Aero ‘lectrics

0
Using LEDs for lighting an aircraft has much to commend it. Low draw, reasonable cost, long life, good visibility. This month, Jim Weir takes us through the beginning steps of building these lighting systems yourself, using off-the-shelf parts and a little ingenuity.

Wind Tunnel

0
Pitch is not the only axis involved in making an airplane fly well. Yaw and roll are also important, and this month Barnaby Wainfan turns his attention to lateral/directional stability and its effect on flying qualities.

Turbine Moose: The Ultimate Amphib

2
Its said that sailors make good floatplane pilots because they understand the nature of wind on the water. Sailboat racer and pilot Rick Orchard took that sentiment to heart in a big way when he decided to pump up an already large homebuilt (the Murphy Moose) by adding Aerocet amphibious floats and a 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turbine engine.

The Staaken Z-21A Flitzer

0
Intended as an inter-war sportplane, the VW- or Jabiru-powered Staaken Flitzer delivers the goods in both performance and agility. These planes may not appear sleek, but they’re a blast to fly.

Homebuilt Airplanes—A Brief History

0
History's first aircraft were, for the most part, designed and built by individuals or a small group of experimenters. They were what we think...

Completions

0
Builders share their successes.

Around the Patch

0
Have you checked your fuel system for leaks lately? Turns out there's a good reason to periodically conduct a thorough investigation. Incipient leaks may go undetected. Worse, when the O-ring on the fuel-selector valve goes bad, it could allow air into the system, which means your engine could misbehave at a most inconvenient time. Often, this malady is difficult to diagnose and the assumption is that the fuel selector is OK when it is not.

What’s New

0
The new Lancair Evolution flies, and the Aircraft Electronics Association speaks out on ADS-B implementation. The Arlington Fly-In and EAA sign new agreement, and Garmin introduces the GPSMAP 495. Aircrafters LLC is the distributor for a new overhead lighting console.

Designing Minds

0
You've invested thousands of hours building your airplane, and now its time to pick a paint design that will show off all that hard work to best effect. But how do you go about selecting one of innumerable designs? Susan Brunner offers some tips on not only how to narrow the field, but also how to make sure you get the paint job you envisioned.

Down to Earth

0
When it came to choosing a kit aircraft to build, columnist Amy Laboda and her husband opted for a metal design, in part because it would be resistant to destruction by lightning strike and also because fatigue is easier to detect in metal than it is in a composite plane. However, new nanotube technology, if integrated into composite construction material, could not only help identify wear problems, but also potentially heal them.

In Case You Missed It

Building the eXenos

0
Part 4: Back to the airframe, installing the motor.

Rear Cockpit

0
Builder types II.

Sporty’s Latest PJ2+

0
With more power, a better display and a noise limiter, Sporty’s improves a good design.

Flight Review: Van’s RV-14A

3
More power, more better.