![At Sun ‘n Fun 2026, Viking Aircraft Engines surprised the crowd with its first complete kit — the V-42, a high-wing twin powered by two Honda-based engines. Here’s an early look. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/P1020293.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "Viking V-42 Twin")
![[Credit: Van's Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_5238.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Part 22 Gets Real: Van’s Delivers the First MOSAIC-Certified Airplane")
![Backcountry manners intact: the ULT sits on a grass strip with the turbine spun up, built on the STOL-capable Carbon Cub UL airframe. [Credit: CubCrafters]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-11.12.13-AM.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "The New Jetprop Carbon Cub")
![[All images credited to Mike Davenport]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/DSC_6716.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Glasair Sportsman 2+2, Part Two")
![Dragging it in low and slow for the STOL competition. [Credit: Andrew Robinson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SnF_dragging_in.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Sun ’n Fun 2026 Recap: Avionics Upgrades, Thorp Kits, and STOL Action")
Thorp S-18 Under New Ownership
A Classic Gets New Life and Full-Kit Production
October 2025 marks a revival for one of experimental aviation's true classics—the Thorp S-18—under new ownership and...
SilverLight Aviation Recon Kit
Backcountry Capability Meets Builder-Friendly Design
SilverLight Aviation is setting the homebuilt market abuzz with its Recon Airplane kit, launched nationally at Sun ’n Fun last...
Sonex Highwing Update
Practical Utility Meets Builder Flexibility
Sonex Aircraft’s new Highwing is fast becoming a phenomenon among experimental aviation enthusiasts, blending advanced utility with aerobatic handling and...
Hybrid Power: From Hype to Hardware
The VoltAero HPU 210 is a firewall-forward package that blends a supercharged Kawasaki H2SX-derived engine with a 60-kilowatt electric motor.
Zenith Homecoming 2025: Skills, Shop Tours, and Real-World Builder Knowledge
There are events that entertain, and then there are events that refuel a project.
Builder Demographics Evolve as Participation Patterns Shift
Participation in homebuilding remains strong, but the way people engage with the process is evolving, and so is the character of the community.
A Note From The New Editor
The primary focus of a new editor at a magazine like Kitplanes is where the work happens—not in an office, but in a garage,...
60 Years of Aircraft Spruce
Celebrating 60 years at AirVenture 2025, Aircraft Spruce’s Jim Irwin shares how the company grew from spruce lumber to a one-stop aviation parts source.
Zenith Aircraft Workshop Class and Fly‑In Gathering in Michigan
Hands‑on Zenith kit workshop and fly‑in set for October 10–11, 2025, in Howell, Michigan.
In Case You Missed It
Phase I Maintenance
Some of the things to which new mechanics or new owners of Amateur-Built aircraft should pay attention.
Brake Tech for Builders
Marc Cook talks theory, practice, technology and maintenance with Matco Manufacturings George Happ and Grove Aircrafts Robbie Grove. Consider it a primer for all things brake-related.
Flight Review: Buena Venterra
What kind of performance can you get from a turbocharged Rotax 914 engine on the nose of a RANS S-19 airframe? Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook finds out.
![The discomfort of wearing prescription- or sunglasses under an ANR headset is eliminated with Flying Eyes. [Credit: Flying Eyes]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FlyingEyes-Group.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Eyes Forward")