Bob Hadley
Bob Hadley is the R&D manager for a California-based consumer products company. He holds a Sport Pilot certificate and a Light-Sport Repairman certificate with inspection authorization for his Jabiru J250-SP.
Starkey’s Custom Spark Plug Adapter Lock Wrench
Make spark plug changes easier with a custom spark plug wrench for auto plug adapters on aircraft engines.
Modifying a Pitot Mast
Drilling a Piper pitot mast for heat proves trickier than expected—alignment is critical to avoid ruining the part.
Fixing Axle Fooly
Flat tires seem to come in clusters. You can go years without getting one, then for some reason, “boom” (actually, more like “psssss”), more flats in a month than a year or years.
IV Tube for Crankcase Ventilation
Recently, my neighbor Ed needed a part to upgrade the installation of his crankcase breather/oil separator kit.
Breaking Bead
This month’s home shop project is a bead breaker for separating stubborn tires from rims.
Orphan Part Angel
The Glasair static port design has a beveled segment that bisects the centerline of the port. This adds more than a minor complication to the machining process.
Assistance for Resistance
This month’s home shop project was suggested by Matt Burch. Matt sent a couple of photos of a cool time-saving tool he made to...
Case Hardening
Having a machine shop means never having to say, “I can’t make that.”
That occurred to me one afternoon when I was making a sprocket....
In Case You Missed It
Fixed-pitch Props
A major advantage of a fixed-pitch prop is that it is lighter, simpler and cheaper than one with variable pitch.
Design Process: Slots and Slats
Opening a properly shaped slot between the lower and upper surface of the wing...
Product Review: Wicks Adel Clamp Pliers
No hangar assistants or third hand to wrangle those tricky wiring or tubing installations using Adel clamps? Wicks has come up with the perfect kit to help. By Marc Cook.