Wind Tunnel
Taxi testing may seem to be a mere formality, but it is a vital step toward bringing a new aircraft to flight, and is not without its dangers.
Wind Tunnel
Builders are often in a rush to prove the airworthiness of their homebuilt projects, but thorough flight-testing is essential.
Wind Tunnel
Seemingly inconsequential alterations—even mounting an inflight camera on the airframe—can result in big changes to an aircraft’s handling and performance.
Wind Tunnel
Certain situations and configurations just call out for a ducted-fan installation. Barnaby Wainfan explains the benefits and drawbacks.
Wind Tunnel
While two-control airplanes were designed to make a pilot’s life simpler, they come with significant compromises.
Vortex Generators and STOL Performance
One way to solve the problem of flow separation—and stall—is by installing vortex generators on your kit aircraft.
Wind Tunnel
Contrary to popular belief, the frontal area of an airplane is not the most important determinant of drag.
Wind Tunnel
It’s all about lift, and knowing your airplane’s lift margin at a given airspeed tells you what the airplane is capable of.
Wind Tunnel
Nine simple rules, distilled from years of experience (making—and fixing—assorted mistakes), can help any aircraft designer avoid disaster.
Wind Tunnel
Today, monoplanes dominate, but biplanes came first. They had their advantages—and for some of today’s missions, they still do.
In Case You Missed It
Aero ‘lectrics
When you land your airplane at a fly-in, you want it to look its best while staying safely and securely parked. Making your own coordinated tiedowns, chocks and more is one way to do that.
Error Chain
Panic! What do you do when you find yourself tumbling toward certain demise and none of the tools available seem to be working?
Letters
Magic Carpet RideMr. Dye, I greatly enjoyed and appreciated your skillfully written Free Flight...
The Most Dangerous Thing in the Cockpit
Forget about all those sharp corners, the quantity of fuel aboard and the fire extinguisher you threw in the baggage compartment without tying it down. It is always important to at least consider the fact that the most dangerous thing to have in the cockpit when things go wrong is the owner of the airplane.