![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "A Few of My Favorite Tools")
![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")
![Author Bill Wilson takes a break from measuring and cutting the Lexan windshield during his Onex build. [All Images Credit to Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/image-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Think Like A Builder")
Chamfers and Tapers
The usual setup for my lathe is to have the compound slide set to 45 degrees and the tool post square to the spindle...
Wrong Rudder Cable Nut and Missing Cotter Key
Wherever a bolt is subject to rotation, it is required to have a castellated nut and cotter key. A typical mistake I see on...
A Tale of Two Antennas
With the recent rush to ADS-B, there has been a significant interest in GPS installations and even more interest in the antenna for those...
Starter Trouble
A little over five years ago I wrote a maintenance article dealing with troubleshooting starter problems. The gist of the article was don’t assume poor...
Brake Turn
My local airport, Corona Municipal in Southern California, sits in the Prodo Dam basin and is known to flood on occasion. Last February, heavy...
Do-It-Yourself Push-To-Talk Switch
Talking on the communication radio in your homebuilt aircraft requires a simple push-to-talk (PTT) switch—an electrical push-button switch of the momentary-contact type. This switch...
We Shall Be Led Into the Light
In 1850, British physicist Joseph Swan began experimenting with paper coated with carbon in a glass tube that was partially evacuated from air. His...
Fuel Leak and Cracked Flare
A major fuel leak was discovered on this airplane not long after the first flight. The majority of the fuel in the tank leaked...
In Case You Missed It
James Aircraft’s State of the Art
Under new ownership, James Aircraft continues to support RV builders
