28 Vol.3 No.3 / March 2014
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS
Overview of Bolt Torque Issues
Dave Clark from the Vintage Aircraft Association and an A&P; instructor at Vincennes University provides an overview of issues
associated with either under or over-torquing a bolt, including torque wrench usage.
Installing Circuit Breakers
In this video, Dick and Bob Koehler show how to install circuit breakers for your panel. Dick and Bob are both Technical
Counselors, A&P; aircraft mechanics with Inspection Authorization (IA), and SportAir Workshop instructors.
Bending Wood Capstrips
In this tip, Earl Luce demonstrates an easy method for prebending your wood capstrips. Earl is an EAA SportAir Workshop
instructor and a volunteer EAA Technical Counselor.
Welding By The Numbers
Dr. Joe Maj, an AirVenture volunteer in the gas welding workshops and SportAir Workshop instructor, shares his three key
numbers for gas welding success. If you adopt these three key numbers, you will learn how to gas weld much quicker and easier.
HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS VIDEOS
HERE'S FOUR OF THE MORE THAN 400-PLUS HINTS FOR HOMEBUILDERS VIDEOS AVAILABLE ON WWW.EAA.ORG
Poor Man's
Pitot Cover
Make your own
BY CY GALLE Y
HERE IS A POOR MAN'S pitot cover. If you have ever forgotten
your cover, this solution is for you. As you know, some bugs and
insects love to crawl into tiny holes and crevasses. Spiders will
build their nests in your pitot and plug it. If you have a taildrag-
ger, many of their pitot tubes slant backward, so rain will run in
and plug them. This happened to me at EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh. The tower gets perturbed if you shut down on the run-
way, but that's not nearly as stressful as if you take of without
an airspeed indication. One can avoid all this heartburn by using
the poor man's pitot cover.
You can make a very good cover out of a sandwich bag, some
construction warning tape, and a twist tie. You can substitute
almost any thin plastic, wire, or rubber band.
Cut an "X" as shown, which will be about the same diameter as
the pitot. Wrap the bag around the pitot assembly. Slide the hole in
the warning tape over the bag. Then secure it with the twist tie.
When it's time to go fl ying again, just roll up the warning tape,
put it in the baggie, and secure it with the twist tie. This quick fi x
is low cost and lightweight and takes up little room. In addition,
if it is lost or borrowed, you can quickly make up another one.
Photography by Cy Galley
E A A E X P _ M a r 1 4 . i n d d 2 8 EAAEXP_Mar14.indd 28 3 / 3 / 1 4 1 0 : 3 2 A M 3/3/14 10:32 AM