Table of Contents
December 2004 Issue
Cover Story
The Spacemaker: Velocity's Dash 5
Ever find yourself in a dream-state movie that stars you as the pilot-in-command of a futuristic aircraft--a sleek, sexy, sophisticated machine with remarkable capabilities but almost intuitive flying response? Or find yourself filling in for a lack of external stimulation with some old-fashioned fantasy flying, zooming around the airspace in a one-of-a-kind speedster that's equally at home at major metropolitan airports and out-of-the-way aerodromes? By Dave Higdon
Homebuilt Aircraft Directory
We list 349 fixed-wing aircraft built from kits and give special designation to Light-Sport legal designs (A-F); compiled by Julia Downie.
Continued (F-P).
Continued (P-Z).
Aircraft Company Cross-Reference
You can find the company if you know the name of the design.
Flight Reports
The Spacemaker: Velocity's Dash 5
Velocity Aircraft's XL model beefs up with added seas and baggage space; by Dave Higdon.
Shop Talk
Riveting Basics for the Non-Metal Builder
This long-trusted airplane construction process is simpler than you think; by Ishmael Puentes.
How Piston Engines Make Power, Part 8
In the last part of this series, "Turbo Tom" Wyatt concludes with a discussion on supercharging.
Gas Welding for the Non-Welder, Part 1
Zenith 601 builder Scott Laughlin presents a beginner's guide to basic gas welding; by Scott Laughlin.
How to build temporary antennas for composite and metal aircraft; by Jim Weir.
Designer's Notebook
The Cooper-Harper scale offers a quantitative way to rate flying qualities; by Barnaby Wainfan
Exploring
Readers respond to the Top 20 Most Influential article; by Brian E. Clark.
Electronic ignition from E-MAG ignitions; edited by Brian E. Clark.
KITPLANES Reader's Choice Awards 2004
The pools have closed and the results are in! Compiled by Julia Downie.
Seagull Aerosports takes a new angle on weight-shift construction with a fully enclosed cockpit; by Dan Johnson.
Kit Bits
Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha.
Web Links in this Issue
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At AOPA Summit in Hartford, Garmin will unveil its latest portable, the touchscreen aera 796. Take a video tour of the navigator's features, which include synthetic vision, enhanced chart functions, and a new touchscreen interface.
KITPLANES talked to PS Engineering’s Mark Scheuer about the new PAR100EX Experimental-class audio panel with a communication radio.
KITPLANES caught up with Dynon Avionics at Sun ‘n Fun to get a glimpse of the new DX15 handheld com radio.
KITPLANES tours the Whirlwind Propeller factory where the firm's fixed-pitch and ground-adjustable propellers are made, as well as the blades for Whirlwind constant-speed props.


