If you’re at Sun ‘n Fun 2023, you need to visit the parts exchange building. Looking for a project? Need some cheap airplane parts? KITPLANES contributor Steve Ashby takes a quick tour through the offerings, which include a couple of Velocity airframes and lots of small parts to help start or finish your build.
In Case You Missed It
Around the Patch
Those who plan to build an aircraft from a kit would do well to visit the factory and get to know not only the owners but also the operation. So counsels Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook, whose recent visit to the RANS factory left him favorably impressed. RANS manufacturing is diversified to weather the ups and downs of the market, and the company knows what works and sticks to it.
Free Flight
To fly or not to fly? Often it depends on the weather, which can be uncertain. That’s why it’s good to have IFR clearance, and crucial to have a backup plan.
Build Your Skills: Fabric
If you want sound and long-lasting fabric covering, proper shrinkage is essential. And an accurately calibrated iron is a means to that end. Ron Alexander details the process and offers tips on how to avoid damage to the underlying structure during tautening.
