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The Canopy Takes Shape—Spring Boost for the F1 Rocket Project

Paul Dye -
Progress on the F1 Rocket project accelerates as warm weather enables critical canopy and gear leg work.

Postcards from SnF: STOL Demo

Steve Ashby -
STOL pilots gather on the event grounds to demonstrate their impressive takeoff and spot-landing skills.

Pilgrimage to Paradise City

Steve Ashby -
Paradise City is where aviation’s free spirits gather for fun, flight, and a whiff of nostalgia.

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.

A New Suburb of Paradise City Springs Up at Sun ’n Fun

Steve Ashby -
Bushwheel Basecamp: a wild and welcoming new offshoot of Paradise City at Sun ’n Fun, Lakeland, Florida.

Gyrocopter Flight Training Academy

Steve Ashby -
Gyrocopter Flight Training Academy offers top-tier instruction and kit sales in the widest gyroplane on the market.

Video Series

Magazine

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Exploring

Running With Scissors

Lisa Turner -
0
Designer's Notebook

Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 3: High-Speed Taxi Testing

Barnaby Wainfan -
2
Shop Talk

(Almost) Wordless Workshop

Kerry Fores -
1
Shop Talk

Check the Sump Screen

Vic Syracuse -
1
Shop Talk

3D Printer Assisted Building

Eric Stewart -
3
Exploring

The Value of a Mentor, and Mentoring

Jon Croke -
0
Builder Spotlight

Eating the Elephant—Part 2

Paul Dye -
1
Kit Bits

Dyke Delta

Ron Wanttaja -
0
Builder Spotlight

Second Chance Six

Tenley Ong -
0
Builder Spotlight

Final Flight

Scott Brumbelow -
9
Exploring

A Good Decision

Paul Dye -
1
Exploring

Evolved Composites

Jeffrey Bedrosian -
0
Builder Spotlight

The Baby Lakes is Small-Scale Fun

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
0
Exploring

One Thing Leads to Another

Marc Cook -
0
Shop Talk

Fixing Axle Fooly

Bob Hadley -
0

Flight Reviews

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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.

Sling Shot

Paul Dye -
Rotax’s 916 enlivens Sling’s four-seaters.

Nothing Small About This Amphibian

Tom Wilson -
The Gweduck is a hero-class Experimental amphibian aircraft three decades in the making.

On the Nose!

Paul Dye -
Lockwood’s Rotax-powered RV-9A is more than just fancy rhinoplasty.

Excess Horsepower!

Paul Dye -
Kitfox’s Super Sport gets more than new pep from Rotax’s turbocharged 916 iS.

Builder Spotlight

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Eating the Elephant—Part 2

Paul Dye -
One step forward, two steps back

Second Chance Six

Tenley Ong -
Part 14: To fix or not to fix?

Final Flight

Scott Brumbelow -
The rest of the story.

The Baby Lakes is Small-Scale Fun

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Tiny but mighty, the Baby Lakes still impresses.

Building the 750SD XTREME: Part 15

Jon Humberd -
Why is this airplane xtreme?

Something to Crow About

Paul Dye -
A visit to see how Crow builds harnesses.

James Aircraft’s State of the Art

Mark Timney -
Under new ownership, James Aircraft continues to support RV builders

Eating the Elephant

Paul Dye -
One person can’t imagine eating a whole elephant. It’s simply impossible. But the answer to the idiomatic question remains: one bite at a time!

Shop Talk

Denso Alternator Homemade Adaptation

Troy Zawlacki -
Swapping a Denso alternator into a Lycoming engine? Here’s how one builder tackled pulley design for optimal reliability.

Modifying a Pitot Mast

Bob Hadley -
Drilling a Piper pitot mast for heat proves trickier than expected—alignment is critical to avoid ruining the part.

(Almost) Wordless Workshop

Kerry Fores -
Project steps rarely go in order. These illustrated tips might save you time—and frustration—when things don’t go as planned.

Check the Sump Screen

Vic Syracuse -
It is important to check the oil sump screen for contaminants at least once per year.

3D Printer Assisted Building

Eric Stewart -
Welcome to tomorrow’s construction game changer—today.

Old Fiberglass Parts—Good as New

Paul Dye -
Fitting the RV-1’s fiberglass tail tips highlights the art behind careful craftsmanship—flanges, filler, and all.

Exploring

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AI Amuses, But It Can’t Replace Aviation Experts

Marc Cook -
AI can't replace real aviation expertise—building safe aircraft requires hands-on knowledge, experience, and a well-calibrated BS meter.

Tools and Shop Organization: When It’s Time to Start

Vic Syracuse -
Organization, smart tool planning and connecting with local builders are essential first steps to a successful aircraft building project.

Putting Off the Tailwheel Spring Repair

Tom Wilson -
After decades of delay, a cracked tailwheel spring finally forces long-overdue upgrades on a well-worn Starduster Too.

Running With Scissors

Lisa Turner -
Stay safe in your workshop with these practical, experience-driven shop safety tips from a tech counselor.

The Value of a Mentor, and Mentoring

Jon Croke -
Building and flying a kit aircraft is a rare achievement—share your journey, mentor others, and strengthen the builder community.

A Good Decision

Paul Dye -
Sometimes, the universe throws you a curveball.

Products

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.

Innovation Showcase Highlights New HUD Helmet and Visual Traffic Alert System

Mark Timney -
New tech at Sun ’n Fun includes a HUD helmet and a visual traffic alert system for general aviation pilots.

Pure Medical Brings New Oxygen Solution to Aircraft

Steve Ashby -
Pure Medical adapts the Inogen Rove 6 for aircraft, delivering tank-free oxygen to homebuilders at Sun ’n Fun.

Radiant Technology Unveils Taxi Camera

Cayla McLeod -
A flush camera and accompanying 7-inch LCD display grants tailwheel pilots forward visibility while taxiing.

EFIS Roundup 2024

Marc Cook -
Big screens available now.

DuraWear and UltraWear Brake Discs From Matco

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Matco presented new DuraWear and UltraWear components which provide an upgrade to their standard brake discs and pads while maintaining the same pricing.

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In Case You Missed It

patch 1

Around the Patch

Marc Cook - 1
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook takes note of the good, bad and the uncapitalized in public reactions to a recent aircraft accident. He encourages knowledgeable pilots, builders and enthusiasts to counter the public rantings of armchair crackpots with kindness and courage. Also, a tip of the buttonless cap to Omar Filipovic, KITPLANES.coms new webmaster, for his savvy work to create a more lively and flexible web site.
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Tools for the Home Shop Machinist

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Thinking of setting up a home machine shop?
safety fatalities 594

Safety Is No Accident: Fatality Rates for Homebuilt Aircraft

Ron Wanttaja - 0
The accident fatality rate for homebuilt aircraft is higher than the GA rate, but why?
kitstuff 76

Kit Stuff

Robrucha - 0
aerolectrics potpourri 01

Potpourri

Jim Weir - 0
Potpourri (pronounced “poh’purree”), taken literally from the French origin, is translated “rotten pot.” In...
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