SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT FIRST. WHY DO YOU WANT TO BUILD? Are you now a pilot and know you enjoy flying and can deal with all the things it takes to fly? Things like rules and regulations, paper work and red tape, limited passengers, weather, and finding time to fly, and lots of others. It is not like jumping in your car to go for a drive. If you are not a pilot it may be a good investment to arrange for some flying instruction to see if you really like it before you decide.

Or is it that you like to build things and feel a plane would be a really interesting project?

Building is a lot of work and takes much time and money. Do you like to work with your hands and get much satisfaction from carefully making various parts and then fitting them into a slowly growing structure as it begins to look more like a plane? Do you have the time and are you willing to make it a very important priority on your time? Two or three thousand hours are not unusual times to build even a kit. Several evenings and part of Saturday and Sunday might add up to 15 hours per week which is at least two to three years. Most builders seem to take around five or more. Short work sessions are not too productive what with set up and clean up each time. And then there are those delays of sometimes weeks while you track down some special part or accessory. Many beginning builders never finish.

If those questions discourage you perhaps you would be better off looking for a used plane to just fly. Or for a short cut perhaps you could find an older plane that needed restoration. Or a partially built project of some other would-be builder. Caution: If you consider either of those options be sure to get some very expert advice as to what will be involved. Often an owner built plane can be bought for about the cost of the materials or kit. But again get some good expert advice as to the condition.

If you build 51% of the plane you can get a Repaiman's certificate which allows you to do your own inspections. If you buy an owner built plane it must be inspected annually by a licensed mechanic.

A few builders even design and build their own planes from scratch. That takes a great deal of know-how, engineering, study, and experience. You can buy plans and gather all the parts and materials and do the whole job, or there are many kits available with various amounts of the work already done. You must do at least 51% of the work to qualify for an experimental (home built) license.

WHERE WILL YOU BUILD IT? Wings and fuselages look much bigger in your garage or basement than they did on the flight line. Can you spare the space for several years at least? Can you get it out when ready? Will you be able to work in all kinds of weather or will it be too cold or too hot? Builders have even used the living room but it may have led to a divorce. On that subject, does the light of your life understand how much time it will take and how much it will cost?

WHAT ABOUT TOOLS? In addition to the usual hand tools different types of construction take different specialized tools. Just one more cost. Do you know how to use the ones needed or where can you find out?

WHAT ABOUT A PARTNER or partners? Some work out but partnerships often lead to breaking up friendships. There may be friends who just enjoy working on projects and don't expect to share in the use.

WHERE WILL YOU KEEP THE PLANE when it is finished? Will it be the kind that needs to be hangared? What will hangar rent or parking cost? Can you share hangar space? Can your plane operate from a grass runway or will it need paved one? Can you operate all year? What instruments and radios will you need for the kind of flying you plan? Can it be upgraded later?

WHAT TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION? Early planes were mostly wood and fabric. Some use metal tubing for the basic structure. Many builders have some knowledge of wood working. Wood planes tend to have many parts but they are very satisfactory if kept dry. Fabric work requires some new skills. Metal (aluminum) accounts for most factory built. It stands weather quite well but for most people requires learning some simple skills and tools . For some time some planes have been built using fiberglass or other fabric filled with a resin like epoxy and some times built around cores of foam plastic. Some people are allergic to the resins. They can be shaped for the most effective low drag shapes and look good. However getting a smooth finish takes much work. They tend to be strong for their weights if carefully built.

OK, before we go any farther lets talk money

Airplanes are not cheap even if you build them. Plans are available for various prices, usually several hundred dollars. There are places that specialize in supplying builders with parts and materials and you don't need to buy them all at once. Probably the least costly but the most work and time. There are a large number of kits available. Some are mostly an assortment of parts and others have much of the difficult work already done. Very few include the engine or instruments or radios. They are available for nearly all types of construction. As of the year 2001 averages are around $20,000 more or less. Pretty much you get what you pay for. Useable used certified engines seem to start around 6 or 8 thousand dollars and new or rebuilt may run as high as $20,000. They need propellers and other accessories too. Used engines in good shape could last you many years before required overhaul as the average pilot does not put a lot of time on each year. There are some engines converted from auto engines which have given good service. Some you can do yourself and others are converted by people in the business. For lighter planes Volkswagen has been popular and currently Suburu seems to work well. Some conversions cost far less than certified engines. The so called "ultralights" are lower cost but not under consideration here.

WARNING: Selling kits is a business and some are run better than others. Many builders have been left with a partly built plane when the business closed. Ask around. Cheapest may not be best.

How do I get started?

The best way is to join the nearest chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Most of the members are experienced aviation people. Many have built or are building airplanes. Others are aviation professionals. Or at least visit an EAA meeting. Perhaps the local airport knows how to get in touch. Or phone 1-920-426-4800. Or website www.eaa.org . There are several magazines which run excellent how-to articles as well as various builders' experiences with kits. They are not widely distributed and may be hard to find. Try your library.

There are some very good books on various types of construction. And there are several Government publications on aircraft repair with detailed instruction for certain operations. Some vocational schools offer evening courses for aircraft mechanics.

Other thoughts

When talking to other builders about costs and time involved, get into the details. What skills did he have to start? What kind of shop and tools? How did he arrange his time? Where did he get stuff? Did he get help? How good were the plans and instructions and how familiar was he with reading plans? How much help did he get from the designer or kit manufacturer? Where did he get his engine? How did he know what kind of shape it was in?

The above compiled by Chapter member Stuart Faber who has never built an airplane, and reviewed by Howard Wells who has vast experience.

Copyright © 2001 by Stuart Faber.  All rights reserved.