Annual Directory, Part 3 2008 LSA and Rotorcraft Directories Flight Reports Rotorway's Talon Builder Spotlight A Great Compromise Building an airplane usually requires a long-term commitment, not entirely dissimilar to the one that is made when saying “I do.” Yet many builders lose sight of this when building, sometimes even forgetting that they have a spouse. The commitment to the project must be matched by the commitment to maintaining a spousal relationship, and a little forethought and planning can help both builder and spouse enjoy not only the process, but the end result; by Suzanne Brunner. All About Avionics, Part 9 One of the final steps in getting your avionics suite to work is installation of some sort of antenna to capture various radio frequencies. Failing to choose the right antenna and install it properly can compromise the whole installation. Rather than focusing on the intricacies of antenna design, the author discusses the merits of internal versus external for particular equipment plus where to place them; by Stein Bruch Build Your Skills: Composites (Part 10) What do you do when your horizontal stabilizer isn’t exactly horizontal? First, you check that the fuselage is level. If this confirms that the stabilizer is indeed slightly off, remove it and apply heat. Sounds simple, but there’s a right and a wrong way to go about it, and author Bob Fritz describes the most effective method to straighten things out. Completions Builders share their successes. Shop Talk The Home Machinist (Part 11) In our continuing series, author Bob Fritz explains how to use a boring head to drill odd-size or big holes. Hint 1: The bigger the hole, the slower the going. Hint 2: The traveling rest, which moves with the cutting tool, braces the material in two directions to minimize flexing. Aero 'Lectrics You have your off-grid hangar on a solar array, but how to harness its power? That’s what Columnist Jim Weir tackles this month, with an array that tracks the sun to maximum effect. Designer's Notebook Wind Tunnel Columnist Barnaby Wainfan continues his flight-testing discussion by taking up the topic of longitudinal stability. By identifying the origin of the problem, whether it be a control-system issue, a too-small static margin, or a combination of the two, the flight tests he recommends will help to isolate the issue. Exploring Around the Patch Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the relative merits of internal versus external antennas, after using his Glastar Sportsman 2+2 as a test bed. His conclusions have to do with both the material used to build the airplane as well as location of the antenna on the aircraft. What's New This month’s column includes information on new anti-collision strobe lights and LED position lights, a micro belt sander, a smart servo controller for trim, a desktop model of the Cozy Mark IV and the announcement of a taildragger configuration option for the Eurofox SLSA. Ly-Con O-Ring Trick When you join two halves of a flat aviation engine together, they often weep between the starter and the alternator. Not only is this unsightly, it’s wasteful and makes completing an overhaul more cumbersome than need be. Enter Ly-Con, whose groovy O-ring process promises to stop leaks before they start. Product Review: Lightspeed Headset With Bose and LightSpeed competing neck and neck (ear to ear?) in the ANR headset arena, author Jack Cowell does a side-by-side comparison to see which model excels. Light Stuff Motivated by an irresistible bargain and at least a modicum of nostalgia, author Dave Martin recaptures a piece of his earlier flying years when he purchases a twin-engine Lazair ultralight in partnership with two buddies. The Lazair is an unusual design to say the least, and Martin hasn’t forgotten how to fly it, so both of his partners will benefit from his experience. Kit Bits Contributors Letters List of Advertisers Builders' Marketplace The Classified Builder Kit Stuff Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha
Follow these links to visit the web sites of companies you read about in the February issue.
KITPLANES sits down with Advanced Flight Systems' founder Rob Hickman to examine his new synthetic-vision EFIS.
JPI's Lance Turk explains the features of the new JPI EDM-740.
Ever wonder what it takes to be the largest kit manufacturer in the world? KITPLANES editor Marc Cook takes a tour of Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon.
KITPLANES editor Marc Cook visits Matco Manufacturing near Salt Lake City to see how the company's brakes, wheels and master cylinders are built.
Get an inside look at how Dynon builds and tests its electronic flight instruments.
Kitplanes Magazine contributor Ed Kolano takes a first look at the Sherpa utility aircraft.
Annual Directory, Part 3
