Understanding and Avoiding Spins
A pilots ability to recover from a spin depends just as much on the design characteristics of the airplane as on stick-and-rudder skills.
Interference Drag Adds Up
Barnaby Wainfan explains the role of properly designed wing-fuselage junctions in reducing interference drag.
Wind Tunnel
Barnaby Wainfan examines the design factors that can mitigate damage in an accident and increase the chances of survival.
Wind Tunnel
Its easy to get carried away with new systems and technology that promise to make your airplane faster, smarter and even safer. But sometimes more is just more.
Wind Tunnel
Involved in the flight testing of a friends aircraft, Barnaby Wainfan contemplates the consequences (and wisdom) of designing an aircraft around an engine that may prove unsatisfactory or, worse, unavailable.
Wind Tunnel
Youd think a V-tail would have much to offer over a conventional tail in both reduced drag and lower weight. But how does it really pan out?
Wind Tunnel
How do the power-to-weight ratio, wing loading, drag effects and propeller choices affect an aircrafts climb rate and climb angle?
It Pays To Heed Convention
Barnaby Wainfan looks at unconventional flight-control configurations in the cockpit and why they can throw even a seasoned pilot.
Tail Surfaces and Aerodynamic Effects
Major aspects of tail design and how they affect the performance of an aircraft in flight.
Wind Tunnel
When conducting aerodynamic testing related to airflow over an object, how do you ensure that you've matched the conditions from one test to another, and why does it matter?
In Case You Missed It
![[Credit: Zenith Aircraft Co.]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wksp-3-21-group1.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Zenith Building Momentum With Workshops, New Options and Mosaic Opportunity")
Zenith Building Momentum With Workshops, New Options and Mosaic Opportunity
Zenith greets new builders at home and takes its show on the road.
Build It Better: Building to Requirements
It can be tough to keep a homebuilt project from ballooning out of control when so many tempting innovations and extras catch your eye along the way. Having a specific vision from the outset can help keep things on track.
Learning To Identify Solid Rivets
Nearly every homebuilt aircraft kit has at least a few solid rivets helping to...
All About Avionics: Pitot-Static
While there have been many attempts by homebuilders to make their pitot-static systems better than the rest, the tried and true methods remain sound. By Stein Bruch.