Hello,
I intend to explain here somethings I learned about building my first kit to those considering building there first kit.
We get a lot of people asking what the best kit for them here at Homebuilt Airplanes (not that I'm in charge). I see many craft recomended again and again. Currently I am nearly decided on the aircraft I will choose and I just think it might be usefull to some of you just starting to think about this to here what I have found.
First of all read this article on the Kitplanes website:
KITPLANES The Independent Voice for Homebuilt Aviation - First Time Builders
I know, I know you want to build a sailplane and scrolling down you saw no sailplane but it doesn't matter the kits at the bottum are examples of what fall in there guidelines not the holy grail. That being said if you are looking to get up in the air in what I like to call the sedan style aircraft than you might like some of these kits. Ten of the twenty listed there are on my "short list". Also even if you dont like some of these planes check out the manufacturers they have different planes that might interest you. (some things of note about those planes
receptor Aircraft is somewhat unhappily out of business, if you like the JDT Enclosed cockpit 1300Z, JDT became Team MiniMax, I am also pretty sure that some of those kits dont exist anymore since the article is from 2003)
Second, there is not substitute for research. Sure you can ask what you might like but no one will be able to tell you if the aircraft is truely right for you, exept of course you. You should figure out what you need from the airplane, what you are willing to spend to build it, how much money and time you can commit to running it and how much training you are willing to do/pay for. Thats right you need training, even for an ultralight, cause if you don't get it you'll more than likely end up dead :knock: than happy:ban: with you acheivement. Be realistic, if you are going to take off from a 4000ft grass strip in Kansas you probably don't need a STOL aircraft, but you might want one thats fine. Read, read, read all the information you can get you hands on about the type of aircraft you like and not just from the manufacturers website! If research sounds dawnting to you remember that you will be spending a great many hours building this thing so if you find reading about it boring make sure you really want to build it and not buy it for cheap of barnstormers. For pre-pilots like myself, consider: Do you want to be trained in you own aircraft? Many aircraft are different and not all of them have a 2 seat version for you to get training in nearby. Does this plane have the capabilities needed for your area? Speed may not be as much of an asset in the mountains as STOL and climb angle. Do you have the capability to fly such a plane? You probably don't want an arobatic plane if you don't know how to fly it. Do you want an ultralight, LSA or Full on plane? If you have no training and want none I have the perfect aircraft for you (here). If you would like just a little training and you just want to fly around the strip I would suggest and ultralight. If you would like to make some small cross country trips an LSA might be in order for you. If you have a private pilots lisence and want a full on plane I am not sure you should be reading this you most likely know what you want.
Third, Try before you buy. Before you invest your time and money into something you should try it. After all $10k, the cheapest you can get in the air in my opinion, is not chump change for anyone, at least not anyone I have ever meet. Find someone to give you a discovery flight in very similar if not the same aircraft. (very similar meaning here that the aircraft you are interested in is designed after a cessna 150 and you try a cessna 150). If you like it buy the plans first and look them over make sure you understand them and can do/learn to do as they (the plans) describe. Connect with people who have built or are building what you want to build an talk to them about it, see if you can wittness this!
I hope that someone finds this helpful.
I intend to explain here somethings I learned about building my first kit to those considering building there first kit.
We get a lot of people asking what the best kit for them here at Homebuilt Airplanes (not that I'm in charge). I see many craft recomended again and again. Currently I am nearly decided on the aircraft I will choose and I just think it might be usefull to some of you just starting to think about this to here what I have found.
First of all read this article on the Kitplanes website:
KITPLANES The Independent Voice for Homebuilt Aviation - First Time Builders
I know, I know you want to build a sailplane and scrolling down you saw no sailplane but it doesn't matter the kits at the bottum are examples of what fall in there guidelines not the holy grail. That being said if you are looking to get up in the air in what I like to call the sedan style aircraft than you might like some of these kits. Ten of the twenty listed there are on my "short list". Also even if you dont like some of these planes check out the manufacturers they have different planes that might interest you. (some things of note about those planes
receptor Aircraft is somewhat unhappily out of business, if you like the JDT Enclosed cockpit 1300Z, JDT became Team MiniMax, I am also pretty sure that some of those kits dont exist anymore since the article is from 2003)Second, there is not substitute for research. Sure you can ask what you might like but no one will be able to tell you if the aircraft is truely right for you, exept of course you. You should figure out what you need from the airplane, what you are willing to spend to build it, how much money and time you can commit to running it and how much training you are willing to do/pay for. Thats right you need training, even for an ultralight, cause if you don't get it you'll more than likely end up dead :knock: than happy:ban: with you acheivement. Be realistic, if you are going to take off from a 4000ft grass strip in Kansas you probably don't need a STOL aircraft, but you might want one thats fine. Read, read, read all the information you can get you hands on about the type of aircraft you like and not just from the manufacturers website! If research sounds dawnting to you remember that you will be spending a great many hours building this thing so if you find reading about it boring make sure you really want to build it and not buy it for cheap of barnstormers. For pre-pilots like myself, consider: Do you want to be trained in you own aircraft? Many aircraft are different and not all of them have a 2 seat version for you to get training in nearby. Does this plane have the capabilities needed for your area? Speed may not be as much of an asset in the mountains as STOL and climb angle. Do you have the capability to fly such a plane? You probably don't want an arobatic plane if you don't know how to fly it. Do you want an ultralight, LSA or Full on plane? If you have no training and want none I have the perfect aircraft for you (here). If you would like just a little training and you just want to fly around the strip I would suggest and ultralight. If you would like to make some small cross country trips an LSA might be in order for you. If you have a private pilots lisence and want a full on plane I am not sure you should be reading this you most likely know what you want.
Third, Try before you buy. Before you invest your time and money into something you should try it. After all $10k, the cheapest you can get in the air in my opinion, is not chump change for anyone, at least not anyone I have ever meet. Find someone to give you a discovery flight in very similar if not the same aircraft. (very similar meaning here that the aircraft you are interested in is designed after a cessna 150 and you try a cessna 150). If you like it buy the plans first and look them over make sure you understand them and can do/learn to do as they (the plans) describe. Connect with people who have built or are building what you want to build an talk to them about it, see if you can wittness this!
I hope that someone finds this helpful.
