![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")
Product Review: Spidertracks
As we move away from 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters, alternatives in the realm of personal locator beacons and trackers continue to flourish. Spidertracks of New Zealand is one of the newest. By Marc Cook.
Safety is No Accident: Avid and Kitfox
This month Ron Wanttaja looks at two similar designs, Avid and Kitfox, which have some major distinctions when it comes to the accident numbers.
The Dawn Patrol
Built in to any aircraft construction project is time for head scratching and trying to recall why you just walked from one end of the shop to the other. These are some of the most valuable moments.
What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
When you're tempted to take shortcuts during a build or repair without asking questions about the ramifications, it may be wise to contemplate the worst-case scenario.
Engine Beat
The Rotax 912 engine has become ubiquitous in homebuilt aviation, and now a company has found a way to improve its fuel efficiency. By Steve Ells.
Experimotive
Bud Warrens Geared Drives has entered the firewall-forward business with promising results thanks to a new PSRU. By Rick Lindstrom.
Ask the DAR
This month DAR Mel Asberry tackles questions about modifying an aircraft and the flight testing required, what should be on a dataplate, and what you need to know about getting an airworthiness certificate after completing a partially built aircraft.
Light Stuff
Another European SLSA reaches American shores in the form of Tecnams high-wing, high-style, partially carbon-fiber Tecnam P2008. By Dave Martin.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook looks at the potential impact on GA of Lycomings new IE2 engine that features electronic engine management.
The Home Machinist
Home Machinist Bob Fritz had been looking for a way to compare the effectiveness of various screw extractors he had accumulated in his toolbox, and he found a willing test subject in a Cessna 170s 60-year-old gas tank.
In Case You Missed It
A History of Aircraft Wiring Insulation
Discover the evolution of aircraft wiring insulation—from rubber and cotton to nylon, PVC, and Tefzel—and learn practical tricks for wiring your homebuilt.
2012 Rotorcraft Buyer’s Guide
The 2012 Rotorcraft Buyer’s Guide includes 49 designs for those who may be interested in building a kit helicopter or gyroplane.
Build It Better: When 1+1 Does Not Equal 2
Paul Dye explains how to achieve unlike (or dissimilar) redundancy on the various systems in your homebuilt.
Comp Air 9
Chuck Berthe flies the turbine-powered Comp Air CA9, an impressive work in progress. With a combination of a massive airframe and a Honeywell turbine, the CA9 is a heavy hauler that will really scoot.