Do-It-Yourself Push-To-Talk Switch
Talking on the communication radio in your homebuilt aircraft requires a simple push-to-talk (PTT) switch—an electrical push-button switch of the momentary-contact type. This switch...
Brake Turn
My local airport, Corona Municipal in Southern California, sits in the Prodo Dam basin and is known to flood on occasion. Last February, heavy...
Starter Trouble
A little over five years ago I wrote a maintenance article dealing with troubleshooting starter problems. The gist of the article was don’t assume poor...
Wrong Rudder Cable Nut and Missing Cotter Key
Wherever a bolt is subject to rotation, it is required to have a castellated nut and cotter key. A typical mistake I see on...
A Tale of Two Antennas
With the recent rush to ADS-B, there has been a significant interest in GPS installations and even more interest in the antenna for those...
Chamfers and Tapers
The usual setup for my lathe is to have the compound slide set to 45 degrees and the tool post square to the spindle...
Edging to the Rescue
Sometimes the aircraft kits we build can use a little extra help when it comes to the final fit and finish. As builders, we...
Missing ELT Batteries
Many aircraft owners don’t realize that some ELT control panels and audio alerters have their own separate batteries, which must be installed at installation...
Testing, Testing, Can You Hear Me Yet?
We’ve come a long way from the Narco Omnigator (vintage 1958 or so) to the latest glass gizmos that do everything except make the...
Engine Overhaul Part II – IRAN vs. Overhaul
Back in September 2019, we looked at the process of evaluating a troubled engine to determine just how much work it was going to...
