In a recent piece for EAA Sport Aviation, EAA Lifetime member Steve Lutte takes us through the build of his RV-10, which he completed in an impressive 30 months.
In a recent column for EAA Sport Aviation, contributor Vic Syracuse discusses blade and engine adjustments needed during flight testing for his Hummingbird helicopter.
This time on The Green Dot, hosts Hal and Tom are joined by former U.S. Air Force test pilot and NASA astronaut Charlie Precourt, currently an EAA board member and ... Read more
This time on The Green Dot, hosts Hal and Tom are joined by former U.S. Air Force test pilot and NASA astronaut Charlie Precourt, currently an EAA board member and ... Read more
EAA Sport Aviation contributor Lisa Turner discusses the key elements of developing a preflight checklist for your homebuilt aircraft in a recent column.
This time on EAA’s The Green Dot, host Tom Charpentier welcomed EAA staff members Charlie Becker and John Egan to the show to talk about scratchbuilding.
This time on EAA’s The Green Dot, host Tom Charpentier welcomed EAA staff members Charlie Becker and John Egan to the show to talk about scratchbuilding.
... Read more
EAA Chapter 245 President Mark Richardson takes us through the inception and creation of the rudder trim system he’s installing on his scratchbuilt Bearhawk.
“It’s just an airplane.” That’s how the late Jack Bally, EAA 348338, a lifelong pilot and builder, described his one-third scale replica of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress — just ... Read more
With so many aircraft around the grounds, it can be easy to miss a single airplane. However, one you won’t want miss is Howard and Linda Plevyak’s Stoddard Hamilton GlaStar, ... Read more
As you make your way around the grounds, you can find many unusual or even unique airplanes. However, you won’t see many paint jobs as eye-catching as Lonnie Autry’s RV-8, ... Read more
Ron Lem, EAA 1159879, of Concord, California, is a volunteer at EAA’s print/mail center and owns the first homebuilt airplane that has arrived on the AirVenture grounds.
The A&P mechanics reading EAA Sport Aviation are likely to know a lot about homebuilt airplanes. However, there is a large group of A&Ps who have not been exposed to ... Read more
I started my flight training June 1963 at age 18 in a 1946 Fleet Canuck (taildragger) at Breslau, Ontario, and received my PPL one year later in June 1964.
As I’ve visited aircraft build projects as a technical counselor over the years, I’ve noticed one thing that stays the same between the builds. The fit between the builder’s personality ... Read more
Having built three Hatz biplanes over the years, Rick Hansen, EAA 143651, knew his latest aircraft project would be a massive undertaking. Restoring a Travel Air is no small task. ... Read more
By email interview with Dale Lamport of Smiths Falls, Ontario, we put together the following this first in a series of articles about amazing Canadians who have built several aircraft.
Why not teach kids how to build an airplane? You obviously have the experience and skills. You have the tools and space. You can start a new project and share ... Read more
I’m always amazed at the condition of some of the tires we see when an airplane comes to our shop for a condition inspection. Sometimes, they are downright scary and ... Read more
Recently I started up my engine and, while the engine seemed to be running fine, the analog instruments in the panel all started jumping around wildly. I had no idea ... Read more
As a Technical Counselor and/or Flight Advisor, just imagine how much safety and joy you bring to aviation. As we know well, it’s one of the most rewarding things you ... Read more
The reporting that the TC has to do is minimal, and there’s a form and a method already designated and designed just for you. And, you might not know that ... Read more
Having worked in the airline industry for decades, EAA member John Cronin saw firsthand the decline in younger generations’ involvement and pursuit of aviation as a career choice or hobby. ... Read more
It doesn’t matter whether you have a large hangar to build in, or a one car garage to build in: setting it up at the beginning for your aircraft build ... Read more
If you can get your builder started off on the right foot from the moment they unpack everything, the paperwork responsibilities will be much smoother.
Getting your builder to consider their weaknesses and how to get more experience is a big step forward in shepherding a successful project through to flight.
Richard Kampeter, EAA Lifetime 1128617, began constructing his Kitfox approximately four years ago. He performed a lot of the build himself, including installing the landing gear, airfoils in the tail, ... Read more
Structuring your visits from that first call can help you and your builder navigate the complex landscape of what to work on, what questions to ask, and in what order ... Read more
One of the many aviation aspirations I have had for several decades — building a Piper Super Cub (PA-18) replica — has finally come true. My dream started to become ... Read more
Structuring your visits from that first call can help you and your builder navigate the sometimes complex landscape of what to work on, what questions to ask, and in what ... Read more
In the midst of the stressful process of selling my business over the course of 18 months, I kept telling myself, “If I get out of this with two nickels ... Read more
The Green Dot crew sat down with Van’s Aircraft Director of Media, Marketing, and Community Greg Hughes to discuss his beginnings in aviation, how he got his start at Van’s ... Read more
There are several types of screws available for aircraft use; however, two of the most popular are the AN525 washer head and the AN526 screw. Both are protruding-head screws and ... Read more
Even if you consider yourself to be advanced, an extra pair of eyes from someone highly knowledgeable and as passionate about building as you are will improve the quality and ... Read more
Back in May of 1955, a Corben Baby Ace graced the cover of Mechanix Illustrated magazine with a simple headline: “Build this plane for under $800 including engine!” The magazine ... Read more
The Dyke Delta JD-2, N555A, was the very first airplane to land on the EAA Oshkosh grounds in 1970. This model is also the first of its kind, built by ... Read more
There is an argument that as the owner of your own airplane, you will actually be the best person to maintain it, assuming you have the skills or are willing ... Read more
When the vast majority of general aviation pilots (as opposed to purely recreational pilots) think about buying a more-or-less modern airplane, the question of what material that airplane uses in ... Read more
The allure is obvious: An uncompleted project looks like a way to greatly aid completion. However, it’s really easy for a shortcut to a dream to lead to a nightmare.
About 30 years ago, I decided that if I were going to continue to fly my first RotorWay helicopter, I needed more power. So, back then I designed and built ... Read more
It started out as a joke. After a dismal performance in a flour bombing contest John Marzulli laughed with friends that he should build a targeting computer to improve his ... Read more
In some ways, Peter Sripol is just like any other homebuilder. There are a few differences between the average builder and Peter, though. Most EAAers aren’t using foam insulation from ... Read more
When Larry Weldon got the green light from his wife, Jane, to begin working on a Falco F.8L, it didn’t take him long to jump into action and begin to ... Read more
Jim Quinlan has been working on an F.8L Falco in his retrofitted garage in New Jersey for more than two decades, and he’s getting close to completing it.
Paul Adrien is a soft spoken man that you would not realize has a wealth of knowledge and experience when you first meet him, unless you happen to mention airplanes.
By Justin Inman, EAA 1057655 Flying the first flight in an experimental airplane is unlike anything else in the world. The mix of emotions, physical senses, extreme focus, and heightened ... Read more
