Home Authors Posts by Bob Fritz

Bob Fritz

Bob Fritz
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KITPLANES readers will remember Bob Fritz (1947-2011) for his acclaimed Home Machinist series, but his accomplishments go well beyond that long-running feature. Following a stint in the U.S. Navy, Bob put his degree in mechanical engineering to use and was a tireless advocate for effective and consistent quality control. He brought that discipline to his work for KITPLANES. An avid diver and motorcyclist, Bob's love of flying was a surprise to no one.

Tapping Heads

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The tapping head has a lot to commend it for the home machinist who is trying to add efficiency and consistency to tapping tasks.

The Home Machinist

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Bob Fritz visited the TechShop workshop in Menlo Park, California, and got to play with lots of big, shiny toys that any homebuilder would covet.

The Home Machinist

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Home Machinist Bob Fritz had been looking for a way to compare the effectiveness of various screw extractors he had accumulated in his toolbox, and he found a willing test subject in a Cessna 170s 60-year-old gas tank.

The Home Machinist

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Bob Fritz is back from a long hiatus with a discussion about the difference between screws and bolts and what all of those ASME numbers mean.

To Launch a Light Sport

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After a disappointing postponement of the first flight, the Jabiru J250 takes to the skies for real. By Bob Fritz.

To Launch a Light Sport

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After being hauled on a trailer down a winding mountain road, the Jabiru J250 unintentionally has its first short flight (at the airport). By Bob Fritz.

Cut the Can, Man

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Inspecting your filter after an oil change is a good idea, but what tool is best for opening the can? Bob Fritz tests the gamut of oil filter cutters so that you don't have to.

To Launch a Light Sport

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Bob Fritz uses a couple of HVLP paint guns in preparation for painting his Jabiru J250. Which one is the top gun?

The Home Machinist

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All tapped out? Bob Fritz lets you in on his secrets for retrieving broken, over-torqued and stripped screw heads.

Are All Battery Chargers Alike?

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Bob Fritz tests battery chargers and desulfation systems, and finds its easier to keep a battery in good shape than to raise it from the dead—and that a good charger is a better bet than a new battery.

In Case You Missed It

Makes You Go Hmmm

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Rotary-engine enthusiast Paul Lamar details the benefits and efficiencies of using rotary power for homebuilt aircraft.

DIY Bond Studs

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Cost-effective ways to restrain wiring and small equipment.

The Misfire

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The Usual Suspect, Part 1.

Alodine Sluice

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Alodine is an excellent corrosion inhibitor plus it adds zero weight. I should have...