Doug Rozendaal
Doug Rozendaal’s pilot certificate requires two cards and includes ratings in business jets, WW-II bombers, transports and fighters, as well as seaplanes, gliders and the coveted “All Makes and Models of Single and Multi Engine Piston Powered” endorsement. He holds a low altitude aerobatic waiver and flies airshows in the P-51, T-6, Rocket, and RVs.
Turbine Moose: The Ultimate Amphib
Its said that sailors make good floatplane pilots because they understand the nature of wind on the water. Sailboat racer and pilot Rick Orchard took that sentiment to heart in a big way when he decided to pump up an already large homebuilt (the Murphy Moose) by adding Aerocet amphibious floats and a 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turbine engine.
The Ultimate Amphib
It’s said that sailors make good floatplane pilots because they understand the nature of wind on the water. Sailboat racer and pilot Rick Orchard took that sentiment to heart in a big way when he decided to pump up an already large homebuilt (the Murphy Moose) by adding Aerocet amphibious floats and a 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turbine engine.
Rocket Life
All it took for author Doug Rozendaal to gain additional respect for his F-1 EVO Rocket was a couple of months without it. Even though he didn’t have to go cold turkey and had other airplanes to fly, they weren’t the same. He offers an appreciation for airplanes with that fighter feeling.
Aircraft Handling: Making the Compromises Work
Doug Rozendaal brings his considerable experience to a discussion of flight handling characteristics and his favorite aircraft. Among the factors designers consider are stability, control response, feel, personal preferences, FAA requirements, stick force, center of gravity, center of pressure, and the flight envelope. Every design is a compromise.
In Case You Missed It
Combustion Pressure and the Future of the Aero Engine
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook looks at the changes within Lycoming and how they affect kit builders, as well as Superior Air Parts future since Thielert's bankruptcy.
![Humberd and his daughter using the 701 for some farm duty transportation. [All Images Credited to Jon Humberd]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/1-3.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Builder’s Spotlight")
Builder’s Spotlight
Part 22 of an ongoing Zenith 750SD Xtreme build, pushing the design further into extreme STOL performance territory.