Viewfinder
Vertical Power’s VP-400 stands ready to locate the nearest airports and help you plot and execute an emergency landing—welcome assistance for the pilot experiencing an in-flight failure. By Marc Cook.
Rotax Factory Tour
Paul Bertorelli takes a tour of the Rotax factory in Austria and discusses the company’s new 912 iS engine and what it has to offer to homebuilders.
Light Stuff
Should powered-parachute and trike pilots have the option of earning a commercial license? By Roy Beisswenger.
The Dawn Patrol
Each stalwart member of The Dawn Patrol has had his "day in the hay" (i.e., an off-airport landing). Now Sharon Starks is initiated into that venerable club.
Alternative Energies
Three new aircraft, Synergy, Pipistrel Panthera and Volta Volare, are pushing the innovation envelope with their propulsion systems, performance and fuel economy. By Dean Sigler.
Free Flight
In a short, late-afternoon flight, Paul Dye takes on a particular Houston cloud formation and exalts in the glory of flying an airplane perfectly suited to his whims.
Editor’s Log
In some of the impressive projects described in this issue, and the dedication and passion of their designers and builders, Editor-in-Chief Mary Bernard finds reasons to be hopeful about the future of aviation.
What’s New
Zenith debuts the CH 650 QBK, Kuntzleman’s announces a Wingtip LED Light System, and Radial Rocket introduces Streamline Airframe Kits.
Viewfinder
Burt Rutan’s 1980s Catbird was originally designed for the CAFE Foundation fuel-efficiency competition, but Marc Cook wonders whether it might make a fine homebuilt kit aircraft today.
Light and Capable
There are so many ways to try to keep the weight down in a homebuilt project, but some are better than others.
In Case You Missed It
What’s New: Garmin’s Bold Experimental Push
New equipment from Garmin’s Team X is tailored to the experimental builder’s budget.
Build a Bear: Keeping It Real
Dave Prizio and his Build-a-Bear crew get the Texas Sport Cub ready for flight testing, and take to the skies.
Alternator and Voltage Regulator Problems
As everyone moves toward electronic instrumentation, the alternator is taking on a more and...