Facebook Twitter Youtube

Newsline

Continue to the category

Easy Egress Handle

Paul Dye -
Add an easy-egress handle to your canopy with a simple drawer pull and heat-shrink tubing—quick, stylish, and builder-approved.

Fun with a Cub

Paul Dye -
CubCrafters let us loose with the first kit-built NX Cub—here’s what we found exploring backcountry strips and dry lake beds in Western Nevada.

RV-15 Development Moves Ahead with New Tail, Wing Mods

Omar Filipovic -
Van’s Aircraft updates the RV-15 with a new tail, updated controls, and 60-gallon wing tanks—plus a successful wing-load test ahead of AirVenture.

Hartzell Engine Tech Acquires E-MAG Electronic Ignition Systems

Kitplanes -
Hartzell Engine Tech has acquired E-MAG and plans to certify the self-powering electronic ignition systems for use in certified aircraft.

Fairings-Etc. Acquires Performance Propeller, Plans Production Restart

Kitplanes -
Fairings-Etc. acquires Performance Propeller and plans to resume production of handmade wood props by late 2025. Pre-orders now open online.

Replacing Studs When Switching to P-Mags

Paul Dye -
Switching to P-Mags? Here's how to easily replace overly long engine studs when removing impulse coupler spacers for electronic ignition upgrades.

Video Series

Magazine

Continue to the category
Exploring

Catching Up

Tom Wilson -
1
Shop Talk

Oil Filter Testing

Dan Horton -
2
Flight Reports

Risen — The Master of Efficiency

Marc Cook -
4
Exploring

Wheeler Express—Yesteryear’s Homebuilts

Ron Wanttaja -
1
Designer's Notebook

Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 4: Stall Characteristics

Barnaby Wainfan -
0
Exploring

Medical Or No—You Could Still Fly

Jon Croke -
2
Exploring

Building for IFR: Do You Really Need It?

Paul Dye -
4
Exploring

AI Amuses, But It Can’t Replace Aviation Experts

Marc Cook -
2
Exploring

Tools and Shop Organization: When It’s Time to Start

Vic Syracuse -
0
Shop Talk

Denso Alternator Homemade Adaptation

Troy Zawlacki -
3
Exploring

Putting Off the Tailwheel Spring Repair

Tom Wilson -
0
Shop Talk

Modifying a Pitot Mast

Bob Hadley -
0
Exploring

Running With Scissors

Lisa Turner -
0
Designer's Notebook

Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 3: High-Speed Taxi Testing

Barnaby Wainfan -
2
Shop Talk

(Almost) Wordless Workshop

Kerry Fores -
1

Flight Reviews

Continue to the category

Risen — The Master of Efficiency

Marc Cook -
It is crazy fast for the horsepower!

ScaleBirds P-36 Hawk

Paul Dye -
ScaleBirds, a newcomer to the kit manufacturing scene, chose to start their line of replica fighters with one of the first all-metal U.S. military pursuit ships of WW-II—the P-36.

Kitfox Speedster 916

Marc Cook -
The feistiest Kitfox gets feistier yet.

Sling Shot

Paul Dye -
Rotax’s 916 enlivens Sling’s four-seaters.

Nothing Small About This Amphibian

Tom Wilson -
The Gweduck is a hero-class Experimental amphibian aircraft three decades in the making.

On the Nose!

Paul Dye -
Lockwood’s Rotax-powered RV-9A is more than just fancy rhinoplasty.

Builder Spotlight

Continue to the category

Eating the Elephant—Part 3

Paul Dye -
Designing cockpits is part art, part foresight—flexibility wins when your perfect panel meets inevitable evolution mid-build.

RV-10 Paint Scheme Paints a Family Story

Kerry Fores -
Four generations influenced Ernie and Jeanne Lietzan’s RV-10.

Eating the Elephant—Part 2

Paul Dye -
One step forward, two steps back

Second Chance Six

Tenley Ong -
Part 14: To fix or not to fix?

Final Flight

Scott Brumbelow -
The rest of the story.

The Baby Lakes is Small-Scale Fun

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Tiny but mighty, the Baby Lakes still impresses.

Building the 750SD XTREME: Part 15

Jon Humberd -
Why is this airplane xtreme?

Something to Crow About

Paul Dye -
A visit to see how Crow builds harnesses.

