![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")
Building the Affordaplane, Part 2
From a construction standpoint this ultralight design is quite unusual in some ways and very traditional in others.
Diodes, Backward and Forward
Let’s talk about what makes a diode—what the physical makeup of a diode really looks like on the inside.
Accessory Stacking To Mill an Arc
Securely holding small parts for machining is always a challenge. The solution may be to use a work-holding gadget such as a pin vise...
Failed Ignition System
When it comes to aircraft ignition systems, I’ve always favored having one magneto and one electronic ignition system (EIS). Many dual electronic ignitions require...
Scratch Build a Kit?
I want to present a strategy and method to get a few more prospective airplane builders off the fence and into the workshop. This...
Driver Upgrade for Avionics Trays
Installing small screws into the tight confines of a deep avionics tray is a challenge that can be both annoying and frustrating.
Franklin vs. Edison et al. and Marconi
A word we use rather flippantly when perusing electronic circuitry—ground.
ERCuSi-A Silicon Bronze, the AlternaTIG Option
Last summer I had the chance to get some hands-on experience with TIG brazing. Other than a YouTube video or two, I knew next...
In Case You Missed It
Around the Patch
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook reflects on the joy offered by low-and-slow flying machines and discusses the state of the kit aircraft market.
Firewall Forward: Installing the Firewall
Author Dave Prizio describes construction of the firewall itself, including the penetrations and the tools required.
Second Hand is First Rate
Pitts happens when you have 11 months, talent, friends, spare parts, and a little cash.
Ask the DAR
Are computer software programs sufficient documentation of a build, and what do you do when a DARs request seems unreasonable?