Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/307497
Is your family secure? Are you sure? Your current life insurance policy may contain an exclusion for pilots. EAA's Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Plan will help fill that gap for less than a $1.50 a day. Take care of the people you love. Get an instant quote and purchase your coverage today at EAAInsurance.org. Personal Insurance Coverage is underwritten by Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, a Texas insurance company, has its principal place of business in New York, NY and is an admitted insurer rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Administered by Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc. 34 Vol.3 No.5 / May 2014 UNDER THE COWL wheels may look the same. Check part numbers. We make both tube-type and tubeless wheels, and these too can look alike." Questions? Ask! Robbie said, "We have more than 500 master cylinders and field approvals are fairly easy. We have a lot of things that are not in the catalog, but we can make them or have already made them. Customs, too…clevises, shafts, spacers…they're not all in the catalog, but maybe we have it." Vern Rodgers, who runs tech support at Cleveland, summed things up: "Follow directions. Don't treat organic pads like metallic, though the other way isn't as bad. Brakes wear prematurely more from neglect than abuse. Still, you can't ride [aircraft] brakes; they don't like doing 15 consecu- tive turns—these are not like car brakes." Whether you have metallic or standard organic pads, in- spect them frequently. And look at both pads on each wheel. Sometimes the calipers hang up or dirt changes the equation, and one pad gets considerably more wear than the other. Wheelpants are not an excuse to avoid looking or for having low tire pressure. Brake fluid is incompressible. Its volume will not change as pressure changes. That is not true with gases—air or water vapor. No matter what your brake system's componentry, it won't work if there is anything but brake fluid in it. Learn to properly bleed your system, and do it at least annually as you flush out the old fluid. Bleeding removes air; flushing removes contaminants. Always inspect the purged fluid; it often warns of rust, corrosion, or deterioration. And Robbie has a reminder, "Parts don't last forever. Don't stretch it." Lastly, weight is important, and every ounce counts. But the easiest way to save a couple pounds is to have lunch after you land. Tim Kern, EAA 852075, is a private pilot and certifi ed aviation man- ager as well as an aviation writer and consultant based near Indianap- olis, Indiana. In addition to having written for more than 50 aviation magazines, he handles marketing for Beringer Wheels & Brakes. He has made every effort to be objective in this article. L INK S Grove: www.GroveAircraft.com Beringer: www.Beringer-Aero.com Matco: www.MatcoMfg.com Cleveland: www.Parker.com Photography courtesy of Tim Kern E A A E X P _ M a y 1 4 . i n d d 3 4 EAAEXP_May14.indd 34 5 / 5 / 1 4 3 : 1 9 P M 5/5/14 3:19 PM