FAMOUS

BUILTS
OF THE PAST

Here's the "Sky Scout" taxiing out for a flight.

// i'( The Pietenpol "Sky Scout

By George Hardie, Jr.

veryone attending the 1957 EAA Fly-In had an opportunity to look over three fine examples of the famous Pietenpol "Air Camper" design, and to observe the flying characteristics of this rugged pioneer among homebuilts. One of the ships, owned and flown by

Doug Rolfe's drawing gives an idea

of the "Sky Scout's" proportions. The

photo at left indicates that the radiator interfered with forward visibility

to some extent.

FEBRUARY 1958

Port 1 of 3 Parts
PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER

TORO MODEL "A" MOTOR

Allen Rudolf of Juneau, Wis., was built in 1934 and is powered by the original Model A Ford engine. It has given Allen many hours of trouble-free, economic performance. The other two ships \v ;re powered with more modern engines, one with a Lycoming and the other with a Franklin. Details on the "Air Camper" design were presented in the second of this "Famous Homebuilt" series which appeared in the May, 1956 issue of the EXPERIMENTER. Not generally known is the fact that the designer of the "Air Camper", B. H. Pietenpol of Spring Valley, Minn., also designed a singleseater expressly to be powered with a modified Model T Ford engine. This was the "Sky Scout", details of which appeared in the 1933 Flying Manual from which we reproduce some of the draw-

ings with the generous permission of Mechanix Illustrated magazine. Those not familiar with the famous Flying Manuals will understand their popularity, even today, by noting the clarity, simplicity, and completeness of these drawings.

into the air as cheaply as possible and safely. Construction materials and techniques used in these aircraft have been greatly advanced, but there is much to be learned from a study of their design and construction. At least we must give these pioneers much credit for accomplishing what they did with

what they had. We can and should be able to do better with today's materials and techniques.

Certainly they set a standard which we should attempt to follow today.

Our purpose in presenting this series on these old aircraft is to acquaint our readers with the construction details and the simple, practical approach made by the pioneer designers. The basic problem of yesterday's homebuilder (and today's as well) was to get

The "Sky Scout", like Wilbur Smith's "Termite" featured in the January issue of SPORT AVIATION, was of all-wood construction, and was very similar in design to the earlier "Air Camper" as indicated in the silhouette comparison. It was designed around the plentiful Model T Ford engine (converted for aircraft use) but with a few minor changes in the design, the Model A engine could

. - T H E

W I N G S P A N O V E R A L L IS 27 FT 3ilN

(327")- - -

PULLEY

AND HORNET

NOTE: THE C E N T E R S T R U T S UEAM BACK FIVE - ONE HALF INCHES B R A C E C A B L E S ON SIDES AND S I D E S ONLY CONTROL
CABLE TO AILERON

STREAMLINED

FLYING S T R U T S
SEE DETAILS

AILERON

HORN

AIR

SPEED

INDICATOR

THE FRONT VIEW

OF THE PLANE

FOR LONGERONS TEMPERATURE GAGE NOTE:

COVER THE ' FUSELAGE W I T H G R A D E "A- AERO COTTON MAY BE TACKED TO F U S E . ]

DETAIL

OF

A X L E COLLAR

26' X 3' W H E E L S AND T I R E S

t: TO CUT DOWN FRONTAL A R E A , r FULL SIZE R A D I A T O R IN HALF 5 LAP ONE HALF IN BEHIND THE HER ,

G R O U N D LINE

GIVE 5-COATS OF DOPE

PUSH PULL THROTTL

BANKING INDICATOR

DIA WOOD J 5PELLER

PITCH

'

,
m

GAS

FILLER CAP
AILERON HORN AND CONTROL CABLES

If > f)

ID MODEL
OR "A" TOR iY r

4
l

ZZ 80- C H O R D

THE COMPLETE. ARRANGEMENT I OF INSTRUMENTS ON DASH BOARD

i"x 16 GAGE
BRACE CABLE OR

ATTACH FITTINGS

' ED3ES

/HEAVY PADDING / AROUND COCKPIT

TURTLE BACK RIBS

FRONT STABILIZER BEAM

SPRUCE

(EAIULINE [ COWLING . 'H ZZ CA. ' 1 >

U M i ti J M

71
1 1 3Z

A" CONTROL CABLE

SPRUCE FAIRING ]/ 1

f " ^
SEE THE f SSEMBLY OF THE TA IL SKID

DETAILS LANCING *R ASS-6LY

FLYING S T R U T

BRACE
32

CONTROL / CABLES Y

LONGERONS^

26- X 3' W H E E L S
NO TIRES

THE SIDE VIE W

OF THE COMPLETE PLANE

DETAILS OF ATTACHING HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AT FRONT BEAM TO LONGERON

rE:

