KITPLANES

[Credit: McFarlane Alaska] If you fly off gravel bars, ridge strips, or anything that only loosely qualifies as a runway, the odds are decent you have a T3 tailwheel suspension hanging off the back of your airplane. And if you don’t, you have probably watched the pilot tied down next to you roll gently across a washboard while your own ship rattled your fillings loose.

[Credit: FAA] By now you know the headline numbers. Stall speed up to 59 knots clean. Four seats. Night flying. A Sport Pilot license—or just a driver’s license—now unlocks most of the RV fleet and a long list of legacy airplanes that were off-limits a year ago. That half of the MOSAIC roll-out has been live since last October, and we’ve covered it.

[Credit: EAA] If there is a corner of AirVenture that quietly rewards the homebuilder, it is the patch of grass just east of the Vintage Red Barn. That is where the Interview Circle sits, and that is where Vintage in Review will set up shop again this year from July 20 through 24, with EAA confirming the program’s return for AirVenture Oshkosh 2026.

[Credit: Zenith Aircraft Company] If you’ve ever wanted to see where all those Zenith kit parts come from, June 20th is your chance to find out firsthand. Zenith Aircraft Company is hosting its annual “Fly-In to Summer” Open House at its factory on the Mexico Memorial Airport (KMYJ) in Mexico, Missouri, and the welcome mat is out for builders, flyers, and anyone curious about getting into homebuilding.

Careful planning and determination will get you to your goal of building and flying your own airplane. [Credit: AdobeStock] Ed and Cindy sat on the porch of the small FBO, soaking up the aviation buzz. Airplanes and activity were everywhere. Cindy took a deep breath. She looked at Ed and said, “I want to build and fly my own airplane.” Ed returned a look of surprise. “Are you kidding? That’s crazy. Not to mention you cannot afford it.” “I’ll figure out a way,” said Cindy. Of course money matters.

Making rare use of my drafting tools for the internal timing. [All Images Credited to Andrew Robinson] Setting the internal timing is supposed to make use of a special plate with degree markings and a pointer that clips to the end of the breaker cam. Not having said tool, I improvised.

[Credit: AdobeStock] I was at a fly-in and had one of the builder-pilots showing his Long EZ to me, and it was beautiful. He pointed out the smoothly finished fillets and fairings and the tight gaps for the control surfaces. It was a fine example of good craftsmanship. Then the fellow showed me his buddy’s adjacent Long EZ and started pointing out all of the less-than-stellar craftsmanship.

Lowell Farrand spent years serving as an FAA DAR and is in the EAA Hall of Fame. He offers sound advise to builders. [Credit: Bill Wilson] If you want to understand what happens when people stop thinking like builders, look no further than Boeing. In recent years, what was once one of America’s flagship engineering companies has endured public setbacks and bruising scrutiny.

The 160 hp turbocharged Rotax 916iS is a four-stroke piston engine with redundant electronic fuel injection and ignition. [Credit: BPR Rotax] When did you realize that your aviation journey would not be complete until you built your own airplane? Perhaps the need to pull rivets, bend wood, weld steel tubing or stitch fabric has yet to develop fully, but it probably will.

The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [All Images Credited to LeRoy Cook] Faced with a five-hour flight in a fleeting afternoon, the impatient airplane was sitting at the gas pump where we had towed it, full of gas and preflighted.