![[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}
Mini Satcoms
The short list includes considering how, where and why you’ll use the device, plus app interfaces and data costs. SPOT and Garmin are standouts.
Second-Thought Tie-Down Eye
Every aircraft has tie-down points. Most of us never give them a second thought until a catastrophe strikes—like the big storm that threatened early...
Fourier Strikes Again
Ah, the email call for April 15, 2022, just arrived. Michael Zwijacz wrote to me:
“Hello Jim, I’ve been following you in KITPLANES® for many...
Design Process: T-Tails
A T-tail is a configuration where the horizontal tail is mounted on top of the vertical tail rather than directly to the fuselage. T-tails...
Mods and Ends
One of the most desirable and intrinsic benefits of building your own airplane under the Experimental/Amateur-Built rules is the ability to deviate from the...
Which Fabric Are You Going To Use?
If you are building a fabric-covered aircraft, you have multiple fabrics to choose from: polyester, Dacron, Stits, Ceconite, Poly-Fiber, Superflite or Oratex. Which one...
My Ten Favorite Tools for Building
A common question on the minds of potential builders is what kind of tools will they need to complete a kit-airplane project. A potential...
Lying to Baristas
The year is 2021. Fear surrounding the pandemic has subsided a bit and the National Championship Air Races (NCAR)—Reno, in short—are back on. Jeff...
Hand Tools: Modified, Made and Improvised
Merriam-Webster defines a tool as “A self-absorbed male prone to wearing a necklace”…wrong one…here it is: “A handheld device that aids in accomplishing a...
In Case You Missed It
Letters
Fiberglass/Epoxy LayupsIn "Maintenance Matters" on page 52, a photo shows a fiberglass/epoxy layup...
