![The Zenith CH701 outside the hangar at SMX, fresh from paint. The stars-and-stripes theme marks America’s 250th and the CH701’s 40th anniversary. [Credit: Carson Stilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_1726.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Zenith CH 701: A Proof of Concept Homebuilt on a Budget")
![Builder and pilot Mark Farver stands alongside his Continental IOX-340 powered RANS S-21. [Credit: Mark Farver]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Copy-of-build-38-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Cross-Country in a Homebuilt RANS S-21 Outbound to Oshkosh"){kind=tracking}
![[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")
![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=265&h=198&crop=1 "Overcoming Setbacks on the Zenith 750SD Xtreme")
![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=265&h=198&crop=1 "Builder’s Spotlight")
Flight Testing
You've planned; you've prepared. Now we look at how to conduct your first flight in a homebuilt aircraft.
Build It Better: Play by the Rules
Some rules are made for you, and some rules are made by you. Those personal rules create a higher level of safety for you and your passengers, and they are the mark of professionalism in a pilot.
Maintenance Matters
No one wants to experience a faulty mag drop (especially with a nervous passenger on board). Steve Ells offers some tips on how to reduce misfires and maximize ignition-system performance.
New to Homebuilding?
With so many options available, how can you choose a kit aircraft to build? From financing to storage to operating costs (and don’t forget insurance), a few factors can point you to a project that will fit your needs. By Scott “Sky” Smith.
Amateur-Built Aircraft Safety Study
Ron Wanttaja digs into the details of the NTSBs safety study on Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft to determine whether we got a fair shake. He also discusses its recommendations for the FAA and EAA.
Ready to Build?
You can begin your aircraft project right now—before even deciding on a kit. Here are 10 ways to get ready to build.
Firewall Forward: Fuel Systems
Simplicity is key in a good fuel system, but there's a lot to consider when creating even an uncomplicated setup, from primers to sniffle valves to gascolators.
Free Flight
Surprisingly, building a metal aircraft may also mean getting familiar with fiberglass. Here are some tips to make that portion of the build less painful.
Build It Better: Learning from History
Everything we know about aviation comes from the experience of designers, builders and pilots who came before us. Understanding their successes and failures can help us fly and build more safely.
Avidyne IFD540
Avidyne's new IFD540 GPS navigator will offer an easy replacement for Garmin GNS users.
In Case You Missed It
Roll Camera!
Leave it to Dick Starks to get his foot in the door of a movie set by supplying WW-I replica aircraft. Once there, leave it to Dick to find trouble, even when hes not looking for it. No worries, though. Alls well that ends well, and the whole experience makes for a story thatll have you laughing out loud.
The Dawn Patrol
Dick and Sharon Starks help a fellow member of The Kansas City Dawn Patrol ready his WW-I replica aircraft—a Mariner amphibian in 1918 Curtiss Seagull livery—for its FAA airworthiness inspection.