![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")
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol gets to know more about General John J. Pershing when they display their WW-I replica aircraft at the annual Pershing Days Festival in Missouri.
Soul of the Machine
Paul Dye argues that there is more between man and machine than just the hardware.
Light Stuff
Roy Beisswenger takes over the Light Stuff column this month, and quickly shows why hes the right man for the job.
Completion Secrets
Selecting the right build location, having a solid plan and making a realistic budget are just a few of the things you can do to keep your project on track.
Dressing Up an RV-12
Van’s RV-12 builder Dave Martin was inspired to add wheelpants to his airplane after seeing the company prototype with them.
Avionics Special: Garmins G3X Engine Monitoring System
Ponying up for the engine-monitoring portion of Garmins G3X EFIS suite requires careful consideration, but the result is a truly integrated solution. By Marc Cook.
Engine Beat
Do-it-yourself tips for how to keep those all-important plugs sparking clean. By Steve Ells.
Ask the DAR
Can a homebuilt whose core is a certified airplane fuselage ever be seen as an Experimental?
In Case You Missed It
Ask the DAR
Periodic inspections are a necessary part of homebuilt aircraft ownership. Mel Asberry explains which ones are needed and how they differ from the certificated aircraft variety.