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Continue reading →: Builder Log: WingsSince my last visit, the Torrance team kept humming along on the engine and cockpit structure. The brake lines are now tucked neatly under the floor skins, pushrods stretch aft to the tail, and more hoses snake their way around the engine bay. It’s the kind of quiet, behind-the-scenes progress…
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Continue reading →: Choosing the Right Aircraft Battery: Lead-Acid vs. Lithium ComparedTL;DR: Lead-acid batteries remain the low-cost, proven option: heavy, short-lived, and maintenance-prone, but simple and predictable. Lithium (LiFePO₄) batteries bring major advantages — lighter weight, stronger starts, stable voltage, and longer lifespan — at the price of higher upfront cost and reliance on electronics. The choice comes down to whether…
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Continue reading →: Goodbye ForeFlight, Hello Garmin PilotTL;DR: I’m moving from ForeFlight to Garmin Pilot because it offers a cleaner, more ergonomic UI, genuinely rethought instrument charts (SmartCharts), better pricing without locking safety features behind the top tier, seamless Garmin avionics integration with valuable EIS data, and a company trajectory that feels focused on development rather than…
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Continue reading →: Builder Log: Lots of PlumbingIt’s been a week since my last build session in Torrance, and while the progress might not look as dramatic this time, a lot of detailed work took place—especially in the fuselage and firewall-forward area. Think of it as less “big leaps” and more “careful choreography.” During the week in…
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Continue reading →: Sling TSi Checklist for Garmin PilotI’ve just finished transcribing the latest Sling TSi POH revision 3.2 (2023-12-13) into Garmin Pilot. If you fly a Sling TSi and use Garmin Pilot on your mobile device, you can now drop the file straight into your app and have the full checklist at your fingertips. You probably will…
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Continue reading →: Airmaster It Is: The Propeller Decision for My Sling TSiAfter much deliberation (and a fair bit of back-and-forth with both spreadsheets and forum threads), I’ve decided to move forward with the Airmaster AP431HCTF constant speed propeller for my Sling TSi. I already walked through the technical debate in detail in an earlier post, but here’s the short version of…
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Continue reading →: Builder Log: Builder LightFirst week at the Airplane Factory: complete. Walking into the factory on Monday morning felt a little surreal—this airplane I’ve been dreaming about wasn’t just an idea on a blog anymore, it was there, sitting in a hangar with its landing gear already bolted on and its fuselage gleaming in…
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Continue reading →: And We’re Off! My Sling TSi Build Starts August 18, 25I’ve been talking about building my Sling TSi for months. I’ve picked avionics, argued with myself over propellers, and researched boost pumps at 1 am. Now, finally, the day is almost here—on August 18th, the build officially begins at The Airplane Factory in Torrance, California. And here’s a little twist…
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Continue reading →: Is It Time for the Sling TSi to Go 28 Volts?TL;DR: The Sling TSi’s 14V system works, but a 28V setup — common in modern certified GA — would double electrical capacity, allow lighter wiring, and improve cold starts. It could make big loads like A/C or TKS easier to handle and reduce the need for an external alternator, but…
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Continue reading →: Push Rods up Front, Cables in the Back: The Sling TSi’s Hybrid Control SystemTL;DR: The Sling TSi uses push‑pull rods for ailerons, elevator, and flaps, and steel cables for the rudder. This hybrid setup delivers crisp pitch and roll control while keeping the rudder light and easy to route. It needs less frequent adjustment than all‑cable systems but still requires careful inspection of rod…
Eating an elephant one bite at a time.
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