six aircraft in the pattern at once, and the volunteer parking crew did an outstanding job, armed with walkie-talkies and using “Gators” provided by the local John Deere dealership. The flow of traffic from the NE/SW sod runway was organized into several different parking areas, and this seemed to work fine. Saturday’s breakfast and lunch was provided by a catering trailer, and dinner was whipped up by SAA members and wives with Ham and Beans, Hot Dogs, Cornbread and more for more than 50 people. Due to WX in the northwest, and in the east, many attendees flew out on Saturday night, so the awards were presented earlier than planned. Steve Carruthers, SAA#3214, from MD copped the “earliest arrival” and “longest distance” plaques, while “Best Workmanship” went to SAA#2062, Chuck Stottlemeyer from Elwood, Indiana for his stunning Colt Tail-dragger, N558Z. The “Peoples Choice” award was to a RV-6, N208PL, built by SAA#698,Paul Lutz, from Seville, Ohio. A special plaque was given to SAA#3184 Brian Wynkoop, for allowing us to be his guest on the airfield owned by his family over 50 years. None of this is possible without volunteers who work hard to make the gatherings safe, organized, and enjoyable…Here is a list of volunteers who made Wynkoop SAA 2013 possible... Butch Harvey, Janet Harvey, Rick Marti, Bob Niederhauser, Bill McConnell, Ron Condon, Merle Miller, Sandy Miller, Jerry Anderson, Linda Anderson, Jerry McKnight, Jody McKnight, Bob Seevers, Theresa Strock, Mark Klotz and Ed Fisher. I apologize if I have left anyone out! We are planning for a return to Wynkoop in mid August next year! Ed Fisher 25
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There’s Something About Pietenpols By: Matt Ferrari SAA#2954
I remember my first trip to Oshkosh with my dad, I think it was 1992. Walking along, we had stopped under the shade trees by “Theater in The Woods” for some relief from the mid-summer sun. As I looked across to the antique and classics parking area, a high wing open cockpit old timey airplane taxied in. With the orange vested wing walkers trotting along at its sides, the pilot’s head bobbed from side to side as he “fishtail” taxied along. I remember the sound, a slow pockety-pockety-pock with an occasional little backfire pop from its Ford Model A engine to announce its arrival. With a burst of power and a swing of the tail, he shut down the motor. I can still hear the clacking sound of the prop as it spun down to silence. Some undecipherable words were carried with the breeze, spoken much louder from the Pietenpol pilot, the wind and engine noise no doubt still ringing in his ears. There was much waving of hands as the “Piet” pilot told his tale. I walked over for a look. I swear the plane had a personality all its own as it stood proudly, it’s tall skinny-wheeled wooden landing gear, tail feathers nearly touching the grass. As my eyes followed the lines of the plane, I wondered how the guy could see where he was going with that big radiator hanging in the wind right in front of his face. The more I looked over the plane, the more I smiled. Pietenpols make me smile! 28
Over time, as thoughts of the Air Camper continued to ricochet through my brain, I began to research the airplane a little more. As much as that first sight of an Air Camper left an imprint on my aeronautical soul, so did the story of the man who is the granddaddy of the whole thing. Bernard H. Pietenpol came into this world in 1901. Imagine the times... the Wright Brothers, the exploits of WWI aviation and the likes of Charles Lindbergh… The aviation temptation was too much and he gave in to it, however, he found the costs involved to be a limiting factor. I have read a bit about him, read much of and spoke to some of his generation of Americans. Relating specifically to those who lived through the “Great Depression”, I’ve noticed a common trait, or maybe an attitude amongst these folks. That is “Make do or do without.” There is something to be learned here. Referring to our recent economic times, some have called it the “Great Recession”; this “make do or do without” mantra may also apply today. The not-so-distant past has provided me with a new and very personal understanding regarding the difference between an economic depression and a recession. A “recession” is when someone else loses their job; a “depression” is when you lose yours! Economics be damned, Mr. Pietenpol has, by exam-
