Lewis sanding the hub on a propeller—Day 3 of the task—meant for a Lycoming engine. The business: Culver Props specializes in making custom, fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood propellers.

Despite being integral to aviation for more than a century, propellers have changed remarkably little since the Wright Brothers. A team at MIT’s Lincoln Lab has developed a new propeller shape ...

That world is prop-making. As fab equipment like 3D printers and laser cutters start to spill into the hands of more people, fellow DIY enthusiasts have developed effective workflows and ...