My name is Tyler and I am currently living in Waco, TX. I grew up around general avaition, and in fact several relatives of mine have earned their PPL. My grandfather was always a huge inspiration to me growing up. He restored several antique airplanes, and during the summers I used to help him with the small things like sanding, fetching tools, etc... Ever since I have felt a real call to both build/restore and fly! My father still owns an Aeronca Champ, but it is in need of a restoration. I haven't decided what to do for my first project yet, whether I want to restore my Dad's Champ or whether I want to try my hand at a homebuilt. I've been doing as much research as possible on homebuilts and what design I might attempt. I've found a few designs that really grab my attention. I'm on a really tight budget, so I am leaning towards a project that can be built from plans as opposed to a kit so I can buy materials as my budget allows. I would prefer a two-seat taildragger design, but I'm not completely set on that. In the beginning of my research the Whittman Tailwind W-10 caught my eye, and I'm still looking at it as a possibility. However, I'm beginning to lean towards a low-wing design now that I've seen more of what's out there. The next design that caught my eye was the KR-2S, but I've read quite a bit about how narrow the cockpit is. I'm 6'1", so I'm not sure how well I will fit in it. I plan to look around to find one in my area to sit in. I doubt that I will have too many people that will want to fly with me, so I have also looked at the possibility of building a single seat design since I will probably be the only one going up anyway. As far as one-seat designs go, I really like the Hummel Bird but once again there's the size factor. I have read that there is enough room for a 6 footer, but I'm a bit sceptical having never seen one in real life. The economical cost to build and fly the hummel bird really appeals to me. Since I don't have a large work area the small size of the Hummel Bird would probably work very well for me. I'd be interested to see what some of you have to say about the designs that I have mentioned above. I'm still several months away from deciding on a design, so I'm also open to suggestions for other designs that I have not listed.
Thanks in Advance,
Tyler
Thanks in Advance,
Tyler