ple, set a course for anyone to become involved in aviation and aircraft building. Through much trial and error, Mr. Pietenpol has provided a set of plans for a wood, tube and fabric airplane that are easy to understand, an aircraft that is simple to build requiring only basic skills, common hand tools and some very basic shop equipment, resulting in an aircraft that is a joy to fly! The beauty of building from a set of plans is that you pay as you go. Start where you want to, no schedule, no pressure. Become a good scrounger and buy materials when you can afford to. Work on your project when you can, dream when you can’t. Like the old Johnny Cash song goes “one piece at a time!” At Oshkosh this year, I attended a Pietenpol presentation presented by Doc Mosher of Brodhead Pietenpol Association fame. Mr. Mosher made a statement during his talk; he quoted something written in the past about Pietenpols that I think sums it up. He said “Pietenpols are like snowflakes, they might look alike but no two are the same…” When I set out on this story, my idea was a technical piece on building techniques and performance characteristics of the venerable Pietenpol Air Camper. What I have determined though, is that the whole Pietenpol “thing” is as much about the people as it is about the airplanes. There is a cult following of this low and slow gem. There is a personality to each aircraft built that is a combination of Bernard H. Pietenpol’s vision and the individual builder’s touch. If you find yourself interested, study the Pietenpol aircraft plans. For a straight forward design with a true
aviation legacy look and feel, I don’t think you can go wrong. The two place Air Camper for those who like to occasionally take a friend flying or the Sky Scout for you single seat types, a Pietenpol might just be the answer. Fast forward now to 2013, 84 years since the first Air Camper flew, 21 years since my first visit to Oshkosh. I have in my garage an old hollow cored door laid across two saw horses. On the door is drawn the dimensions and lines of a Pietenpol Air Camper wing rib, jig blocks in place. In cups and containers are the many pieces of spruce capstrip and mahogany gussets that make up the ribs. On the floor is an old Model A engine and a set of tall wheels, all waiting to become an Air Camper. Sources for Pietenpol info: For plans and info contact Bernard’s son Don and his grandson Andrew Pietenpol. Website: http://community.pressenter.net/~apietenp/ index.html Email: Andrew.Pietenpol@gmail.com Brodhead Pietenpol Association Website: http://www.pietenpols.org/ Online Pietenpol Forum Website: http://www.matronics.com/forums/viewforum. php?f=7&sid=02de683a6636e7e5e0d87ee1389bac69 YouTube has many Pietenpol videos, I recommend for a start “Finding Flight”, here’s a link: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=LI9t4XiYO7U
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Free Time If ever the educational and experimental aspects of our organization have been epitomized by a local builder, it is pilot and builder Steve Sheridan of Palatka, FL. From early days of flying off a muddy strip with his father in their Taylorcraft at age 10, pillows and all to reach the pedals, to soloing a J-3 Cub at Saint Augustine after just 4 hours dual, Steve has had a lifelong interest and knack for mastering mechanical and transportation devices. Ever resourceful, if you needed something that could be built instead of just purchased, that was the path of choice for Steve, whose often selftaught skills encompass machining, welding, woodworking, and associated talents. Having flown a variety of light aircraft, Steve had a desire to not only build but design his own VWpowered aircraft back in the 1990’s.
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An Original Design from Steve Sheridans by Mike List SAA #2852
Researching comparable designs for aerodynamic qualities, he borrowed proven qualities for wing areas, tail volumes, and incidence angles, then struck out on his own in the structural elements. In time honored fashion, the designs were often inked full-size on mylar, then construction blueprints made on a blueprint machine Steve acquired and re-built for the purpose. When a local supply of 6063-T6 square architectural aluminum extrusion became available for pennies on the dollar, a study of properties showed it would be adequate for his fuselage design, but the method of joining it together would require some experimentation. A variety of samples were fabricated and tested to determine strength capability, with a final combination of Hysol adhesive and stainless pulled rivets proving its worth by lifting up the rear end of a large pick- up truck and holding it there overnight! Wing design incorporates I-beam spars of marine plywood webs with Douglas fir caps, all locally obtained, with pop-riveted fabric covering. Cleverness and scrounging ability provided mainwheels sourced from electric scooters, the original tailwheel was liberated from a scrapped Publix grocery shopping cart, and the mainwheel
axles are fabricated from large highstrength bolts. Before moving on to designing and carving his own propeller, Steve experimented with different wood and glue combinations, finally satisfied with layered poplar and Titebond II for strength and durability. Wheelpants weigh a scant 2- lbs each, having been hand laid up using a Cessna nosewheel pant as a mold. The alternator is a small 55 amp unit normally found in the Suzuki Samurai. As finished in 1996, Steve’s design was registered as “Free Time” and weighed in at 470 lbs empty, and proved to
