Is an air drill needed for the project. I have some telling me you dont want that hose dragging around beating your airplane up. They say a battery drill is much better. What is the advantage to the air drill? What tools are need for the tail. Im kind of getting started on a budget and i have a guy loaning me some tools. Thanks in advance!
I have a pedestal drill, a battery drill, an electric drill, and several air drills (including a very compact right-angle drill). I use them all at various times depending on the situation and the material I'm drilling.
But mostly I use the air drills (90% of the time) for the following reasons:
a) Very light weight (much more comfortable for long periods of continuous drilling).
b) Very compact (will get into areas inaccessible with self powered drills).
c) Not affected by all the aluminium swarf (electric motors hate swarf).
d) Runs at higher RPM which is advantageous for drilling sheet aluminium.
e) Extremely reliable (not much to go wrong).
Air drills are stock equipment for all aviation maintenance professionals.
I recommend you lash out and buy some appropriate tools for the project before you start building. In the final analysis the cost of purchasing a decent starter tool kit as supplied by say Avery Tools (which will contain an air drill) will end up being a small fraction of the cost of completing the project.
Nothing makes for poor workmanship like having inappropriate tools to satisfactorily complete the task at hand.