![[Credit: ChatGPT]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/What-did-you-miss-Topaz-Gigapixel-4x-scale.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits"){kind=tracking}
![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
![[Credit: Wikimedia Commons]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/F-117_Nighthawk_Front.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Odd and Unusual Aircraft")
![After nearly 75 years, the basic Tailwind design remains sound. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4636.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Wittman Tailwind")
![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "A Few of My Favorite Tools")
Letters
Mojave MemoriesI greatly enjoyed Mark Cook’s article “Homebuilding on the Edge” , as it brought back fond memories. In 1974 I was a student...
Garmin’s ADS-B WX
Garmin’s portable ADS-B receiver is a solid performer, but it does have some competition from other devices when it comes to providing traffic and weather information. By Jeff Van West.
Classic Caretaker
Easy to build, easy to fly...and affordable too. No wonder the Fly Baby remains popular decades after the prototype debuted.
Do-It-Yourself Ejection Seat
Adding lift to the seat allows a builder to exit his Fly Baby easily (plus it’s virtually undetectable to bystanders).
When the Rooster Flies
Just because real roosters don't fly doesn't mean that a 100%-original aircraft designed and painted to resemble one wont.
The EAA HAC Grows
The EAA’s Homebuilt Aircraft Council (HAC) has expanded to better address this segment’s needs.
Firewall Forward: Engine Controls
Here's what you need to know to get your engine controls—propeller, throttle, mixture, carburetor heat, cabin heat—placed correctly and working properly.
Flight Testing
Organize your test program beforehand, and you not only maximize your use of time, but also understand your airplane far better than someone who is just running the hours off the clock.
Build It Better: For Want of a Nail
In aviation, one pin out of place can result in disaster. Details matter.
In Case You Missed It
Under New Management
An inside look at EFII's all-new electronic engine control system for Experimental Lycomings.
