I have been a member of the Buckeye Pietenpol Association for about 5 years and have had the pleasure of seeing my little Sky Scout (N-4301D) on the cover of this publication. My Scout also is one of the features of the B.P.A.'s 1994 calendar. My Scout took three years to complete and is the first homebuilt that I have built. The engine is an old Star Auto (Continental W-4) it has a displacement of about 135 to 140 cu. in. The cast iron head has been milled down to give a little more compression, and the cam shaft has been reground for some more lift to the valves. The engine delivers about 32 h.p. The engine is very much like the Ford Model A except all rods and main bearings are pressure oiled. Continental also built a W-5 engine for the Star and Durant Autos, the W-5 is the very same size (dimensions) as the W-4 except it has a larger bore and more horsepower. Had I known of the W-5 before I built up my W-4 engine, I would have used one. I may have a W-5 rebuilt for me as I have three of them to work with. These Continental engines are easy to find and anyone building a Sky Scout might consider using one, they are well built engines, as everyone knows Continental built very good engines. If you are not an adventurer of old, unknown engines, probable the Ford A would be a better choice, it has sure been well proven and very available.
I have 110 hours on my Scout and have had my share of problems. The biggest problem was a carburetor float sticking and causing a power failure and forced landing, in August 1993, just after takeoff. This crash completely destroyed the wing, bent up the landing gear and bent two lift struts. The fuselage and tail surfaces were not damaged, I was not hurt. On September 1, 1994 1 had my little Scout all repaired and flew it again on that day. My original Scout was built exact to the prints with a 27'3" wing, my new wing is 28'6" and two pieces. I built the center section into the left wing and attached the right wing with the fittings a procedure of the Piet three-piece wing drawings. By doing this I eliminated the weight of half the fittings. The gap between the center section and right wing is covered with fabric making the wing look like a one piece.
The Scout is flying with a Tillitson Model X (Ford Model A) carburetor which works much better than the other carb.
If I was to give suggested changes to construction of the Sky Scout, I would build the fuselage 24" wide rather than 22". Make the wing with a chord 57" and span 28'6". This gives an aspect ration of 6, the thinner, longer wing seems to work better with low horsepower. This is the size of my new wing. If you have already built the standard 60" ribs, I would suggest a span of 28'2". My landing gear has no shocks, just big air tires which work fine.
I just finished carving a propeller for my Scout, and will get started again on my Air Camper. So far the spars are all built up, wing ribs are done, and some of the fittings are done. The Air Camper will probably have a Continental A-65 as I have lots of grandchildren to give rides to. I really have not decided on the engine yet, I love the Ford Model A! Since the Scout is finished and flying, more progress should be made on my Air Camper.
As you know, Pietenpols are a lot of fun! They are easy to build and fly. Repairs are easy to handle and the costs of wood, dope and fabric are still manageable. Keep up the good work.
Kyle R Bradford
Eaton Rapids, MI
