![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")
Ernie’s Room and Board
Way back in March ’23 (deep in snow here), I gave you the problem of Ernie, who needed a flashing light to see when...
Will That Be Paint or Powder?
There are two popular options for builders to consider for covering steel components.
LSA Tail Stand
I decided I needed a tail stand after my transponder inspection last spring. A normal transponder inspection is pretty basic: Turn on the avionics...
Complex Impedance
A loyal reader writes, “I have a homebuilt Bugsmasher with a couple of com radios. They are a FlashBoom 32X and a LoudenWhapper 22A....
How Fast Is a Speed Nut?
A “speed nut” is a somewhat generic term that is occasionally used for a one-piece spring steel fastener that we can use in our...
Memories
It was 1985 when this 42-year-old kid wrote an article for an upstart magazine aimed at the homebuilt aircraft market. Appearing in the October...
Bad Weld
Sometimes welding should be left to those more skilled in its practice. I don’t think I would trust this repair that was made to...
Spinner Bulkhead Clocking
Spinner woes were the topic of midsummer musings on Van’s Air Force this year. Specifically, Bill from Virginia commented how, after getting his Hartzell...
The Case of No Rotor RPM Indication
I am now in the flight-testing stage with my Hummingbird helicopter. Personally, I’ve always liked the 40 hours of required flight testing as it...
Plug-Gapping Tool
If you read Paul Dye’s article “Automotive Plugs in Lycomings” in the August 2023 issue, you know that using inexpensive automotive-style single-electrode spark plugs...
In Case You Missed It
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.
Here Mosaic Meets the Edge of The Envelope
"Life’s Always Bursts the Boundaries of Formulas" — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
