Pietenpol Landing Gear

I am having a problem with a model I built from a 1998 plan (FSP12980) of the Pietenpol. I’m writing to you since I cannot reach the original designer. The problem is that the main wheel axle is just aft of the center-of-gravity (CG) balance point, and when balanced at the indicated CG, it drops on its nose when elevated to a level position. I don’t dare try to taxi it or fly it since a nose-over is inevitable. Any suggestions?—Frank Maguire, South Portland, ME

Hi, Frank. Thanks for building from MAN plans. Yes, the landing gear should never be aft of the balance point for any tail-dragger. Here’s a photo I took of the Pietenpol from the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, and it shows the axle being just aft of the wing’s leading edge, well forward of the typical 25% to 30% mean aerodynamic chord balance point. Repositioning the gear on your model should take care of the nose-over issue.—GY