Engine controls, and all other controls in the cockpit, should be labeled as to function and direction. It is standard practice to use black for throttle, blue for prop and red for mixture. Imagine jumping into this cockpit and looking for the throttle! The blue knob in this airplane was used as a throttle, a vernier one at that! There was no black knob at all. Not good.
In Case You Missed It
Van’s RV-12
In typical fashion, Vans Aircraft refused to rest on its laurels after the RV-12s prototype debut last year, and sought to improve on an already good design. The new production airplane has changed (beyond its color), with a castering nosewheel, toe brakes instead of a grip, reshaped control sticks for better clearance, ground-adjustable seats fore and aft as well as in tilt, and the list goes on. Best of all, this day/VFR machine is still a delight to fly; by Ed Kolano.












