The future of personal flight might be closer than you think—compact enough to fit right in your backyard and change the way you travel.

The Cosmos Phase II ultralight, seen at the Udvar-Hazy Center. The Mitchell U-2 Superwing could be flown as a powered aircraft or a sailplane. Designer Don Mitchell estimated the kit could be ...

Although this aircraft definitely performed better than [Peter]’s previous ultralight builds, piloting something like this isn’t for the faint of heart. Although he does extensive weight ...