fly well enough to serve as a test bed for improvements and refinement. Changes over the years have included re-mounting the wings with different incidence (no easy task), horizontal tail incidence, various carburetors, strengthened jury struts, improved aileron control linkages, and gap seals. Still flying regularly some 17 years later, Steve
reports he is fairly satisfied with the 75 mph cruise and handling qualities, though it constantly reminds you this is a tailwheel aircraft and not to be ignored on the ground! His first gap seal experiment was with the ailerons, with an exuberant response that the aircraft now rolled perhaps a bit too spiritedly and several extra digits registered on the airspeed indicator. Now you may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned any engine particulars up to now, because the real kicker to this aircraft is that Steve is flying behind just 1197cc’s of VW power! His typical cruise the local patch rpm of 2900 provides about 53 mph, with wide open being 3200 rpm and about
70 mph. Given the somewhat draggy configuration and lifting approximately 200+ lbs of pilot and fuel, that’s amazing performance, a real tribute to the build-up of the engine, carburetor, and that self-designed and carved prop. This author can attest that it’s the easiest hand-propping VW engine he’s seen, with one fairly casual flip doing the job. No doubt Steve has some ideas on further refinements, a continuing education and problem solving process that we hope will keep them both young and flying for years to come!
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Engine Specification Lie Detector
By Patrick Panzera SAA#2100 We are pleased to welcome Pat Panzera as a contributor to ENGINE TECH! Pat is the editor for one of my favorite aviation publications, “Contact! Magazine”. This article is a reprint from Pat’s latest book “Alternitive Engines Volume 4”. More information can be found at : http://www.contactmagazine.com -JL Are you considering installing an alternative engine in your homebuilt airplane? Will you be going to the various shows around the nation to see what’s available? Are you concerned that the glossy sales brochures might be loaded with hype? Put it through this little “lie detector” system to help separate the wheat from the chaff. NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME? The first alarm bell rings if the company in question isn’t actually offering a product. Maybe they’re just fishing for investors. In descending order, give a lot more credence to someone who is offering a product that we can either take home with us from the show (or it can be delivered within one or two weeks after the show) than someone who just has a flying prototype at the show and are making demonstration flights. Further down the ladder would be someone who has a running display at the show, and below him, a static display would rate above someone with a pile of really cool parts and the infamous glossy brochure. KNOWING THE NUMBERS The next test is with their performance claims. Check the brochure. Is the horsepower claim on par with the displacement? Is the fuel burn consistent with the horsepower claim? Are torque and horsepower the same at 5252 rpm? I won’t bore you with the math from which the following rules of thumb are derived, but the following can be used to decipher the numbers. Note that these rules apply only to naturally aspirated, fourstroke, gasoline engines. Horsepower will always be torque x rpm ÷ 5252. Expressed another way on a graph, the lines representing torque and horsepower will cross or otherwise meet at 5252 rpm. But you have to read the graph carefully, as some are laid out with two different scales representing torque and horsepower, many of which will usually graph rpm along the bottom. If they don’t meet at 5252, consider that the graph is a figment of someone’s imagination. Horsepower = cubic inches x rpm ÷ 5250. This works 32
for direct drive or an engine with a redrive, but you must use engine rpm, not prop rpm. Remember, this is a rule of thumb and you have to consider that a modern engine with liquid-cooling, fuel-injection, and with an electronically controlled ignition can easily return 10% more power at the same rpm than an old, air-cooled, carbureted engine running on points or a magneto. For example, an O-200 at 200 cubic inches x 2750 rpm ÷ 5250 = 105 horsepower, but it’s a low compression engine, so you can deduct a little. The 100 hp Corvair engine, at 164 cubes x 3200 RPM ÷ 5250 = 100 horsepower. The 110 horsepower Honda engine with 91.4 cubes x 5800 rpm ÷ 5250 = 100 hp. Add in the extra 10% for all the modern goodies and its higher compression ratio and it comes out at 110 ponies for the Honda. Break specific fuel consumption (BSFC) = .5 pounds of fuel per hour, per horsepower. And this too can go another 10% in favor of a modern engine, to as low as .45 pounds per hp/hr. Since we all know that a gallon of gasoline weighs roughly 6 pounds, we can simply divide the power (100hp) by 12 (6 ÷.5), and we get 8.6 