![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
![[Credit: Wikimedia Commons]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/F-117_Nighthawk_Front.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Odd and Unusual Aircraft")
![After nearly 75 years, the basic Tailwind design remains sound. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4636.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Wittman Tailwind")
![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "A Few of My Favorite Tools")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_125628775.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Roll Recovery, Part 2")
DIY Compact Blind-Rivet Puller
While building my Panther tail kit, I came upon this note in the assembly manual in the elevator joiner photo: “This rivet is impossible...
Building the ‘Beater – Part 4
It’s hard to believe that several months have gone by again and it’s time for an update. I’ve told Carol many times over the...
Propeller Effects–Lateral Directional
The propeller slipstream affects the aerodynamics of the airplane. A propeller accelerates air backward and also imparts a swirl. The air in the slipstream...
A Soldering We Shall Go (Part 2)
When last we left our discussion of soldering, we touched briefly on each of the basic topics concerning joining electronic parts together using a...
Archive: April 1986
Our April 1986 cover featured the Air Shark as part of a collection of 14 “build-yourself flying boats.” A two-page buyer’s guide helped illustrate...
The Art of Putzing About
Ahhh, putzing about. Is there anything more satisfying? Of course there is. Thousands of things, I’m sure. But like an ointment on an itch,...
Commander Klutz and the Lost Planet Airmen
It’s a fair assumption most KITPLANES® readers were not big on essay writing in school, which at least left me with a job (I’m...
A Dream Becomes Reality
Like a lot of kids, I dreamed of flying. I used to ask for a flying car for Christmas every year. As an adult,...
In Case You Missed It
The Home Machinist
Bob Fritz is back from a long hiatus with a discussion about the difference between screws and bolts and what all of those ASME numbers mean.
Tunnel Vision and Troubleshooting
Confronted with a large task, we often see the whole of it and can’t...
Buying Used: Long-EZ
Construction workmanship varies greatly, so it pays to have experienced eyes look over your temptation before you succumb to its charms.