Table of Contents
February 2012 Issue
Buyer's Guide
The 2012 Rotorcraft Buyer’s Guide includes 49 designs for those who may be interested in building a kit helicopter or gyroplane.
Flight Reports
Marc Cook reports on the process of developing a new Lycoming O-233 engine package for the Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport and samples the result.
Builder Spotlight
Garmin aera 796: Portable Syn Vision
Garmin builds on its portable product line with two new navigators: the aera 795 and 796. Paul Bertorelli reviews these synthetic-vision capable units.
Paul Dye debuts his new series on the myriad considerations that go into building and flying Experimental aircraft.
Lycoming makes a push into the Light Sport Aircraft market with its new O-233 engine. Though similar in appearance to the venerable O-235, it’s an entirely new design poised to take on some heavy competition. By Marc Cook.
What builders need to know about Light Sport Aircraft Repairman Certificates. By Mel Asberry.
Builders share their successes.
Shop Talk
The FAA provides a wealth of user-friendly information on its web site. Jim Weir takes us on a tour of the highlights.
Designer's Notebook
Learn how wingtip vortices are generated and how wake turbulence can affect your aircraft. By Barnaby Wainfan.
Exploring
Editor Mary Bernard introduces the new “Build It Better” series by Paul Dye and praises Kitfox Aircraft for its ongoing development efforts.
MGL Avionics announces its new XTreme EMS engine monitoring system, the RANS S-19 Venterra has joined the FAA’s official 51% eligibility list, and Wicks Aircraft Supply adds a new Dual XGPS150 universal Bluetooth Receiver to its product lineup.
Marc Cook reflects on the years of on-the-job lessons he learned while formation flying and shooting air-to-air photography.
Inside KITPLANES: How We Do Aerial Photography
Marc Cook explains the nuts-and-bolts of how we achieve the aerial photography that appears in the magazine, and offers a few pointers on how to capture your own plane in flight.
Doug Reeves, creator of the Van’s Air Force web site, shares his personal philosophy about what it takes to fly safely and responsibly.
Dick and Sharon Starks mix it up with the “big boys” and draw their own crowd at Oshkosh AirVenture 2011.
Dean Sigler was on location at this year’s Green Flight Challenge in Santa Rosa, California, and he offers a report.
Ready to jump into gyroplanes? Roy Beisswenger explains the options available and the regulations for this exciting segment of aviation.
Kit Bits
List of Advertisers, Builders' Marketplace and the Classified Builder.
Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha.
Download the complete February 2012 issue of KITPLANES in one PDF file.
Follow these links to visit the web sites of companies you read about in the February 2012 issue.
What's New
MGL Avionics
RANS Designs
Wicks Aircraft Supply
Kitfox Super Sport
Kitfox Aircraft
Garmin aera 796
Garmin
How We Do Aerial Photography
GoPro cameras
XCOM patch cable
Engine Update
Lycoming Engines
The Dawn Patrol
Airdrome Aeroplanes
Culver Propellers
D-Motor
Daher-Socata Aircraft
Experimental Aircraft Association
Kansas City Dawn Patrol
Replica Fighters Association
SCI Aviation (Sadler Radial Engines)
Valley Engineering, LLC
Viking Aircraft Engines
Alternative Energies
CAFE Foundation
e-Genius
Eco-Eagle
Lindbergh Prize
NASA Challenges
Phoenix Air (1)
Phoenix Air (2)
Pipistrel (1)
Pipistrel (2)
AeroLectrics
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
View Reader Links from previous issues
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Diesel engines are beginning to make tiny inroads into the Experimental aircraft market, although they're a ways from gaining market share. At the Aero show in Friedsrichshafen, KITPLANES saw an interesting three-cylinder model from a company called FlyEco.
New side-by-side testing by Rotax reveals that the 912iS yields substantially better fuel economy than the company originally claimed. In this exclusive KITPLANES video, Rotax's Alexander Mitter reveals the test details.
We get a detailed look at Garmin's new G3X package. Paul Bertorelli talks to Garmin's Jim Alpiser at the Aero show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
At Sun 'n Fun 2013, KITPLANES editor Paul Dye flew his RV-3 into Lakeland. In this video, he gives us a tour of the airplane's unique design and construction.
Superior Air Parts is showing the new XP-400, a 215 hp variant of the popular four-cylinder powerplant.
Zenith Aircraft introduced a new version of its CH750, the Cruzer. It's intended to be faster than the STOL version of this airplane.
