![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?")
Wind Tunnel
Contrary to popular belief, the frontal area of an airplane is not the most important determinant of drag.
Lockwood Super Drifter
Throttling back to enjoy the Florida scenery, Marc Cook is reminded of the reasons he first fell in love with flying as he pilots the new Lockwood Super Drifter.
Editor’s Log
In some of the impressive projects described in this issue, and the dedication and passion of their designers and builders, Editor-in-Chief Mary Bernard finds reasons to be hopeful about the future of aviation.
What’s New
Zenith debuts the CH 650 QBK, Kuntzleman’s announces a Wingtip LED Light System, and Radial Rocket introduces Streamline Airframe Kits.
Viewfinder
Burt Rutan’s 1980s Catbird was originally designed for the CAFE Foundation fuel-efficiency competition, but Marc Cook wonders whether it might make a fine homebuilt kit aircraft today.
Light and Capable
There are so many ways to try to keep the weight down in a homebuilt project, but some are better than others.
Down to Earth
After a reluctant transition from paper to pixels, Amy Laboda explores the options available in digital-charting apps and how she arrived at a decision.
Alternative Energies
Graphene “paper,” drag-racing electric motorcycles and hybrid aircraft were hot topics at the Electric Aircraft Symposium in Santa Rosa, California, and illustrated the progress being made in alternative energy sources. By Dean Sigler.
The Coming Revolution
Tremendous progress has been made in the Automatic Speech Recognition realm (think iPhone’s Siri), and this technology may be a boon to solo pilots sooner than you think. By James P. Hauser.
Letters
Push Me, Pull YouI read Marc Cook's article on the Zenith CH 650 B with great interest, but one part that was of...
In Case You Missed It
Staying Late
In magazine land—a parallel universe to the real world—I’m writing this between Oshkosh and...
Matching a Tailwheel to the Terrain
The right tailwheel can keep you out of trouble in the backcountry.