![Oshkosh is more popular than ever with three-quarters of a million people in attendance at AirVenture 2026. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_7321-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Wide World of Airplanes"){kind=tracking}
![Maintenance technician William Vergonet conducts an inspection on a Cub. [Credit: Lisa Turner]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_3535.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Post-Flight Maintenance Debrief")
![Pat McKiernan has found that he and his dad who built this beautiful RV-7 simply learned to enjoy the build. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Builder.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Life Lessons From Building an Airplane")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_51865118.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "FAA MOSAIC Rule Fully Implemented")
![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=265&h=198&crop=1 "What Is a Liaison Engineer?")
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.
Ask the DAR
Is replacing one panel with another considered a major modification? And what is a “significant” change to weight and balance?
Aero ‘lectrics
Make the scene at your next airshow with a homemade aircraft band antenna, state and national flags, and an aircraft data sheet that gives spectators the vital statistics on your aircraft.
Wind Tunnel
Once designers had addressed every other drag-producing aspect of the biplane, they decided to get rid of the struts and wires bracing the wings—and the switch to the monoplane was made.
Titan 51 Revisited
Capturing the look (and at least some of the feel) of a legendary aircraft-one that tops many pilots dream list-was no small feat. By Doug Rozendaal.
2013 Rotorcraft Buyer’s Guide
If flying a rotorcraft is your goal, this is a great time to start exploring your options—there’s been growth in this segment, and even more expansion is on the horizon. By Roy Beisswenger.
Editor’s Log
The free flight of birds inspired the first forays into manned flight—a perfect example of the concept of biomimicry. Editor in Chief Mary Bernard sees a similar resourcefulness in plansbuilders who look at a set of drawings and create an airplane from scratch.
In Case You Missed It
Diodes, Backward and Forward
Let’s talk about what makes a diode—what the physical makeup of a diode really looks like on the inside.
Wheeler Express—Yesteryear’s Homebuilts
The Wheeler Express dazzled with sleek performance and bold promises but ultimately struggled with stability issues and company misfortunes.
The Big Scare
You look down at the instruments, and instantly energy drains down your body as if bomb bay doors on the soles of your feet had opened and the concrete floor were a sponge.