![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?")
RANS S-7S Courier
Marc Cook pilots the new RANS S-7S and finds many improvements, from increased fuel and storage capacity to a simplified aileron-control system that makes handling better than ever.
Editor’s Log
Editor Mary Bernard addresses readers’ concerns about legibility in the magazine and offers a correction about pricing of the Safari kit helicopter.
What’s New
Master Mechanic introduces the Swift Driver, Aircraft Spruce launches an online magazine and offers a simplified FAR/AIM book, and California Power Systems carries Rotax 912 engine rubber replacement kits.
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...
In Case You Missed It
Air Power
The art of porting cylinder heads, whether by hand or by CNC machine, is a valuable part of blueprinting detailed engine builds or overhauls, and surprisingly subtle changes can determine how efficiently the engine will breathe.
The Dawn Patrol
Dick and Sharon Starks mix it up with the “big boys” and draw their own crowd at Oshkosh AirVenture 2011.