![Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pulsar-Sunset.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AdobeStock_262642207_AGCuesta.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Winging It")
![Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-4.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Think Like a Builder")
![The 160 hp turbocharged Rotax 916iS is a four-stroke piston engine with redundant electronic fuel injection and ignition. [Credit: BPR Rotax]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PIC_916-iS_iSc-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide")
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
What’s New
World Aircraft Company debuts the Vision LSA, and Velocity Aircraft introduces the V-Twin.
Tools for Homebuilders, Part 2
Terry Edwards continues his discussion of some of the less-often covered aspects of airplane building, this month looking at how to manage your project and stay motivated.
The Dawn Patrol
When the chainsaw starters they'd been using on their airplanes for years finally started to give out, Dawn Patrol members searched for a replacement. It turned up in a garden tractor.
Alternative Energies
Electric vehicles and aircraft may be the future, but how will we create the energy to power them while minimizing environmental damage? By Dean Sigler.
When Good Electrons Go Bad
When wiring up a homebuilt aircraft, it pays to ask: What do I want to protect myself from?
Light Stuff
The dream of flying cars remains alive and well, and several companies are taking on the challenge. By Roy Beisswenger.
Letters
Older Builder's ScenarioA GA pilot retires at age 65 and hunts for something to keep his mind stimulated and provide a sense of accomplishment,...
Electronic Ignitions
Electronic ignitions can offer benefits over the standard magnetos, including lower maintenance and better fuel economy.
In Case You Missed It
Roll Your Own
Although the KK-1 is scratch-built, builders Ken Scott and Ken Krueger have used all of the modern tools at their disposal to expedite the design and building process. This month, Scott discusses the more than satisfactory results of load-testing the wing and horizontal stab;
Support Your Wings
Having constructed several high-wing aircraft kits, I can attest to the anxiety that comes...