Always Learning
While I see lots of recurring maintenance problems every day, tough ones that require some additional thinking for the Diagnosis column don’t always happen...
Firewall Forward: Fuel Injection
Last time we talked about carburetors, so this episode of KITPLANES Firewall Forward looks at traditional aircraft fuel injection. Editor at large Paul Dye...
On the Level
A few months back in this very column, I suggested that pilots should keep a “retired” smart phone in their aircraft as an all-in-one...
Low Fuel, Idiot, Light
In the year 2019 BC (before COVID), I made a number of cross-country trips between 300 and 500 miles. While these distances were well...
Round…and Around…We Go
Stay with me here. This is going to be a very interesting and somewhat difficult project. But worth the read, I guarantee.
No matter how...
Leaky Primer Line
Primer lines need to be silver soldered into their fittings. Using RTV to fix a leak is not acceptable and poses a serious fire...
Firewall Forward: Carburetors and Troubleshooting
In the next installment of KITPLANES Firewall Forward sponsored by Tempest editor at large Paul Dye gets up close and personal with the evergreen...
Design Process: The Rudder
The fixed portion of the vertical tail of an airplane provides directional stability. The rudder provides directional control.
When the pilot deflects the rudder, it...
That’s Shear Nuts
The aircraft bolts we use to build our projects will always be paired with an appropriate nut to complete the mission of holding components...
What a Darling(ton) Noisemaker
Mostly we’d like our airplanes to be quiet. Somehow, “airplane” and “quiet” don’t belong in the same sentence. We’ve got roughly 5000 explosions per...
In Case You Missed It
Light Stuff
Dave Martin looks at the future of ultralight-like SLSA trainers, and what may be in store from the FAA.
Editor’s Log
The explosion of ADS-B technology, the new Van’s RV-14 and an editor in a ballistic-parachute simulator—AirVenture was full of exciting developments, as always. Plus: a send-off for Editor-at-Large Marc Cook. By Editor-in-Chief Mary Bernard.
Which Fabric Are You Going To Use?
If you are building a fabric-covered aircraft, you have multiple fabrics to choose from:...
A New Rating and a New Windshield
At the beginning of 2018 I set a couple of goals for myself, and...