![Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pulsar-Sunset.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Last Bits")
![[Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AdobeStock_262642207_AGCuesta.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Winging It")
![Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed-4.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Think Like a Builder")
![The 160 hp turbocharged Rotax 916iS is a four-stroke piston engine with redundant electronic fuel injection and ignition. [Credit: BPR Rotax]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PIC_916-iS_iSc-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "2026 Engine Buyer’s Guide")
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
Horizons Past And Present—Peter Egan
A summer of open-cockpit adventures, from biplane fly-ins to Peter Egan’s cross-country Cub journey, capturing America low and slow.
Coloring Outside the Lines
Enhance your homebuilt aircraft with clever, lightweight mods like glove boxes, armrests, and cargo cleats—without sacrificing safety or balance.
Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 6: High AoA Tail Effects
We explore how the tail design can improve pitch stability at high angles of attack.
Companion DIY Drill Guide
Build a simple aluminum jig to drill AN bolt threads for safety wiring—perfect for when your hardware bin is missing just one critical part.
Build Smart: Make Mods That Matter
Some mods are better than others. Know how to pick the right ones.
Flying Hot
Summer heat can be more than uncomfortable—it can be dangerous. Smart planning, proper cooling, and a little altitude can keep you flying safely.
Nuts. What to Do When Thrown a Curve
When fasteners crowd a radius or bend, radius washers, blocks, or spot facing can solve the problem—without compromising strength or workmanship.
Polliwagen
A sharp-looking homebuilt with early promise, the Polliwagen suffered from pitch quirks that left it nearly extinct just decades after its debut.
In Case You Missed It
Aero ‘lectrics
This month we get into actually building the portable antenna that was described last month;
Synergy Air Energizes Builders
Thanks to a new course in Oregon, RV enthusiasts have another way to help finish building their airplanes more quickly and get flying sooner.