Home Built Aircraft

[Chase 303]

While perusing Google results for helicopters one evening, I stumbled on this company's website, RotorWay International. For a very respectable price, around the range of 98k, you can have yourself a fun DIY project and a pretty sweet two seater helicopter to fly around in your free time.http://www.rotorway.com/index.phpSome specs I pulled from the site:http://www.rotorway.com/talon.htmlWould you consider the homebuilt route if not for a helicopter, then with another aircraft? Why?If I had the money and the time, I definitely think I'd go down the homebuilt route for at least one of my aircraft. Whether or not a homebuilt would be my first purchased aircraft is entirely up to my budget, lol. I believe there's a high level of respect for an item not only when it's your money that bought it, but also when it was your hands that built it. Same concept for someone who built their own house.Not only would you value the aircraft more because you hand built it, but also any maintainence issues should be a breeze (being you built it and know the in's and out's of it) right?

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I considered it years ago, I went to school in mechanical engineering and used to do a lot of metal fabricating and welding. So I considered building a Zodiac type metal aircraft. Most people I talked to tried to talk me out of it as they weren't considered to be safe, but these were the years following John Denver's accident and Home Builts went through a few years of bad press.Today the accident rate is 21.6 accidents per 100,000 flight hours compared to 6.75 per 100,000 flight hours with General Aviation aircraft.....but I think that is mostly due to bad fabrication on the builders part and a lack of skilled pilots turning to home built. If you are a good fabricator and trust your work and your flying skills....then go for it.If I was to do one now I would go for a Quickie just because they look coolCheers

[Chase 303]

Thanks for your reply Matthew. Those statistics are interesting, I hadn't heard of those ratios before, but they are quite alarming to say the least. Perhaps I'd save a little more money and buy a retired Huey. lol

[jeroen79 0]

It would depend on how confident you are about your own skills and discipline.

[WarpD 824]

Any interest and questions regarding home-built aircraft should steer you towards EAA, the Experimental Aircraft Association. Also known as the good people who do EAA Airventure at Oshkosh each year.

[Chase 303]

It's pretty wild that I live 1.5 hrs away and haven't been to Oshkosh since '07. I was only there helping my friend's company showcase their Jet-A Cessna 182 (SMA conversion). All of my pilot buddies are scattered across the country so it's hard to get us all in the same place such as an airshow. I'll look into that group though, thanks!

[dmaher 0]

I meant to mention the EAA and home building in that previous thread on the affordability of flying. IMO if you’re very serious about flying, Experimental and E-LSA are the most affordable options today. Costs such as labor, TSO’d components, manufacture’s liability, and certified maintenance can be avoided. And these aircraft can benefit from the latest components and manufacturing methods. Fuel costs may even be lower using Rotax or traditional aero engines running autogas. For instance look at an aircraft like RV-12, it’s a match-holed CNC kit assembled with simple hand-squeezed blind rivets. It could be built in say half a year instead of watching TV. Of course the real queen of kit aircraft today is the RV-7 :( ;)

Experimental aircraft are built with periodic inspections from Designated Airworthiness Representatives (DAR). And you’re not the one that get’s to judge if your handiwork is airworthy and built to federal safety regulations...this is the job of your local DAR :( The safety record in the experimental category is notable; but, I suspect this has much to do with a bias towards high-performance aircraft in the fleet (...including those speedy laminar flow wings). And not manufacturing :(

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I figure one of the safer ones flying out there is the Kitfox. I know a few people with one and have a great time with them. A great STOL aircraft.http://www.kitfoxaircraft.com/Cheers

[tutmeister 711]

Experimental homebuilds are certainly a way to save money as long as you trust your mechanical skills with your life. I personally do not, but I'd like to pursue and A and P so I can do my own maintenance and will likely review my self-assessment once I have completed that as my tune may change. As for an experimental helicopter, I'd suggest that you should be even more skilled than building a fixed-wing as there is just so much more to a helo than a fixed-wing. Ground resonance is a phenomena whereby an aircraft literally shakes itself to pieces and loose fixtures, incorrect sealing and many other things could likely lead to the onset of ground resonance, making it imperative that the work is carried out by a professional, or by someone with very good mechanical engineering skill.

[BIGSKY 316]

I have been looking at this,http://volksplane.com/

[dmaher 0]

Experimental homebuilds are certainly a way to save money as long as you trust your mechanical skills with your life. I personally do not...

