Magazine

When they couldn't find a likely single-seat homebuilt that would work as an inexpensive but reliable commuter airplane, two builders who are well versed in metal aircraft construction took it upon themselves to design and build one;

Deciding that you don't want to paint your homebuilt airplane yourself means placing your baby in the hands of a paint shop. Susan Brunner offers some tips to help manage this important aspect of the building process successfully.

If you're considering or have already made the decision to use a Jabiru engine on your kit aircraft, Texas Sport Cub builder Dave Prizio says this three-day course will add to your confidence when installing and maintaining it.

This month we look at installing the fabric on the wing and how to use rib-lacing, reinforcement tapes, pre-punched holes, and methods of mechanical attachment including pop rivets, PK screws and fabric clips; by Ron Alexander.

This month’s chronicle of building a Jabiru J250 Light Sport airplane covers the assembly of the wings and tail, and discusses the value of surface preparation.

In this first of a two-part series, Jim Weir builds a low-cost, high-efficiency portable ground-based antenna system that he used to great effect in the recent CAFE 400 (fuel efficiency) race in Northern California. You can do it, too.

The aerodynamics of an airplane sometimes don't cooperate with the pilots desire to roll, and instead produce both yaw and roll. Contributing factors are aileron parasite drag, induced drag between the wings and changes in the roll rate itself;

The FAAs John Hickey and Frank Paskiewicz got an earful at the AirVenture forum assembled to illuminate proposed changes to the 51% rule. Although some of the comments ran far afield, many more homebuilders posed thoughtful and challenging questions in an effort to help them understand where they stand with regard to the new regulations; by Marc Cook.

AirGizmos offers new gadgets, RDD Enterprises makes speed brakes for the Vans RV-10, and AeroLEDs offers LED-based nav/strobe lights; edited by Mary Bernard.

Leave it to Dick Starks to get his foot in the door of a movie set by supplying WW-I replica aircraft. Once there, leave it to Dick to find trouble, even when hes not looking for it. No worries, though. Alls well that ends well, and the whole experience makes for a story thatll have you laughing out loud.