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WAI Announces the 2026 Pioneer Hall of Fame Inductees

Randall Brink - 0
no image thumb logo 150
  Ceremony and Celebration in Dallas on Friday, March 20, 2026 Women in Aviation International (WAI) has selected the 2026 inductees for its international Pioneer Hall...

The Aeromarine Merlin

Randall Brink - 6
[Courtesy: Aeromarine]
Personal Sport Aviation Comes of Age.

Aircraft Builders Reap Benefit from MOSAIC Rules

Randall Brink - 0
mosaic faa thm 2
New FAA regulations unlock additional utility for popular kit designs The homebuilt aviation community welcomed a significant milestone on October 22 when the FAA's MOSAIC...

Trig Avionics Launches TT23 Transponder Line

Randall Brink - 0
Transponder ADS-B Out
Smaller, Lighter, GPS, ADS-B Out, Certified. New unit offers optional integrated GPS, providing a simple, certified solution for global ADS-B compliance. Trig Avionics announced the debut...

Sandpoint, Idaho HS Students Achieve FAA Airworthiness Certification for Kit Aircraft

Randall Brink - 2
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North Idaho Student Kit Plane Gets FAA Approval The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program (ACES) reached a significant goal on October 4, 2025, when...

VoltAero Enters Financial Restructuring After Investor Withdraws Funding

Randall Brink - 2
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French hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer VoltAero initiated formal insolvency proceedings on October 7, 2025, at the commercial court in La Rochelle, after approximately $5.8 million...

Skyfly Axe SN001 Awarded FAA Experimental Status

Randall Brink - 3
A Skyfly Bicester Flight June 2025 8
eVTOL Skyfly Axe Gets FAA Experimental Nod in U.S. Skyfly Technologies, a UK-based innovator in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, has made a significant...

A Rare Chance For Kit Builders

Randall Brink - 4
Murphy Rebel
Murphy Rebel Kit Auction The auction of a near-complete Murphy Rebel kit presents a unique opportunity for homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts and marks an interesting development...

Thorp S-18 Under New Ownership

Randall Brink - 0
Go Around 1b
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

Randall Brink - 0
SilverLight Aviation Recon
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

Randall Brink - 4
Sonex Highwing Taildragger View1
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

Randall Brink - 3
VoltAero hybrid propulsion powerplant
The VoltAero HPU 210 is a firewall-forward package that blends a supercharged Kawasaki H2SX-derived engine with a 60-kilowatt electric motor.

Video Series

Magazine

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Magazine

Recon: Have It Your Way

Mark Timney -
0
Magazine

The “Rope A Dope” Trick To Avoid Replacing Cylinders

Ken Walsh -
1
Magazine

Measuring: Go To Lengths To Get It Right

Kerry Fores -
0
Magazine

Starlink In The Air

Randall Brink -
0
Magazine

Homebuilding Is Getting Expensive-Or Is It?

Randall Brink -
0
Magazine

34th Annual Zenith Homecoming

Kitplanes -
0
Magazine

A Note From The New Editor

Randall Brink -
8
Shop Talk

Make a Custom Baffle Duct

Omar Filipovic -
3
Exploring

Horizons Past And Present—Peter Egan

Tom Wilson -
1
Kit Bits

Coloring Outside the Lines

Lisa Turner -
0
Designer's Notebook

Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 6: High AoA Tail Effects

Barnaby Wainfan -
0
Shop Talk

Companion DIY Drill Guide

Bob Hadley -
1
Exploring

Build Smart: Make Mods That Matter

Vic Syracuse -
0
Exploring

Flying Hot

Tom Wilson -
0
Shop Talk

Nuts. What to Do When Thrown a Curve

Kerry Fores -
1

Flight Reviews

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Creating the RV-15

Paul Dye -
Flying Van’s high wing during its multiyear journey to kit production.

Flying the Groppo Trail

Luca Perazzoli -
How to say ‘mountain flying’ in Italian.

Home-Rolled XCub

Paul Dye -
Traditional or nosewheel, the XCubs are now available as kits.

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.

