![My 36 year old clipboard from when I started at Boeing. Engineering ruler and fastener/fastener hole cheat sheets. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Liaison_clipboard.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "What Is a Liaison Engineer?")
![At Sun ‘n Fun 2026, Viking Aircraft Engines surprised the crowd with its first complete kit — the V-42, a high-wing twin powered by two Honda-based engines. Here’s an early look. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/P1020293.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Viking V-42 Twin")
![A STOL CH 750 [Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/STOL-CH-750.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Why Are So Many Airplanes Yellow?")
![A Zenith STOL CH701 on Zenair amphibious floats rests on a sandbar on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. [Credit: Zenith Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/zenair-floats-STOL_CH_701a-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Zenith STOL CH 701 at 40: The Iconic ‘Sky Jeep’ Design Audit"){kind=tracking}
![[Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2791.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Safety Triangle: Balancing Skill, Knowledge, and Judgment in Flying")
CAD for the Home Shop
Explore how EAA members use Solid Edge and 3D printing to design, model, and build aircraft parts—affordably and efficiently with modern CAD tools.
KITPLANES Flies the RV-15!
Paul Dye flies the RV-15 prototype and shares first impressions of Van’s high-wing backcountry design.
Hearing Things
A stowaway cat reminds us: strange noises matter. Learn how to listen for sounds that can signal trouble in flight before they become real problems.
Building a Custom Engine Mount
How a custom engine mount for the SR-1 was CNC’d, stress-tested, and welded for strength, weight savings, and tight packaging.
Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 5: High AoA Pitch Characteristics
Evaluating pitch stability, stick force gradients, and pitch-up warnings in stall testing to ensure safe handling at high angles of attack.
Chris Tena Mini-Coupe
The VW-powered Mini-Coupe—with twin tails and all-pushrod controls—remains a standout among 1970s homebuilts.
Second Chance Six
As Oshkosh 2025 nears, Tenley rallies support and tackles critical inspection tasks to get RV-6 N2165U flying again.
Taking a Shine To 6061-T6 – Part 1
Polishing aluminum transforms gray metal into a mirror finish—cheap, timeless, and endlessly messy but deeply rewarding.
The Hummingbird Airworthiness Inspection
A DAR walks through the paperwork and practical steps needed to get an Experimental helicopter inspected—and reflects on what it means to finally fly.
In Case You Missed It
Compromises
Never one to revel in the practical, recently I found myself expounding to a colleague on why the general aviation world moves at 2700 rpm.
Alternative Energies
Solar-powered aircraft may have some inherent limits, but they are also marvels of engineering that constantly push the boundaries of what’s possible. By Dean Sigler.
Ask the DAR
Who can be in the cockpit of a homebuilt aircraft during Phase I flight testing? Mel Asberry answers the question.