Tag: building vs fixing
![The best builders learn to combine both mindsets. They build like engineers but think like future mechanics. [Credit: Bill Wilson]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_0037.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Building vs. Fixing")
In Case You Missed It
Cover Story: Seat Cover Conventions
Now that the foam is cut and glued, we’ll learn how to make the pattern, choose and cut the fabric, and sew the cover.
Combustion Pressure and the Future of the Aero Engine
Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook looks at the changes within Lycoming and how they affect kit builders, as well as Superior Air Parts future since Thielert's bankruptcy.
![Roscoe Turner, a pilot who defined flamboyance with his waxed mustache, a uniform that included jodhpurs, and a pet lion named Gilmore that flew with him. [Credit: Associated Press]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Colonel_Roscoe_Turner_and_Gilmore_1930.jpg?w=324&h=160&crop=1 "Colorful and Notable Characters in Aviation")
Colorful and Notable Characters in Aviation
Most of our dads were/are characters to varying degrees, everything between a genial 1950s...
Avoiding the Traps of Bad Engineering and Construction
There's a large body of knowledge of good engineering practice for aircraft. Most of this knowledge was gained the hard way, and it should not be ignored lightly.