It's true no one is actually born a pilot or a builder; and it takes confidence and willingness to learn. In both you trust your life to skill. Still there are official standards that must be met to get work certified and no one does it alone. That’s why there is an EAA. There are a few NASA engineers and such, but it’s mostly ordinary pilots who build. There are close to 8000 RV’s flying so it’s been done. I do recall one acquaintance who gave up his aging Mooney, he said, precisely because of the poor standard of certified maintenance he was getting. Now he has new equipment and has learned to maintain it himself - a job he gives respect. E-LSA kits are more restrictive; you can’t make factory modifications, as far as I know. And the whole fire wall forward is part of the factor kit. The barrier to entry is meant to be low. But I agree anyone who really couldn’t manage is safer not to try. As for helicopters, particularly private helicopters, I’m not a fan…not at all :)

[Raindance 25]

Experimental homebuilds are certainly a way to save money as long as you trust your mechanical skills with your life. I personally do not, but I'd like to pursue and A and P so I can do my own maintenance and will likely review my self-assessment once I have completed that as my tune may change. As for an experimental helicopter, I'd suggest that you should be even more skilled than building a fixed-wing as there is just so much more to a helo than a fixed-wing. Ground resonance is a phenomena whereby an aircraft literally shakes itself to pieces and loose fixtures, incorrect sealing and many other things could likely lead to the onset of ground resonance, making it imperative that the work is carried out by a professional, or by someone with very good mechanical engineering skill.

Yup. You'd never get me up in one of those things. Helos are ultimately unforgiving. If something tiny but important breaks or comes off, you & your aircraft are a falling rock. What kind of effective maintenance schedule is the home-builder going to be able to realistically keep up?

[brownshoe 0]

Last year I joined the EAA and went to Oshkosh for the first time. It really changed the way I felt about homebuilt aircraft.I got my degree in Aeronautical Engineering, so building airplanes is something I've always had in the back of my mind to do. As a pilot with a fairly traditional training background, I thought your options for owning were pretty much just Cessna, Piper, Beech, or maybe Cirrus or Diamond or a couple of others. Homebuilts were, well, dangerous and you were crazy if you thought too seriously about it.Then I went to Oshkosh, and I've gotta say: There are a lot of homebuilts out there that are better designs with better construction, materials, and workmanship than anything on the "certified" market. Of course, it's entirely up to the builder. But a lot of people don't build airplanes because they want something cheaper than a certified, but because they want something better. And then they put in the time and money and elbow grease and spend every evening for a couple of years in their garage until they have it. And the results are absolutely amazing.That said, I think just wanting an affordable way to fly is a lousy reason to build an airplane. Doing it right takes about twice as much time and money as the manufacturer advertises. So if you just want a cheap way to fly, buy a tired old 152 and build the time. The guys who do well building their own airplanes seem to love the building at least much as (or, for many, even more than) the flying.If you're even remotely interested in this stuff, JOIN THE EAA! Find your local chapter, and go to a meeting. I couldn't imagine building an airplane without being an EAA member. Your membership gets you access to tons of expertise. They'll actually send an experienced builder to your house to check out your project and help you, one-on-one. Chapters often go in together to buy specialty tools for their members. The membership is only $40 a year, and if you spend a couple of days at Oshkosh, the discounted admission and ability to camp on-site pretty much pays for the membership. Meeting some guys who are building and getting a look at their projects will give you a very realistic idea of what to expect if you choose to build.Building my own plane is right at the top of my bucket list, if I've got one. When I've got the money and time, my plan is to buy a 172 to fly my little family around in for a couple of years while we build an RV-10. You can do it, but you've got to take a step back, take your time, and do it right.And, yeah, homebuilt helicopters scare the crap out of me, too. Regular helicopters are scary enough. I've got 450+ hours of whirlybird time, and my policy is I'll pay to fly a plane but you've gotta pay me to fly a helicopter.

[Chase 303]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I was more interested in the home built route more for the "handiness" and craftsmanship that goes into building your own plane. I'm one of those that doesn't believe in putting a price on my safety so getting it done right would be foremost despite the expense. What's the sense in winging it and losing pieces midair. I like what I hear about the EAA. It sounds like a great organization especially when they'll send a builder to your home to check on your work. The million dollar question is shall I trust my safety in my own work. I say I would because I don't imagine I'd do this project without expert input and oversight where feasible. The modifications to make a whirly or a fixed wing just the way you want it are truly endless. It's definitely a fun idea.

[Raindance 25]

"And, yeah, homebuilt helicopters scare the crap out of me, too. Regular helicopters are scary enough."The thing about helicopters is that all the things that keep it from falling vertically and that keep it flying straight are in furious motion, unlike fixed-wing craft, so the stresses are so much greater.Found a video of a Chinook failing through ground resonance -- it's impressive (in a horrible way)...