Hand Tools: Modified, Made and Improvised
Merriam-Webster defines a tool as “A self-absorbed male prone to wearing a necklace”…wrong one…here it is: “A handheld device that aids in accomplishing a...
AirVenture Notes
Knowing that I’m mainly stealing from the upcoming Engine Buyer’s Guide, it still seems a good idea to fly by some of the big...
A Very Special Oshkosh
This year’s AirVenture set records for attendance, so says EAA. I learned this after the show, but I could have predicted the press release...
Over the Hump
For my wife and me, it was important to have our kids learn a musical instrument. We lost out to sports with our son,...
Fit and Trim
A first flight reveals truths that only air moving over an aircraft’s surfaces can reveal. Will the engine cool properly? Will the cockpit fill...
Gathering
Longtime readers may recall that before scribbling in aviation magazines I scribbled in automotive magazines. That seems like someone else’s life a long time...
Some Old Favorites
For those building a new airplane, chances are you’re getting more than familiar with certain tools at different stages of the build. For me,...
Keeping a Battery Current
“With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being...
Caught in the Act
We’ve been working on the development story of the Van’s RV-15 for many months. Paul Dye and I had what I would call exceptional...
In Case You Missed It
Wind Tunnel
The way lift is distributed along a wing's span affects both the structure and its aerodynamics.
Affordable! Fast! Too Hot!
Marketing departments willfully ignore the difference between objective and subjective statements, especially the marketing...