Pietenpol Information

The Pietenpol “Air Camper” is a two-seat parasol wing aircraft designed in 1929 by Bernard H. Pietenpol of Cherry Grove, Minnesota. Pietenpol was a local mechanic, pilot and all-round handyman who was fascinated with flight. His aircraft designs were focused on ease of construction and affordability whilst still fulfilling the role of a useful, utilitarian two-place aircraft.

Thousands of sets of Air Camper plans have been sold since 1929 – plans are still available from the Pietenpol Aircraft Company (ran by Bernard’s descendants). There are likely hundreds of flying examples of the Pietenpol Air Camper and the design has an excellent safety record – largely due to the robust construction, docile characteristics and slow speeds.

The aircraft has been adapted to use dozens of different engines since the original design. These can range from dedicated aircraft engines, such as a Continental O-200, through to the original Ford Model A engine. Pietenpol was a pioneer of adapting automotive engines for aircraft use and progressed from using Model A engines through to the Chevrolet Corvair engine on later aircraft. The Corvair is a horizontally-opposed six cylinder air-cooled engine – an unusual design for automotive use . However, the design is similar to many dedicated aircraft engines and hence, the Corvair engine has been adapted for use in hundreds of home-built aircraft.