Tag: robert helms

Columnist Barnaby Wainfan discusses the factors that affect the longitudinal stability of an aircraft during a variety of maneuvers. Designers make compromises to keep stick forces down so that a pilot can control an airplane, but sometimes they go too far, and light control forces can result in problems that are just as serious as those posed by forces that are too heavy. Whats a designer to do? The most important considerations are presented.

Certified aircraft have had them for decades-but not Experimentals. By Michel Suire.

A clear definition of the mission along with a realistic assessment of the type of flying you'll do are key to successfully completing an avionics retrofit. By Stein Bruch.

This month, author Jim Weir lays the groundwork for a solar battery charger, complete with preliminary circuit board considerations drawn from a rats nest and details about how to order a pre-fabricated board.