![My 36 year old clipboard from when I started at Boeing. Engineering ruler and fastener/fastener hole cheat sheets. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Liaison_clipboard.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "What Is a Liaison Engineer?")
![At Sun ‘n Fun 2026, Viking Aircraft Engines surprised the crowd with its first complete kit — the V-42, a high-wing twin powered by two Honda-based engines. Here’s an early look. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/P1020293.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Viking V-42 Twin")
![A STOL CH 750 [Credit: Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/STOL-CH-750.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Why Are So Many Airplanes Yellow?")
![A Zenith STOL CH701 on Zenair amphibious floats rests on a sandbar on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. [Credit: Zenith Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/zenair-floats-STOL_CH_701a-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale-Topaz-Gigapixel-2x-scale.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Zenith STOL CH 701 at 40: The Iconic ‘Sky Jeep’ Design Audit"){kind=tracking}
![[Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2791.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The Safety Triangle: Balancing Skill, Knowledge, and Judgment in Flying")
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
What’s Next for Aviation in America? (Hint: No AirVenture)
Never have I wanted a column of mine to become obsolete, inconsequential, a curious...
Take the Glare Out of That Glareshield
Many popular aircraft kits utilize a sheet of aluminum to form the glareshield—that “shelf”...
2017 Homebuilt Aircraft Directory
Pick a plane, any plane-an overview of kit and plansbuilt fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft. Introduction Directory compiled by Omar Filipovic.