Kitplanes

Flight Reports

Flight Review: Back to the Future

Bob Grimstead offers an appreciation of the VariEze and its designer, Burt Rutan. Both the man and the design were ahead of their time.

Flight Review: Mustang II

When Don Caskey recognized that a passel of his neighbors had built and were flying Mustang IIs, he got the bug and constructed a custom-made version of his own. By Ed Wischmeyer.

Builder Spotlight

Prefab Choices

If you’re contemplating buying a “used” homebuilt, consider the mission, find a mentor, review the logbooks and, most importantly, take your time. By Marc Cook.

Time to Vent

When it comes to fuel-tank vents, there is a wide variety of choices. We look at the basic types and consider their relative merits. By Terry Edwards.

Here Comes the Judge

How do aircraft judges at the big annual events evaluate a potential prizewinner? You might be surprised. By Bill Repucci.

Give Me a Brake

When his Zenith CH 701 wouldn’t stay put during runup and tended to roll on an incline, builder Chuck Deiterich came up with a do-it-yourself solution.

Engine Beat

A step-by-step guide to doing maintenance on a Slick magneto. By Steve Ells.

Ask the DAR

DAR Mel Asberry continues his discussion of aircraft operating limitations by looking at why we do what we do during those important Phase I tests.

Completions

Builders share their successes.

Shop Talk

Aero ’Lectrics

Jim Weir takes a look at the performance of a DIY ground-plane antenna versus a factory-built rubber duckie on a handheld GPS receiver.

Designer's Notebook

Wind Tunnel

Involved in the flight testing of a friend’s aircraft, Barnaby Wainfan contemplates the consequences (and wisdom) of designing an aircraft around an engine that may prove unsatisfactory or, worse, unavailable.

Exploring

Around the Patch

Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the magazine’s new approach to the Alternative Engines Buyer’s Guide and the blowback from his commentary about these engines in the May issue.

What’s New

PS Engineering has introduced a new audio panel/com, Avemco creates a safety team, Comp Air offers special pricing incentives on its 6 kit, and UL Power of North America names Zenith as first OEM. Edited by Mary Bernard.

Alternative Energies

Great predictions about the advent of reliable, readily available and affordable electric aircraft have come and gone. How far away are we? By Dean Sigler.

The Dawn Patrol

When you’re the newbie of the group, you’re going to get the tough assignments. But some newbies know how to exact payback (all in good fun, of course). By Dick Starks.

Free Flight

Sometimes those little modifications can add up to big consequences. By Paul Dye.

Light Stuff

Columnist Roy Beisswenger takes a look at what’s currently available in the foot-launched and wheeled variety of canopy or soft-wing aircraft.

Kit Bits

Letters

KITPLANES Marketplace

List of Advertisers, Builders' Marketplace and the Classified Builder.

Kit Stuff

Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha.

Download KITPLANES® in PDF

Download the complete July 2011 issue of KITPLANES® in one PDF file.