SEE FUSELAGE
OVERALL LENGTH OF PLANE IS Ifl FT

k W I N G S FOR THE HPLETE DIMENSIONS

--,.!-.
>

THE
IN

SCALE____
IN C H CS *

also be used. Pietenpol claimed the "Sky Scout" to be the easiest ship to build and fly as was possible to make it. The accompanying outline drawings would seem to bear him out.
Construction was started with the fuselage. Quoting from Pietenpol's article in the 1933 Flying Manual:

regular aircraft grade and waterproof. "Use a good glue. We use Rodgers semi-waterproof and give it two good coats of varnish. You may use regular casein glue, but be sure you know how to handle it. It won't keep long (12 hours). "You will need a large bench on which to draw out and build your fuselage jig. We use the same jig for both sides.
"Each strut is held in place by blocks which are left nailed down until both sides are finished. Al-

BOLT W E L D E D IN POST

X 20 GAGE
TUBE

"The construction of the fuselage is very plainly drawn up and I

J X 16 GA TUBE WELDED IN BAR AND BORED TO J" FOR BEARING SIDE VIEW

,.

don't think you will have any trouble with it. It is made from % in. x 7/s in. spruce, for longerons and struts, while the sides and front are covered with 3/32 in. mahogany plywood. The floor is made of % in. five-ply Haskelite. All gusset plates of Vs in. material. Remember, all plywood must be

ASSEMBLY OF RUDDER BAR AND POST

so leave the longerons a little long, and wrap some wire from the top to the bottom longerons, twisting it tight with a nail until you have the plywood nailed and glued on

each side. When the glue is dry, you may saw off the longerons in front.

1S3?" (l2-9f")ovERALL LENGTH

"First lay out one side in the jig, putting in all struts and braces. When you make one strut, make another just like it to be used on the other side so the two will be exactly alike. Be sure to use a miter box for this work.

"Next glue and nail on all the Vs in. gusset plates, wire the front longerons together so they will not spring apart and break the gusset plates.
THE INSIDE VIEW OF FUSELAGE

"Now remove the side from the jig, pat the longerons, struts and braces for the other side into the jig, and put in the gusset plates, starting from the tail and working up to where the 3/32 in. sides start. "Now take the side you have just finished from the jig, lay it on a piece of 3/32 in. plywood, and mark out all longerons, struts and braces by running a pencil around them, then cut the plywood

.TAIL SKID HTTING

BETWEEN GUSSET PLATE

AND FITTINGS WITH jf STRIPS ON CORNERS ^ENGINE MOUNT AND LANDING GEAR FITTINGS X

TAPERED AT ENDS

THE OUTSIDE VIEW OF FUSELAGE

ISjJ"(l2I-J")ovERALL LENGTH

the size of the fuselage. Make two of these - one for the right and one for the left side.

ing the pencil marks goes on the outside, and gives you good marks

"The side of the plywood bear-

to keep your nails between.

SPRUCE

on the longerons, struts and braces

"Now put a good layer of glue

COWLING SUPPORTS -l"x 2' ENGINE SUPPORT FITTING AROUND FRONT S

THE TOP VIEW OF FUSELAGE

rr

NOTE

ALL S T R U T S . BRACES.

AND LONGERONS ARE

-2.|-

WEDGE TO SUPPORT
THE TAIL SKID

6" WHITE ASH

THE BOTTOM VIEW OF FUSELAGE

DRILL j|" HOLES

THE SCALE
12 24

-THE MEASUREMENTS AND --THE ASSEMBLY OF THE FUSELAGE-

AND BEND AS SHOWN ______ABOVE

IB GA. BRACKET TOR PULLEYS

IN INCHES

DETAILS OF THE DOUBLE PULLEY ON THE: COKITROI STICK

FEBRUARY 195t

20

T
*o VOC

_L

BRACKET 4-RWD i CA D E T A I L OF GUIDE PULLEY FOR AILERON CABLE

|'x 20 GAGE
* TUBE-

TOP VICW OF TMC VJO'COMPLtTE CONTROLS

THE DETAIL Or THE CONTROL STICK ANO riTTINCS BEARING.^ STREAMLINE

' < -

j:

TOMut

TUBE FOR

CRANK NOIM7

.,--.....

r I.QO B

n* i \jr

vn^ku

^^^^ O B
t

^*f

'

