![[Credit: Lisa Credit]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Experimental.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Have You Seen Your Oplims?")
![[Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/737_VGs2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Vortex Generators")
![[Credit: Van's Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Vans_RV14A.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Something New On The Horizon")
![[Credit: Lisa Turner]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Chute-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Should You Consider A Whole Aircraft Parachute?"){kind=tracking}
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
Coloring Outside the Lines
Enhance your homebuilt aircraft with clever, lightweight mods like glove boxes, armrests, and cargo cleats—without sacrificing safety or balance.
Aircraft Modification Choices
Aftermarket mods for amateur-built aircraft are booming, but not all upgrades deliver on performance, safety or practicality.
