Jon Croke
As the founder of HomebuiltHELP.com, Jon Croke has produced instructional videos for Experimental aircraft builders for over 20 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.
How Fast Is a Speed Nut?
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
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
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
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
In a prior Plane and Simple article (“Debunking Deburring,” March 2023), we discussed the importance of removing the burrs created by drilling holes in...
One Step Drill and Tap
We use quite a few small machine screws in our homebuilt projects. These small screws might be found, for example, holding the instrument panel...
The Inside Corner on Reducing Stress
It is common practice for builders to cut openings in aluminum aircraft structures. Popular examples include creating inspection or access panels in the wings...
Debunking Deburring
If you are building an aircraft kit that requires drilling holes into metal parts, there is no doubt that the subject of deburring will get mentioned.
Learning To Identify Solid Rivets
Nearly every homebuilt aircraft kit has at least a few solid rivets helping to hold it together. Some kit designs use thousands of these—others,...
In Case You Missed It
What’s New
Meet a new South African import LSA, read news from Jeppesen about updating your Chelton system, and a paint sprayer/respirator combination unit may interest the would-be plane painters among you.
Wind Tunnel
While two-control airplanes were designed to make a pilot’s life simpler, they come with significant compromises.
The Dawn Patrol
Threatening weather at the annual Gathering of Eagles event in Gardner, Kansas, failed to subdue the antics of The Dawn Patrol, for better or worse.