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WAI Announces the 2026 Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees

Randall Brink - 0
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  Ceremony and Celebration in Dallas on Friday, March 20, 2026 Women in Aviation International (WAI) has selected the 2026 inductees for its international Pioneer Hall...

The Aeromarine Merlin

Randall Brink - 6
[Courtesy: Aeromarine]
Personal Sport Aviation Comes of Age.

Aircraft Builders Reap Benefit from MOSAIC Rules

Randall Brink - 0
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New FAA regulations unlock additional utility for popular kit designs The homebuilt aviation community welcomed a significant milestone on October 22 when the FAA's MOSAIC...

Trig Avionics Launches TT23 Transponder Line

Randall Brink - 0
Transponder ADS-B Out
Smaller, Lighter, GPS, ADS-B Out, Certified. New unit offers optional integrated GPS, providing a simple, certified solution for global ADS-B compliance. Trig Avionics announced the debut...

Sandpoint, Idaho HS Students Achieve FAA Airworthiness Certification for Kit Aircraft

Randall Brink - 2
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North Idaho Student Kit Plane Gets FAA Approval The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program (ACES) reached a significant goal on October 4, 2025, when...

VoltAero Enters Financial Restructuring After Investor Withdraws Funding

Randall Brink - 2
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French hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer VoltAero initiated formal insolvency proceedings on October 7, 2025, at the commercial court in La Rochelle, after approximately $5.8 million...

Skyfly Axe SN001 Awarded FAA Experimental Status

Randall Brink - 3
A Skyfly Bicester Flight June 2025 8
eVTOL Skyfly Axe Gets FAA Experimental Nod in U.S. Skyfly Technologies, a UK-based innovator in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, has made a significant...

A Rare Chance For Kit Builders

Randall Brink - 4
Murphy Rebel
Murphy Rebel Kit Auction The auction of a near-complete Murphy Rebel kit presents a unique opportunity for homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts and marks an interesting development...

Thorp S-18 Under New Ownership

Randall Brink - 0
Go Around 1b
A Classic Gets New Life and Full-Kit Production October 2025 marks a revival for one of experimental aviation's true classics—the Thorp S-18—under new ownership and...

SilverLight Aviation Recon Kit

Randall Brink - 0
SilverLight Aviation Recon
Backcountry Capability Meets Builder-Friendly Design SilverLight Aviation is setting the homebuilt market abuzz with its Recon Airplane kit, launched nationally at Sun ’n Fun last...

Sonex Highwing Update

Randall Brink - 4
Sonex Highwing Taildragger View1
Practical Utility Meets Builder Flexibility Sonex Aircraft’s new Highwing is fast becoming a phenomenon among experimental aviation enthusiasts, blending advanced utility with aerobatic handling and...

Hybrid Power: From Hype to Hardware

Randall Brink - 3
VoltAero hybrid propulsion powerplant
The VoltAero HPU 210 is a firewall-forward package that blends a supercharged Kawasaki H2SX-derived engine with a 60-kilowatt electric motor.

Video Series

Magazine

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Magazine

Measuring: Go To Lengths To Get It Right

Kerry Fores -
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Magazine

Starlink In The Air

Randall Brink -
0
Magazine

Homebuilding Is Getting Expensive-Or Is It?

Randall Brink -
0
Magazine

34th Annual Zenith Homecoming

Kitplanes -
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Magazine

A Note From The New Editor

Randall Brink -
8
Shop Talk

Make a Custom Baffle Duct

Omar Filipovic -
3
Exploring

Horizons Past And Present—Peter Egan

Tom Wilson -
1
Kit Bits

Coloring Outside the Lines

Lisa Turner -
0
Designer's Notebook

Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 6: High AoA Tail Effects

Barnaby Wainfan -
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Shop Talk

Companion DIY Drill Guide

Bob Hadley -
1
Exploring

Build Smart: Make Mods That Matter

Vic Syracuse -
0
Exploring

Flying Hot

Tom Wilson -
0
Shop Talk

Nuts. What to Do When Thrown a Curve

Kerry Fores -
1
Kit Bits

Polliwagen

Ron Wanttaja -
0
Shop Talk

All Jacked Up

Tom Wilson -
1

Flight Reviews

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Creating the RV-15

Paul Dye -
Flying Van’s high wing during its multiyear journey to kit production.

Flying the Groppo Trail

Luca Perazzoli -
How to say ‘mountain flying’ in Italian.

Home-Rolled XCub

Paul Dye -
Traditional or nosewheel, the XCubs are now available as kits.

Risen — The Master of Efficiency

Marc Cook -
It is crazy fast for the horsepower!