\f

'"njr

*^ -^T

F R O N T TORQUE TUBE BEARING

REAR V I E W

OF BELL C R A N K

THE COMPLETE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONTROLS

CONT _ ^_ ^

",

BEARING

"~ '" CRANK BEARING TUBE

2-RE3UIRED

o'her gusset piates are aiso put on u Uh this size nail. "Wh:n you have this done, wire he front of the longerons together and remove from the jig. Now re; o v j all ihe blocks from the bench so t at it is smooth. Turn the side of the fuselage over and put the gusset plates on that side; then do the same with the first side you started. "Now take the two sides and clamp them together. Saw off the ends of the longerons exactly the same length. Take a tri-square and mark off all strut stations, the place for the instrument board, and a few marks that will come in handy to measure from. "Now make the seat back and Ihe front bulkhead. (These must be perfect, as the whole job deperds on them). Nail and glue them in place. You may now put in the J/4 in. x five-plywood floor, nailing it in with 1 in. 17 gauge nails. Next comes the top of the fuselage.

for the seat, which you should have no trouble with." Drawings of the control system are self-explanatory. While primitive by today's standards, they served the purpose. Many construction techniques used would not be acceptable today. However, the "Sky Scout" remains a practical design, basically simple and straight forward. Next month's Part 2 in the series will give details on the wings and tail surfaces. , A

/X

ASSEMBLY OF BELL C R A N K
MOUNT ON FUSELAGE STRUTS______Jf

as far back as the plywod goes; lay on your plywood and get busy nailing it down with -^ in. x 18 gauge cement coated nails. All

J
t
FRONT BULKHEAD
CUTOUT FOR REAR CONTROL F-ULLEYS

NE we-o

SEAT BACK

LACING MOLCS
METHOD OF MAKING UP COCKPIT PADDING
TO BE ALLOWED FOR JOINT

J~SEAT SUPPORT
1' PLYWOOD BD.
EXTRA

i
SEAT BOTTOM
ARCH

SUPPORT WEB

-145H

12-

COWLING SUPPORT

TURTLEBACK

NAIL SEAT BACK SUPPORT TO FUSELAGE STRUTS

BULKHEAD AT SECOND STATION AFT OF SEAT BCK

CONTROL

TUBE. BEARING
DETAIL OF
FRAMING THE

~~" "

... . x /g PLYWOOD i
- 3
1

"Now pull the tail end of the longerons together, make this joint fit good, glue and nail it good, and put in all the rest of the struts and braces, using the center line method to get it straight. That is, make a line in the center of each strut and make a tight string or wire pass over this line when drawn from the center of front to center of the tail post.
"The struts are next set on the gusset plates of the sides. Then put on the turtle back, instrument board, cowling, and support and the woodwork is finished except

NOSE CONE PLATE

A T T A C H CONE A F T E R COWLING IS C O M P L E T E

NOSE DISC
OF HALF INCH PINE FREE FROM KNOTS

*BND OVER DISK 52i-

1 f J" LAP FOR Lti^VwiNT-*

SCALLOPED TO

| ',--:

LOWER^^^^^^^^LJ. ENGINE COWLING

SIDE ENGINE
2Z CA. AL U.

A P P R O X I M A T E MEASUREMENTS

SEAT

NOTE; SEE THE

FUSELAGE P L A N S

INSTRUMENT BD.

DETAILED DIMENSIONS -J r OF BULKHEADS AND i MIDSUPPORT FORl

SUPPORTS TURTLEBACK

34"

COCKPIT COWLING

OF 22 GA. ALUMINUM

CA ALUMINUM

MISCELLANEOUS P F. TAILS OF FUSELAGE

Part 2 of 3 Parts

The Pietenpol "Sky Scout"

By George Hardie, Jr.

art 1 of this series on the Model T-powered P i e t e n p o l "Sky Scout" dealt with the construction of the fuselage and presented detailed drawings on it and the controls system and cockpit. This month we will continue with details on the construction of the wing and empennage.

interesting account on how Pietenpol evolved his airfoil section after much experimentation was included in the article on the "Air Camper" that appeared in the May, 1956 issue of the EXPERIMENTER. Similarity of other design features is evident upon a close comparison of the two ships.

"The wing on the 'Sky Scout' is much too strong and could be lightened a little. It weighs about 90 Ibs. complete. It was only built this heavy because all the regular parts to build the 'Air Camper' wing were used.

