Avidyne IFD540
Avidyne's new IFD540 GPS navigator will offer an easy replacement for Garmin GNS users.
Bringing a Baby Great Lakes Back
After developing an interest in aerobatics, one builder acquires an airplane that allows him to fully indulge that fascination (after a few hundred hours of rebuilding). By Ron Bearer Jr.
Firewall Forward: Oil Coolers and Oil Lines
The right oil cooler, installed correctly, can maximize your engine’s life. Of course, you’ll also need to consider crankcase breathers, oil separators, oil filters, oil lines and connections.
Flight Testing
Even current pilots need to hone specific skills before attempting a first flight in their homebuilts. There's only one way to do that: practice. And then practice some more.
Build It Better: Building to Requirements
It can be tough to keep a homebuilt project from ballooning out of control when so many tempting innovations and extras catch your eye along the way. Having a specific vision from the outset can help keep things on track.
Plexiglas Play
The advantages of Plexiglas are many, but there are some important things to know about working with it and maintaining it.
Ask the DAR
Do I qualify as a Sport Pilot if I’m already a Private Pilot? Does the installation of skis constitute a major change? How can I get an N number? DAR Mel Asberry answers these questions.
Flight Testing
Personnel roles, emergency contingencies, communications-there are many moving parts involved in the first flight of a homebuilt. Paul Dye catalogs them and offers a sample flight plan that worked for him.
Firewall Forward: Engine Mounts
Dynafocal, conical or DIY? Some engine-mount decisions are dictated by your choice of engine, but there’s more to it than that. Dave Prizio walks you through the process of mating engine to airframe.