![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")
Adding a Taillight to a Completed Rudder
A creative, low-impact solution for mounting a light without cutting up your rudder.
Cable Ties For Ballast
Cable ties will become brittle over time and can break. Having weights come loose during flight, especially near the control system, could really ruin your day.
Snapshots From the Whirlwind
Pilots demand ADS-B privacy, sport air racing shifts to weight-based rules and affordable Oshkosh and Roswell travel tips.
Assembling a Gyro Technic VX-2
A pilot chases his dream of building and flying a gyroplane with help from Gyro Technic in Minnesota.
Change Is a Constant
Marc Cook steps away again, passing KITPLANES’ reins as we invite fresh voices from the homebuilt aviation community.
Why Alternative Engines Rarely Save Money
You can try it, but don’t expect to come out ahead—or airborne—without a fight.
Aircraft Modification Choices
Aftermarket mods for amateur-built aircraft are booming, but not all upgrades deliver on performance, safety or practicality.
Building the 750 SDXTREME: Part 16
Tubeless tires, prototype gear, and cabin mods—follow the ongoing adventure of getting the highly modified 750 SDX on its feet.
Starkey’s Custom Spark Plug Adapter Lock Wrench
Make spark plug changes easier with a custom spark plug wrench for auto plug adapters on aircraft engines.
In Case You Missed It
Aero ‘lectrics
Jim Weir shows you how to create and install LED lights and run them from ships power inexpensively and easily.
