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| WELCOME!
 22,000
and counting! That's how many people have subscribed to Experimenter. I
want to thank every one of you who have subscribed, and I encourage you to share this
e-newsletter with your friends and fellow EAA
members. Spread the word!
Thanks
also to everyone who took time to participate in last
month’s poll. The results indicate
that at least half of you will not be curtailing
your building or flying in light of the current
economy. Here’s hoping
everyone is able to find a way to participate in
the homebuilt community at some level, whether
it be building, flying, or just helping another
EAA member on their project! And don’t forget
to answer this
month’s poll.
I
also want to thank those of you who completed
the survey for the first issue. We've received
hundreds of comments, which Pat reviews in his From
the Editor column. I always enjoy hearing from my
fellow EAA members, so send your thoughts, ideas
and comments to Experimenter@eaa.org.
Your input will help guide us to improve future issues of the newsletter.
Enjoy
this month's issue!
- Joe Norris, EAA's Homebuilders Community
Manager |
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Paul's
Pick
Each
month we will feature a historical article
chosen by EAA Founder Paul Poberezny. This month
he's chosen his HOMEBUILDERS CORNER column from
SPORT AVIATION, January 1965.
 As
I introduce this column that I wrote so many
years ago - well over half a century - I am
sitting here at my kitchen table seemingly like
it's January 1965 again. I was a bit younger
then, with a lot of enthusiasm for all of
aviation - in particular, designing, building,
and restoring airplanes. Many of those EAA
members are not with us now; some are. I
thought I would share my views from then, which I
still hold now. I owe a lot to so many people
who gave me so much support through very trying
times as well as the good times, particularly
those in government (back then known as the
Department of Commerce, then CAA and now FAA)
who gave such wonderful support and guidance to
me, which still exists today. I'll come up with
more history and comments next month.
-
Paul Poberezny
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The
ELIPPSE Propeller
 Paul
Lipps read Modern Propeller and Duct Design
where he learned about Peter Talbot's
"Prop Performance" computer program…all
of which led to his designing an elliptically
shaped propeller. Learn the how's and why's of
the enhanced performance he's getting with just
such a propeller on his Lancair 235 … as well
as some propeller myths Paul seeks to put to
rest. Read
more |
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How To
. . .
 Accurate
Wood Cutting for Aircraft Construction
One
thing you quickly find when building a wooden
airplane is that there are very few square
corners. And, while "close enough" may
be okay for building a doghouse, you want
something better than that in your airplane.
Here are a few tips to get accurate joints the
first time and (almost) every time. Read more of
Steve Sadler's tips. Read more
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John
Thompson’s Kitfox IV-1200
 After
retiring from a life-long aviation career, John
Thompson pursued his dream of building and
flying his own airplane. He chanced upon a
Kitfox IV-1200 project for sale and embarked
upon finishing it, installing a Subaru EA-81
engine with components from a number of aviation
suppliers. All was well until an overzealous
tow-truck driver destroyed the aircraft after an
unscheduled off-field landing. Read more
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Subenews
 Peter
Krok's "Subenews" (Subaru Eggenfellner
News) is an independent newsletter and website
that serves as a clearinghouse of information
for owners of Eggenfellner Subaru firewall
forward engine packages. Owners/builders share
information, conversion tips and more. Read
more |
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What
Our Members are Building
 Ben
Schneider highlights the installation of an RX-8
engine in his Van's RV-7, including details of
the cooling, exhaust, and fuel systems he
designed and built. He's looking forward to the
first engine start soon! Read more |
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Meet
EAA Staffer Ron Wagner
EAA’s Manager of Field Relations
 I grew up in Western Pennsylvania right under the final approach to Conway Airport, where Taylorcraft was located at the time. My first airplane ride was when I was about 3 years old with my uncle, Ken Hendrickson, a demo pilot for T-Craft and co-owner of one. I was hooked from that time forward.
Read more |
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Forum
Review
Listen
to Jon Goldenbaum of Poly Fiber Aircraft
Coatings explain the intricacies of fabric
covering in this forum recorded during EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2008. |
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From
the Editor
 The first issue of
Experimenter was met with overwhelming positivity. More than 90 percent of the comments left by readers were incredibly
encouraging. But there’s no backslapping going on here; we have more work to do. Although we certainly seem to have hit a
home run, we still want to make it better, mostly because you deserve it, but also because we can. But we need your help. We need your contributions; we want to read about your homebuilt aircraft or project and include it in future issues of this electronic newsletter.
Read
more |
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Cutting
Tubing with Your Table Saw
Earl Luce demonstrates the correct and safe way
to cut steel tubing with a table saw.
Watch
the video |
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Sport
Aviation, May 1970
Aircraft Electrical Installation Tips,
by Bill Blake
Read
the article or search
the archives by subject for a multitude of
technical and how-to articles. |
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 Q&A
Got a
question? Send them to us at Experimenter@eaa.org.
Whether your building, restoring, or just an
enthusiast. we want to know what has you
stumped.
Q:
I've just finished building my Pietenpol, which
is an experimental amateur-built aircraft that
meets the LSA definition. I'm ready to begin the
phase-one flight testing. I'm a student pilot
working toward my sport pilot certificate and I
don't hold a current medical. Is it legal for me
to do the flight testing as a student pilot? Can
a student pilot fly an experimental aircraft at
all?
A:
Let's take the second part of your question
first. There is no regulatory prohibition on a
student pilot (sport pilot or otherwise) flying
an experimental aircraft. Pilot requirements,
privileges, and limitations are found in 14 CFR
Part 61, and student pilot privileges and
limitations are specifically found in subpart C.
There is no specific limitation in that section
prohibiting a student pilot from flying an
aircraft with an experimental airworthiness
certificate. Read
more |
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| This
month’s photo gallery highlights some of the
individual steps shown in this month’s video, Cutting
Tubing with Your Table Saw. View
the photo gallery. |
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 Poll
100LL
aviation fuel may not be around forever. How
would its disappearance affect you? |
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Aviation
Glossary
Confused
by a strange aeronautical term? EAA's online
Aviation Glossary can help.
REYNOLDS
NUMBER - In fluid mechanics, a number that
indicates whether the flow of a fluid (liquid or
gas) is absolutely steady (in streamlined, or
laminar flow) or on the average steady with
small, unsteady changes (in turbulent flow; see
turbulence). The Reynolds number, abbreviated
NRe or Re, has no dimensions (see dimensional
analysis) and is defined as the size of the flow
— as, for example, the diameter of a tube (D)
times the average speed of flow (v) times the
mass density of the fluid (r) — divided by its
absolute viscosity (m). Osborne Reynolds
demonstrated in 1883 that the change from
laminar to turbulent flow in a pipe occurs when
the value of the Reynolds number exceeds 2,100.
More
glossary terms
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