gallons per hour for a 100 hp engine with a BSFC of .5. If we lower the BSFC to .45 for a “modern engine” we get as low as 7.5 gph fuel burn, and if we get crazy and call it .4, we get as low as 6.6 gph. So if we have a 100 hp engine that claims it “sips” fuel at 3.5 gph, and they don’t specify that as an economy setting, we can only assume that they are claiming that fuel consumption is with the throttle wide open at sea level, and we simply walk away. They’re either lying or mistaken, and if either are the case, what else might they be wrong or lying about? STATIC THRUST IS FOR PULLING STUMPS And the last one is static thrust claims. Unless you are planning to pull tree stumps, static thrust claims are irrelevant as they as much a factor of propeller efficiency as they are an indicator of power. The only time that static thrust claims might be of interest is if a comparison between two competing engines were tested with the same exact propeller, on the same day, in the same location, and even then prop rpm is the true indicator of power, as the engine that makes more power can overcome the drag of the propeller and spin it faster than the other. In reality, one could use a span of 4x4 lumber as a prop, making zero thrust, and the outcome would be of more value than any thrust numbers could be when comparing two engines. Patrick Panzera Editor@ContactMagazine.com
EDITORIAL
Where Do We Go From Here? by Paul H. Poberezny There are many fine aviation organizations. Each may have a special interest in a particular phase of aviation or it may have multiple interests in serving larger groups of aviation enthusiasts of varied interests in aviation’s history. Many, like myself, who grew up and flew in the more simpler times of aviation still cherish those days. Acquiring a pilot’s license then may have seemed to be a bit of a challenge, however, by today’s standards the challenge would seem less. The art of taxiing a big biplane with no brakes and a tail skid was quickly learned and the pilot or instructor did not need a special ‘ok’ from the government to operate those conventional planes. The rudders and ailerons still give the same responses today as they have for years regardless of the size or powerplant of the airplane. Gravity is still a constant. If one does not pull or push the wing through the air at a speed that will hold the total weight of the machine in flight, it will fall as has been proven since the beginning of flight. Where do we go from here? We are another small group that, over the last year through word of mouth, numbers almost 800 members. From the comments received it seems that most appreciate the simpler days of aviation, closer personal relationships, airplanes that are reasonably priced and information on construction and restoration. We see wonderful accomplishments created by the homebuilt movement, airplanes that cruise at speeds far above those manufactured by our well known aircraft companies. We all must be thankful for the privilege we have to work freely with hand and mind to be innovative and creative. That came from the early days and much cooperation working with CAA/ EAA. In looking back over the years of EAA’s history, I came across the first issue of the EXPERIMENTER, Volume 1, Number 1, February 1953. Three mimeographed pages with postage costing 2 cents.
I would like to share some of my writings appearing in that first publication. One item called “MAYBE” states; “The Feeling is running high that with a strong organization enough pressure could be brought to bear in the right places – CAA – that some sort of limited airworthiness certificate could be issued to time-proven experimental aircraft to enable the owner to carry passengers. It is a goal to work for.” Another item titled “HELP” states; “OK fellows, it’s up to you now. We have a fine organization started but we still need more members. Tell all of your friends who are interested in experimenting about our new group. Bring them along to the next meeting. If they are unable to attend, send me their names and addresses and I will send them information. Remember, if we are to have a strong organization we will need a large membership of interested individuals.” Dues were discussed at this first EAA meeting. Figures of $3.00 and $5.00 were suggested and would be voted upon at the next meeting on February 23, 1953 at the Curtiss Wright Airport in Milwaukee. The membership voted $5.00 at the February meeting. Those few who preferred the fee of $3.00 per year could be seen at the airport bar buying drinks for their fellow aviation enthusiasts while discussing the too high yearly dues. In some ways, times have not changed. What should be one of the goals for SAA? With the freedoms to be creative, let’s put our minds to work and come forth with safe and affordable aircraft that have reasonable flight characteristics. We have put men on the moon but have not gotten the average citizens off the ground – another challenge.
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