First Time Builders

Some questions the first time builder will likely be asking:

HOW LONG will it take to complete the project?
HOW HARD will it be to build an airplane?
What SPECIAL TOOLS are likely required?
Is it going to take a high SKILL LEVEL?
HOW SAFE will the finished a/c be?
What PILOT SKILL level will be required?
Which type of airplane will best SERVE MY NEEDS?

A question to ask is "Why do I want to build and fly an airplane?" is it:

To go flying with the guys/gals at the local airport.
To travel and take on vacations.
To take my family and friends flying.
To fly to the old family farm or cottage.
To incorporate into business calls/use.
To just plain ole get off the ground and fly.

The supposed initial purpose of owning an airplane is often not what the airplane gets used for. For example one might think of all the wonderful times that they and their spouse and kids will have taking the airplane for week end excursions and on holidays. They also might be thinking of all their friends that will want to go for a ride and the experience of sharing the joy of flight with them. Not to mention the vast possibilities, one may think of, to use the new airplane as business transportation.

Without throwing cold water on anyone's dreams and enthusiasm it is well worth looking at the facts as they invariably work out.

After 30 years plus associating with recreational fliers the same patterns emerge over and over again. The statistic that 95% of a Conventional privately owned airplane's hours will be put on within a 50 mile radius has shown itself to us time and time again. The family just does not go flying that often. A familiar phrase from the children, on cross country trips, is "this is boring" and "I have to go to the bathroom." The friends that, at the party, talk about all the flying they would like to do, never seem to find the time to do it. The trips to the cottage are hindered by weather, either to go or return. The business trips stop materializing after a few times of missing opportunities because of weather and returning home via Airlines or the Bus because of deadlines. There is a saying regarding private non instrument flying - 'time to spare go by air.' The thought may occur, well maybe one should get their instrument rating so they can fly anytime. Not a bad idea, but the airplane that will do that costs a small fortune as well as the pilot skill level required to fly the machine needs to be honed regularly and often or one becomes a danger to him/herself and his/her passengers..

Instrument flying in a single engine airplane can put a people in situations that he wishes he weren't in.

The flying that most often gets done is the up and around the patch flying and on a solo basis. Many times a group of airplanes will go to a common fly in breakfast or just to check out some other local airports. Mostly, the purpose of owning an airplane is to just simply get a flying fix of an hour or two each week or as often as the weather will permit. In my opinion Going flying for an hour is as good for the mental state of mind as taking a whole day off. During that hour one's mind gets right away from problems as the freedom of not being hindered by roads and fences allows a moving painting to unfold before one's eyes.

Often the most memorable flights are the simplest ones when a person can fly low and slow and become one with the air and the landscape beneath. Flying fast is nice for cross country flying, but that is something that the recreational flier does little of. The sheer enjoyment of flight comes from the above, low and slow flight.

I am not discouraging fast flight in fast airplanes, but experience has shown that ultimately the recreational flier goes back to the less strenuous unsophisticated flights.

Smaller airplanes = smaller wings = higher speeds = higher pilot skill levels.

One has to decide what they are wanting to do and why they want to do it. If you have dreamed about flying for years and look forward to charging skyward the next thing is to decide why? Then how will be the best way to realize that dream.

Now, for a few moments lets look at some of those initial questions regarding building an airplane. Most kit airplanes today are relatively easy and simple to build with minimal skill levels and no special tools required. When we say skill level we may use the example of assembling a barbeque. If you can assemble a gas barbeque you will have no problem building our kit airplanes.

Building our airplane kit is simple and easy if a person follows our directions and video's. You will end up with a safe and beautiful flying machine that will out last most people's lifetime. Many airplanes from the 1940's and 1950's are still flying. We use most of the same construction techniques, except with modern materials which are safer and easier to use. If you have built a model airplane and shrunk it's covering you will be surprised at the similarities.

How long will it take and how hard will it be to fly the finished product? These questions will vary from kit to kit. What does happen with some projects is the builder gets discouraged at the lack of immediate results and the project can take years to complete. That is O.K. too, providing the builder is not too excited about charging off into the Wild Blue Yonder.

With all of our airplane kits the difficult work is already done. There is no welding required of the builder. What the builder does is assembly work. The tail feathers are already built, as well as the fuselage and the main part of the wing - the "D" cell, which incorporates the spar and leading edge. To give an idea about some times involved:

Ribs - 16 are required and the builder will take approximately one hour to build one rib.

Ailerons - 2 are required and it will take approximately seven hours to build the first one and five to build the second.

Assembly of the ribs to the "D"-Cell - eight hours per wing.