![SR-1 cowl being integrated with spinner and cooling ducts. The cowl is assembled to itself/to the fuse primarily with countersunk #8 screws. [All images credited to Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1KP.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Custom Cowl Fabrication: Building the SR-1 Composite Cowl")
![Trimming composites gets the full PPE job. [Credit: Eric Stewart]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/7-2.jpg?w=265&h=198&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")
Case Hardening
Having a machine shop means never having to say, “I can’t make that.”
That occurred to me one afternoon when I was making a sprocket....
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.
In Case You Missed It
Down to Earth
After a reluctant transition from paper to pixels, Amy Laboda explores the options available in digital-charting apps and how she arrived at a decision.