Shop Talk

Easy Egress Handle

Paul Dye -
Add an easy-egress handle to your canopy with a simple drawer pull and heat-shrink tubing—quick, stylish, and builder-approved.

A History of Aircraft Wiring Insulation

Jim Weir -
Discover the evolution of aircraft wiring insulation—from rubber and cotton to nylon, PVC, and Tefzel—and learn practical tricks for wiring your homebuilt.

Custom Heat Exchanger Fabrication

Eric Stewart -
Designing and fabricating custom radiator and intercooler systems with packaging challenges.

Replacing Studs When Switching to P-Mags

Paul Dye -
Switching to P-Mags? Here's how to easily replace overly long engine studs when removing impulse coupler spacers for electronic ignition upgrades.

Oil Filter Testing

Dan Horton -
Some aviation oil filters fall short of efficiency standards, but still protect engines—barely. Understand what yours really does.

Denso Alternator Homemade Adaptation

Troy Zawlacki -
Swapping a Denso alternator into a Lycoming engine? Here’s how one builder tackled pulley design for optimal reliability.

Exploring

Continue to the category

Catching Up

Tom Wilson -
Hangar tightens as a Murphy Moose build begins, sparking shop upgrades, parts hunts, and reflections on wind and freedom.

Wheeler Express—Yesteryear’s Homebuilts

Ron Wanttaja -
The Wheeler Express dazzled with sleek performance and bold promises but ultimately struggled with stability issues and company misfortunes.

Medical Or No—You Could Still Fly

Jon Croke -
Three ways to meet FAA medical requirements—BasicMed, Sport Pilot and more—could help you get back in the air. Here's what pilots need to know.

Building for IFR: Do You Really Need It?

Paul Dye -
Thinking about building an IFR-capable homebuilt? Consider whether you’ll really use it—or just spend extra money.

AI Amuses, But It Can’t Replace Aviation Experts

Marc Cook -
AI can't replace real aviation expertise—building safe aircraft requires hands-on knowledge, experience, and a well-calibrated BS meter.

Tools and Shop Organization: When It’s Time to Start

Vic Syracuse -
Organization, smart tool planning and connecting with local builders are essential first steps to a successful aircraft building project.

Products

Holy Micro’s Absolute AoA: Next-Level Angle of Attack Sensing for GA Pilots

Mark Timney -
Advanced new AoA system from Holy Micro debuts at Sun ’n Fun 2025 with radar and LiDAR altimeters in tow.

Innovation Showcase Highlights New HUD Helmet and Visual Traffic Alert System

Mark Timney -
New tech at Sun ’n Fun includes a HUD helmet and a visual traffic alert system for general aviation pilots.

Pure Medical Brings New Oxygen Solution to Aircraft

Steve Ashby -
Pure Medical adapts the Inogen Rove 6 for aircraft, delivering tank-free oxygen to homebuilders at Sun ’n Fun.

Radiant Technology Unveils Taxi Camera

Cayla McLeod -
A flush camera and accompanying 7-inch LCD display grants tailwheel pilots forward visibility while taxiing.

EFIS Roundup 2024

Marc Cook -
Big screens available now.

DuraWear and UltraWear Brake Discs From Matco

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Matco presented new DuraWear and UltraWear components which provide an upgrade to their standard brake discs and pads while maintaining the same pricing.

Sign up to receive a weekly email update from KITPLANES Magazine with news stories and feature articles inluding our Homebuilder's Portal.

Sign Up

Subscribe to get access to our Aircraft Buyer's Guide!

Get Access

Download Digital Issues

Follow Us

7,946FansLike
1,052FollowersFollow
5,930SubscribersSubscribe

In Case You Missed It

wt 004

Fasteners Through an Engineer’s Eye

Barnaby Wainfan - 0
The structure of an airplane and its systems are only as strong and reliable as the joints holding its components together.
cruise altitude 01

Wind Tunnel

Barnaby Wainfan - 0
Design process, part 2-how high should you fly?
P1000406

Van’s at 50

Paul Dye - 4
It might surprise many of our readers that I am a relative newcomer to...
trailer accident fores

Taxes and Shipping Additional

Kerry Fores - 0
Most homebuilders—and just I’m spit-balling here—have waited a long time to justify the cost of building an airplane.
winter ops

Checkpoints

Vic Syracuse - 0
Fun in cold weather.
© 2025 Firecrown Media Inc. All rights reserved. ® KITPLANES is a registered trademark of Firecrown Media Inc.