The wing used on the "Sky Scout" was practically the same as that of the "Air Camper" except that it was 11 in. shorter in span. Rib construction and airfoil were exactly the same on both ships. An
SPRUCE

Quoting again from Pietenpol's article in the 1933 Flying Manual, on the wing construction of the "Sky Scout" (reprinted through the kind permission of Mechanix Illustrated magazine):
LEADING CDCE 327- (27'-3-) (S OVERALL LENGTH OF WING
f-CUT OUT fOD R A O

01

ROUTED SECTION

TYPICAL

V I E W OF WING BEAM

G STRUT FITTINGS

30- x ie PIECE OF
NAILED TO BOTTOM OF
BEAMS AND STRUTS TO BRACE THE C E N T E R

PLYWOOD

METHOD

OF A T T A C H I N G THE
FLOP IS TO BE
RAISED WHILE THE PILOT E N T E R S SHIP

GASOLINE TANK TO WING

3

T H E SCALE IN INCHES

"

II

'

24

D E T A I L S O F WING A S S E M B L Y

DETAIL OF LATCH ON FLOP

1*

MARCH 1958

le big wheels and the raitor blocking the visibilmukes the "Sky Scout" )k ancient, but at least e flew!
"I wish to call youi attention to the brace right back of the rear beam. This was changed from the plans of the 'Air Camper', and I advise all of you who have not built up your wings to build them this way. "After your ribs are finished, make your beams and splice them in the center. Now mark off all places where the ribs will come, having the two beams clamped together. A good way to do this is to mark off the places on half of the spars, then reverse one beam and mark the other half from the first marks. You will then know that it is right.
"Next glue in the piece of 3/32 in. or Vg in plywood that is set beneath the gas tank, and be sure

you have this in the center and perfectly square, as the whole wing is lined up from this center. Now put on all the ribs and glue and nail them with two 1 in. by 17 gauge nails at each joint. On the top it will be found necessary to put in small spruce blocks to fill up the gap. These must be glued on both sides-

has a cotter pin hole in its end).

"Now place the control horns, and you are ready to cut the ailerons and center flop from the wing. By leaving all the ribs full length and cutting the ailerons and flop free, when finished you are sure to get a better and straighter wing. After you have all the parts finished and sanded, you may give the whole thing a coat of varnish
"Put in the gas tank (5M> gallon^ and the wing is ready to cover. You may use any light grade of aircraft cloth for this or you may

"The fittings are so clear on the plans that it would be a waste of time to say anything about them. They are all made of regular 1025 aircraft steel and are more than strong enough.

BUILTS

use sheeting. Tack a piece 60 in wide the full length of the wing "Next put on all wing fittings all around the edge, bottom side and brace wires (we use 3/32 in. first. Give the edge a coat of cable as it is easier to handle, aldope, turn the wing over and do the though No. 12 hard wire is OK), same on top. and line the wing up with the wires. Do not make them too tight "Now sew the cloth to the ribs until you get in your compression in the regular manner, put on a struts and wing tips. coat of dope, then all the tape and patches around the fittings and "Now put on the leading edge, give the wing four extra coats trailing edge, aileron beams, flop of dope (five in all). The last two beams, and wing tips in the order named. Line up the wing so that coats may be colored. I advise a light coat of paint on the wing if it is perfectly straight and put in you wish the cloth to last a long all the braces. Put in the \k in. x time, although this makes the ship >/4 in- braces on the ailerons and harder to patch. put all filler strips on the aileron "Just a little warning, be sure hinges (which are only small strap and put the flop in the center. A hinges with a new pin put in which
NOTE- AIRFOIL DIMENSIONS ARE FROM

