![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=534&h=462&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")
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...
RV Quick Stick
I live in a pretty cool neighborhood, which happens to include a couple of locals who are building airplane projects in their garages. In...
In Case You Missed It
Editor’s Log
Editor Mary Bernard addresses readers’ concerns about legibility in the magazine and offers a correction about pricing of the Safari kit helicopter.
Design Process: Aileron Types
The size and planform of the ailerons are set by the roll-control power needed...
Carving Fiberglass the Easy Way
Shaping fiberglass parts might be messy, but it doesn't need to be hard. When...