Builder Spotlight

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Building Control Components for the Zenith 750SD Xtreme

Jon Humberd -
Part 18: Taking Control

Building the 750 SDXTREME: Part 17

Jon Humberd -
Custom mods to the 750 SDX main gear and nosegear bring serious weight savings and unique titanium parts to life—right down to the pedals and steering rods.

Forked-Tail Masterpiece

Jonathan & Julia Apfelbaum -
Jim O’Hara’s scratchbuilt P-38 is a multi-generational effort .

Eating the Elephant—Part 5

Paul Dye -
Perfection isn’t a goal—it’s a trap.

Second Chance Six

Tenley Ong -
As Oshkosh 2025 nears, Tenley rallies support and tackles critical inspection tasks to get RV-6 N2165U flying again.

The Hummingbird Airworthiness Inspection

Vic Syracuse -
A DAR walks through the paperwork and practical steps needed to get an Experimental helicopter inspected—and reflects on what it means to finally fly.

Eating the Elephant—Part 4

Paul Dye -
Dealing with repetitive tasks.

Adding a Taillight to a Completed Rudder

Andrew Robinson -
A creative, low-impact solution for mounting a light without cutting up your rudder.

Shop Talk

Tie-Down Brackets

Andrew Robinson -
Finding an angle on staying grounded.

A D For Effort

Andrew Robinson -
LYCOMING O-290G REBUILD PART 1

Aircraft Welding Methods for Homebuilders

Randall Brink -
The choice of welding method for your homebuilt aircraft's steel tube fuselage represents one of the most critical decisions in your building journey. Each...

The “Rope A Dope” Trick To Avoid Replacing Cylinders

Ken Walsh -
It’s never a good sign when during your aircraft annual inspection the mechanic calls to report an issue. It’s sort of like getting a...

Make a Custom Baffle Duct

Omar Filipovic -
Fiberglass your way to a perfect shape.

Companion DIY Drill Guide

Bob Hadley -
Build a simple aluminum jig to drill AN bolt threads for safety wiring—perfect for when your hardware bin is missing just one critical part.

Exploring

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Vintage Homebuilts

Mike Davenport -
Where are they now? While that question has been asked many times, this time...

Horizons Past And Present—Peter Egan

Tom Wilson -
A summer of open-cockpit adventures, from biplane fly-ins to Peter Egan’s cross-country Cub journey, capturing America low and slow.

Build Smart: Make Mods That Matter

Vic Syracuse -
Some mods are better than others. Know how to pick the right ones.

Flying Hot

Tom Wilson -
Summer heat can be more than uncomfortable—it can be dangerous. Smart planning, proper cooling, and a little altitude can keep you flying safely.

MOSAIC Is Here: What It Means for Homebuilts

Omar Filipovic -
The FAA's new MOSAIC rule is here. See how it expands Sport Pilot privileges and revolutionizes maintenance for Experimental/Amateur-Built aircraft owners.

Sitting Up Front Again

Tom Wilson -
From hot rods to homebuilts, a new editor takes the stick at KITPLANES—with steady hands, clear skies, and a love for hands-on aviation.

Products

All Jacked Up

Tom Wilson -
Aircraft Jacking Solutions introduces ease and stability to lifting an airplane

Buzz Job – The Tosten Haptic Stick Grip

Tom Wilson -
Tosten’s prototype haptic stick grip buzzes to warn of stall, integrating touch-based feedback to angle-of-attack data.

iFly EFB X7 Aviation Tablet

Omar Filipovic -
The iFly EFB X7 is a 7″ Android aviation tablet featuring a 2,600-nit display, MIL-STD-810G ruggedness, IP68 sealing and a 7,000 mAh battery—pre-orders open July 18.

KitFlight Modernizes the Aircraft Builder’s Log (Updated)

Omar Filipovic -
KitFlight makes logging your Experimental aircraft build intuitive, flexible, and future-proof—with powerful features and no subscription required.

USB-Powered CO Monitor from Radiant

Paul Dye -
Radiant's new $29.95 USB CO monitor lights up red if danger's in the air—and might just beat those old stick-on cards for reliability.

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.

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Paul Dye talks about meeting old friends and making new friends at air shows and fly-ins, and introduces several new columnists who will be regular contributors to KITPLANES.
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