steingar
Taxi to Parking
And it's one heck of a beautiful airplane, too. Never a camera when I need one.
How hard is it to build an airplane?
- Thread starter DavidWhite
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And it's one heck of a beautiful airplane, too. Never a camera when I need one.
DaleB
Final Approach
I see that comment a lot, but it always seems to be coming from guys who have never built a plane, and usually the ones who own one already.
I fly as much now as before I started building, if not more. I couldn't possibly spend as much time flying as I do building, and 99% of the time I'm building I wouldn't be flying anyway. I know another builder who flies regularly, and one who hasn't flown in several years.
So yes, you can make the decision not to fly while you're building, but the two are certainly not mutually exclusive.
wabower
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Wayne
I think the questions should be rephrased as "are you currently flying the plane you want to fly or can you easily buy it today if you want it? If so do you still want to build one?" In my case the answers are yes and no, but I'm fully supportive of anybody who wants to build one for whatever reason. I simply don't want a project of that magnitude staring at me through the garage door.
I see that comment a lot, but it always seems to be coming from guys who have never built a plane, and usually the ones who own one already.
I fly as much now as before I started building, if not more. I couldn't possibly spend as much time flying as I do building, and 99% of the time I'm building I wouldn't be flying anyway. I know another builder who flies regularly, and one who hasn't flown in several years.
So yes, you can make the decision not to fly while you're building, but the two are certainly not mutually exclusive.
qbynewbie
Pre-takeoff checklist
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Qbynewbie
You and me, both.
DaleB
Final Approach
Well, yeah. If I were flying what I wanted, or could write a check for it, I wouldn't be building. Of course that's not true for everyone, either. Some guys just love to build. I see people who are building their second, third, even sixth or seventh airplane. I can't imagine that I ever would, but hey, more power to them.
I keep seeing a couple of recurring themes in these threads. One is the old "Do you want to build, or fly?" You can do both; I'm doing it and I know others who are as well.
The other is the "You can't build cheaper than you can buy" argument. Again... really not true, certainly not in all cases. I'll have far less cash investing in my RV when it's finished than it would cost for me to go buy an airplane, whether experimental or factory built, with the performance and equipment I want. The difference? One way I work to earn money to pay for the plane, plus a substantial percentage for taxes. The other way I work to build something I'll be flying, and 100% of my labor goes into the plane. I also get to split the total expense up into smaller chunks.
I'm certainly not arguing that building an experimental plane is right for everyone, or even for most people. It just bugs me a little to see and hear the same arguments from people whose basis for making the argument is simply that they have decided that they don't want to build. I suppose it really shouldn't bother me, because if building is the right choice for you -- you're going to build, no matter what.
Bill Watson
En-Route
True enough for most of us.
Though some of the most amazing people you meet in homebuilding circles are folks that somehow manage to work full time, build the airplane in a partially occupied 2 car garage, and photographically document the build with growing children crawling all over it.
JHW
En-Route
Some of the best garage flying is done by kids. Mine are pros.
Attachments
dweyant
Pre-takeoff checklist
I'm about nine months into my slow build RV-9A.
I'm about 1/2 way done with the wings (just about ready to rivet on the leading edges and the top skins.
I'm pleased with my progress so far, and my wife and I usually try to spend at least a little time on it every night.
For me, this is the only way I can justify owning a brand new airplane, and getting one that has exactly the setup I want.
Fortunately I have another plane to fly while I'm building this one, so I'm not feeling a lot of pressure to try and get the RV done quickly.
-Dan
I'm about 1/2 way done with the wings (just about ready to rivet on the leading edges and the top skins.
I'm pleased with my progress so far, and my wife and I usually try to spend at least a little time on it every night.
For me, this is the only way I can justify owning a brand new airplane, and getting one that has exactly the setup I want.
Fortunately I have another plane to fly while I'm building this one, so I'm not feeling a lot of pressure to try and get the RV done quickly.
-Dan
Todd Copeland
Pre-takeoff checklist
I see that comment a lot, but it always seems to be coming from guys who have never built a plane, and usually the ones who own one already.
I fly as much now as before I started building, if not more. I couldn't possibly spend as much time flying as I do building, and 99% of the time I'm building I wouldn't be flying anyway. I know another builder who flies regularly, and one who hasn't flown in several years.
So yes, you can make the decision not to fly while you're building, but the two are certainly not mutually exclusive.
Yup, I fly plenty too. I fly the other airplane I built, a glastar. However, while I was building the glastar I didn't have anything to fly so I didn't fly much. There are times I'm torn between flying a building though, I compromise with a flight first, then back to the hanger and build....best of both worlds!
tsts4
Pattern Altitude
Well, my flying time has taken a hit mainly because of money, more specifically the lack thereof. However, I made the decision to keep the financial impact on my family as small as possible so my wife and kids didn't have to suffer too big a hit on their quality of life. My kids are 12 and 15 and I love them dearly, but they are monetary black holes nevertheless. So that meant I gave up or minimized some things, but I have no regrets.
Geico266
Touchdown! Greaser!
I didn't start flying until my kids were done with college. Build my first plane 5 years ago. I now have 5 grandkids I love to take flying in my homebuilts. Take time for your kids now, there will be plenty of time for flying and building airplanes in the years to come.
tsts4
Pattern Altitude
I didn't start flying until my kids were done with college. Build my first plane 5 years ago. I now have 5 grandkids I love to take flying in my homebuilts. Take time for your kids now, there will be plenty of time for flying and building airplanes in the years to come.
Oh, I am. That was part of the spousal agreement, that and her car would be able to fit in the garage during the winter months (when the plane was still at home).
denverpilot
Tied Down
This depends on the amount of unaccounted for time you have outside of flying. It also assumes you can get large blocks of uninterrupted time. Neither of which happens in my world.
So the fly/build question, really is binary for me. I'm sure it is for a significant portion of the population as well.
tonycondon
Gastons CRO (Chief Dinner Reservation Officer)
... there will be plenty of time for flying and building airplanes in the years to come.
maybe, if you're lucky
rbridges
En-Route
I love the RV10. I saw one on barnstormers for sale, and it looks beautiful. If I had the coin for a $200k+ plane, I'd love to own it.
RV10flyer
Pattern Altitude
I would guess if one wanted to build a slow build VFR bird with all new stuff, it would cost about $170K. Add $10-15K for IFR. Add $?? for fancy interior/modifications/3 blade prop and less useful load. If one has the money, they are not much more already built and it saves about 2200-2500 hours of build time. We cruise at 160 ktas, 12,500' on 10.3 gph, 40F LOP, 4.5 hrs, 720 nm with an hour of fuel remaining out of 60 gal. It was a lot of sacrificing, but worth it.