![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")
Ask the DAR
DAR Mel Asberry answers questions about when you need A&P signoff, re-certifying an airplane to make it an LSA (hint: cant be done) and pre-registration of an Experimental.
Light Stuff
Dave Martin makes the case for the FAA revisiting its policy on residential airparks so that they can remain a vital home location and useful national resource.
Letters
Overpowering Sentiment (Best Letter) I agree that the folks at CubCrafters have done a great job with the Carbon Cub SS in fixing...
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook takes the temperature of the homebuilt industry at the first big fly-in of the season.
What’s New
Sportairs Sirius LSA is available for demo flights, the Spider Tracks viewer allows you to track flights on your iPhone and MGL Avionics Second Generation EFISes debut. Edited by Mary Bernard
Unusual Attitude
On his way home from an unexceptional summer jaunt, author Bill Repucci got a most exceptional call from the tower.
Safety Is No Accident: Van’s RV series
It’s been a couple of years since we looked at how homebuilts generally fared in the accident statistics vis-à-vis certified aircraft. This time around we’ll look at the safety records of specific homebuilt designs, starting with the Van’s RV.
Learning Complex Systems Means Knowing How They Work
The importance of understanding your aircrafts avionics systems in terms of form, function and troubleshooting.
Vacuum-Bagging for Homebuilders
This month well go through the step-by-step vacuum-bagging process for an aileron trimtab part to see how to deal with extreme contours.
In Case You Missed It
Ask the DAR
This month, a new column introduces Designated Airworthiness Representative Mel Asberry, who describes his background in homebuilding and details some of what hes looking for as a DAR. Questions welcome.
Archive: October 1999
Mike Arnold’s hyper efficient AR-5 was on our October 1999 cover with a report...
Bullish on Weight
For Red Bull racing professionals, reducing the engine weight in their aircraft is serious business. We can learn from their experience.