EXTREME TOP Or RIB TO BOTTOM OF THE LOWER RI6e=

PLYWOOD GUSSET P L A T E S CLUED AND NAILED

8-3Z MACH. SCREW

W I T H JET IN HEAD

X 4, SPRUCI \CM> STRIPS

DETAIL MEASUREMENTS
SPKUCE LEADING EDGE SEE DETAIL

OF THE AIRFOIL

PLYWOOD GUSSET P L A T E S
CLUED AND NAILED

AND LOWER STRIPS

SPRUCE CAP

METHOD OF ATTACHING THE LEADING EDGE

PLYWOOD PLATES GLUED

AND NAILED ON TOP AND

T Y P E OF RIB AND TRAILING EDGE

F U R N I S H E D IN READY MADE ATERIAL

DETAIL. CONSTRUCT ION OF T>- RIB

METHOD OF ATTACHING THE TRAILNG EDGE

ELD ON BOTH ENDS

4
8-32 MACHINE SCO FOB ALL HINGES
AND HORNS

WING 9CAMS A R E OF SELECT SP'JCE ^

S T R E A M L I N E BEND

4" X 13 CA BRACE WELD AND BOLT TO BEAM

TO ALL HORNS NOTE

USE WASHERS
FULL SECT ROUTED SECT

MARE-4-PATTERNS AS SHOWN BEND ON THE y

WING BEAM DETAIL

SPRUCE AILERONS SPARS -AILERON IS TO BE COMPLETELY BUILT IN WING AND THEN AWED FREE
, CONTROL CABLE
SPRUCE TRAILING

DOTTED LINES

EDGE

AILERON

HORN

COMPLETE DETAIL OF THE AILERON RIB AND THE CONSTRUCTION

$H -*i2*-|
-HJH REAR VIEW

325 S E T U R N B U C K L E

RIB

COMPLETE DETAILS OF THE WING FRONT VIEW AND THE ASSEMBLY OF AILERON AND HORN

ASSEMBLY OF AILERON HORN

SIDE VIEW

OF P A T T E R N

SPORT AVIATION

19

PLYWOOD

SEE TAIL SKID*"

? X ll"RI8S NAIl-E[> ANO CLUED ON BOTH SIDES

GUSSET PLATES

NAILED AND GLUED XT

ASSEMBLY

S|DE vl f:w

OF V E R T I C A L FIN TOP VIEW OF ELEVATORS AND STABILIZER

i" X IS CA. FITTINGS

AND RUDDER
_ A L L BEAMS AND STRUTS ARE SPRUCE

I" BRACE CABLE OR 14 CA. HARD WIRE

10

LEADING EDGE

CENTER BEAM

MAIN BEAM

V A R I O U S BEAMS SECTIONS
DRILL !i HOLES ^BEND

SIDE

END

SIDE
MALE

ALL

FEMALE

SCREW HOLES COUNTERSUNK 27-REQ'D 9-RESUIRED OF 16 CAGE STEEL

--1'

9-REQ'D.

9-REQ'D. USE 325 S.F ,S TURNBUCKLES FUSELAGE >

THE COMPLETE H I N G E DETAILS FOR THE TAIL

REAR V I E W OF FIN AND S T A B I L I Z E R

-THE COMPLETE DETAILS AND ASSEMBLY OF THE EMPENNAGE

(TRAD

PATTERN FOR ELEVATOR HORN

4 - T H U S REQ'D OF 22 GA STL

PATTERN FOR RUDDER HORN

2-THUS REQ'D OF 22 CA STL
NOTE: SEC DETAIL OF AILERON HORN
FOR TYPICAL C O N S T R U C T I O N

would be questioned by today's standards, still one must admire the practical approach made to the problem of dssigning a simply constructed, economical a i r c r a f t . Again I wish to emphasize that these drawings and details on these old aircraft are presented for study and evaluation, rather than as a recommended project for the homebuilder. Materials used would be in some cases unacceptable today, but the fact that even with these handicaps these old aircraft proved successful speaks well for the courage of these pioneer homebuilders. Today we can draw upon their experiences as a valuable

guide and with the vastly superior advantage of being able to choose our materials from a wide selection of proven types and grades, we should be able to produce superior designs. The tail surfaces of the "Sky Scout" follow the same general lines as those of the "Air Camper". Wood construction was used, with covering of fabric. The drawings clearly show all details and are self-explanatory. Next month's concluding article will present details on the landing gear tail skid, motor mount, and struts and fittings. A

lot of those building the 'Air Camper' did not do this but put a large opening instead and spoiled the climb of the ship. Remember that you cannot have all the features of a high powered plane in a small Ford-powered ship and expect it to fly well, and the flop is one of the things that makes these ships a success. The first thing to remember in building a low-powered ship is to keep the weight down and the efficiency up." The sage advice expressed in that last sentence holds as true today as the day it was written. While some of the techniques recommended in the above quotation
20

Here's the "flop" mentioned by Pietenpol which increased the lift of the wing.

MARCH 1958

The "Sky Scout" gets off the ground quickly, and has a landing run of only 250 ft. Closeup below shows the Ford Model T engine installation on the Pietenpol "Sky Scout".

The Pietenpol

Sky Scout

L//

By George Hardie, Jr.

omebuilders of 25 years ago were as anxious to get into the air as any today. B. H. Pietenpol of Spring Valley, Minn., provided one practical answer to this demand with his twoseater "Air Camper", designed to be powered with a converted Ford Model A engine. When he was flooded plentiful (at that time) Ford Model T engine, he came up with the "Sky Scout", a single-seater whose con-

Port 3 of

3 Ports

with requests for a design to take the

struction was practically the same as the "Air Camper". In two previous installments we have presented detailed drawings and

