Aircraft Selection Considerations

I imagine you have a few questions already. Perhaps something like; Is it really possible? Can I afford it? Don’t you have to be an aviation engineer or a master mechanic or college math professor... rocket scientist, or something like that, to build an airplane? Which airplane should I build? What engine will be best in my case? How much will all this cost and can I afford it? How long will it take to build it?

Any of this sound familiar?

All of these are very typical questions most everyone has when they begin to think about building a plane, so rest assured you have plenty of company! It is absolutely possible to build your own plane, and in fact thousands already have and thousands more are doing just that right now in garages, basements and small shops all over the country and even other countries as well. The answers to most of your questions, as well as additional questions that will come up as you progress though your journey depend on many different things and are going to be different from person to person. Some of the decisions should be based on what makes the most sense given things like flying experience and where you will keep it at, and the intended use of your plane when its finished. Others simply will boil down to personal preferences.

We will try to help you reach your own answers that are right for you by providing some information for your consideration. I will also give you some information based on my observations and hundreds of hours over several years on my own to reach the conclusions I have. They are the right conclusions, for me that is. But does that mean they will be right for you also? Maybe yes and maybe no ... it all depends on many factors that are unique to you and you alone. Some of the factors will need to  be based on your own skills and abilities, budget, preferences and available shop space just for starters. Many others will also share their experiences, research, observations and the decisions they made. Together we will provide you with a lot of information to HELP you make YOUR OWN decisions, and we will provide you with links and information to other people, web sites and resources that can give you even more information to consider in your own research that will hopefully help you achieve your dream of building and flying your very own airplane! 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

I am not, and do not claim to be an expert on the subject. I am pursuing my own vision to reach my personal goals – just as you will be doing. Many of the other people who will freely share their opinions and information here will be doing the same thing – sharing information and opinions. Read it, look at the photos, do your research and YOU decide what makes sense and what doesn’t and then make your own decisions on what to do on your project.

Now let’s look at some of the considerations in selecting which airplane to build:

We have to consider some other questions to reach the answers we need, beginning with ; What do you want to DO with your airplane when it is completed and HOW will you use it?

Do you want to mainly fly simply for the fun of it and go to gatherings and events to share comradery with other like minded people, or do you need transportation for long distance frequent cross country trips for business etc.?

Will you be flying by yourself most of the time or is taking a passenger very important to you?

Are you a student pilot or low time pilot, or do you already have hundreds of hours of flight time? Is the experience you have in conventional (Tail dragger) or tricycle gear aircraft?

How is your budget? Do you have $20,000 to $40,000 or more in liquid available funds right now to spend or are you going to be scraping up every penny and buying parts in the smallest increments you possibly can (That’s usually my category, and many others as well by the way!).

Where do you plan to keep your plane when it is finished? Need a hangar or planning to tie it down outside? How about the airstrip you pan to operate from, is it a short grass strip or a long paved strip?

What kind of engine do you think you will need and what will it cost?

After exhaustive research spanning hundreds of hours of studying web sites, magazine articles and every other available source of information on home built aircraft  I could find over approximately three years– I have come to the following conclusions;

Much of the building decision is going to be based on the engine choice. 

Many  people seem to approach it backwards, and look for an airplane design or kit they like, and then start searching for an engine.  They study all sorts of different designs and order info packets and tapes when available, and then select one they really like. That’s when the shock and disappointment come crashing down like a ton of bricks as they realize the engine by itself is going to cost much more than the rest of the entire airplane! For many that’s where it ends – just another dream that will never be more than just that – only a dream. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Keeping this in mind, it would seem to make much more sense to start with the engine selection first and then look at proven designs that will work effectively with your engine choice that meet the requirements for what you intend to do with your aircraft...

This is the point that does many would be builders in when they realize how expensive aircraft engines are. Do some research on what a new aircraft engine costs and see for yourself. In the mean time let me give you some more information to consider.

There is one engine especially well suited to recreational or sport flying that seems to make more overall sense than any others and it will work fine with many different types of aircraft designs. For its capability and reliability it is, in many peoples opinions, the most affordable aircraft power plant option there is all things considered. It’s a Corvair, and this engine will work well with many different aircraft that fit into the fun and utility categories. In fact it is already being used in thousands of homebuilt aircraft off all sorts of designs - and has been now for many years.

