Jim Weir
Jim Weir is the chief avioniker at RST Engineering. He answers avionics questions in the Internet newsgroup www.pilotsofamerica.com–Maintenance. His technical advisor, Cyndi Weir, got her Masters degree in English and Journalism and keeps Jim on the straight and narrow. Check out their web site at www.rst-engr.com/kitplanes for previous articles and supplements.
Memories
It was 1985 when this 42-year-old kid wrote an article for an upstart magazine aimed at the homebuilt aircraft market. Appearing in the October...
The 13 Command(ment)s
For most people, 10 are enough. Laying out a PC board, you’ve got a few more. Remember, now, I’m trying to show you the basics...
More PCB Fun
OK, this one is the witch of the bunch. You’ve had two months to download and read all the instructions for Circuitmaker/Traxmaker, and I’m...
A Pea Sea Bored?
Text and phonetically, yes. But if you will sit down, fasten your seat belt tight and just hold on, I will show you how...
Terms of the Trade
I’ve been a teacher most of my life, but my first paid gig in 1967 was teaching avionics (aviation electronics) at a community college...
Solder It Up
We are almost to the end of our romp through the solder pads. We’ve learned about the solder itself, and now it is time...
A Soldering We Shall Go (Part 2)
When last we left our discussion of soldering, we touched briefly on each of the basic topics concerning joining electronic parts together using a...
Holler, Holler, Let’s All Solder (Part 1)
OK, I’ll admit it. Back in the fifth grade my parents gave me a wood-burning set for Christmas. Now, they pretty much knew they...
Ernie, Can You Hear Me?
Every now and again, you get to do something that just feels good inside. Especially as an engineer and electronic designer, those times come...
Lighting up the Tail Feathers
For a couple of months now, we’ve been laying the groundwork for an overhaul of how we might do night lighting on our homebuilts....
In Case You Missed it
Alternative Energies
Electric vehicles and aircraft may be the future, but how will we create the energy to power them while minimizing environmental damage? By Dean Sigler.
Different Strokes for Different Folks
From simple to complex, there's an Experimental aircraft for almost everyone.
2012 Engine Buyer’s Guide
In Part 1 of our 2012 Engine Buyer’s Guide, Marc Cook explores what’s currently available in traditional powerplants, and why such engines might be the best choice for your homebuilt aircraft needs.
