Ask the DAR
Mel Asberry answers readers’ questions on one-off engineering data requirements, how to fill out an AC 20-27G form, and how to test-fly an aircraft in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Building as a Group
The Independence Five is an Oregon-based group building a bevy of DH.2s. Dean Sigler explores their approach to building and reports on how the project is progressing.
Headlong For Headers
Tom Wilson, an avowed hot rodder, details his foray into the world of custom exhausts and the performance gains found on his Lycoming IO-540.
Firewall Forward: Choosing Your Engine
Many factors go into choosing the right engine for your homebuilt. In Part 1 of this new series, Dave Prizio provides an overview of the options available in Lycoming and Lycoming-type engines, and what you need to consider when making a decision.
Free Flight
Perfection is unattainable for most builders, yet it is what many strive for. Paul Dye posits that sometimes “good enough” may be just what you need to finally get out of the shop and into flying.
The Dawn Patrol
Dick and Sharon Starks help a fellow member of The Kansas City Dawn Patrol ready his WW-I replica aircraft—a Mariner amphibian in 1918 Curtiss Seagull livery—for its FAA airworthiness inspection.
Build It Better: What’s Your Backup Plan?
The word “redundancy” is often heard in aviation, and with good reason. But a well-thought-out backup plan involves more than just having two of everything.
Ask The DAR
DAR Mel Asberry answers a reader’s question regarding the Experimental/Amateur-Built eligibility of an airplane he’s building with parts salvaged from a Cessna 175.
Something to Do
Upon his retirement, Jim Shy embarked on a lifelong dream of building his own airplane. But before he even decided on a design, he bought a place to keep it: his own airport.