![[Credit: Lisa Credit]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Experimental.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Have You Seen Your Oplims?")
![[Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/737_VGs2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Vortex Generators")
![[Credit: Van's Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Vans_RV14A.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Something New On The Horizon")
![[Credit: Lisa Turner]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Chute-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Should You Consider A Whole Aircraft Parachute?"){kind=tracking}
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...
The Ultimate Upgrade
Could a plane as large, expensive and complicated as the Lancair Evolution be completed by an experienced homebuilder? We have the answer to that intriguing question.
Homebuilding on the Edge
Out in the California desert, innovation in homebuilding is the rule, rather than the exception. By Marc Cook.
Firewall Forward: Installing the Firewall
Author Dave Prizio describes construction of the firewall itself, including the penetrations and the tools required.
All About Avionics
With all of the ways to get GPS information into the cockpit, a handheld unit remains a viable option. By Stein Bruch.
In Case You Missed It
Contributors
Susan Brunner Susan Brunner was nosing around her local airport one day when she started...
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.
Down to Earth
Even when built from the same kit, no two aircraft are exactly the same—that’s why you need a builder’s book. By Amy Laboda.
Turbine Temptation: Wiring, Avionics and Plumbing
The systems are simple but space is tight, so plan ahead.