![[Credit: ChatGPT]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/What-did-you-miss-Topaz-Gigapixel-4x-scale.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits"){kind=tracking}
![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=265&h=198&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")
Flat Broke
It was just two days before standing down for an annual inspection, so I thought to take the ol’ box kite out for a...
Birds of a Different Feather
Flying Legend’s Tucano replicas are a far cry from the common Experimental.
Murphy Resurgent
Darryl Murphy’s airplane company has a new owner and a new push for backcountry relevance.
Repairing a Damaged Lead Counterweight
When trimming the elevator counterweights of a Van’s RV-14 kit, I modified one of the weights incorrectly. This led to the holes in the...
Importing From Canada, N-Number Size
Question: I’m interested in buying a homebuilt out of Canada. Is this a difficult process? What should I be looking for?
Answer: Bringing in a...
A Tale of Two RVs
“Homebuilt” aptly describes where most project aircraft are assembled. But as you approach the final stages, it’s common to move from the home to...
Fueled Again
Not a moment after sending our April issue to the press, my editorial “Avgas Next Steps” became partially obsolete. In it, I said that...
A Visit With Glasair Aviation
I had a reason to fly up to Arlington, Washington, to see the current state of affairs at Glasair Aviation. As you might remember,...
In Case You Missed It
Three Years Before the Masts
There’s something about piloting a twin-engine, open-cockpit AirCam that gets under your skin, and it may become habit-forming. By Ed Wischmeyer.
Ray Stits Remembered
Designer of 15 Experimentals, inventor of the Poly-Fiber covering system, and founder of EAA Chapter 1, he was an aviation ambassador for all. By Amy Laboda.