![[Credit: ChatGPT]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/What-did-you-miss-Topaz-Gigapixel-4x-scale.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits"){kind=tracking}
![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
![[Credit: Wikimedia Commons]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/F-117_Nighthawk_Front.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Odd and Unusual Aircraft")
![After nearly 75 years, the basic Tailwind design remains sound. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4636.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Wittman Tailwind")
![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "A Few of My Favorite Tools")
Viewfinder
Editor-at-Large Marc Cook takes a look at Rotax’s first foray into fuel-injected engines: the 912iS.
Light Stuff
Roy Beisswenger discusses a rational path for owners of sport aircraft to become commercially rated.
A Tale of Two Kits
What a difference a few years make. Paul Dye discusses the evolution of kits, using the two he built (Van’s RV-8 and RV-3) as examples.
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol crew managed to stay out of trouble (mostly) on their visit to the Gathering of Eagles in Gardner, Kansas.
Letters
Paid InstructionI enjoyed Dave Martin's "Understanding Experimental Light Sport Aircraft" article , but I think one small statement is incorrect: "The ELSA cannot be...
Efficient Engines
There are many ways to increase an engine's efficiency when rebuilding. Tom Wilson reviews the options, along with the costs involved and the expected returns.
Making the Perfect Lancair
Terrence O'Neill has taken customization of his Lancair 235 to a new level, from the Burns Stainless exhaust to a remote-controlled canopy.
Firewall Forward: Lycoming Engine Service School
Dave Prizio attends the Lycoming Engine Service School in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and comes away from the experience with many lessons.
All About Avionics
Building your own panel need not be daunting. Stein Bruch offers some wisdom about how to keep the project on task and avoid the mistakes others have made.
In Case You Missed It
Build It Better: Play by the Rules
Some rules are made for you, and some rules are made by you. Those personal rules create a higher level of safety for you and your passengers, and they are the mark of professionalism in a pilot.
Build, Maintain, Inspect
One of the big reasons that people build their own airplane is the flexibility...
The History of Homebuilt Gyrocopters
The AutoGyro has come a long way in more than a century of flight.