ScaleBirds P-36 Hawk

Paul Dye -
ScaleBirds, a newcomer to the kit manufacturing scene, chose to start their line of replica fighters with one of the first all-metal U.S. military pursuit ships of WW-II—the P-36.

Kitfox Speedster 916

Marc Cook -
The feistiest Kitfox gets feistier yet.

Builder Spotlight

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Building the 750 SDXTREME: Part 17

Jon Humberd -
Custom mods to the 750 SDX main gear and nosegear bring serious weight savings and unique titanium parts to life—right down to the pedals and steering rods.

Forked-Tail Masterpiece

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Jim O’Hara’s scratchbuilt P-38 is a multi-generational effort .

Eating the Elephant—Part 5

Paul Dye -
Perfection isn’t a goal—it’s a trap.

Second Chance Six

Tenley Ong -
As Oshkosh 2025 nears, Tenley rallies support and tackles critical inspection tasks to get RV-6 N2165U flying again.

The Hummingbird Airworthiness Inspection

Vic Syracuse -
A DAR walks through the paperwork and practical steps needed to get an Experimental helicopter inspected—and reflects on what it means to finally fly.

Eating the Elephant—Part 4

Paul Dye -
Dealing with repetitive tasks.

Adding a Taillight to a Completed Rudder

Andrew Robinson -
A creative, low-impact solution for mounting a light without cutting up your rudder.

Assembling a Gyro Technic VX-2

Mark Timney -
A pilot chases his dream of building and flying a gyroplane with help from Gyro Technic in Minnesota.

Shop Talk

A D For Effort

Andrew Robinson -
LYCOMING O-290G REBUILD PART 1

Aircraft Welding Methods for Homebuilders

Randall Brink -
The choice of welding method for your homebuilt aircraft's steel tube fuselage represents one...

The “Rope A Dope” Trick To Avoid Replacing Cylinders

Ken Walsh -
It’s never a good sign when during your aircraft annual inspection the mechanic calls to report an issue. It’s sort of like getting a...

Make a Custom Baffle Duct

Omar Filipovic -
Fiberglass your way to a perfect shape.

Companion DIY Drill Guide

Bob Hadley -
Build a simple aluminum jig to drill AN bolt threads for safety wiring—perfect for when your hardware bin is missing just one critical part.

Nuts. What to Do When Thrown a Curve

Kerry Fores -
When fasteners crowd a radius or bend, radius washers, blocks, or spot facing can solve the problem—without compromising strength or workmanship.

Exploring

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Vintage Homebuilts

Mike Davenport -
Where are they now? While that question has been asked many times, this time...

Horizons Past And Present—Peter Egan

Tom Wilson -
A summer of open-cockpit adventures, from biplane fly-ins to Peter Egan’s cross-country Cub journey, capturing America low and slow.

Build Smart: Make Mods That Matter

Vic Syracuse -
Some mods are better than others. Know how to pick the right ones.

Flying Hot

Tom Wilson -
Summer heat can be more than uncomfortable—it can be dangerous. Smart planning, proper cooling, and a little altitude can keep you flying safely.

MOSAIC Is Here: What It Means for Homebuilts

Omar Filipovic -
The FAA's new MOSAIC rule is here. See how it expands Sport Pilot privileges and revolutionizes maintenance for Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft owners.

Sitting Up Front Again

Tom Wilson -
From hot rods to homebuilts, a new editor takes the stick at KITPLANES—with steady hands, clear skies, and a love for hands-on aviation.

Products

All Jacked Up

Tom Wilson -
Aircraft Jacking Solutions introduces ease and stability to lifting an airplane

Buzz Job – The Tosten Haptic Stick Grip

Tom Wilson -
Tosten’s prototype haptic stick grip buzzes to warn of stall, integrating touch-based feedback to angle-of-attack data.

iFly EFB X7 Aviation Tablet

Omar Filipovic -
The iFly EFB X7 is a 7″ Android aviation tablet featuring a 2,600-nit display, MIL-STD-810G ruggedness, IP68 sealing and a 7,000 mAh battery—pre-orders open July 18.

KitFlight Modernizes the Aircraft Builder’s Log (Updated)

Omar Filipovic -
KitFlight makes logging your Experimental aircraft build intuitive, flexible, and future-proof—with powerful features and no subscription required.

USB-Powered CO Monitor from Radiant

Paul Dye -
Radiant's new $29.95 USB CO monitor lights up red if danger's in the air—and might just beat those old stick-on cards for reliability.

Holy Micro’s Absolute AoA: Next-Level Angle of Attack Sensing for GA Pilots

Mark Timney -
Advanced new AoA system from Holy Micro debuts at Sun ’n Fun 2025 with radar and LiDAR altimeters in tow.

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