![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=534&h=462&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")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_125628775.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Roll Recovery, Part 2")
Tips for Installing Your Props Properly
It pays to be thorough and follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter when installing a prop on your homebuilt.
Ask the DAR
DAR Mel Asberry clears up airspace restrictions for homebuilts during flight testing and discusses how the original builder of a homebuilt design remains the builder unless the airworthiness certificate is surrendered, which has implications for reselling an aircraft.
Aero ‘lectrics
How do you condition a battery not in regular use to extend its lifetime? Run it down and then charge it back up. Jim Weir explains how to achieve this with about $10 worth of parts.
Wind Tunnel
Although we often consider maximizing airflow over the exterior of an aircraft, we sometimes neglect internal airflow design that can cause significant drag.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the many virtues of Kifoxs new Super Sport, which will be powered by a Rotec radial.
Flight Review: Practical Glass
Marc Cook admires Dave Ammenti’s exceptional GlaStar and details why these designs have held their value in the used market over the years.
Flight Review: The Rand KR-2
Bob Grimstead sampled the diminutive Rand KR-2 and found it demanding to fly in some respects but also thoroughly enjoyable.
Safety Is No Accident: Canards
The appeal of canard-type designs hasn't faded, and the design was heralded as inherently safer because of its resistance to stalling. Ron Wanttaja reveals the veracity of that claim given the accident numbers.
So Long, Lead
As the prospect of leaded aviation fuels fades into the sunset, the search is on for a replacement, and you may not like where things are headed. By Marc Cook.
In Case You Missed It
![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=324&h=160&crop=1 "2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide")
2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide
Our annual survey of the wide array of engine options available to homebuilders, from certified to experimental.
