Larry Larson
Larry is a humble Van’s RV-7A builder and a PPSEL pilot for 14 years. His goal is finishing his pride and joy, Lucy, and helping others with their projects.
Alodine Sluice
Alodine is an excellent corrosion inhibitor plus it adds zero weight. I should have Alodined before assembly but didn't care for the chemicals. AlumiPrep...
Nitrile Gloves
If you're like me, you work on lots of things other than airplanes, and it seems like all of them are dirty. From...
Thin-Wall Close-Quarters Sockets
Don't you hate it when the nut is so close to a rivet or part, there's just no way to get a socket...
Rivet Buster Chisel
This "rivet buster" chisel was made from an old butterfly wood drill bit.Recently I made an error and needed to drill several AN470AD4...
Labeling
As builders, we often have a pile of parts to turn into something resembling a flying machine. The pile often contains dozens of similar,...
Dimple Tokens
Sooner or later a part will need to be countersunk for a dimple. Fast metal airplanes have tons of them. The problem is...
Priming Tubes
Sometimes the bear gets you. Sometimes you get the bear. Today, I got the bear.Almost every airplane has a tube or weldment, and often...
Back Riveting Universal Rivets
We've all had one of those parts to rivet. The squeezer won't fit, so it has to be the gun and bar, but...
Right-Angle Deburring Tool
Most of us have a threaded drill kit. Mine has an assortment of common bits like #40, 1/8 inch, etc. It also has a...
Non-Marring Fluting Pliers
Are your fluting pliers leaving scratches in the aluminum? Here's an easy and quick fix. Cut three pieces of shrink-wrap. Place one on each...
In Case You Missed It
Wind Tunnel
Flight testing for longitudinal stability problems continues this month as columnist Barnaby Wainfan details tests for stick force as related to trim and stick-free stability of an aircraft. The object is to gather data and analyze it to see if the hypotheses about the nature of the problem hold up under scrutiny.
Big Brother is My Copilot
Hangar chat prompts pilot to remove alternator and fly battery-only, sidestepping ADS-B tracking and compliance costs.