Kerry Fores
Kerry Fores grew up jumping the airport fence in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He wanted to build an airplane in 10th-grade woodshop but was asked to choose a smaller project. In 1998, unconstrained by teachers, Kerry scratch built a Sonex he polished and named Metal Illness. It was awarded Plans Built Champion at AirVenture 2006. Kerry is on the web at thelifeofdanger.com.
The Art of Putzing About
Ahhh, putzing about. Is there anything more satisfying? Of course there is. Thousands of things, I’m sure. But like an ointment on an itch,...
Tail First
“Where did you get this?” my mom demanded, shaking a thick brown envelope at me. One that had been hidden under my mattress. I...
No One Is Watching
For better or worse, kit manufacturers are under no FAA oversight. There are no independent engineering reviews. No mandatory wing loading or landing-gear drop...
A Cautionary Tail
One Monday morning I opened an email from the second owner of a Onex. It was sent at 8:12 p.m. on Saturday. An attached...
Executing the Execution
Airplanes are born of time and tedium. Mostly tedium. A harsh statement, yet a true one. There’s just no way around deburring the thousands...
Hand Tools: Modified, Made and Improvised
Merriam-Webster defines a tool as “A self-absorbed male prone to wearing a necklace”…wrong one…here it is: “A handheld device that aids in accomplishing a...
Fit and Trim
A first flight reveals truths that only air moving over an aircraft’s surfaces can reveal. Will the engine cool properly? Will the cockpit fill...
Keeping a Battery Current
“With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being...
One Week Wonder—That’s a Wrap!
With one second remaining on the clock, the Sonex One Week Wonder was still one hour from having a functioning nervous system. Deadlines. Who...
Patience, Kindness and Understanding
AirVenture! It’s finally here. How is it a year can pass so quickly yet take so long? For many, AirVenture is more than the...
In Case You Missed it
Wind Tunnel
Columnist Barnaby Wainfan continues his flight-testing discussion by taking up the topic of longitudinal stability. By identifying the origin of the problem, whether it be a control-system issue, a too-small static margin, or a combination of the two, the flight tests he recommends will help to isolate the issue.
Twice the Fun and Half the Cost
Everyone needs two airplanes—one for going places and another for fun. Getting that...
Around the Patch
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.