KITPLANES December 2025

HOW DIFFERENT the world of amateur-built and ultralight aviation looks today compared to the wild, anything-goes days of the early 1980s! Not so long ago, the “foot launch” rule stood as the FAA’s tongue-in cheek line in the sand between what could be classified (and left relatively unregulated) as a recreational flying machine and what demanded the full regulatory muscle normally reserved for certified aircraft. If you could, in theory, run along the ground and toss yourself skyward with your contraption resting on your shoulders—whether you actually ever would—your machine fit the definition. If you couldn’t, it suddenly risked being viewed as a “real airplane,” with all the paperwork and compliance that entailed. As someone who not only chronicled that era but also built and flew a Weedhopper in those…

THE AVIATION industry has long promised affordable light sport aircraft, but most STOL-capable planes remain priced well beyond the reach of many aspiring pilots. Enter the Top Rudder Ruckus, a revolutionary kit-built aircraft that’s changing the conversation about accessible backcountry flying. With a kit price of $28,000 and remarkable short-field performance, the Ruckus represents a bold attempt to deliver high-end STOL capabilities at a fraction of the traditional price. Design Origins and Development The Ruckus traces its lineage directly to one of the most respected names in STOL aircraft design. Troy Woodland, the founder of Just Aircraft and designer of the legendary SuperSTOL, originally created the Ruckus prototype approximately eight years ago as a personal project. Woodland earned widespread recognition in the aviation community, including the prestigious EAA August Raspet…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO BUY a vintage aircraft with side-by-side seating and aren’t too large a person, a Taylorcraft BC-12D might just be ‘your’ plane. A long-time pilot favorite, Taylorcrafts can be found in good condition at bargain prices. “Anyone who’s ever owned one will tell you what a great plane it is and how much fun they are to fly,” contends Tabor Coates, a former Taylorcraft owner, CFI and the owner of Blue Collar Aviation near Boston, MA. Development, Features & Flight Characteristics The frustrations of Clarence Gilbert Taylor, one of the most important designers during the early days of private aviation, led to the plane’s development. Taylor parted ways with William Piper shortly after the two produced the Taylor Cub, the aircraft upon which the Piper Cub was based.…

THIS WAS ORIGINALLYgoing to be a few paragraphs in my article about my engine rebuild, but it became longer and longer until it seemed to be a tale of its own. So grab a beverage and pull up a chair; at least some part of this article will be relevant if you have a Lycoming engine. But back to my engine: these O-290G (G for Ground Power Unit) engines as originally delivered did not have oil coolers, nor any filtering beyond the oil screen. The oil cooler is a necessity for flight use, and an external oil filter doubles the time between oil and filter changes. I knew that I wanted both external oil filtration and an oil cooler, but wasn’t sure how to get there. Follow along as I show…

AS I AM about to finish up my first wingtip (at the time I started this article), I can say that it has consumed far more time than I originally thought it would, and this story has grown to be much longer than I thought it would be. Part of that is due to the fact that, in addition to all the how- to herein, there is a fair amount of how-not to. Read on for lessons learned. I have perhaps previously mentioned that I do the “big” work at the hangar and bring home the smaller work that I can do in my garage. WiththeThorpT-18outerwings being only four feet long, I was able to bring them home and begin the wingtip installation tasks. I had previously laid up a…

LOCATED IN THE Fraser Valley of Southern British Columbia, Langley Regional Airport is a busy airport with a very active amateur-built component. However, early this past summer I spotted something new and different at CYNJ. Sticking my head in Sean Walker’s hangar and expecting to see his normal ride, a beautifully maintained Piel Super Emeraude, instead something new resided there, an almost completed Glastar Sportsman 2+2 Backing up just a little, Sean’s father was actively involved in aviation. Colin Walker, an acknowledged craftsman among amateur builders on Canada’s west coast built the Emeraude in the late 70’s while also carving propellers for a burgeoning market for that product. Sean had his first official ride in the Emeraude 43 years ago. The plane is still around; maintained and regularly flown by…