HOME
data on the "Sky Scout", giving details and construction notes on the fuselage, wing and tail surfaces. In this final installment we present details on the landing gear, tail skid, motor mount, wing struts and fittings. This material is taken from the 1933 Flying Manual and is reprinted with the generous permission of Mechanix Illustrated magazine. The landing gear on the "Sky Scout" followed the popular style of the day, using a Vee hinged to the lower longeron of the fuselage and a shock strut running up to a fit1} X 12 CA ROUND FORWARD LANDING GEAR STRUT_____ SEE SHEET OF LANDING CtAR A'S'BLY

BEND AS SHOWN FOB STRUT

X 12 CA. ROUND TUBE FOR FRONT LANDING GEAR STRUT

METHOD OF ATTACHINGTHE FRONT LANDING GEAR STRUT AND FLYING STRUT TO FUSELAGE,
WHIN THIS F'T-C 0 USED ON 5101- DRILL THESE MOLES

REAR LANDING GEAR [STRUT WHEEL W A S H C R IS M C A - WELD TO A<LE AND W E B S

-^fi4iW
tp

X 13 CA BOTTOM WELDED OVER JOINT OF ALE TO STRUTS DETAIL OF AXLE END AND M E T H O D A T T A C H I N G TO STRUTS

OUTSIDE FITTING FOR ENGINE MOUNT

2-THUS REQ'O I4GA

I N S I D E FITTING FOR ENGINE MOUNT

2-THUS REQ'D 14 GA

BOTTOM PLATE FOR

8 - T H U S REO'P 14 CA

--MISCELLANEOUS FITTINGS-*-

ALL FITTINGS

OF
fHO

APRIL 1958

ting on the upper longeron. Pietenpol had this to say about it in the Flying Manual article: "This has proven to be a very strong outfit which will stand plenty of abuse. While it would be difficult to explain how this is built, the plans are very clear and you should have no trouble.
"You will have to use a turning lathe and be a good welder to make the gear shown here. You may al14 CA S AND BO
f ITTINO

A" PLYWOOD " SIDES

K.HV

< SHOWN
STRUT

up on the outside of the front landing gear strut. Take the other end and pass it under the landing gear vee, over the axle, under the vee on the inside of the first wrap, over the axle on the outside of the first wrap and under the vee on the inside of the last wrap until you have three wraps pulled quite tight.
"The cord should be just long enough to make a good square knot

so build the that is used You will find to make and

type of landing gear on the 'Air Camper'. that this is much easier is quite strong enough.

STREAMLINE TUBE MO.ICtS FOR RCAR LANDING GCAR STRUT.

14 GA FITTING

WELD TO STRAP

AND BOLTED TO
BOTTOM , ,11 iVlPLATI

and to permit taping of the ends. This method makes each wrap about the same length and you will not have any trouble with your shock cord cutting. The landing gear should give not over one inch with

the 'Air Camper' gear, we had better

"While we are on the subject of

METHOD OF

a full load in the ship, but neither should it be any tighter.

put on some safety device to keep the ship from dropping to the ground if the shock cord breaks, since it seems that everybody has trouble wrapping shock cord.
"Here is the method we use: First cut a piece of leather to fit around the bottom of the landing gear vee

STRAP BETWEEN FITTINGS

CA

ATTACHING STRAPS TO ^BOTTOM PLATES

J FLYING

WELD

METHOD OF

ATTACHING REAR
LAND GEAR STRUT AND FLYING STRUT TO THE FUSELAGE

RCAR LAND. GEAR STRUT-,

put a small keel on the shoe or you will find your ship hard to steer on a windy day. This keel will also help to prevent the beginner from ground looping." There aren't many airports left where tail skids are welcomed, so I suppose we may regard this item

"The tail skid comes next. This is of extremely simple construction, but it has proved so efficient that we are now using it on all of the planes we build. Be sure to

BUILTS
s E
TURNBUCKLESk^

and lace it on with lace leather. Now take 6 ft. of lk in. shock cord and have someone hold it about half way

ENGINE B E A R E R S

l|"x 16 CA
SMOCK S T R U T /

WELDED TO TUBE SUPPORTS

SEE D E T A I L S
OF P L A T E F I T T I N G

l GA. PLATE

SIDE VIEW
JjL. OF ] ' LUG ' UPPER P L A T E AND LUGS FOR A T T A C H I N G SHOCK S T R U T
1- P L A T E S
WING STRUT ATTACH FITTING H E A R STRUTS STREAMLINE

E L S E W H E R E

AND 4 LUGS RE3'D.

