Flight Reports

A relative newcomer to the U.S. kit aircraft clan, the Sport Air Corsario import from Rio de Janeiro borrows characteristics from other amphibians while displaying a personality and pleasurable flying qualities uniquely its own; by Dave Higdon.

John Roberts used modern CAD technology to update an old-school design.

Robert Simon had the distinction of building the first Lancair ES-P to fly. But the process wasn’t without its challenges. The ES-P employs the cabin design and structure of the pressurized, retractable Lancair IV-P, but has a larger wing and fixed gear. During the build, Simon also deviated from the base design with changes that required factory support to accomplish. Not only did he learn much, he ultimately got the plane he needed; by Dave Higdon.

When Joe Bartels bought the company from founder Lance Neibauer in 2003, he knew it was time for a change. The goal was to find a high-performance aircraft that could be flown by the average pilot in the target market. The solution can be found in the company's newest product, the Pratt & Whitney-powered turbine Evolution; by Doug Rozendaal.

Builder Dave Klages’ Wag-Aero Sport Trainer remains faithful in most ways to the J-3 Cub that inspired it; by Marc Cook.

Each of its unusual features serves a purpose.

Chuck Slusarczyk’s lightweight Hawk Arrow can hold its own as a solid cruiser, even in the realm of so-called “real” airplanes. By Ed Wischmeyer.

Two builders helped each other build RV-9As, each employing significantly different outlays of cash. The results are impressive in both cases, but for different reasons. They help us ponder the question as we build: “What is something worth?” By Marc Cook.

When a former editor of KITPLANES gets an invitation to fly with a group of AirCam pilots to the Bahamas, resistance is futile.

The BD-4 flies into its sixth decade.