![Pat McKiernan has found that he and his dad who built this beautiful RV-7 simply learned to enjoy the build. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Builder.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Life Lessons From Building an Airplane")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_51865118.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "FAA MOSAIC Rule Fully Implemented")
![My 36 year old clipboard from when I started at Boeing. Engineering ruler and fastener/fastener hole cheat sheets. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Liaison_clipboard.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "What Is a Liaison Engineer?")
![At Sun ‘n Fun 2026, Viking Aircraft Engines surprised the crowd with its first complete kit — the V-42, a high-wing twin powered by two Honda-based engines. Here’s an early look. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/P1020293.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Viking V-42 Twin")
![A STOL CH 750 [Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/STOL-CH-750.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Why Are So Many Airplanes Yellow?")
AeroLectrics
Why we need regulated voltage in our aircraft and how zener diodes, resistors, transistors and semiconductors help us get there.
Wind Tunnel
When the airflow separates from a surface, the result can be unsteady forces or turbulent wake shedding, neither of which is desirable.
Kerosene Dreams
Designer John Monnett has been waiting more than three decades for his SubSonex very short-winged glider to take off, and now it just might.
More Than You Bargained For
It doesn't take a fortune to get a homebuilt aircraft completed and flying, and we look at a few designs that prove the point. By Marc Cook and Mary Bernard.
Fly By Night
Equipping your homebuilt aircraft for night flight has become both more complicated and more flexible thanks to a wide variety of LED lighting solutions. By Mary Bernard.
Cover Story: Carpet and Panels
Now that you've fabricated your seat upholstery, its time to tackle the rest of the interior with a look at carpeting and door panels.
Europa Returns!
Europa Aircraft is gearing up for the future with new leadership, a larger, more sophisticated manufacturing facility, and a sales force on the move.
Around the Patch
Editor in Chief Marc Cook finds himself in the unique position of being able to compare performance of his GlaStar Sportsman with two different Hartzell props.
What’s New
DRE has a new ANR headset, Approach Fast Stack Pro-G Hub is issued a PMA, and the Hummingbird heli quickbuild kit gets FAA approval.
In Case You Missed It
Loose Intake Pipe
Sometimes the intake pipes on Lycoming engines can come loose. This will cause an...
Power In a Box
Self-contained digital power distribution systems make for simplified installations and circuit health monitoring.
![[Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Over-Stave-Lake-3.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Glasair Sportsman 2+2 Build Part 3")
Glasair Sportsman 2+2 Build Part 3
In parts one and two of this builder’s story, I described Sean Walker’s progress...
Simple Green
Extreme Simple Green - Aircraft is a new product designed to clean your aircraft safely without damaging finishes. Its effective in removing oil and other dirt from the exterior surfaces as well as the interior, and is used by Boeing on its family of airplanes. Its available at specialty stores and aviation supply houses.