Aircraft Spruce & Specialty

How you choose might depend on panel space and your control set preference—but the choices are extensive!

In typical fashion, Vans Aircraft refused to rest on its laurels after the RV-12s prototype debut last year, and sought to improve on an already good design. The new production airplane has changed (beyond its color), with a castering nosewheel, toe brakes instead of a grip, reshaped control sticks for better clearance, ground-adjustable seats fore and aft as well as in tilt, and the list goes on. Best of all, this day/VFR machine is still a delight to fly; by Ed Kolano.

Not all airports welcome “out of the ordinary” aircraft such as gyros, ultralights or powered parachutes. If you’ve been shut out, here are some tips to get you back in. By Roy Beisswenger.

The mighty Murphy Moose, sporting a Pratt & Whitney PT6A on the nose, threatened...