![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=534&h=462&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?")
![A Zenith STOL CH701 on Zenair amphibious floats rests on a sandbar on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. [Credit: Zenith Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/zenair-floats-STOL_CH_701a-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Zenith STOL CH 701 at 40: The Iconic ‘Sky Jeep’ Design Audit"){kind=tracking}
![[Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2791.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Safety Triangle: Balancing Skill, Knowledge, and Judgment in Flying")
All About Avionics
Which engine monitor is best? Author Stein Bruch may not offer a definitive answer for all builders, but he details the factors that should be considered before arriving at a final decision, along with tips on how to achieve a successful installation.
Build Your Skills: Composites (Part 11)
Author Bob Fritz offers a middle way to paint your airplane yourself, without surrendering your first born or breaking the bank. Hint: Preparation and the right equipment are essential.
The Home Machinist
Taking that first cut into the sheet metal of an aircraft panel can be daunting, and being as precise as youd like is even more so. Author Bob Fritz eases your anxiety about the process with some tips about how to use the right tool for the right job, so that the hole you get is the one you wanted.
Aero ‘lectrics
This month, author Jim Weir lays the groundwork for a solar battery charger, complete with preliminary circuit board considerations drawn from a rats nest and details about how to order a pre-fabricated board.
Wind Tunnel
Flight testing for longitudinal stability problems continues this month as columnist Barnaby Wainfan details tests for stick force as related to trim and stick-free stability of an aircraft. The object is to gather data and analyze it to see if the hypotheses about the nature of the problem hold up under scrutiny.
Texas Sport Cub
The Texas Sport Cubs combination of classic good looks and todays technology will appeal to those who are looking to rekindle an old flame or those hoping to initiate a new love affair.
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook discusses the relative merits of internal versus external antennas, after using his Glastar Sportsman 2+2 as a test bed. His conclusions have to do with both the material used to build the airplane as well as location of the antenna on the aircraft.
What’s New
This months column includes information on new anti-collision strobe lights and LED position lights, a micro belt sander, a smart servo controller for trim, a desktop model of the Cozy Mark IV and the announcement of a taildragger configuration option for the Eurofox SLSA.
Ly-Con O-Ring Trick
When you join two halves of a flat aviation engine together, they often weep between the starter and the alternator. Not only is this unsightly, its wasteful and makes completing an overhaul more cumbersome than need be. Enter Ly-Con, whose groovy O-ring process promises to stop leaks before they start.
In Case You Missed It
Learning To Identify Solid Rivets
Nearly every homebuilt aircraft kit has at least a few solid rivets helping to...
Second Chance Six
Part 10: small, important projects— brake lines, fuel lines, baffling and fairings.
Setting Up Shop
Before you decide you cant build a plane because you don't have enough shop space, think again. After all, as author Bob Fritz points out, projects have been built in apartments. This article wont go quite that far, but it does detail some pitfalls to avoid and makes suggestions about maximizing the ease and efficiency of working in a limited-space environment.
Dare To Be Bare
After checking with a variety of aluminum polishing aficionados, author Bob Fritz came up with a winning combination for maintaining the shine on metal airplanes. He details not only which products to use, but also how to use them for maximum effectiveness with minimal elbow grease.