There are also many fine certified engines available, both new and used however they are VERY expensive. If cost is not an  issue for you then go ahead and consider one. On the other hand if you want a good engine that can do the work for most sport flying applications, and save thousands of dollars, not to mention that it is a really good engine, then seriously consider the Corvair engine.

The Corvair engine has to be converted to flight readiness and once it is you have one of the most affordable and possibly the best all around engines there is in terms of cost, reliability and utility and it has already been proven in several different airplanes which have been flying with it for years. There are thousands flying right now and more making their first flights every month all across the country as well as in several other countries around the world. There are also many other designs discovering that the Corvair is an excellent choice for them as well.

It was designed as an automotive engine, but converting it to flight engine requirements  is not as massive a task as it may seem at first glance, that is if you have the right information to guide you. Thankfully there is detailed information available to walk you step by step through the process. Think of  the fun of doing the conversion yourself and  the pride you will have in having accomplished that as well as building your own plane!

The best method I know of is to use Williams Wynne’s system and parts. He is considered to be  THE CORVAIR AUTHORITY and knows more than you will ever need to about  Corvair engine conversions. He and his crew have already done the research and testing for you, so all you need to do is order his conversion manual, read it and get started. He also now offers complete ready to go engines if you want to buy one, or you can have the fun and savings of building your own using his conversion manual and information along with some specialized parts he provides. 

More information is available at his website -    http//www.flycorvair.com and you may want to consider ordering his conversion manual and the introductory video to the Corvair for a thorough overview.  

His web site is an excellent information source and has a wealth of information there for you completely free. I have never personally met William but I feel like I know him well and I believe his “Corvair Gospel” and that he and his associates truly want to help you and make it possible for as many people as possible  to realize their dreams instead of just dreaming.  Check into the Corvair engine and take a look at Williams' site ....I am sure that you will be glad you did.

If you decide the Corvair is the engine for you, then he also has prop hubs, engine mounts and many other components that you can buy for a very reasonable price as you need them.

There are certainly other engines including both new and used and certified and non-certified. However many are either lacking in performance, reliability or some area or another or they are just too expensive. When you consider the big picture it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find another engine to beat a Corvair overall - especially when you factor in total cost.

Remember when considering  this engine is that there are thousands flying right now and between them they have many thousands of hours of flight time in many different aircraft designs. That means they are well proven and have an actual track record, and not just theoretical possibilities that may or may not work.

There are many aircraft designs that will work great with the Corvair and I have studied many of them. If your goal is primarily sport aviation as it is for many people, and flying mainly for the fun of it, then you may want to consider taking a look at the following  airplanes. Many others will work fine also. If money is no object then the list will be considerably longer, however you may still want to look hard at these designs. You may also want to look at links to other builders projects and designers links from our site, and if one meets your needs and you like it then why waste the money, time and energy that you could be using to build it with! If you find one you like, then order the plans or the kit where applicable and get to work!

All of these selections work well with the Corvair engine and importantly, they are buildable with avionics and engine for between $12,000.00 to $30,000.00 approximately, depending on the aircraft and options, which is affordable to practically anyone who TRULY IS COMMITTED to BUILDING HIS OWN AIRCRAFT. That’s of huge importance. They are also ALL able to be built in stages with much smaller outlays of cash. In some cases as little as $300.00 to $500.00 is enough to get started and then buy other components as you progress from stage to stage! That makes it possible for many builders to realize their dreams instead of just dreaming about it, and to progress at their own pace based on time and budget available. Some will build their planes and be flying very quickly and others will take many years to complete.  

There are also many excellent kits available in that price range but most do NOT including the ENGINE AND AVIONICS. That means you will have to at least double the kit cost and in some cases more than triple it before you ever get anywhere near first flight! If you are in a position where you can spend between $35,000 to $100,000 or more then you might want to look into some of the other designs and kits available. Just keep in  mind the cost, and if it's within your budget there are many excellent kits to choose from. On the other hand you may still want to consider the following because regardless of price they are excellent aircraft for their respective purposes.

 The following are not ranked in any other way other than my guestimate of building cost, which is nothing more than an educated guess. Actual costs vary from builder to builder depending on materials, options etc. Your costs could be considerably more or less depending on the same factors. I personally love each and every one of these planes and they are all excellent choices in my book.   

