![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")
MOSAIC Is Here: What It Means for Homebuilts
The FAA's new MOSAIC rule is here. See how it expands Sport Pilot privileges and revolutionizes maintenance for Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft owners.
Building the 750 SDXTREME: Part 17
Custom mods to the 750 SDX main gear and nosegear bring serious weight savings and unique titanium parts to life—right down to the pedals and steering rods.
Case Parting Plates
A low-cost, effective method for separating stubborn Lycoming O-290 case halves using homemade parting plates and basic hardware.
Taking a Shine To 6061-T6 – Part 2
Cutting the initial shine with NuShine II F9 is key to a polished finish. Here's how to master the pad, pressure, speed, and polish for gleaming results.
Sitting Up Front Again
From hot rods to homebuilts, a new editor takes the stick at KITPLANES—with steady hands, clear skies, and a love for hands-on aviation.
In Case You Missed It
Editor’s Log
While some aviation enthusiasts such as the Friends of the RV-1 devote their time to historic restoration, those at the Electric Aircraft Symposium contemplate what the future might bring. By Mary Bernard.
CubCrafters EX-2 363 Walkaround Review
CubCrafters' Brad Damm details all the differences in the EX-2 with the CC 363i...
