Builder Spotlight

Builders share their successes.

Sophisticated and capable audio systems used to be less common in Experimental aircraft, but now many pilots want expanded capabilities. There are ways to go about choosing and installing such systems that will alleviate unnecessary instrument noise and allow for the best audio quality possible. Avionics expert Stein Bruch walks you through the considerations and offers his top three tips for avoiding problems.

Dont let pesky pinholes ruin your homebuilt project. There is a way to deal with them, and author Bob Fritz describes how. Hint: To start with, cleanliness is always a good thing in the shop.

Builders share their successes.

Dan Parker was just another enthusiast looking to make his mark in aviation with some kind of crazy, notable project. Then he came across the Facet Opel, current altitude record holder, and the race was on. Since then, hes been working on his airplane full time, hoping to break the existing record, and along the way hes come up with some innovative and exceptionally efficient building and design practices.

It’s about the journey, not the destination, as Rick Lindstrom’s homebuilt Zodiac 601 XL is ferried by friends from Florida to its new home in Cloverdale, California.

Last months installment in the Composites series detailed how to do vacuum-bagging of parts at home. This month author Bob Fritz discusses how to inexpensively build one critical component in that process: the vacuum pump.

Builders share their successes.

Doug Rozendaal brings his considerable experience to a discussion of flight handling characteristics and his favorite aircraft. Among the factors designers consider are stability, control response, feel, personal preferences, FAA requirements, stick force, center of gravity, center of pressure, and the flight envelope. Every design is a compromise.

After checking with a variety of aluminum polishing aficionados, author Bob Fritz came up with a winning combination for maintaining the shine on metal airplanes. He details not only which products to use, but also how to use them for maximum effectiveness with minimal elbow grease.