A Pietenpol Air Camper under construction, showing its wooden frame structure.
"Pinocho", an Air Camper made in Mexico by Miguel Carrillo Ayala in 1935 and now in the Museo Militar de Aviación. Powered by a 201 CID engine of a Ford Model A.
The Air Camper was designed to be built of spruce and plywood. One of Pietenpol's goals was to create a plane that was affordable and easy to construct for home builders. Building an Air Camper requires basic woodworking skills and tools. Builders also need to fabricate some metal fittings to attach the wooden parts together. Some welding is required. The plans for the Pietenpol Aircamper were originally published in a four-part serial in the "Flying and Glider" Manual of 1932-33.[4][5]
The original model was flown using an Ace four cylinder water-cooled engine.[4] The Model A Ford engine later became the standard powerplant used; the design was first flown with one in May 1929.[1]
In the 1960s Bernard Pietenpol began to favor converted engines from Chevrolet Corvair automobiles. The Corvair flat six was higher horsepower, smoother, and significantly lighter, compared to the Model A, and was similar to those already available for general aviation use. The length of a Pietenpol varies with the engine choices, as lighter engines needed to be mounted further forward for weight and balance reasons.[7] Over the years over 30 different engines have flown in the Pietenpol Air Camper. Many modern Pietenpol builders prefer Continental A65, C85 or C90 air-cooled flat fours.[4] Several examples of the Aircamper have been built in Europe and in 2012 were still flying.
In the 1920s and 1930s, kits were available for the design, but there were none available again until 2015 when the Pietenpol Aircraft Company introduced a kit version of the Air Camper, with components supplied by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. The kit includes all parts except the engine, dope, fabric covering, and hardware.[8]
BH Pietenpol also designed and published plans for a single-seat version of the aircraft named the Pietenpol Sky Scout, which was slightly smaller and was powered by the Ford Model T engine.[4] During the late 1920s and early 1930s, this was less expensive than the Model A used in the Air Camper.[9]
UK LAA-approved Pietenpol Air Camper
In some countries, civil aviation authority approval is required for each experimental aircraft design, in addition to the approval of each aircraft an individual makes, as in the US. A variant of the Pietenpol Air Camper was designed by Mr. J. K. Wills, and UK Light Aircraft Association approval was obtained for this variant.[10]
^ ab"Pietenpol Aircraft Company - Pietenpol Air Camper History". pietenpolaircraftcompany.com. Pietenpol Aircraft Company. Retrieved June 20, 2017. By now Henry Ford had come out with his new car, the Model A, powered by a bigger four cylinder engine. At an estimated 40 horsepower, this engine seemed just the thing for Bernard Pietenpol's new aircraft design's needs, and having been on the market for several years, junk yards were starting to get as many of them as Model T engines...So Bernard Pietenpol went to work converting the Ford Model A engine for his new monoplane. In May 1929 Bernard Pietenpol test flew his Air Camper with the new engine. It was a complete success - a perfect match of airframe to power plant.
^Bowers, Peter M.: Guide to Homebuilts, 9th Edition, pages 10-12. Tab Books, 1984. ISBN0-8306-2364-7
^Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 150. Werner & Werner Corp Publishing, 1978. ISBN0-918312-00-0
^ abcdeB.H. Pietenpol And Sons Air Camper Aircraft (2013). "How to Build a Pietenpol Air Camper or Sky Scout Airplane". Retrieved May 14, 2013.
^ abBayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 115. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
^Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 121. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. ISSN 1368-485X
^"Pete takles a passel of Peitenpols". Air Trails: 61. Winter 1971.
^"Classic Pietenpol Now In Kit Form". avweb.com. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
^Sport Aviation. February 1958. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^Light Aircraft Association (21 June 2013), LAA Type Acceptance Data Sheet TADS 047 Pietenpol Aircamper, retrieved 16 February 2014
^ abPurdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 248. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN0-9636409-4-1
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pietenpol Air Camper.
