Dear Grant,

Tim Sheridan has been threatening me with various dire consequences if I didn't give him disk copies of my Pietenpol newsletter, "Air Camper 'Appenings", to forward to you via the Internet.

Actually I've been meaning to send them to you for a while, but really needed to introduce myself, hence this letter. So, Cheers, Old Chap! (mustn't forget the image when dealing with the colonies). I'm the newest and juniorest of the 5 members of Tim's Pietenpol building group; the Sprog, as we would say. I've been planning to build for some time, but held up by time and money problems, so joining the group seemed the best bet for me.

I don't know if you know Jim Wills, who distributes plans for the Air Camper in the UK, and runs the Pietenpol Squadron. I mention this because Jim publishes his own newsletter. Unfortunately there are now two because Jim and I do not see eye to eye on various matters. I don't really want to elaborate on this, and I'm not comfortable about being partly responsible for disagreement among a small group of enthusiasts. However, I felt I needed to mention it in case you were wondering why there were two separate publications in the UK. Hopefully time may heal things.

OK, on to brighter things. If you already know about the Homebuilding scene in England, jump over this bit (but be warned, there will be a written test afterwards). An explanation might help make some of the comments in 'Appenings clearer. Our EAA is the Popular Flying Association. The biggest difference between the two (apart from size! we have about 10,000 members) is that the PFA is authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority to oversee the design, construction and maintenance of homebuilt aircraft up to 180 hp (2 seat) and 230 hp (4 seat). You can still build a BD10J if you want to, but you pay the CAA full commercial rates for their supervision, so virtually all homebuilding is through the PFA. Given your litigation happy environment (we're headed down the same road, sadly), I would guess that that is a privilege that the EAA would welcome like a slug in their lettuce. It means that any homebuilt cleared to fly in the UK has had the design checked structurally and aerodynamically by PFA's Engineering Department. The actual construction is overseen by one of a group of authorised inspectors, sometimes aero engineers, sometimes experienced homebuilders, who sign off the build at various stages and can also approve minor alterations to the aircraft design. More extensive changes are referred back to PFA. A good inspector is a wonderful asset, and often becomes a close friend. Ours is Andy Crumpholt, who runs his own company building vintage restorations and replicas (he's about to start a DH4) as well as various homebuilt projects (he built the UK Jabiru prototype). He was apprenticed at the Shuttleworth Collection, a flying museum slightly similar to Cole Palen's setup. They have the world's oldest flying aircraft, a 1910 Blackburn Monoplane which still does gentle hops on summer evenings. After that our Air Camper must be pretty high tech for him. A great chap.

The system actually works very well. PFA Engineering are an extremely helpful bunch who often end up doing design revisions and engineering analyses for our ideas, while ensuring that the dafter brainstorms are kept on the ground. The only problems we have tend to be where PFA are forced to work to inappropriate CAA regulations, but even there they have an excellent relationship (our Oshkosh, the PFA Rally at Cranfield, is being opened this year by the CAA chairman). An example of the differences between the two environments is that all structural or control system welding over here must be done by a CAA approved welder. This means that tube and fabric construction is much less common in the UK (I'm currently doodling round with some ideas for control system components that can be built without welding or machining). We do, however, have a chap called Paul Prince, whose company, Aviation Metalcraft supplies a complete metalwork kit for the Air Camper. Though not cheap, his quality is superb and has done much to aid the popularity of the Pietenpol in the UK. He's also just had a steel tube fuselage approved, which he will supply complete.

As far as the rest of the flying environment is concerned, we have a much smaller proportion of pilots (about 1/10 as many per head of population as the USA). I suppose in an island where you can never be more than 70 miles from the sea, aeroplanes have never been that necessary. Our high population density and consequent space, financial and noise pressure on aerodromes also shapes our environment. Most UK homebuilts are aimed at small strip operation rather than high speed cruise, and it's noticeable that among the main features of the incredibly successful Europa design (about 300 sold in about 3 years) are short, rough field operation and very q.d. wings in addition to its 150 mph cruise on 80 hp (fuel's expensive too, unleaded mogas is approx $3.30 per US gallon).

All this means that Piets are ideal for the UK in many ways, particularly if built with a three-piece wing, since not many of us have 30 ft garages (Jim Wills has invested much time and effort in redesigning the three-piece wing and a quick-connect aileron mechanism, obtaining a gross weight increase to 1200 lb at the same time. I doubt if you will ever see an A powered Air Camper over here. In the unlikely event that PFA approved the installation (everything except motor gliders and micro(ultra)lights must effectively have dual ignition here) it would certainly be at a minimal auw. Model A engines are also rare beasts here (though Ford made A's in the UK) and Corvairs are also virtually non-existent. The "standard" UK fit is a C90 or O-200. They are an established installation and reasonably easily found, but prices are rising almost as fast as the hours SMOH on available engines. Parts prices are horrendous. As you will see from the newsletter, the search continues for an alternative. Incidentally, do you have any further information about the HCI R180 engine? I've already read your Internet page; it looks a fascinating project.

There are now 7 Air Campers flying here, with at least two more due to fly this year. About 50-60 active construction projects are underway (I send out 45 copies of 'Appenings). Interest was very slow to develop, I think, because most of us had never heard of the model. It used to have virtually no publicity over here, and there were no big, glossy adverts in US publications to whet our appetites. Our first flying example was G-BMLT, built by Frank Hawke & his son, who were keen aeromodellers. Their experience showed, and I was immediately hooked when I saw their beautiful maroon and silver craft at Cranfield in 1989. Orrin Hoopman had come over, at Jim Wills' invitation, and I was able to buy a set of the 1933 plans from him. Since then I've got hold of the 1932 Flying and Gliding Manual, and Jim's plans. The last are the standard UK kit, and consist (I think) of Bernie Pietenpol's final set, including the long fuselage option, together with Jim's mods such as the 3-piece wing and aileron disconnect mechanism. Apart from a few projects begun early on, I think everyone here is building more or less to these plans.

I must mention one other chap who's done great deal to popularise the Air Camper in England. You had a picture of Alan James' G-BUCO on your Internet page above Chris & Fran Barley's letter. Alan arrived at the '94 (I think) PFA Rally only on the Sunday, due to bad weather (we always claim that other countries have climates, we have weather. "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it'll change"). Had he not been too late for the judging, I think he would have walked away with the Best Homebuilt trophy. Since then he has flown extensively, written about the aircraft in various magazines, given loads of help to other builders, and given rides to around 140 different passengers. I don't think it's any coincidence that we have a big bulge of builders around Maidenhead, Alan's home town. He's also an embarrassingly nice bloke.

Well Grant, I hope that's given you some idea of the English Pietenpol scene. Our building group (The Lea Valley Pietenpol Group, "We make good sawdust") has now subscribed to the BPA newsletter (huh! they expect to get mine free), but I would be very happy to swap news, information, pictures, plastic bottle tops, etc.

Some of the enclosures with the latest newsletter I don't have on disk, so I will put those in the post.

Best wishes,
Tony Anderson