1. Pietenpol Aircamper     $12,000.00    2  place wood fabric open cockpit 80 mph cruise

2. Grega GN1 Aircamper $18,000.00    2  place wood fabric open cockpit 90mph cruise

3. Rand Robinson KR2S  $22,000.00    2  place wood and composite enclosed cockpit 180  mph cruise

4. Zenith Zodiac 601 XL  $30,000.00    2  place aluminum enclosed cockpit  145 mph cruise

                                       NOTE: Links for each company are under Suppliers and Vendors

There are many of these aircraft flying already which is important when considering building an aircraft – especially your  first aircraft – Something that is well proven and you can pull up numerous examples of finished projects and get detailed opinions on different options to help you make your building decisions. You can get a great deal of information from other builder pilots on its flight characteristics and any special considerations you may want to know about.

I really like all of these airplanes and each has its own unique beauty and strengths.  What ever you choose it must be something that you personally really like as well, otherwise what’s the point?

These planes all work especially well for budget conscious builders and three of the four work well for low time pilots. Possibly the sole exception is the KR2S and it is fine in the budget area but requires a bit more experience due to its higher speed. I personally do not think it should be the first airplane for a very low time pilot or a pilot with little or no tail dragger experience. On the other hand if proper training is obtained and preferably several hours in a KR2S, then this is also an obstacle that can be overcome. Trying to fly this plane without proper experience and training could very well be a serious mistake. I will say this throughout all my comments, however it is not my decision to make in your case, it is solely up to you...just be aware of the issues involved and consider them carefully when making your decisions. 

Building and flying any kind of airplane involves risk and if you do it wrong you can get seriously hurt or even die. The point is we all have to assess our own situation and make decisions taking into account the amount of risk we are willing to accept.

If a builder has plenty of experience and has a large budget then there are also many other great designs to consider. Several of them have some great kits and I like many of them, but they are much more expensive and will require very expensive engines. Some of them are also more complex to build and will take longer to complete in some cases and is something that needs to be taken into consideration. Over the coming months and years we will gradually ad a few more airplanes to our featured selections, taking into account feedback from our builder associates and researching each one in detail. Featured or not, All builders, regardless of the kit or plans they are building are welcome here.   

Schools of thought

Let me take a moment to mention a certain aspect of experimental aviation that is a sensitive area to some people. There are perhaps three main schools of thought that I notice;

First group – These people prefer that a given design should be faithfully recreated to every exact detail as the original designer with little or no change what so ever.

Second group –This group takes the experimental part literally and believes in modifying everything they can as they see fit with little or no regard for the original plans. For some that have the education, technical skills and training this may be ok. But for others who do not have the requisite skills and experience this can be extremely dangerous depending on the specific knowledge and skills of the individual builder.

Third group – They believe in taking proven aerodynamically sound deigns and plans with hundreds or more flying airplanes and thousands of total accumulated flying hours and tweaking them by making improvements but being careful not to structurally deviate from the aspects that make the plane sound to begin with, however everything else is fair game. Fine tuning adjustments are also fair game when done very carefully. This is the approach I personally take.

Now I believe in American values and as such respect that people are free to think and do what ever they wish (so long as they don’t interfere with my rights or the rights of others to do the same). So it’s up to you to make your own decisions.

The planes I mentioned are all very affordable to begin with, but even so there are things you can do to cut the building costs and time even more, without affecting the structural integrity of the plane one bit. One such option is to build it as a single seat airplane. That’s makes it even simpler and less costly. This is possible with three of the four with the Zodiac being the sole exception. The 601 XL just makes much more sense as a two seat airplane to me and due to its design and size that’s the way to go. There would be no real benefit to making it a single seater and in its case would make no sense to do so in my opinion.  

Instruments and accessories will also ad considerable amounts to your final costs depending on what you choose and how you buy it. Some want all the bells and whistles and buy brand new from retail suppliers. Others want only the bare necessities and scrounge around in auctions, classifieds and other places for the best deals and buy a piece at a time until that have all they need. 

There is a wealth of information available free right here on this site, valuable links to key suppliers and vendors and other builder’s sites for motivation, inspiration and information. We will continue to build this site and ad more and  more links and other resources that can help you as you move toward your own first flight. More information will be added constantly as we move forward. Other builders also offer videos and other items for sale and we hope to make some of those available right here in the future as well if we can work out an arrangement with them to do so.

As always this site is a building project in and of itself, subject to constant revisions and improvements, additions and changes all in an effort to make it the best site we possibly can to help you successfully complete you own Vision Quest  of building and flying your very own airplane! If you would like to offer suggestions, constructive criticism, suggest links or have a project you would like us to link to ... then send us an email.

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Last modified: 07/26/10