| Has building your own airplane always been your | | | | ready. |
| dream? But where do you begin? What decisions | | | | 5. Select Your Engine |
| need to be made? What kind of time and effort | | | | The right engine for your project is really a |
| will it take? You want to make sure you are really | | | | function of your goals from step 3. If the engine |
| ready, willing, and able before you commit to a | | | | is an area of the project that doesn't particularly |
| project like this, right? Follow these 8 steps to | | | | interest you, many kits come ready for a specific |
| make sure you are ready, to select the right | | | | engine. Go with that. Or maybe you've come |
| project, and to have a great time doing it! | | | | across an engine solution that really interests you. |
| 1. Join an Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) | | | | If so, go with that. There is a big debate between |
| Chapter. | | | | those who favor traditional airplane engines, and |
| An EAA Chapter is the perfect place to meet | | | | those who favor automotive engines. |
| other people who are crazy about building their | | | | Investigating this issue may help you make your |
| own airplanes. You can see a variety of aircraft | | | | own engine selection decision. You don't really |
| under various stages of construction, learn some | | | | need to make your engine decisions before you |
| pros and cons of various kits, and pick up all kinds | | | | start building, but you will need to keep your |
| of tips, techniques, skills, and experience. A typical | | | | engine in mind as you are building. Eventually you |
| chapter will have people of different ages, with | | | | will come to a point where you need to finalize. |
| different experiences, building all sorts of projects. | | | | 6. Select Your Instruments |
| The third best thing to building your own aircraft, | | | | Instruments are also driven by your requirements |
| and flying your own aircraft, is being around other | | | | for the airplane. An ultralight won't require many, |
| people building their own! | | | | of course. An acrobatics-only project may not |
| 2. Make Sure You Really Want to Build Your Own | | | | require navigation instruments. Are you building a |
| After some time with an EAA chapter, you | | | | reproduction? This may lead you to seek |
| should have a very good idea of the time, effort, | | | | authentic looking instruments. No matter the kit |
| and commitment this kind of project will take. Are | | | | you may be building, instrumentation is one area |
| you up to a very detailed, multi-year project like | | | | where you always customize. Two seater? What |
| this? Will your family be supportive? Can you | | | | instruments for the second seat? There are |
| afford it? Are you the kind of person who will | | | | plenty of options, and plenty of new and used |
| enjoy working on this project all the way | | | | suppliers. You should be able to find exactly what |
| through? How would you answer the following | | | | you need and want. Just as with the engine, it's |
| two questions: Do you know how everything in | | | | not necessary to make all of your instrument |
| your house works, and insist on doing all of your | | | | decisions before you start building. In fact, it might |
| own repairs and improvements? Do you feel that | | | | be better to wait until the last possible moment, |
| the only way you can be comfortable flying an | | | | right before you need to cut and assemble your |
| experimental aircraft is if you built the entire thing | | | | instrument panel, before you actually buy your |
| yourself, and that you are intimately familiar with | | | | instruments. It might be a year or more after |
| every square inch? Two "yes" answers tell me | | | | starting the project before you are ready for this |
| you are ready. | | | | stage. By waiting to buy the instruments, you can |
| 3. Determine What Kind of Airplane You Want to | | | | make sure you have the latest and greatest as |
| Build | | | | options. In my case, for example, I bought |
| There are all kinds of kits for all kinds of tastes | | | | separate EFIS (Electronic Flight Information |
| and requirements. How much building do you want | | | | System) and navigation radios. If I had waited a |
| to do? You can design and build your own from | | | | little longer, I could have bought the newer models |
| scratch (good luck!). You can build from plans only. | | | | which talked to each other to display glideslope |
| You can get kits with various levels of "assembly | | | | and localizer on the EFIS, eliminating the need for |
| required"; from "quick build" kits with little | | | | a separate indicator. |
| assembly, to kits requiring almost everything to | | | | 7. Make Other Customization Decisions |
| be built and assembled. What kind of materials do | | | | There are usually plenty of other customization |
| you want to work with? Do you want to work | | | | decisions with most kits. Sometimes the kit even |
| with wood and canvas? Aluminum? Fiberglass? | | | | gives you a list of "options" up front - you'll need |
| What kind of flying requirements do you have? | | | | to decide which direction to take on each. |
| Are you looking for an ultralight? Are you looking | | | | Throughout construction, you'll come across ideas |
| to fly cross country? Or to do aerobatics? One | | | | to cover a particular spot, or to make use of a |
| seat, or two, or four? Are you looking to build a | | | | little extra space. You may want to make a few |
| recreation of a famous aircraft, like the P-51? | | | | modifications for better ergonomics: maybe raise |
| Once you really know and have defined your | | | | a seat, or reposition a control. You'll come across |
| requirements, you'll be able to find a few kits, or | | | | some of these decision points as you are building, |
| plans, that will meet your needs. | | | | but others may need to be made up front so |
| 4. Determine if you need any training | | | | that you buy the right items, or so that you |
| So, do you have all of the skills that the project | | | | follow the correct set of instructions. And don't |
| you have selected will require? This is another | | | | forget the tail number and the paint scheme! |
| great way that EAA membership will really pay | | | | Make the decisions to get exactly the plane you |
| off. If you don't know how to perform some | | | | are looking for. |
| particular technique, someone in the chapter | | | | One more up front decision: Where will you build |
| probably does, and will be more than happy to | | | | your airplane? You'll need space to store your |
| show you. But maybe you want more than a few | | | | parts and tools and to actually construct the |
| pointers. Have you ever worked with aluminum, | | | | airplane. My recommendation: rent some hangar |
| or fiberglass, or canvas coatings? If there is some | | | | space at a small airport. |
| skill you lack, and you're not confident that the kit | | | | 8. Build it! |
| can train you (some kits are very good at walking | | | | Other than flying it, this is the best part! You've |
| you through), or that your EAA teammates can | | | | selected your kit, made the up front decisions, |
| bring you up to speed, there are several places | | | | and found a place to do your construction. Now |
| you can go for help. You can find some training at | | | | you can build it! Many kits come in sections: you |
| a technical college or an EAA workshop. You can | | | | order and build one section, then order and build |
| get the most help from one of the training | | | | the next. This is really the way to approach the |
| courses offered by several companies who will | | | | entire build process - just take it one step at a |
| help you build the first parts of your kit. Most of | | | | time. As you complete each section, and the |
| these involve you working in their facility for a | | | | project starts to look more and more like your |
| few days, building your parts under the | | | | airplane, you'll really be glad you decided to do this. |
| supervision of a qualified A&P. These kits are | | | | I don't know who came up with this, but it is |
| long-term projects, and detail oriented, but not | | | | certainly true: "If you didn't build it yourself, it isn't |
| really complicated or difficult. Just get a little | | | | really yours. |
| confidence in the required skills, and you'll be | | | | |