![A SubSonex personal jet in aerobatic flight. Thea design will expand with a two-place model kit in the months ahead. [Credit: Sonex Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SubSonex_Acro.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Sonex Reopens")
![A CubCrafter’s Carbon Cub headed to Sun ‘n Fun in the time-honored tradition. [Credit: CubCrafters]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Carbon-Cub-UL.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Sun ‘n Fun 2026 Highlights: Electric RV-10, Modular Avionics, and MOSAIC")
![A CFI talks a pilot through the checklist — a step toward scraping off years of rust and getting back into the air. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_3254.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Returning to Flying")
![[Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Over-Stave-Lake-3.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Glasair Sportsman 2+2 Build Part 3")
![A sleek Glasair II. [Credit: Glasair]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Glasair-II_2863.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Class of ’86: How 1986 Transformed the Modern Kit Building Industry")
![[Credit: ChatGPT]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/What-did-you-miss-Topaz-Gigapixel-4x-scale.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Last Bits"){kind=tracking}
Last Bits
Becky stood back from the RV-7 and admired every inch of the newly constructed airplane. She’d made her first flight a month ago and...
![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
Building vs. Fixing
Somewhere during every aircraft project, a builder faces a quiet moment of truth. It might happen while drilling a hole in a structural member,...
![[Credit: Wikimedia Commons]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/F-117_Nighthawk_Front.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Odd and Unusual Aircraft")
Odd and Unusual Aircraft
If you look at the books in my library, and by that, I mean the ones on the shelves, not the ones next to......
![After nearly 75 years, the basic Tailwind design remains sound. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4636.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "The Wittman Tailwind")
The Wittman Tailwind
Still viable in an age of uber-expensive composite homebuilts, the Wittman Tailwind continues to attract builders seeking maximum performance on minimum cost. Plans for...
![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "A Few of My Favorite Tools")
A Few of My Favorite Tools
Occasionally I see articles by colleagues on their favorite tools (a somewhat less controversial topic than favorite airplanes). I’ve had a growing list in...
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_125628775.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Roll Recovery, Part 2")
Roll Recovery, Part 2
Part 1 of Rich Stowell’s series on upset and roll recovery appeared in the March 2026 issue of Kitplanes. In Part 2, he focuses...
![Ten hours of dual instruction in a tailwheel-equipped aircraft is usually required for proficiency. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_354747155.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Learning How to Drag Your Tail")
Learning How to Drag Your Tail
“I want you to work on a taildragger checkout with me; can we get started this afternoon?” I get that a lot. Pilots see...
![Coming in for a landing at Humberd’s Farm [All Images Credited to Jon Humberd]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/9-1.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "Overcoming Setbacks on the Zenith 750SD Xtreme")
Overcoming Setbacks on the Zenith 750SD Xtreme
It is easy to realize what your true passion is when one thing is continually on your mind. Even with the multiple job duties...
![The Classic Wittman W-10 Tailwind [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4633.jpg?w=324&h=235&crop=1 "The Midpoint Reset: Navigating the Rest of the 2026 Homebuilt Horizon")
The Midpoint Reset: Navigating the Rest of the 2026 Homebuilt Horizon
You’re home again, and the airplane cabin still smells faintly of Florida and sunscreen. The bugs on the leading edges are mostly gone, but...
![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=235&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.
In Case You Missed It
Dollars and Sense
In my decades in aviation, I have come across individuals representing a wide financial...
Alternative Energies
Dean Sigler checks in on the Green Flight Challengers of 2011 who didn’t make it to the competition to see what they’re up to now.
Design Process: Slipstream Effects
In preliminary design and for performance calculations, we treat the engine, propeller and airframe...