![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?")
Aero ‘lectrics
What do you do if you need to monitor a number of audio signals, but you don't have room for an audio switching panel? Jim Weir finds the answer in a summing amplifier.
Wind Tunnel
Barnaby Wainfan offers an explanation of how tail surfaces can be subject to flutter and how to avoid the potentially disastrous result.
Seeing the Dream Through
Having earned a number of homebuilding trophies for his work constructing airplanes, Paul Muhle decides to share his experience with those who aim to win awards-or just look like they could.
Avionics Special: Garmins G3X
Garmins latest entry to the EFIS market lives up to the company's reputation for providing value for the price. By Marc Cook.
Flight Review: Point of Ignition
Builder Kurt Goodfellow has risen to the challenge of installing a Wilksch Airmotive WAM-120 diesel powerplant in his Van’s RV-9, and the proof is in the performance test results. By Ken Krueger.
What’s New
A glare shield for Garmin GPS units; Sportair USAs certified pre-owned LSA program; quick reference for aera and AV8OR Ace; Better Half VW announces Legal Eagle XL. Edited by Mary Bernard.
Rendesvouz with Destiny
Dick Starks and The Dawn Patrol attend the biennial Rendezvous on hallowed ground: the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Product Review: Garmin’s New aera
Paul Bertorelli reviews Garmin's latest offering, the aera. It's compact, powerful and versatile.
Little Bird the Kitfox
Amy Laboda's Kitfox 4, Little Bird, won't break any speed records. But it will tuck nicely into a short turf airstrip in time for a barbecue.
Ask the DAR
What do you need to do when you buy an Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft? What should a builder/owner do when they're ramp checked?
In Case You Missed It
Firewall Forward: Oil Coolers and Oil Lines
The right oil cooler, installed correctly, can maximize your engine’s life. Of course, you’ll also need to consider crankcase breathers, oil separators, oil filters, oil lines and connections.
Build It Better: Show Me the Data!
Don’t believe everything you hear when making an important building or maintenance decision—do your homework.
To Dream The (Almost Impossible) Dream
Almost from the beginning of aviation, the idea of a plane you could drive/car you could fly has captured both the popular imagination and the hearts of some dedicated experimentalists. The dream remains alive, and realization, the author says, is fettered only by the lack of willing investors; by Murry L. Rozansky.
Around the Patch
A visit to the CubCrafters factory in a rural area of Washington state can get a guy thinking about leaving big city life behind. By Marc Cook.