Shop Talk

I’ve been a teacher most of my life, but my first paid gig in 1967 was teaching avionics (aviation electronics) at a community college...

As the fleet ages, many owners and builders forget to check the date codes on rubber hoses, especially in the engine compartment. Rubber hoses,...

When a fuel-tank repair means crafting your own rivets.

Building a metal aircraft? You’re probably going to be cutting a bunch of sheet metal parts from time to time. If you are not...

Angle of attack indicators have been used by the military and airlines for years and have made their way into general aviation as well,...

All machined things (parts, tools, etc.) eventually have to be “finished” in one way or another. This may include tumbling, sandblasting or burnishing, but...

We are almost to the end of our romp through the solder pads. We’ve learned about the solder itself, and now it is time...

We use quite a few small machine screws in our homebuilt projects. These small screws might be found, for example, holding the instrument panel...

Bleeding hydraulic brakes of trapped air is something everyone who builds or works on airplanes eventually has to do. The process is fundamentally simple....

  While building my Panther tail kit, I came upon this note in the assembly manual in the elevator joiner photo: “This rivet is impossible...