Marc Cook

Anything you can do during the build, to make your project easier to maintain and upgrade in the future will be worth the few ounces added and hours they’d take now.

Here’s something new for me. Until my recently acquired GlaStar, I have never owned an airplane without an adjustable propeller. True, the Pulsar XP’s two-blade, all-wood GSC was technically fixed pitch, but it was ground adjustable. Funny thing is that I remember setting it to the recommendations of Aero Designs, maker of the Pulsar kit, […]

Since the first day I flew my GlaStar, the starter has caught, swung the prop to the next compression stroke, where it almost stopped, and then continued on its way. Never has the airplane not started. So far. But this hesitation has always bothered me, making me concerned that the right combination of slightly weak […]

It wasn’t the call I expected from the ferry pilot. Somewhere on the leg into Bloomington, Illinois, the GlaStar started running strangely. On the taxi-in to the FBO, it was definitely running rough, and when he went to shut the trusty Lycoming O-320 down with the mixture, it coughed, sputtered, and almost refused to stop […]

I don’t know if you’re like me and read magazines all random and willy-nilly, not necessarily from front to back. But if you are, there’s a chance you’ve already consumed Tom Wilson’s latest column (“Living With RVs”). If you haven’t, I won’t steal his thunder here. Only to say he takes up a subject that […]

Garmin figured out that not everyone was in the market for a full G3X EFIS suite. Some homebuilts out there still have six holes in a three-by-two arrangement in front of the pilot, and their owners aren’t always thrilled about tearing out the whole lot to gain redundancy, reliability, or capability. And that’s how we […]

It’s said you don’t know where to begin until someone shines a light down the dark hallway. Metaphorically, anyway, because it’s hard to build an airplane in darkness. Flipping on the overhead lights is exactly what the KITPLANES® annual directory of kit- and plansbuilt aircraft is all about. It’s the one place where this information […]

The South African kit manufacturer celebrated a milestone this week when the first Sling TSi built at the company’s Southern Californian builder-assistance center completed its 40-hour Phase I flight-test program. The four-seat Sling has been offered as a kit for some time but the company has been busy setting up a stateside builder-assist program at […]

Mark Phillips’ Zenith CH 701 is the best kind of unique. An admittedly over-the-top interpretation of individualism, Phillips’ Zenith sparkles with innovation, craftsmanship, and a wicked-good sense of humor. Follow along as he describes the unique features of his retro-themed (yet thoroughly modern) CH 701 and how he came to create them.

uAvionix has purchased startup electronic-instrument manufacturer AeroVonics. Best known in general-aviation circles for its tailBeacon and skyBeacon all-in-one ADS-B Out solutions, uAvionix says the acquisition is “a milestone event in the growth of our company.” Manufacturing will move “immediately” to the uAvionix facility in Columbia Falls, Montana. “I just can’t tell you how ecstatic we […]