Magazine

Columnist Dan Checkoway appreciates the flexibility of owning a homebuilt rather than a certified aircraft. On a recent condition inspection of his RV-7, he detected small cracks in the front spar of the horizontal stabilizer. A week later he was working on replacing it, without any intervention from the FAA.

Dave Martin introduces us to the Gobosh factory-built Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA) from Poland. Positioned at the luxury end of the LSA spectrum, there are two models: the all-metal G700S and the composite G800 XP, each of which includes standard six-pack instrumentation and leather seats.

RON ALEXANDERRon Alexander has been part of the homebuilding scene for decades. He began restoring aircraft in the 1970s but was frustrated by the...

Alternator RealityIn the wiring diagrams in the article "All About Avionics: The Electric Airplane" , the alternator is shown with a fuse between its...

Who knew there was so much to consider when selecting a fabric for your aircraft project? Cotton or polyester? Light weight or heavy? STCs, TSOs, PMAs, FAA requirements. Poly-Fiber or Ceconite systems? Ron Alexander unravels the alphabet soup and explains how and why each fabric may be the way to go for a specific project.

Much of our focus in this series has been on the latest and greatest electronic gadgetry. But traditional instrument packages, the so-called six-pack, have their benefits. Avionics wizard Stein Bruch extols their virtues and explains their vices in this months installment.

Owners of a certain type of Continental engine, the cam-at-the-bottom variety, are undoubtedly familiar with the annoying seepage of oil from swaged pushrod tubes and rubber pushrod seals. Now there's a cure, and author Ron Darcey describes the fix.

A technology developed by ham radio operators, called automatic position reporting system (APRS), coupled with low-cost GPS receivers, a decent antenna and the World Wide Web, have made it possible to track light-aircraft flights without incurring access or subscription fees. Yes, you'll need to get a Technician license for radio operators, but thats a minor obstacle if this system is something you want or need to use.

Builders share their successes.

Before you decide you cant build a plane because you don't have enough shop space, think again. After all, as author Bob Fritz points out, projects have been built in apartments. This article wont go quite that far, but it does detail some pitfalls to avoid and makes suggestions about maximizing the ease and efficiency of working in a limited-space environment.