Pietenpol Aircamper (oz14445)

About this Plan

Pietenpol Aircamper. Radio control scale model for electric power with a geared Speed-400 motor.

Quote: "It's quite funny how we decide to build something. I had been looking for a slow flying machine with good colours and possibly electric for a while. One day , whilst helping out with a full size Taylorcraft, I had the chance to fly in an Aircamper owned by a friend of mine Dave Silsbury. Since the sky was blue with very little wind I jumped at the chance and after 45 minutes of great flying I had found my next modelling project!

This Aircamper was originally in Dave's colours of yellow all over with black trim but then, whilst at the Donkeswell PFA Strut Meeting a month later, another Aircamper turned up. Wow! It was just as per the original 1930s plane with superb colours and unmodified except for the engine. I just had to have one and since my pocket money wouldn't stretch to hangar fees etc, the model version was going to have to do for the moment.

After a few hours drawing up plans and studying the photos, the Pietenpol Aircamper started to become a reality.

Tail and Fin: I like to start with the tail. This gets rid of about 1/3 of the building, leaving all the 'fun' parts to come!

It's a good idea to keep all the wood in this area light but firm. The spars, leading edge and trailing edge are all about the same - firm to hard. Then just the tips, spacers and gussets can be softer but still firm. What we don't need is the assembly warping when it's being covered. I used PVA glue for 90% of the building with some super glue for spot fixing. Just a light sanding and a rounding off of the edges will do.

Undercarriage: This is all very straight forward with no strange angles - simply bend and solder. The usual wheels (white plastic ones) are far too heavy for this model so some made up wheels will be the only way to go. Don't start pulling our what little hair you do have left - this is quite a simple thing to make.

Start by cutting a plywood disc the size of the finished wheel from 1/16 ply. Now build up the tyre section from 1/8 x3/8 balsa. Super glue this to each side until you end up with a stone age wheel. This can now be sanded to a tyre shape, a job much eased by sliding a bolt through the centre and popping it into a drill. A few turns later, something like a wheel will appear!

Epoxy a tube to it over the 16g undercarriage piano wire to act as a bearing. Add 1/16 balsa triangles each side of the tube - about five or six on each side will do. The rear side of the hub needs a flatter disc than the front. These are made from paper by cutting a large disc and the snipping up to the centre and folding the cut edges over each other to give you a cone shape.

Glue the rear side to the wheel and then fix the wheel to the model before adding the outer cone. There you go! One pair of wheels for a few grams weight and a few pence!

Wings: After cutting all the ribs to size, add lightness by cutting all the holes out, using an offcut of 1/2 in brass tube sharpened at one end. Slide the ribs onto the spars but make sure they are an easy fit. If not they will split and warps may sneak in later on.

The trailing edge is notched for each rib. I used PVA glue here but any superglue would be fine. I also had ailerons but found them of little use in practise. They do work but I use rudder and elevator now and find that this works better. The ailerons are now on my throttle stick.

Add the three 1/8 in ribs to the flat centre section and glue before adding the ply braces. Now add the outer panels, jack up the tips by 3/4 in on the tip ribs and leave to dry..."

Pietenpol Aircamper, R/C Model World, March 1997.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, thanks to RFJ.

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