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Back the screw out and check the threads. If OK just screw back in and if it feels normal and goes all the way your OK. If a new screw does not solve the problem then you will need to pull the spinner and fix. However, a missing spinner screw will not result in wings falling off, the engine to...

I have found that if you can start an engine on AVGAS there is no need to preheat which is down to about 5 degrees but be sure to catch on the first try if below freezing or risk of plug frosting. Air cooled Porsche 911s are not preheated and they also aircraft engines. Preheating is easy on the...

I have done all my maintenance including two major overhauls under the supervision of an A&P for 8000 nours. No need to become one. Often a semi-retired mechanic will enjoy teaching if you are mechanically inclined. In general airplanes are a lot simpler than modern automobiles. Most engines use...

It's coast line all the way and you will never hit a mountain if you stay a bit off shore. The last time I flew most planes monitored 122.8 and we could get real time WX from planes up ahead.

Another option I used was to simply enter into a cost sharing agreement and you keep 100% ownership. For instance split actual costs 50-50 plus getting a payment for engine reserve. I also paid a cost of capital amount to owner since I could invest the amount saved.

As to control surface balance I removed the elevator and rudder and painted separately and had the balance checked by the A&P that reinstalled these. Weight on a C-210D is rarely a problem but it might be on more weight challenged aircraft. Also, I rarely get even close to gross as I have...

All my planes have had the very early Slick mags and they have been great, I have done all the mechanical work on them since the sixties. They are easy to work on but getting parts can be iffy. I have had to make a few tools to pull couplings etc,I only change points if they look a bit pitted...

I stripped and painted entirely by myself in 1981 and the Imron is still in good condition. Today materials might be $3000. It took me a couple of weeks part time but it is not difficult. Today I would get some teenagers to strip after getting them rubber gloves and boots so maybe a week full...

I made my own very inexpensively using a medical regulator. I don't know today's cost but I just paid a couple of hundred dollars. I like the welding tank connection as you could go to any shop that does gas welding and get it filled with a simple adaptor and far cheaper than at an airport. I...

Nothing if I make a $500 tax deductible donation to the Civil Air Patrol. This is for supervising and inspecting and the annual but I do all the mechanical work. Mechanical work on an airplane is usually quite easy compared to working on a late model car.

I have flown up to 23,000 feet in my C-210d just fine with my very inexpensive homemade oxy system based on a medical regulator and would not want built in. It is far cheaper to fill your own at home by buying or renting a big, size K, floor cylinder. Also, if I run out and no FBO there that...

I have no doubt that Cessna is full of heat treated stuff but can you VERIFY that THIS low stress part was actually heat treated or are you just supposing? Given the double skin box design it looks like it is inherently sturdy.

Are you sure a low stress part like this is heat treated? Is it so marked? Also it might be made of fiberglass with a field approval.

I have flown the L-39 and it is designed as a trainer and very easy to fly. The real brakes and tri gear make it easier than the Aeronca Chief I learned in which had neither. Handles like a Bonanza.

Mom said silence is golden and Mom was very smart. Would I fly it? Yes, as long as there were no overheating. It's hard to imagine a less safety critical part. However, has the owner priced a new Cessna part? He will be very shocked. But, used ones should be available

I don't have an engine monitor but it's easy to tell which plug is bad. Run the engine on the rough mag and feel for the cool cylinder with your hand.

IN 8000 hours/70 years no plug failure in my airplanes but I have had in my 66 Mustang. Since I only believe in fine wire plugs it could be expensive to carry a spare.

Maybe I am missing something but why don't you take the boat tour Maid of the Mist to the falls?

The two place Czech L-39 jet is quite easy to fly and quite fast. It is available in the U.S. You can test fly and take lessons at Santa Fe N.M. No AVGAS lead problems. They are a lot less expensive than you might imagine.

The only way this seems possible is that the drill friction expands the metal slightly while drilling and when the metal cools it shrinks a bit. I have never had a need for a precision hole but the reamer from drill idea came from Alec Clarkson who invented the Britain Autopilot (sp?) with the...