Choosing an Aircraft Design

There are reasons why some homebuilt designs are popular and others aren't. Cost, ease of construction, support and of course performance are the main considerations for most people. Before starting down the path on a homebuilt project, it is important first of all to ask yourself the biggest question: do you have the time, drive and money to actually complete an aircraft? Most people don't and even a quick build kit requires a lot more time than it looks to complete. I read a statistic that over 90% of homebuilt aircraft projects are never completed by the original builder. If you are sure that you can do it or can answer maybe, it is worth investing some time checking into things further.

Preliminary Considerations

The first thing that should be considered are YOUR capabilities as a pilot. If you have only have 100 hours total time, a Lancair IV P might not be your best choice as a first project. Choose a design which fits your capabilities. Docile stall characteristics and speeds should be important criteria for low time pilots. Good, safe handling qualities should also be near the top of the list. High speed and tricky handling qualities generally don't mix with low time pilots. There have been more than a few smoking craters created by those not heeding this advice.

Your primary intended use of the aircraft should be the next issue decided. Are you just interested in flying around your local area or will you be needing more speed and range for a lot of cross country work? Will you be fitting floats? What sort of useful load and climb rate do you need? Will you be operating out of a lot of short strips? If you are an XL size, will you comfortably fit in this aircraft? Is the extra cost, maintenance and complexity of retractable gear worth it for the speed increase?

Price

Can you afford it? Don't forget the engine, prop, avionics and all those $100-$200 items that you will need on top of the basic kit. There may be tie down or hanger costs and insurance costs to consider as well. Where will you base the aircraft?

Product Support and Flight Experience

You should be narrowing down your choices to a few popular designs by this point.

Check out the manufacturer's websites and compare specs and costs between your choices. How many kits have they sold? How many are flying? You NEVER want to be among the first to buy a new, unproven design no matter how cool it seems to be. Check out accident statistics on the model. Send an E-mail to each manufacturer and ask them something about their design. How long does it take to get an answer? You may be able to relate their response time to how they support their product. Are there independent support and owner groups for the aircraft? These can be invaluable for technical info without the sales slant. Check these groups for any design problems which the manufacturer may not be too keen on revealing.

Order the info packs from those companies which you are interested in and try to locate a couple of people who are building or have built the same aircraft. Ask them how the factory support was and how it was to build. If possible, try to wangle a flight or visit the factory for a demo flight.

Be Careful!

Before getting financially involved, check out how many years the company has been in business and what their reputation among builders is. How is their delivery time? Check out if your deposits are refundable and if so at what penalty. Are deposits held in escrow or might you lose the whole shot if the company goes bankrupt? Don't believe what any company says. Check it out through independent sources. Companies like Van's, Stoddard Hamilton and Lancair got their places in the market by honest hard work and telling cutomers the truth. Beware of those constantly delaying or BSing you.

Popular Designs

For lower cost flying, the Zenair, Kitfox, and Murphy aircraft are popular.

For sport flying where speed is a bit more important, the Van's RVs, Velocity, Europa, Dragonfly and fixed gear Stoddard Hamilton and Lancair designs are popular, some offering aerobatic cpabilities. The RV series are the most popular homebuilt design in their class because they have the best compromise between low and high speed, range, useful load, handling, climb rate and STOL capabilities.

For top speed and range, the retractable gear Stoddard Hamilton and Lancair aircraft are at the top of the heap. They popular in this class because they are fast and have good handling. They also look really good.

There are many other good designs out there, just remember that the popular ones are there for many good reasons.