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.
Firewall Forward: Tools of the Trade
Here are the tools you'll need during your engine installation, plus suggestions for keeping them organized.
Engine Update: New Life for Old Radials
Barrett Precision Engines has taken the nine-cylinder Vedeneyev M14P radial engine to a whole other level with a fuel-injection upgrade and new ignition system. By Marc Cook.
Build It Better: Show Me the Data!
Don’t believe everything you hear when making an important building or maintenance decision—do your homework.
Aero ‘lectrics
Jim Weir responds to a reader request to find a way to make any cell phone turn on an electrical device.
Wind Tunnel
While two-control airplanes were designed to make a pilot’s life simpler, they come with significant compromises.
Restoring the RV-1
The very first Van’s prototype flies again, thanks to months of volunteers’ hard work, and its designer climbs back into the cockpit, some five decades after he built it.
![Post-Flight Maintenance Debrief 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)
![Life Lessons From Building an Airplane 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)
![FAA MOSAIC Rule Fully Implemented [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_51865118.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1)
![What Is a Liaison Engineer? 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)