SIDE VIEW OF
ENGINE MOUNT LANDING G E A R
TUBE FOR THE AXLE
_ . . . i W E L D HINGE r-6->-J JHAFT TO B O T T O M OF ATTACH PLATE

J'x 20 GAGE TUBE SUPPORTS

ENGINE MOUNT
FITTINGS

FRONT VIEW OF THE LANDING GEAR

18 GA STR WELD TO BOLTED

LUG

DETAIL OF "A"
NUT AND C O T T E R PIN

ENGINE BEARER
SUPPORTS

IN END TO

TUBE WELOEO

X IB" GAGE

W.TMLUGS
W E L D E D TO TUBE

LOWER ASSEMBLY

REINFORCE

TREAD FOR 2"

SMALL SPRINGS

TUBE END

^"PLYWOOD SIDES LONGERONS

" X 2' WHITE ASH ENGINE B E A R E R S
UPPER SHOCK
SPRING MUST SUPPORT
IB CA

STRUT F I T T I N G S

SOLID

PLATE TOP VIEW

TOP VIEW OF THE ENGINE MOUNT

n?LONG4 POUNOS
I" IN DIAM.

UPPER A S S E M B L Y
2-THuS REQUIRED

OF CHECK LUGS

ASSEMBLY OF SHOCK S T R U T AND LANDING G E A R

ATTEND EAA's SIXTH NATIONAL FLY-IN AUGUST 8, 9, 10 MILWAUKEE, WIS.

SPORT AVIATION

19

as a mark of the past. But let's continue with the construction notes: "After you have your ship complete, that is, the motor in, tail group on, all controls in, and are ready for the wing, make up your center struts like the drawings, all brace wires made, then get about four extra helpers, put the wing on the center struts and line up.
ends of the wing so that it will have
(/--THE COMPLETE DETAILS -J-AND ASSEMBLY OF THE *TAIL BRACE W I R E FITTING SCREW POCKET PLAT TO THE FUSELAGE COTTER PIN AND WASHER Ik" DIA. X 7 - L O N G H A R D SPRING
TO COMPRESS AT ISO L B S

-TAIL SKID

THE SIDE VIEW OF COMPLETE TAIL SKID ASSEMBLY

X 20 GA. S I D E TUBES

"Next have someone hold up the

WELD THE SHOE PLATI

TO

a little dihedral, and measure the length of the front flying struts. These should both be exactly the same length. When these are in place, do the same with the rear flying struts. Now make the flying or brace wires. Hook up the ailerons, safety all turnbuckles and your ship should be ready to go."
mechanic. The completed airplane certainly would take no beauty prize,

UNDERSIDE
OF TUBES

THE

VIEW OF TAIL S K I D LOOKING DOWN

SERVE AS
HINGE PIN

FLARE SIDES OFH POCKET TUBE OUT

AS SHOWN

SPRING AND P O C K E T TUBE. WELD TO PLATES

NOTE: FUSELAGE IS SHOWN

CUT AWAY TO ADMIT VIEW OF TAIL S K I D FULL

Simple enough for the ambitious

POCKET TUBE PLATE

OF tZ GA. ATTACH TO
UNDCRSIOE OF F U S E L A G E

SPRING POCKET TUBE

20 GA. 2 - T H U S REQ'D.

but the designer's practical approach to the problem of providing an economical machine of simple construction was evident in every line. Pietenpol had this to say about his "Sky Scout": "I believe this to be the safest light plane there is, and if this design is a start in that direction, it has
* J2S S E
TURNBUCKL

BEND AS-' SHOWN ABOVE

ATTACH FITTING FOR T A I L SKID ASS'BLY.

OF M CA______7-THUS R'O-

TAIL BRACE W I R E FITTING

OF 16 CA.___________ONE R E Q ' O

TAIL SKID SHOE PLATE

OF CA._____ONE REQ'O.

all been well worth the time we have put into it. But those of you who wish only to build so that they will have something to fly had better
S E *32S

build it exactly as the plans, and you will be sure of having a ship that is very easy to handle. It is cheap to run and will land and take off at a
REAR CENTER

