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2 weeks ago | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
One of the reasons certain amateur-built aircraft models have been so popular is because there is a whole cottage industry of aftermarket items available for them. Initially this effort was focused on tools to facilitate the build process. We saw improvements in dimple dies, fiberglass cloth cutters and complete “starter” tool kits being marketed to first-time builders.
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1 month ago | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
One of the key skills needed in building an aircraft is organization. With the long lead times from some of the various kit providers, organization is something you can get started on prior to the kit arrival. Inventorying everything is certainly one of the first things you will do when the kit or kits arrive. But even more important is to decide on how and where you are going to store them.
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2 months ago | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
It is important to check the oil sump screen for contaminants at least once per year. This was the first time this screen was checked, one year after a major overhaul. The connecting rods were scraping the crankshaft due to misaligned/wrong parts. Vic is a fixed-wing and helicopter commercial pilot, CFII with ASMEL/ASES ratings, an A&P/IA, DAR, and EAA technical advisor and flight counselor.
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Jan 19, 2025 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
RTV should not be used anywhere near the fuel system. It can cause a blockage resulting in loss of power or complete engine stoppage. RTV was used on these fuel pump fittings. You can clearly see the potential for serious problems by looking into the fuel pump shown on the right. See more about how RTV in the fuel system led to a lawsuit against Van’s Aircraft.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
I completed my first airplane, an RV-4, in December 1983. I worked for Hewlett-Packard at the time, and they did a story on me in the company magazine. They asked if I thought I would ever build another one. I had just finished a childhood dream of building an airplane, and the thought of doing another one hadn’t occurred to me yet.
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Nov 11, 2024 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
This column is a continuation of common in-flight failures that I began discussing in the September 2024 issue. With today’s glass cockpits and all the associated bells and whistles that are part of them, it is easy to get task-saturated without some preplanned courses of action when presented with certain scenarios. Of course, the first action should always be to fly the airplane, no matter what. Then figure out the proper subsequent course of action.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
For safety’s sake, all switches and circuit breakers should be labeled as to function and direction. Vic is a fixed-wing and helicopter commercial pilot, CFII with ASMEL/ASES ratings, an A&P/IA, DAR, and EAA technical advisor and flight counselor. Passionately involved in aviation for over 40 years, he has built 11 aircraft and logged over 10,000 hours in 72 different kinds of aircraft.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
In the next issue, I will continue discussing common in-flight failures. This month, I want to share a personal experience. I’ve previously mentioned how things can slowly degrade with regards to aircraft performance until something fails, sometimes going completely unnoticed by the owner. In this case it was my own RV-10.
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Sep 24, 2024 | 
kitplanes.com | Vic Syracuse
After years of doing first flights and post-maintenance flights, as well as hearing about failures from our customers, I thought I would share some of the more common ones along with some recommended courses of action. Some failures in flight can just be annoyances, like a USB outlet failure or a stuck vent, but some of them might require action to prevent a more serious situation from occurring. Those are the ones I want to focus on, and it may take a couple of columns to cover them.
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Jul 26, 2024 | 
kitplanes.com | Checkpoints.By Vic Syracuse |Vic Syracuse
Almost everything we do in life has some form of risk, and flying certainly has its own risk multiplier. As pilots we do our best to eliminate as much of the risk as possible, starting with weather planning and preflight checks. As builders, there are choices we can make along the way to help minimize risk. In the end, there’s only so much we can do to eliminate risk, so it becomes more about risk tolerance, which is usually different for everyone.
