Pietenpol's DIY airplane: "a common man's airplane"

Jessamyn West 3:31 pm Wed Jan 27, 2010

Bernard Pietenpol wanted to build "a plane that was affordable and easy to construct for home builders." He designed and built the AirCamper which flew using an automobile engine… in 1928! The same plane can now be built for less than $2000 and there's a
small cottage industry devoted to selling plans. Delicious Filmworks has just created a new short documentary about his vision.

"During the Great Depression, Bernard H. Pietenpol, with no more than an eighth-grade education, designed a "common-man's airplane" built with scavenged and hardware-store parts. Today his son and grandson carry on his legacy, and his airplane's simple design enjoys a popular following among people of all ages who share his dream of flight .

[via 10engines]

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