@jalefkowit
https://scalebirds.com/p40
ScaleBirds are working on a scaled-down P36 airplane kit, and thence, they expect, a P40. If you need a cheaper path to victory!
#scalebirds #kitplanes #homebuiltAircraft #experimentalAviation #aviation #aircraft
#VansAircraft came out with a fleet-wide service bulletin to install egress hammers. Kind of a no-brainer, but I’ll admit to never having thought of this (fire extinguisher yes, egress hammer, no). https://www.vansaircraft.com/service-information-and-revisions/sb-00079/
This shouldn’t be hard to comply with - Vans sells these for $25 each, and assuming they actually ship relatively quickly (big if, for real. I see these are already on backorder), the annoying part is just figuring out where and how to mount it. Might be able to rivet some velcro straps to the center console and have that be the install method?
Because preparation is an important part of safety, Van’s Aircraft is recommending all RVs carry an Emergency Egress Hammer. (One is available on the Van’s webstore.) It’s important to note that egress hammers designed for automobiles may not be compatible with the aircraft use, since spring-loaded plungers designed to break glass are not effective on […] Read More
I just put in an order for some replacement parts I messed up on my RV-10 elevator as well as the sealant kit they recommend. So I think I'm getting ye olde motivation to go finish those elevators.
Here is a very short video clip of me installing a pull rivet from the inside view. The Zenith CH750 gets a tiny bit closer to done.
#rivet #riveting #experimentalAviation #homebuilt #kitplane #avgeek
The workshop was pretty neat. Aside from learning a bunch of the theory and getting recommendations for books and whatnot, you do some hands on stuff which is always a great way to learn. On day one we did various crimping practice and made a wire harness connected to aviation headset jacks and once we were done, we plugged it into an actual intercom to test it (and it worked, which feels great).
Second day we went over antenna theory and some things there, then made a coax cable end (tedious to be sure). The final project was soldering and crimping to simulate building a part of a panel. Basically a lighting circuit for nav lights and the panel lighting is tied to it with a dimmer. My soldering skills are fairly out of date but I managed all the same.
It was a neat class and I look forward to using some of that knowledge on the builds I'm helping with (as well as my own).
Like most GA aircraft, my plane has a very loud interior. Whenever I fly, my watch fairly constantly warns me about excessive noise levels. Usually 95 db, occasionally I see 100 db. Noise cancelling headsets are basically required to be in the aircraft while the engine's running. But even then, the noise is still noticeable.
Searching on the vansairforce forums (<3 old school forums), it seems that a lot of the cause of excessive cabin noise is basically panels vibrating against each other, and adding soundproofing material (tape, foam, etc.) helps to massively reduce the noise. The problem then becomes an optimization problem of where to apply the soundproofing to maximize effect while minimizing weight.
I'm thinking of taping a bunch of cheap mics to various spots in the airplane, recording the sound amplitude to try to figure this out. I'm hoping to be able to achieve a noticeable decrease in sound levels doing this.
Of course, I'll also decrease sound levels by just adding carpet to various panels, which I want to do anyway (my cabin is spartan). But I also want to see what the combined improvement will be.
My friend @cyanoacry (much more active on bluesky, @cyanoacry.bluesky.social) has a blog about the kinds of thing he gets up to with his Rutan Defiant. Yesterday, he posted a highlights of 2025, which included 2 live streams while flying! Plenty of people record and publish their flights after the fact, not that many livestream them!
https://cyanoacry.substack.com/p/defiant-hijinks-dec-2025-part-2
Short final, runway 17, touch and go.
From a flight at the beginning of the month. 360 cameras are fun.
You’ll note that my nose wheel does not touch the ground during this. The nosegear variants of the Vans RVs are known to be rather weak and prone to collapse. I have the anti-splat nose reinforcement mod, and I was still advised to put as little weight on the nosegear as possible.
My EAA chapter has acquired a second airplane build. We're starting up a Youth Build project and trying to engage the local schools.
#kitplane #experimentalAviation #avgeek #aviation #flying #homebuilt
doboprobodyne
Rachel Brindle
Aut