Flight Reports Flight Review: Power Promises Marc Cook flies two GlaStar Sportsman 2+2s with two different engines, and a winner emerges. More power! Flight Review: What’s Hummin’ at Hummel? LeRoy Cook flies the fun and efficient H-5 Sport Cruiser, the little Hummel Bird’s grown-up sibling. Builder Spotlight Channel Challenger Dick Starks and the Dawn Patrol get a front-row seat to the Bleriot XI replica’s very successful first flight. Next comes flying off the 40 in preparation for its English Channel flight. Man on a Mission Tom Needham, with the help of his son Daniel and numerous friends, completes a Sportsman 2+2 and will use the plane’s big hauling capacity and short-field performance to shuttle people and supplies between remote locations in Africa. By Dave Prizio. Build a Bear: Third Time Charm Repeat offender Dave Prizio goes for his third strike, ultimately deciding to build an Texas Sport Cub. The Independence Project: Winging It Dave Martin and EAA Chapter 292 take on the latest offering from Van’s Aircraft: the RV-12 LSA kit. Completions Builders share their successes. Shop Talk DIY Firewall Boots Need to seal your firewall, reduce carbon monoxide and allow components to move freely? Chuck Dieterich shows you how to make firewall boots. You and the Tube For some builders, the prospect of flaring hard-line tubing is daunting. Ishmael Fuentes demystifies the process, and shows you how to get good results every time. Aero ‘Lectrics Jim Weir delves into the world of barrier strips, wire markers, resettable fuses, nylon connector usage, dyeing and inrush current limiters. Designer's Notebook Wind Tunnel Fixed gear or retractable gear? Barnaby Wainfan examines the physics behind this longstanding design question. Exploring Around the Patch Once you finish building a project, it’s tempting to second-guess whether you should have done something different, or perhaps waited for the next gen of a new technology to make an appearance. But flying two differently powered Sportsman aircraft gave Editor in Chief Marc Cook a new appreciation for his own airplane and its more than adequate capabilities. What’s New Lancair's Piston Evolution has flown, and MGL Avionics’ V10 com radio debuts. Edited by Mary Bernard. 25th Anniversary: Power Shift From scrounging engines to building Experimental powerplants: Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook looks at the last 25 years in engine choices for homebuilders. Product Review: Garmin eLearning for the GPSMAP 696 Marc Cook tries out Garmin’s eLearning program for the GPSMAP 695/696. Unusual Attitude Sleeping on her first flight? It’s the sign of a good builder/pilot, and a trusting and relaxed wife. By Bill Repucci. Engine Beat Do kit aircraft owners have to comply with ADs? Steve Ells examines the dos and don’ts of this tricky question. Ask the DAR DAR Mel Asberry clarifies the confusion: Is a homebuilt owner bound by someone else’s operating limitations? Light Stuff Dave Martin and company owner Randy Schlitter wring out the RANS S-6 LSA. Kit Bits Letters List of Advertisers Builders' Marketplace The Classified Builder Kit Stuff Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha. Download KITPLANES® in PDF Download the complete September 2009 issue of KITPLANES® in one PDF file.
Follow these links to visit the web sites of companies you read about in the September issue.
KITPLANES sits down with Advanced Flight Systems' founder Rob Hickman to examine his new synthetic-vision EFIS.
JPI's Lance Turk explains the features of the new JPI EDM-740.
Ever wonder what it takes to be the largest kit manufacturer in the world? KITPLANES editor Marc Cook takes a tour of Van's Aircraft in Aurora, Oregon.
KITPLANES editor Marc Cook visits Matco Manufacturing near Salt Lake City to see how the company's brakes, wheels and master cylinders are built.
Get an inside look at how Dynon builds and tests its electronic flight instruments.
Kitplanes Magazine contributor Ed Kolano takes a first look at the Sherpa utility aircraft.
Flight Reports
