® 8 - DECEMBER 2013 www.kitplanes.com RV Atlantic Across in an in Swage Fittings Swage Secure? Cables Your Are the Adventure FT A Alone T REVIEW H ’S GUIDE SHOP R E H Easy Fiberglass Prep Aerodynamic Bookworm Tire Changing 101 T Soaring on Homemade Wings 2014 BUYER’S GUIDE2014 ISSUE! N • • • I HP-24 FLIG HP-24 BUYE Over 350 Planes Listed! Planes 350 Over 2014 KIT AIRCR KITPLANES DECEMBER 2013 Kit Buyer’s Guide • Transatlantic RV-8 • HP-24 Sailplane • Design to Fit • Swagelocks • Dawn Patrol • Testing to DO-160 • Home Shop Machines BELVOIR PUBLICATIONS Enjoy the Freedom of Homebuilt Aircraft Weather the Storm with SkyView’s IFR Capabilities Redundant flight instruments that automatically cross-check each other • ADS-B traffic and weather in-flight • SkyView network modules that detect wiring faults without losing capability • Li-Ion backup batteries that keep your SkyView system up when the power goes down • Autopilot with fully coupled ILS and GPS WAAS/LPV approaches. SkyView should already be your IFR platform of choice. But if that’s not enough, SkyView 7.0 introduces geo-referenced instrument approach charts, airport diagrams, and the best mapping software we’ve ever built. Go Fly! www.DynonAvionics.com 425-402-0433 [email protected] Seattle,Washington December 2013 | Volume 30, Number 12 Annual Buyer’s Guide, Part 1 26 2014 KIT AIRCRAFT BUYER’S GUIDE: The state of the kit world is sound. By Paul Dye and Mark Schrimmer. 38 KIT AIRCRAFT QUICK REFERENCE: A brief overview of available kit aircraft for 2014. Compiled by Richard VanderMeulen and Omar Filipovic. Flight Report 16 HP-24: Soaring on homebuilt wings. By Eric Stewart. 6 Builder Spotlight 6 TRANSATLANTIC HOMEBUILT: Los Angeles to England in an RV-8. By Mark Albery. 48 ThE BIG SqUEEZE: Fabricating aircraft cables. By Dan Horton. 56 FROM THE INSIDE OUT: In an attempt to build a two-place LSA, one would-be builder starts with the seat. By John Mackay. 92 ASK THE DAR: Common paperwork errors. By Mel Asberry. Shop Talk 69 PRACTICAL ELECTRICAL: Understanding DO-160. By Robert L. Nuckolls, III. 74 HOME ShOP MACHINIST: Machines! Part 2. By Bob Hadley. 78 MaINTENANCE MaTTERS: Save time and money changing tires. By Dave Prizio. 93 AERO ’LECTRICS: Star Wars or Vizz Wars? By Jim Weir. Shop Tips 61 BEAD BLAST FOR BOND PREP: By Dan Horton. 91 FLANGE TRANSPLANT: By KITPLANES® Staff. Designer’s Notebook 89 WIND TUNNEL: It’s in the book! By Barnaby Wainfan. Exploring 26 2 EDITOR’S LOG: Build or buy? By Paul Dye. 5 WHAT’S NEW: Cleaveland Aircraft Tool Howe Fittings. By KITPLANES® Staff. 62 ThE DawN PATROL: “Hey, who you callin’ old?” By Dick Starks. Kit Bits 4 LETTERS 83 LIST OF ADVERTISERS 84 BUILDERS’ MaRKETPLACE 96 KIT STUFF: Drawing on experience. By cartoonist Robrucha. 16 On the cover: Mark Albery’s Van’s RV-8 photographed by Ed Hicks over the Cotswold’s, England. KITPLANES December 2013 1 EDITOR’S LOG Build or buy? As we enter the season of KITPLANES® goof-proof. Anyone considering a used rarely black and white, and the line can Buyer’s Guides (Kits this month, followed homebuilt should do their own due dili- often be blurred. For instance, even in by Plansbuilt options, then Rotorcraft and gence and have a complete pre-purchase the world of builders, there are different Engines in coming months), it is appropri- inspection performed by both an A&P tolerances to the parts of a project. Some ate to discuss the question that is often and a builder familiar with the type. One enjoy the creation of structure, some the found on Internet bulletin boards and of the great things about buying a used installation of systems. Some love fire- forums dedicated to homebuilding— homebuilt is that if it is not equipped the wall-forward work, and others can’t tell a should a person build or simply buy the way you want it, you can change it. This spark plug from a fuel filter—but they are airplane they want? Many years ago, is not as true with certified aircraft, where incredibly adept when it comes to fiber- people built airplanes because it was far your choices are more limited. With the glass work and finishing. I personally get cheaper than buying and maintaining a Experimental, anyone can work on and my greatest satisfaction from designing certified machine.I n today’s economy, it modify the craft, which opens up a world cockpits and systems for a particular mis- is still impractical for many of us to own a of possibilities for systems, panels, and sion. And while I have painted airplanes new certified airplane, and it is common finish. It is an attractive way to go if you in the past, I now farm that task out to to find Experimental aircraft selling for have the patience to