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Jon Croke

Jon Croke
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As the founder of HomebuiltHELP.com, Jon Croke has produced instructional videos for Experimental aircraft builders for over 10 years. He has built (and helped others build) over a dozen kit aircraft of all makes and models. Jon is a private pilot and currently owns and flies a Zenith Cruzer.

What About an Ultralight?

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Ever consider what it might be like building an ultralight?

Scratch Build a Kit?

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I want to present a strategy and method to get a few more prospective airplane builders off the fence and into the workshop. This...

Will That Be Paint or Powder?

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There are two popular options for builders to consider for covering steel components.

How Fast Is a Speed Nut?

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A “speed nut” is a somewhat generic term that is occasionally used for a one-piece spring steel fastener that we can use in our...

Countersinking for a Flush Fastener Fit

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In last month’s column, we talked about the procedures needed for installing flush rivets and screws in our kit aircraft projects. As builders we...

Dimpling for Beauty and Speed

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Each time you install a fastener on your airplane kit, consider whether the head of that fastener (rivet or screw) should protrude above the...

Don’t Get Bent Out of Shape With These Pliers

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As a builder of a metal aircraft kit, you no doubt have heard the term “fluting” and fluting pliers. Let’s examine fluting pliers and...

Those Rivet Holes

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In a prior Plane and Simple article (“Debunking Deburring,” March 2023), we discussed the importance of removing the burrs created by drilling holes in...

The Straight Cut

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What we all need is a tool to make clean cuts in aluminum sheet.

One Step Drill and Tap

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We use quite a few small machine screws in our homebuilt projects. These small screws might be found, for example, holding the instrument panel...

In Case You Missed it

Fly Cutting a Cove With a Boring Head

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Fly cutting is a great way to put a “finish” on a flat and...

The Lessons We Learn

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It wasn’t the call I expected from the ferry pilot. Somewhere on the leg...

Transponder Buyer’s Guide

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Reliable transponder performance is critical in the ADS-B environment.

Wind Tunnel

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To find the speed, lose the drag.