Engine controls, and all other controls in the cockpit, should be labeled as to function and direction. It is standard practice to use black for throttle, blue for prop and red for mixture. Imagine jumping into this cockpit and looking for the throttle! The blue knob in this airplane was used as a throttle, a vernier one at that! There was no black knob at all. Not good.
In Case You Missed It
Dan’s World
Sometimes its surprising to see homebuilt aircraft kits languishing in garages or hangars or workshops. Especially the quickbuilds, which raises the question of whether there's something about buying a QB kit that leads to procrastination. Columnist Dan Checkoway ponders the question, looking to his own experience for an answer.
Roll Your Own Brake Fluid Pump System
Rolling your own brake fluid pump and filling your brake system can be easily...

![Last Bits [Credit: Lisa Turner]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Inspections-1-scaled.jpg?w=218&h=150&crop=1)
![Weight In The Balance [Credit: Eric Powell]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AdobeStock_1043661239-scaled.jpeg?w=218&h=150&crop=1)









