The Independence Project: Avionics
It’s time to install the shiny, expensive boxes in the RV-12. Yes, the avionics package goes in… and it’s not as difficult as it used to be. By Dave Martin.
Build a Bear: Mellow Yellow
Dave Prizio and team build a paint booth (too small), test drive charcoal masks and bunny suits, and discover the joys of covering your homebuilt plane with $400 per gallon paint.
Hose Protection
Ishmael Fuentes shows you how to protect and cool the hoses in your engine compartment by making a firesleeve.
Aero ‘lectrics
Heat and avionics don't get along all that well. Rather than installing a fan that runs all the time, Jim Weir suggests building and using a fan that runs only when you need it.
Combating Carb Ice
Barnaby Wainfan examines a sneaky and sometimes little understood cause of in-flight scares and engine failures: carb ice.
Flight Review: Jabiru J230 Light Sport
Marc Cook flies the nimble, LSA-compliant Jabiru J230, and finds the two-seater offers a smooth ride with a decidedly Outback attitude.
Flight Review: Horse Perennial
LeRoy Cook flies Larry Kinder's award-winning Mustang II, a fast and fun homage to the legendary P-51 Mustang.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook reflects on the past years celebration of KITPLANES first quarter century, and finds that predictions for the next 25 years don't come easily.
What’s New
CHR International acquires the Safari helicopter kit, formerly known as the Baby Belle. Flight Data Systems unveiled its T-30 digital tachometer. Edited by Mary Bernard.
In Case You Missed It
Alternative Engines and the Cult of Personality
Marc Cook digs into the challenging world of automotive conversions, reporting on the converts who learned how to build these engines at the West Coast Corvair College.
Velocity V-Twin
Looking sleek as a spaceship, the new V-Twin inspires some strong feelings in flight reviewer Doug Rozendaal when he first sees it. Flying the plane only increases his enthusiasm.
Tail Surfaces and Aerodynamic Effects
Major aspects of tail design and how they affect the performance of an aircraft in flight.
Dan’s World
Sometimes its surprising to see homebuilt aircraft kits languishing in garages or hangars or workshops. Especially the quickbuilds, which raises the question of whether there's something about buying a QB kit that leads to procrastination. Columnist Dan Checkoway ponders the question, looking to his own experience for an answer.