SEE D E T A I L S
OF ENDS OF STRUTS

FRONT C E N T E R

FLYING STRUT

TURNBUCKLE

FLYING STRUT FLYING STRUTS ARE 1697 STREAMLINE TUBES, CENTER STRUTS LEAN BACK FIVE AND ONE HALF INCHES

FAVORS OUTSIDE
OF FITTING

j"x 20 CA ENGINE MOUNT TUBE CUT TUBE BEND AND WCLO

A PLYWOOD ' FUSELAGC SIDES

UPPER] ENGINE MOUNT AND STRUT ASSEMBLY

A PLYWOOD " ON SIDES

DETAIL AT UPPER
REAR CENTER STRUT
NOTE: SEE DETAILS OF LOWER FITTINGS ON ANOTHER SHEET

FUSELAGE

CUT OUT AND WELDED TOGETHER

FOR BEND

INSIDE FITTING

UPPER ENGINE MOUNT

NSIOE FITTING

FITTINGS FOR THE UPPER REAR CENTER STRUT

2-REOUiREO OF 14 GAGE STEEL

DETAIL OF BENDING AND REINFORCING MOUNTING TUBES

OUTSIDE

FITTING

UPPER ENGINE MOUNT

t-"tomato or 14CA

BACK PLATE FOR THE SHOCK STRUT FITTING

4- REQL'D OF 14 CA

AND REAR CENTER STRUT DETAILS

UPPER ENGINE MOUNT

APRIL 1958

7 **x

AAOIATO*

OUTLIT

MOM

Turbi, the Jodel "Bebe" and "Club" and many others indicate what can be done with wood construction. Several others, notably a single-place folding wing craft that we will present soon, show that designers are still seeking the simple, practical aircraft for just plain flying. There is no way of knowing how many "Sky Scouts" were built, but there is no denying the fact that the design work of F. H. Pietenpol, as exemplified by his "Air Camper" and "Sky Scout" homebuilts, has left his mark on today's design thinking. Certainly the simplicity of construction and the practical approach to the design problems are goals that all homebuilts will always be seeking.
SPECIFICATIONS OF THE PIETENPOL "SKY SCOUT"

Here's the way the Model T was mounted on the "Sky Scout".

field where the average OX-5 job, or similar powered ship, would be completely out of luck." The hey-day of the "Sky Scout" has long since passed, but once again small all-wood aircraft are being built and flown. Wilbur Smith's "Termite", described in the January issue of SPORT AVIATION, is a fine example of what can be accomplished today. The Druine Turbulent and

Top Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 mph

Cruising Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 mph Landing Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 mph

Take-off Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 ft.

Landing Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 ft. Initial Climb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 fpm

Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 ft. 3 in. Chord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ft. Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ft. 3 in.

FOLDING
LOW-WING
John S. Zagorodny, 682 Matianuck Ave., Windsor, Conn., sends us photos of his low-wing monoplane. The wing is designed to fold inboard 6 ft. as on a shipboard fighter. Width with wings folded will be 8 ft., just right to fit in the door of John's garage. Wings are a redesign of Luscombe panels to take .020 - 75ST aluminum covering. A Continental 75 is planned for power. Cessna type gear in the wing stubs will have wide tread. Weight empty is to be 480 Ibs., with a 760 Ibs. gross. Wing span is 20 ft. 6 in., area 80 sq. ft. Length is 17 ft. 6 in. John expects a cruising speed of 120 mph and a landing speed of 46.5 mph.

BOLTS

I? BOLT

J1DE y|EW

WING SPAR END Ww SIDE VIEW

END VIEW

SIDE VIEW

ASSEMBLY OF THE OUTER FLYING STRUT FITTING

ASSEMBLY OF THE CENTER FLYING STRUT FITTINGS

NOTE:

USE THE SAME ASSEMBLY FOR THE BOTH SPARS

DETAIL OF

FLATTEN FRONT OP _... . ,y<- ..... np ArKFT STRUTS AND REAR OF PULLEYS AND BRACKET Z- BRACKETS REft'O. 6-PULLEYS

OUTER STRUT FITTING ON WING SPAR

THUS REfr'O Of I I CA

~\

CENTER STRUT FITTING ON WING SPAR

FTG. ON CENTER

STRUT FITTING
4-REq-D EACH O GA. STEEL

FRONT FLYING STRUTS M'LONJ

REAR FLYING STRUTS 0" LONG

BRACKET FOR PULLEY

Z-THUS REQ'O OF 13 CA.

TUBE BRAZED BORE TO f.ON EACH END

DETAIL OF ENDS OF
FLYING STRUT

ie7 STREAMLINE TUBING

TURNBUCKLE AND WIRE FITTINGS

OF 13 CAGE

FRONT CENTER STRUT tlf LC^ REAR CENTER STRUT

DETAIL OF ENDS OF CENTER STRUTS

John writes, "I have but one regret - that I don't live in your area to be able to work with you fellows and get to your meetings, etc. It's very difficult pulling all alone to start a project and completely finish it. but I'll not give up. No matter how hard I try to get interest up around here, it lasts for only a few weeks. Perhaps when I get the ship flying and they see what I mean by a ship that's a mechanic's dream, maybe the bug will bite."
21

ATTEND EAA's SIXTH NATIONAL FLY-IN AUGUST 8, 9, 10 MILWAUKEE, WIS.

SPORT AVIATION