Barnaby Wainfan
Barnaby is a Technical Fellow for Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Design organization. A private pilot with single-engine and glider ratings, Barnaby has been involved in the design of unconventional airplanes including canards, joined wings, flying wings and some too strange to fall into any known category.
Fasteners Through an Engineer’s Eye
The structure of an airplane and its systems are only as strong and reliable as the joints holding its components together.
Avoiding the Traps of Bad Engineering and Construction
There's a large body of knowledge of good engineering practice for aircraft. Most of this knowledge was gained the hard way, and it should not be ignored lightly.
Wind Tunnel
When unexpected drag is an issue, the cause could be gaps in the skin of your airplane. A simple seal might solve the problem.
Wind Tunnel
One effect of a rotating propellor: It acts as a gyroscope. What does this mean for the pilot?
Wind Tunnel
Thrust-line adjustment is a powerful tool for tailoring flying qualities, but it’s complicated.
In Case You Missed It
Light Stuff
When you purchase a new light or ultralight aircraft, you should talk to the manufacturer or distributor about the flight training services they provide. By Roy Beisswenger.
![The discomfort of wearing prescription- or sunglasses under an ANR headset is eliminated with Flying Eyes. [Credit: Flying Eyes]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FlyingEyes-Group.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Eyes Forward")