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Is
an Automobile Engine Conversion for You?
By
Patrick Panzera, EAA 555743
ppanzera@eaa.org
 Since
the earliest days of aviation, automobile
engines have been used in homebuilt aircraft. By
far, the biggest reason has been cost.
Combustion chamber design, water cooling, and
the use of electronic fuel injection or
electronic ignitions are also considerations.
But no matter who you talk to, all will agree
the cost of a new certified engine, its
maintenance, and eventual overhaul of that
engine is astronomical as compared to auto
conversions. Is an auto engine for you? Read
more
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Paul's
Pick
 Paul's
January 1972 column in Sport Aviation falls
under the heading of "the more things change,
the more they stay the same." A discussion
sometimes heard at chapter meetings and a
sentiment sometimes expressed in letters to EAA is
that the organization has "abandoned"
certain basic tenets that have made EAA strong.
Paul also faced abandonment issues as far back as
the early 1970s when he was confronted by two
aggrieved pilots who expected much more out of
EAA. Read
Paul's column |
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Tales
From the DAR Side
 My
column in the January 2010 issue of Experimenter
on data
plates generated some good questions and
comments from members. I covered some of them in
last month’s column. This month we examine
your aircraft’s N number, which like the data
plate, the placement, size and style is
important. Read
more
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FAA's
Zodiac 601/650 Aircraft Report
A
closer look
 Following
on the heels of the "unprecedented
action" the FAA took against issuing
new airworthiness certificates for new Zodiac CH
601 XLs, and strongly encouraging owners of
experimental 601s and 650s to ground their
planes, the FAA has just released a detailed
report on their investigation into six in-flight
structural failures of the 601 XL. Experimenter
offers this detailed analysis of what the report
means. Read
more
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Radical
Light-Twin Experimental
An introduction to FPNA's A-36 Vulcan
 While
shopping for a special light-sport aircraft (S-LSA)
to add to their growing flight school, Central
Valley Sportplanes staff found a lot of
interesting options presented at the recent U.S.
Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida. Not
necessarily looking to add twin-engine training
to the curriculum, the gang was intrigued with
this yet-to-be trainer, the A-36 Vulcan.
Nicholas Wood evaluates this unique light twin. Read
more
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Loehle
5151 Mustang
The P-51 for Walter Mitty
 Perhaps
one of the most affordable and complete kits on
the market, the wood and fabric Loehle 5151 is
also a pleasure to build and fly. With fighter
good looks and forgiving sporty handling, the
5151 is the bang for the buck that a lot of
would-be builders are looking for. The story of
the people who created the popular kit is one of
grass-roots entrepreneurship and love. Read
more
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EAAer
Lands Safely on Interstate in New Mexico
 Jon
Finley’s Subaru-powered Quickie Q-2 was
featured in Experimenter one year ago. Earlier
this month he suffered an in-flight engine
failure that caused him to land on an interstate
highway. A loose nut caused the stoppage, but
not in the way one would think. Read
more
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What
Our Members Are Building
Winter
Work
 What
our members are building sometimes never stops.
Is anyone ever really "finished" with
a homebuilt aircraft? This month's featured
project, Joe Horton's Corvair-powered Rand
Robinson KR-2S, has 450 hours on it, and it was
time for some detailed inspection, rework, and
upgrades. Read
more
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How-To...
A
Small Mistake That Could Have Been a Real Issue
 George
Fisher was down to the wire (literally)
completing his first annual condition inspection
on his pride and joy F1 Rocket when
good-intentioned friends came to his hangar for
a social visit. Being the gentlemen he is, he
took his attention away from his work -
something he'll not do in the future.
Read
more
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From
the EAA Homebuilding Community
 The
Homebuilders Corner message forum at Oshkosh365
is as active as ever. Have a look at the list
below and follow the links to read the actual
questions and discussion topics.
Can
You Help?
Interesting
Discussions
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Clay
Modeling for Composite Fairing Construction
Clay modeling can be used to design the
general shape of a fairing. In this video, Mark
Forss shows how to use clay modeling to your
advantage. Mark is an EAA staff member that
coordinates the EAA SportAir Workshops. Watch
the video
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Sport
Aviation, March 1975
The KR-2, by Jack Cox
With a long and successful history, the KR-2
is an economical to build and fly. Plus its a
simple yet performance-packed homebuilt aircraft.
Read
the article
You
can also search
the archives by subject for a multitude of technical
and how-to articles.
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 Q&A
Got a
question? Send it to us at Experimenter@eaa.org.
Whether you're building, restoring, or just an
enthusiast. we want to know what has you
stumped.
Q. I'm
getting ready for my homebuilt's airworthiness
inspection, and I need to install the aircraft's
identification plate. Where should I put it?
A. The
answer to your question is found in Title 14
Code of Federal Regulations Part 45,
specifically §45.11, which states in part:
Except as
provided in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this
section, the aircraft identification plate must
be secured to the aircraft fuselage exterior so
that it is legible to a person on the ground,
and must be either adjacent to and aft of the
rear-most entrance door or on the fuselage
surface near the tail surfaces. Read
more
Read more Q&As | |
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CheVelocity
N427VA
Daniel Horvath and Bill Mulrooney knew nothing
about airplanes but they wanted to a build fast
roomy aircraft. Both had experience souping-up
cars and Dan’s background in adhesives enticed
them to build a Velocity and power it with an
engine that would make their neighbors in the
Detroit area proud. The CheVelocity is featured in
the April
issue of EAA Sport Aviation and a wallpaper
image is also available for your desktop.
View
the photo gallery
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 Poll
Q.
For the purposes of this poll, assume that
you're going to purchase a light-sport aircraft (LSA)-qualifying
kit or plans. The topic is flaps, with all other
things being equal (price, appearance,
performance, etc.). |
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Aviation
Glossary
Confused
by a strange aeronautical term? EAA's online
Aviation Glossary can help.
FLUTTER
- A self-starting and potentially destructive
vibration where aerodynamic forces on an object
couple with a structure's natural mode of
vibration to produce rapid periodic motion.
More
glossary terms |
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Forum
Review
LED
Lighting for Aircraft Operations
Many questions that
have been plaguing pilots since the huge influx of
aviation LED lighting solutions offered by so many
new players. For example, there are many
descriptions of optical performance that, if not
presented properly in the context of what the
human eye perceives, can and have been used to
make misleading or confusing claims about optical
performance. Dean Wilkinson of Aero Leds talks
about power consumption, thermal considerations,
mechanical shock, and optical performance when
planning aircraft wiring and installations. Listen
to the forum
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EAA
Radio
 A-B
Accident Rate Stats Hide Complex Factors
In February, AOPA released its annual Nall Report,
a summary of accidents trends and factors for
general aviation. A portion of the report focused
on amateur-built aircraft and showed an increase
in accidents for the category. EAA Radio's Fareed
Guyot talked with EAA Vice President of Industry
and Regulatory Affairs Earl Lawrence, who says
that, although there is a wide variance in the
actual numbers, some amateur-built areas need
attention. Listen
to the interview
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Around
the Web
Modern fighter aircraft slideshow
set to the upbeat "I'm Alive" by Céline
Dion.
Listen
to this engine "ping" as it loses power
and ultimately stops in flight...
...not once, but
twice!
For
more links to interesting aircraft design and
building topics to read about and explore on the
Internet, visit our Around
The Web page.
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