shop meticulously. others. Does farming out a task make me less than what it would cost in parts (or On the other hand, this magazine is less of a builder? I don’t think so—and kits) to build them. If it is cheaper to buy about promoting the building of air- it is something that everyone needs to someone else’s completed homebuilt craft, and there are many advantages decide for him- or herself. than to build your own, what is the incen- and rewards in the process. Everything Here in our pages we tend to empha- tive to build? that makes it difficult is a challenge to size the joys and skills of building, and For many, the answer is simple—just overcome, and challenges overcome are some might wonder if they will truly be buy! We should never underestimate the satisfying in the triumph. Bringing an air- accepted into the club of Experimental impact that a homebuilt aircraft project craft project to completion is something aviation if they choose to buy. Accep- will make on a person’s life. The time that very few humans have ever accom- tance, of course, is up to the collective commitment is huge—both in the shop plished. Building your own design is a culture of this society known as “home- and in doing research. It takes a commit- remarkable achievement, but so is build- building,” but I, for one, have no preju- ment in space (spouse’s automobiles will ing from plans or a kit. Even with a kit, dice against anyone who enjoys at least a most likely be banished from the garage there are a remarkable number of choices part of this world. Buyers contribute their for the duration) and finances. Relation- to be made: engine, prop, the design of knowledge and experiences as pilots, just ships often suffer. There will undoubtedly the interior, and the choice of avionics. as builders contribute their stories and come moments of immense self-doubt Some kits are good enough that they lessons learned from construction. All are and fear of sinking a great deal of money really should be considered “custom air- welcome to participate in creating flight into something that will never reach frui- craft,” rather than what was traditionally out of a pile of raw materials—or enjoy- tion. In short, building an airplane is not known as Experimental—and it is in the ing that flight and sharing the creation for the faint of heart. customization that builders truly shine. with others. Buying a homebuilt is not a trivial mat- It is often said that there are build- If you are choosing a project or an air- ter of course; quality varies widely, even ers and there are flyers, and a lucky few plane, enjoy the process and let us know with kits that are advertised to be nearly who truly enjoy both. But the world is how we can help. J Paul Dye retired as a Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program, with 40 years of aerospace experience on everything from Cubs to the space shuttle. An avid home- builder, he began flying and working on airplanes as a teen and has experience with a wide range of construction techniques and materials. He currently flies an RV-8 that he built in 2005 Paul Dye and an RV-3 that he recently completed with his pilot wife. A commercially licensed pilot, he has logged over 4500 hours in many different types of aircraft. When not writing on aviation topics, he consults and collaborates in aerospace operations and flight testing projects. 2 KITPLANES December 2013 www.kitplanes.com & www.facebook.com/kitplanes At just $4,375*, it won’t cost you a wing and a tail. Fact is, only the Garmin G3X™ can give you so much capability, situational awareness and cockpit integration for just $4,375. And that includes Garmin SVX™ synthetic vision with standard 3-D “pathways” flight route guidance. Plus a built-in GPS receiver, feature rich moving map, solid-state ADAHRS reference, terrain/obstacles alerting, engine monitoring, and pre-loaded FliteCharts® and SafeTaxi® with built-in geo-referencing capability. And you get all that and more for the ridiculously low price of just $4,375. For details, visit Garmin.com/experimental ©2013 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries ™ *Minimum Advertised Price for the G3X flight system only. Antennas and some connector kits sold separately. G3X Systems 17442 G3X Lower Price Ad-KitPlanes.indd 1 5/7/13 7:45 AM EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Paul Dye [email protected] What’s in a Name? over Flying and Plane & Pilot. I find that Managing Editor Mark Schrimmer I just opened my September issue of they are both comparatively short on Art Direction Dan Maher Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli KITPLANES® and found a very nice substance.