![Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pulsar-Sunset.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AdobeStock_262642207_AGCuesta.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Winging It")
![Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-4.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Think Like a Builder")
![The 160 hp turbocharged Rotax 916iS is a four-stroke piston engine with redundant electronic fuel injection and ignition. [Credit: BPR Rotax]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PIC_916-iS_iSc-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide")
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
Wind Tunnel
Barnaby Wainfan examines the design factors that can mitigate damage in an accident and increase the chances of survival.
Classic Amendment
Alan Arps, fourth owner of a Starduster SA-100 that had seen better days, treads the fine line between updating the plansbuilt design and keeping it true to its era.
Learning To Weld
After years of procrastination, the author decides to jump into welding with both feet, and finds that it is an acquired skill achieved only by practice and the right mindset.
Ka-ching!
Continuing the engine rebuild after his RV-9 suffered an untimely prop strike, Bill Repucci discovers that what should have been a straightforward installation turns out to be anything but.
Starduster Too
This Starduster Too is more than just a smart-looking biplane with unique elliptical wings and eye-catching paint. Careful reconstruction and modifications have made it into one sweet-handling ride. By Ed Wischmeyer.
Geared Drives Remembered
The innovative work of Bud Warren contributed much to the homebuilt community and saved many an engine from being relegated to the scrap heap. By Rick Lindstrom.
Product Review: Dynons Handheld DX15
Dynons DX15 handheld transceiver marks the company's introduction to a crowded product category. By Paul Bertorelli
Alternative Energies
Sun n Fun 2011 opened with stormy skies and a tornado, but the Green Space area offered a ray of sunshine at the rain-soaked event. By Dean Sigler.
Down To Earth
Swapping out an engine leads to an even greater question than just finding one that fits: How do you keep it cool? By Amy Laboda.
Exploring New Territory
Venture out of your comfort zone every so often, because stretching can be fun.
In Case You Missed It
Light Stuff
The rules around Letters of Deviation Authority are labyrinthine, which helps explain why they are relatively rare. But the problems could be—and should be—corrected through a few regulatory changes. By Roy Beisswenger.
Firewall Forward: Electrical Systems, Part 1
Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of wiring—plenty of homebuilders didn’t know how to do it when they started their projects. Get yourself the right tools, then jump in and start learning. Dave Prizio outlines the basics.