Tag: aircraft engine starting
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
In Case You Missed It
Target Fixation Taught by Trees
I was chopping firewood under a dead ash tree, whiffing deep, ax-head-shaped divots into my lawn, when I remembered the time, once upon a takeoff, that a living oak tree nearly got the best of me.
Weight Watchers
There is no doubt that the lighter the airplane, the better it performs and the better it generally seems to handle.
Weight, For the Right One
Classified ads for flying homebuilts boast of the meticulous workmanship and maintenance. The engine...
Wind Tunnel
Taking off in an aircraft would seem to be a fairly simple, straightforward maneuver. But in fact it’s complicated, and a combination of factors must be just right for it to work.