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Thorp T-18 vs Bushby Mustang II

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L

Locost

New to this game and interested in building a good two seat cross country plane that'll handle the distances we encounter in Australia.

My father is a retired sheet metal worker with aviation industry experience (he spend 15 years making bits for the SEPCAT JAGUAR) so plans built doesn't daunt me that much.

I'm thinking of the Thorp T-18 and Bushby Mustang II. I've noticed a lot of overlap with these two aircraft. OK the smallest recommended Lycoming for the Thorp isn't recommeneded for the Mustang but after that its all common ground.

They also seem to have similar fueling options meaning the range can be pushed out to 1,000 miles, the luggage carrying capacity is the same (80lbs), and their criuse speeds are comparable (OK the Thorp seems a little slower based on the official specs, but what's 15mph when you're cracking 180?). Both can be built with folding wings (well an S-18 has them) and they even date from the same era (the 1960's). They're also both amongst the select group of homebuilts to take their pilot around the world.

So can anyone help me out, what differences should I take into account so have a set of valid reasons to pick one design over the other.
 
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