Table of Contents
April 2018 Issue
Builder Spotlight
How Dan West put a Vortech supercharger on his RV-8. By Tom Wilson.
Riveting the assembly, part 3. By Paul Dye.
Around the World and Over Both Poles
Sky Polaris-a historic flight in an RV-8, part 2. By Don Pearsall.
If you're going to design the perfect airplane, which piece do you work on first? By Lewis Bjork.
CozyJet dead-stick. Losing an engine was the least of the problems. It was a brake fire that almost destroyed this one-of-a-kind homebuilt. By Ryszard Zadow.
Shop Talk
A second life for Cleco pliers. By Jon Croke.
Buckin' where the sun don't shine. By KITPLANESŪ Staff.
Rebuilding the MATCO MC-4 master cylinder. By Dave Prizio.
Home shop heat treating. By Bob Hadley.
Be a fan fan. By Jim Weir.
Missing baffling screws. By Vic Syracuse.
Shop Tips
Exploring
Traveling machine. By Paul Dye.
So, what's the Homebuilt Council? By Vic Syracuse.
Through new eyes. By Tom Wilson.


Fast and Smooth
The Tarragon invades America!
The Tarragon is a new (to the U.S. market) plane from Europe, a fast, sexy-looking craft built for the Light Sport market across the pond, but selling as a kit in the U.S. for the Experimental/Amateur-Built market. Why not market it here as a Light Sport? Retractable gear, a constant-speed prop, and a speed that significantly exceeds the 120-knot LSA limit. And the truth is, while those things might disappoint a Sport Pilot, they are significant plusses for someone looking for a new E/A-B.

West with the Wind
How Dan West put a Vortech supercharger on his RV-8.
Well built and equipped, Dan Wests RV-8 is a full-featured daily flyer with racing pretensions. Theres no bleeding edge aerodynamics going on here as the tiedown rings and antenna farm attest. That means its 240+mph TAS at altitude comes down to muscular engine power and efficient prop thrust.

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