Dave Prizio
Dave Prizio has been plying the skies of the L.A. basin and beyond since 1973. Born into a family of builders, it was only natural that he would make his living as a contractor and spend his leisure time building airplanes. He has so far completed four—two GlaStars, a Glasair Sportsman, and a Texas Sport Cub—and is helping a friend build an RV-8. When he isn’t building something, he shares his love of aviation with others by flying Young Eagles or volunteering as an EAA Technical Counselor. He is also an A&P mechanic, Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), and was a member of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council for six years.
The Ultimate Upgrade
Veteran pilots and kit builders, Wendell and Martha Solesbee make the reasoned decision to embark on a Lancair Evo build—the ultimate upgrade to their already-impressive homebuilt fleet.
STOL Brothers
A number of kit manufacturers have capitalized on the Cubs enduring appeal with Cub-alike designs, each of which has something unique to offer.
Build a Bear: Keeping It Real
Dave Prizio and his Build-a-Bear crew get the Texas Sport Cub ready for flight testing, and take to the skies.
Build a Bear: Some Assembly Required
Much more than Tab A into Slot B: Team Prizio assembles the Texas Sport Cub.
Build a Bear: Mellow Yellow
Dave Prizio and team build a paint booth (too small), test drive charcoal masks and bunny suits, and discover the joys of covering your homebuilt plane with $400 per gallon paint.
Build a Bear: Put the Fabric in Fabrication
Dave Prizio evaluates the two major fabric covering systems – PolyFiber and Air-Tech – and sets to work, patiently covering his Texas Sport Cub airframe.
Build a Bear: Moving Right Along
It’s starting to look like a Sport Cub. Dave Prizio gets to work on the systems and finishes the wings.
Build a Bear: Taking Stock
The big truck bringing Dave Prizio’s Texas Sport Cub arrives, and the inventory and painting processes begin.
Man on a Mission
Tom Needham, with the help of his son Daniel and numerous friends, completes a Sportsman 2+2 and will use the plane's big hauling capacity and short-field performance to shuttle people and supplies between remote locations in Africa.
Build a Bear: Third Time Charm
Repeat offender Dave Prizio goes for his third strike, ultimately deciding to build an Texas Sport Cub.
In Case You Missed It
Aero ‘lectrics
Its important to understand the fundamentals before you can be conversant in electrical theory, so lets revisit Georg Simon Ohm and James Watt to see how their laws factor in to aircraft applications.
![Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pulsar-Sunset.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Last Bits")
Last Bits
Of course money matters in aviation, but most of the time we never actually sit down and run the calculations.
2013 Plansbuilt Aircraft Buyer’s Guide
There are developments in the world of plansbuilt designs. Here’s what’s new, what’s old (but still going strong, such as the Pietenpol Air Camper) and what’s on the horizon. By Mary Bernard.