KITPLANES August 2025

AS MANY REGULAR READERS KNOW, I’ve misspent my years in journalism, the majority in the automotive press. But that was back when there was an auto motive press, which is to say several oil change intervals ago. Airplanes have always been my first love—well, aside from all those cloud billowing, flame-belching rockets I scrawled on any bit of available paper in my kindergarten years. That was during the early space age, the unmanned satellite and then Mercury heyday when rockets were white and carried a black diagonal stripe about two-thirds up their bodies. They also blew up a lot at first, which added to the excitement, I thought. Enter Cars The dichotomy arose as I neared high school. That was the first time the price of entry to aviation made…

IF YOU WANT TO start a lively (never ending) debate on any experimental aviation internet forum—or in the airport pilot lounge—just bring up the idea that you’re thinking about an alternative engine for your next project. “I was thinking about putting a radial on my next RV,” or “I heard that Chevy V8s are cheap and provide plenty of power—what do you think about putting one on a Kitfox?” But before you bring these topics up, you might consider checking your options for good cover—or begin digging a foxhole. Opinions on such matters run high…and hot. The truth is, most airframes are designed for a particular powerplant. Designers might tell you that you can put anything you want on the nose (or the tail—there are still pushers out there), but…

EVERYONE HAS A LIST of their favorite aircraft and the P-38 makes many such lists. Obviously unique, the P-38 stands out technically and visibly; the twin booms, tricycle gear, and the pilot sitting in the central pod, as well as its impressive size, make it eye-catching and sometimes much more. Awe, admiration, and dreams are easily within the P-38’s power, something James “Jim” O’Hara could attest to for he designed and handcrafted this amazing, one-off, scratch-built ⅔-scale P-38 labor of love. Jim was a professor of aeronautical engineering at Tulane University and also worked for NASA. Born in 1928, he was too young to fly in the war, but growing up he was enamored with many of the aircraft of the conflict. Among them the Lockheed P-38 stood out, and he…

How did such a radical-looking plane as the P-38 come about? It was from a February 1938 request by the U.S. Army Air Corps seeking a new interceptor that could “attack hostile aircraft at high altitude.” The request further specified a maximum speed of 360 mph at 20,000 feet and a maximum level speed of 290 mph at sea level. It required the ability to fly at full power for 1 hour at 20,000 feet and have a 6-minute rate of climb to that altitude. In addition, the fighter must have a takeoff and landing distance of 2200 feet while clearing a 50-foot obstacle at the runway’s end. The Air Corps also wanted an inline engine, such as seen with the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, or Messerschmidt Bf-109 (the leading…

AS A PILOT, I grew up at an airport that was home to one of the few Mountain Flight Schools in Europe. I soloed in a Piper Super Cub and, when the time came, earned my mountain rating, allowing me to land uphill in a PA-18 with skis if needed. Super Cubs and Huskies were the most common bush planes around. However, as lighter, tailwheel-strong airplanes began entering the scene, one in particular caught the attention of the mountain flying community: the Trail, from the Italian company Groppo Aviazione. At the Factory I called the company to arrange a flight review and a few days later found myself driving three hours to their airfield—then unsuitable for general aviation traffic. Groppo Aviazione is based in northern Italy, not far from Milan,…

The folding procedure is easy and can be completed by one person in only 5 minutes without draining the fuel tanks. After removing the jury strut pin and the aileron/flap pins, you unlock two safety lock pins for the front and rear wing spars. Then, lift the wingtip (about 8 inches behind the folding knob), pull the knob to disengage the spar connection, and gradually release. You then rotate the wing around its horizontal axis, leading edge down, folding it back toward the rudder. Once folded, the widest part of the aircraft is the tail, measuring about 8 feet across.…