Bob Fritz
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.
Propeller Design Is Rediscovered
I was walking among the thousands of airplanes at Oshkosh this week and noticed a subtle, but significant transformation; that square tip on the...
Propeller Design Is Rediscovered
I was walking among the thousands of airplanes at Oshkosh this week and noticed a subtle, but significant transformation; that square tip on the end of the prop of yore is giving way to a more scimitar looking device. Where a few years ago there were a few to be seen, now they are the dominant form on LSAs, especially those from Europe. What had been 4 inches inches wide and square on the end…
Getting to Know the Neighborhood
Why is this man smiling?George Mendonca has been flying for more than 51 years and has just made a personal goal: fly left-seat into all 68 non-privately owned airports within 100 n.m. of his home base in Hayward, California. That took more than you might think, though. Among the airports are SFO (Class B), Oakland and San Jose (Class C) and several military fields. The only way to accomplish this was to start out flying…
Getting to Know the Neighborhood: The Short Story of 68 Airports
Why is this man smiling?George Mendonca has been flying for more than 51 years and has just made a personal goal: fly left-seat into...
To Launch A Light Sport
Author Bob Fritz got the bad news that he would likely not pass his FAA medical and was faced with a choice: Finish the RV he was working on and resign himself to flying with a partner, or try to find a suitable Light Sport Aircraft that he could build and fly solo. In this first installment in the series, he details his search for the right design and reveals the decision he ultimately made.
The Home Machinist
This month Home Machinist Bob Fritz answers readers letters and passes along some of their better ideas.
VedaloHD Sunglasses
We recently tried out a set of VedaloHD sunglasses and are quite impressed with them. They're made in Italy and have the look...
New Product: Anywhere Travel Companion
Anywhere Map made quite a splash in the pond of low-cost GPS devices when the company introduced its PDA-based systems in 1999. Early users...
Lake Tahoe – Airshow and Fly-In 2008
The extensive smoke from the fires in northern California had dissipated enough to make the annual airshow at the Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL) worth...
Helicopters on the Rise
On Saturday, June 21 some 8000 people decided it was a perfect day for an airshow in Northern California, and they all came to...
In Case You Missed It
What’s New
The 6000th RV flies, there's a new quick reference checklist for Garmin portable units, and a new engine mount for Rotax engines is available. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Build Your Skills: Fabric
Finishing tapes not only strengthen areas that need reinforcement, but they also cover unsightly screws, rivets and rib-lacing cord. This month we cover the types of tapes available, where they should be applied and how to apply them; by Ron Alexander.
The Dawn Patrol
When you're the newbie of the group, you're going to get the tough assignments. But some newbies know how to exact payback (all in good fun, of course).