![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=534&h=462&crop=1 "Builder’s Spotlight")
![Checking out East Tennessee scenery from the 701. [Credit: Jon Humberd]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Builder’s Spotlight")
![[Credit: Jon Humberd]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Epic Is Back")
![Members of the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program gathered at KSZT [Credit: North Idaho High School Aerospace Program]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_3499.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "North Idaho High School Student ACES Fly the Aircraft They Built")
Modern Exterior Aircraft Lighting
It’s your best way of letting other making your presence known to other pilots, so your exterior lighting system deserves careful thought and planning early on in the build process. Fortunately, there are choices for every plane and budget.
Firewall Forward: Electrical Systems, Part 1
Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of wiring—plenty of homebuilders didn’t know how to do it when they started their projects. Get yourself the right tools, then jump in and start learning. Dave Prizio outlines the basics.
Ask the DAR
What paperwork is necessary when a new owner makes an engine change? If floats are replaced with conventional gear, what does the change in gross weight mean for a plane's LSA status?
Something Wild
When a homebuilder has a vision for a unique paint scheme on his RV-3, he assembles a team that can bring it to life.
Firewall Forward: Ignition Systems
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines...but how? Dave Prizio considers some of the choices.
Build It Better: Hope Is Not a Plan
There are always unknowns in any human endeavor, but in aviation, we must think about the ways we can minimize them.
Meet the Fokker, U.K. Style
In 1915, Allied pilots called the Eindecker the Scourge. In 2007, three friends in England bought and built Eindecker replica kits, and improved upon the original design. By Geoff Jones.
Sikorsky S-38 Project
Building a 55%-scale, amphibious twin-engine flying boat seems like an ambitious project, and it is. But this former WW-II B-25 commander with four homebuilt aircraft already under his belt tackled it anyway. By Rick Lindstrom.
Firewall Forward: Cowls, Baffles and Intake Air
How to keep your engine’s carburetor or fuel-injection system breathing right.
Dyno Testing
Dyno testing your engine before installation can be an investment in peace of mind as well as the future value of your aircraft.
In Case You Missed It
Viewfinder
Marc Cook considers the relevance of airworthiness directives for homebuilders and reflects on what he learned about the current homebuilt market at Sun ’n Fun.
Flying Qualities and the Horizontal Tail
An airplane's horizontal tail is critical to stabilizing the airplane in pitch, trimming out pitching moments caused by the wing and providing control power for maneuverability.
Grease Is the Word
Consistently use the correct lubricant for your airplane’s various parts, and you will go a long way toward preventing problems.
