![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
![The newly-restored F-24 enjoying the morning sun. [All Images Credited to Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_0001.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Golden Age Revival")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AdobeStock_176619176.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Instructional Inflexibility")
![sideview shows the Better Half with the full VW case. [Credit: Legal Eagle Airplane]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Milholland-V-Twin_Side-View.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Better Half VW")
Lying to Baristas
The year is 2021. Fear surrounding the pandemic has subsided a bit and the National Championship Air Races (NCAR)—Reno, in short—are back on. Jeff...
Hand Tools: Modified, Made and Improvised
Merriam-Webster defines a tool as “A self-absorbed male prone to wearing a necklace”…wrong one…here it is: “A handheld device that aids in accomplishing a...
AirVenture Notes
Knowing that I’m mainly stealing from the upcoming Engine Buyer’s Guide, it still seems a good idea to fly by some of the big...
A Very Special Oshkosh
This year’s AirVenture set records for attendance, so says EAA. I learned this after the show, but I could have predicted the press release...
Over the Hump
For my wife and me, it was important to have our kids learn a musical instrument. We lost out to sports with our son,...
Fit and Trim
A first flight reveals truths that only air moving over an aircraft’s surfaces can reveal. Will the engine cool properly? Will the cockpit fill...
Gathering
Longtime readers may recall that before scribbling in aviation magazines I scribbled in automotive magazines. That seems like someone else’s life a long time...
Some Old Favorites
For those building a new airplane, chances are you’re getting more than familiar with certain tools at different stages of the build. For me,...
Keeping a Battery Current
“With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being...
In Case You Missed It
Build Your Skills: Composites (Part 9)
Dont let pesky pinholes ruin your homebuilt project. There is a way to deal with them, and author Bob Fritz describes how. Hint: To start with, cleanliness is always a good thing in the shop.
Design Process: Tail Trim Functions
In addition to stabilizing the airplane in pitch, the horizontal tail must also trim...