---------------------------------------------------------- Pietenpol-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Thu 01/25/07: 4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:43 PM - Central Fla Piet fly-in (CapnAvid@aol.com) 2. 03:47 PM - Taxing with a fixed tailwheel (shad bell) 3. 09:16 PM - Re: Taxing with a fixed tailwheel (Catdesigns) 4. 11:17 PM - Re: Central Fla Piet fly-in (Mike Whaley) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:43:41 PM PST US From: CapnAvid@aol.com Subject: Pietenpol-List: Central Fla Piet fly-in Mike Whately Central Fla Piet fly-in; when and where? I'm at Sun-n-Fun volunteering and would join you if not too far away--no airplane, just me as a builder. ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 03:47:31 PM PST US From: shad bell Subject: Pietenpol-List: Taxing with a fixed tailwheel Chris, Dad went that route to save all the weight he could back there. He is about 220 and I am About 180lbs. The wing is set back 4 inches I think and engine mount is a couple inches longer than plans. It is definitly eaiser to taxi a Champ or Cub or anything with a steerable tailwheel, but a hell of a lot less fun...ha ha ha. It took us longer to get good at taxing NX92GB than it did to learn to fly it. It sure turns heads when you roll up on the ramp and are goosing the throtle holding full down elevator and mashing full rudder and brake to turn. Everybody looks and says "What in the hell is that guy doing?!!!" (Except the older guys who have flown planes with tail skids) We did go through a few tailwheels before we figured out it needs ball bearings, industrial castor with sleeve bushing did not last and the wheel split in half, steel wheel makes a lot of noise and still wears too fast on pavement. The 2 1/2 in wheel from wicks or Aircraft spruce works well. You have to think well ahead and know where you want to taxi, especially when exiting a runway on to a narrow taxi way, I had to shut down, unbuckle, and climb out the first time I flew off to a local airport to show it off. I hesitated my turn off the runway and didn't leave enough room. It is fine on grass, it slides on around. The best thing is you touch down strieght and for the most part it will stay there with little inputs. I have landed in 30-40mph quarting gusty crosswind (once, and only out of necesity) and stayed on the asphault runway, so as far as the airplane design, and the fixed tailwheel I feel it is pretty forgiving. If you fly out of busy, controlled, paved airports a sterable wheel would be a lot better, and you would have to change tailwheels a lot less. Shad P.S. Guys, Please don't give me the credit for building 92GB, it is Dads airplane and he built 99% of all the parts on it, I just did some riviting and helped out here and there. Although I am very proud of his accomplishment, and I get to fly it he he he. Shad, I see you have a fixed tailwheel. How well does it taxi on pavement? Any operational issues with a fixed wheel? It would certainly lighten things up back there. Chris Tracy Sacramento, Ca Website at http://www.Westcoastpiet.com http://www.airport-data.com/search/search2.html?field=model&code=pietenpol --------------------------------- Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit. ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 09:16:36 PM PST US From: "Catdesigns" Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Taxing with a fixed tailwheel Thanks Shad, that's exactly the advice I was looking for. I will stick with my sterable tailwheel for now as I doubt I will land on grass very much. Do they even have grass runways in California? Good to have a great flight report as it's always something I have wondered about. Tell your Dad he did a great job. Chris Tracy Sacramento, Ca Website at http://www.Westcoastpiet.com ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 11:17:18 PM PST US From: "Mike Whaley" Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Central Fla Piet fly-in Valkaria airport (X59) on Feb. 17th. It's not a Piet-specific fly-in, though it sounds like we'll probably have a couple Piets there (hopefully more!) Full info available here: http://www.mlbpilots.org/ValkariaAirFest/ -Mike Mike Whaley merlin@ov-10bronco.net Webmaster, OV-10 Bronco Association http://www.ov-10bronco.net/ Central Fla Piet fly-in; when and where? I'm at Sun-n-Fun volunteering and would join you if not too far away--no airplane, just me as a builder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message pietenpol-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Pietenpol-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/pietenpol-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/pietenpol-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.