Pietenpol Airplanes in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia
Pietenpol family site
Sky Camper history on AirVenture Museum site
Video of a Model A-engined Air Camper engine start and runup
Walkaround and In-Flight Video of an original-style Air Camper
HOT ROD Magazine's 2008 article on "Four-Cylinder Engine Build – Building A Better ‘Banger" for Ford Model A and B engines, later used to power Air Campers
Flysquirrel.net's PDF-format article on different engine choices for Air Campers
January 31, 2023
pietenpol, camper, simple, parasol, wing, homebuilt, aircraft, designed, bernard, pietenpol, first, prototype, that, became, camper, built, flown, pietenpol, 1928, camperuk, variant, role, amateur, built, airplanemanufacturer, pietenpoldesigner, bernie, pieten. The Pietenpol Air Camper is a simple parasol wing homebuilt aircraft designed by Bernard H Pietenpol The first prototype that became the Air Camper was built and flown by Pietenpol in 1928 2 3 4 5 6 Air CamperUK variant Pietenpol Air CamperRole Amateur built airplaneManufacturer PietenpolDesigner Bernie PietenpolFirst flight 1928with Model A engine May 1929 1 Status Plans available 2015 Variants Grega GN 1 AircamperPietenpol Sky ScoutSt Croix Pietenpol AerialSt Croix Pietenpol AircamperUK variant Pietenpol Air Camper Air Camper with a Ford Model A engine A Pietenpol Air Camper under construction showing its wooden frame structure Pinocho an Air Camper made in Mexico by Miguel Carrillo Ayala in 1935 and now in the Museo Militar de Aviacion Powered by a 201 CID engine of a Ford Model A Contents 1 Development 2 Variants 3 Specifications Typical Air Camper 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDevelopment EditThe Air Camper was designed to be built of spruce and plywood One of Pietenpol s goals was to create a plane that was affordable and easy to construct for home builders Building an Air Camper requires basic woodworking skills and tools Builders also need to fabricate some metal fittings to attach the wooden parts together Some welding is required The plans for the Pietenpol Aircamper were originally published in a four part serial in the Flying and Glider Manual of 1932 33 4 5 The original model was flown using an Ace four cylinder water cooled engine 4 The Model A Ford engine later became the standard powerplant used the design was first flown with one in May 1929 1 In the 1960s Bernard Pietenpol began to favor converted engines from Chevrolet Corvair automobiles The Corvair flat six was higher horsepower smoother and significantly lighter compared to the Model A and was similar to those already available for general aviation use The length of a Pietenpol varies with the engine choices as lighter engines needed to be mounted further forward for weight and balance reasons 7 Over the years over 30 different engines have flown in the Pietenpol Air Camper Many modern Pietenpol builders prefer Continental A65 C85 or C90 air cooled flat fours 4 Several examples of the Aircamper have been built in Europe and in 2012 were still flying In the 1920s and 1930s kits were available for the design but there were none available again until 2015 when the Pietenpol Aircraft Company introduced a kit version of the Air Camper with components supplied by Aircraft Spruce amp Specialty The kit includes all parts except the engine dope fabric covering and hardware 8 Variants EditPietenpol Sky Scout BH Pietenpol also designed and published plans for a single seat version of the aircraft named the Pietenpol Sky Scout which was slightly smaller and was powered by the Ford Model T engine 4 During the late 1920s and early 1930s this was less expensive than the Model A used in the Air Camper 9 UK LAA approved Pietenpol Air Camper In some countries civil aviation authority approval is required for each experimental aircraft design in addition to the approval of each aircraft an individual makes as in the US A variant of the Pietenpol Air Camper was designed by Mr J K Wills and UK Light Aircraft Association approval was obtained