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Thinking about a father/son project

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narfi

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
1,055
Location
Alaska
As a child I built models with my father, then was a member in a 150 club which I soloed in at 16, then got my license at 17.
I then moved to Alaska where I never flew again while still being fully immersed in bush aviation for the last 18 years. A&P at 21ish and then IA a few years after that I have been working on mostly Aluminum aircraft (cessnas, navajos, bonanzas) with some fabric (Stinsons and the occasional Cub) with my only composite experience being Aerocete floats and the occasional faring or nosebowl repair.

My son is 6yrs old now and loves coming to the hanger and 'helping' the guys work on planes or 'inspecting' with a flashlight to find things wrong with whatever we have in the hanger that day.
I have recently decided I want to build a project with him in time for him to start flying with the first goal being a shop finished within 4yrs (gives me time to afford and build), and project decided on and initial purchases made (rather it is a wreck, kit, plans, whatever is needed to seriously get started) and then finished within 3yrs or so after that with enough time to be able to afford the powerplant and finish it.

Three types of planes interest me for this.
1. STOL for mountain tops and gravel bars (true alaska bushflying)
2. Seaplane (sooooo many lakes here)
3. Long range comfort (wife's family lives on the east coast, would be fun to fly ourselves to visit instead of commercially)

As I see it, it can be 'possible' to have two of those in one, but not all three. (prove me wrong?)

Types of projects,
1. Rebuilding a wrecked plane or project - Falls closest into my experience (I have done a lot of sheetmetal work having rebuilt a lot of control surfaces and horzontels and even a wing or two) and probably highest resale value for work done?
2. Building a Kit - Easiest and most expensive method to have a 'NEW' and unique looking plane.
3. Building from plans - Intimidating and cheapest route to a 'NEW' and unique looking plane.

Other considerations.
For his first 'trainer' probably a more traditional STOL with low fuel use (not a high hp cub) would be cheaper till he starts paying his own way.
Electric and Hybred are very interesting, but I just dont know how practical at this point.

I am thinking I will probably build or rebuild a Tcraft or Stinson 10A or 108 as the first project with the goal of something bigger and more exciting after that.

Lake LA4- projects sound really interesting, but I see very few flying boats here in Alaska, and not sure if there is some reason they are not used much here.
Pipistril kits look really nice but seem kind of pricey for what you end up with compared to rebuilding an old production plane of similar size. (guess thats the price for owning something 'NEW'?)
There are several different homebuilt 2(and4?) place amphibious kits that look nice.
There are several different homebuilt 2 place stol kits that look decent (and a bunch of ugly ones too)
I really drooled over the Velocity, and convinced myself it was too expensive/not for us, then I started reading through the different mkIV sites and almost convinced myself back into one of them. (biggest problem with it is we live on gravel runways....... so its a no go unless...... possible to have electric motors ontop of the wingtips with retractable props with enough batteries for landing/takeoffs on gravel strips with the main engine used for cruise?.... dreams....

The biggest thing I am struggling with is how to merge my desire to 'build a project' with my son, and the practicality of time = money. Is there any way to combine those two, or will I be stuck between buying a 20k flying plane for him to fly in and a 50-100k project that will never sell for what we put into it?

Any thoughts or suggestions for me as I furiously spend my evening hours googling different ideas and possibilities?
 
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