for this variant 10 Grega GN 1 Aircamper Grega GN 1 Aircamper A plans only homebuilt design similar to the Air Camper using a Piper Cub wing St Croix Pietenpol Aerial A biplane adaptation designed by Chad and Charles Willie and produced by St Croix Aircraft of Corning Iowa first flown in 1977 11 St Croix Pietenpol Aircamper An adaptation of the original design with more wingspan longer fuselage and higher gross weight 11 Specifications Typical Air Camper EditData from B H Pietenpol And Sons Air Camper Aircraft 2013 How to Build a Pietenpol Air Camper or Sky Scout Airplane Retrieved May 14 2013 General characteristicsCrew One pilot Capacity One passenger Length 17 ft 8 in 5 39 m Wingspan 29 ft 0 in 8 84 m Height 6 ft 6 in 1 98 m Wing area 135 sq ft 12 5 m2 Empty weight 610 lb 277 kg Gross weight 995 lb 452 kg Max takeoff weight 1 080 lb 490 kg Powerplant 1 Ford Model A automotive conversion engine 40 hp 30 kW Performance Maximum speed 86 kn 100 mph 160 km h Stall speed 30 kn 35 mph 56 km h Rate of climb 500 ft min 2 5 m s Wing loading 7 0 lb sq ft 36 kg m2 See also EditAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Aerotique Parasol Dormoy Bathtub Fisher FP 505 Skeeter Heath Parasol Letov S 39 Loehle Sport Parasol Long Henderson Longster Pop s Props Cloudster Pop s Props Zing RagWing RW1 Ultra Piet Smith TermiteRelated lists List of civil aircraftReferences Edit a b Pietenpol Aircraft Company Pietenpol Air Camper History pietenpolaircraftcompany com Pietenpol Aircraft Company Retrieved June 20 2017 By now Henry Ford had come out with his new car the Model A powered by a bigger four cylinder engine At an estimated 40 horsepower this engine seemed just the thing for Bernard Pietenpol s new aircraft design s needs and having been on the market for several years junk yards were starting to get as many of them as Model T engines So Bernard Pietenpol went to work converting the Ford Model A engine for his new monoplane In May 1929 Bernard Pietenpol test flew his Air Camper with the new engine It was a complete success a perfect match of airframe to power plant Bowers Peter M Guide to Homebuilts 9th Edition pages 10 12 Tab Books 1984 ISBN 0 8306 2364 7 Plane and Pilot 1978 Aircraft Directory page 150 Werner amp Werner Corp Publishing 1978 ISBN 0 918312 00 0 a b c d e B H Pietenpol And Sons Air Camper Aircraft 2013 How to Build a Pietenpol Air Camper or Sky Scout Airplane Retrieved May 14 2013 a b Bayerl Robby Martin Berkemeier et al World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011 12 page 115 WDLA UK Lancaster UK 2011 ISSN 1368 485X Tacke Willi Marino Boric et al World Directory of Light Aviation 2015 16 page 121 Flying Pages Europe SARL 2015 ISSN 1368 485X Pete takles a passel of Peitenpols Air Trails 61 Winter 1971 Classic Pietenpol Now In Kit Form avweb com April 7 2015 Retrieved April 13 2015 Sport Aviation February 1958 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Missing or empty title help Light Aircraft Association 21 June 2013 LAA Type Acceptance Data Sheet TADS 047 Pietenpol Aircamper retrieved 16 February 2014 a b Purdy Don AeroCrafter Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook Fifth Edition page 248 BAI Communications 15 July 1998 ISBN 0 9636409 4 1External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pietenpol Air Camper Pietenpol Airplanes in MNopedia the Minnesota Encyclopedia Pietenpol family site Sky Camper history on AirVenture Museum site The Pietenpol Story by Chet Peek Book covering the history of Bernard Pietenpol s Design Video of a Model A engined Air Camper engine start and runup Walkaround and In Flight Video of an original style Air Camper HOT ROD Magazine s 2008 article on Four Cylinder Engine Build Building A Better Banger for Ford Model A and B engines later used to power Air Campers Flysquirrel net s PDF format article on different engine choices for Air Campers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pietenpol Air Camper amp oldid 1095314166, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
