#KIT AIRPLANES FREE#

A homebuilt airplane is like a blank canvas we can sketch out pretty much anything we want, putting our own stamp on a design, so long as it doesnвЂ™t endanger passengers or the populace below. If you have the time and skills, itвЂ™s a great tradeoff.ДЄnd then thereвЂ™s freedom of expression. However, to obtain these savings, one has to discount the hours and years spent building.

#KIT AIRPLANES FREE#

In enjoying experimental amateur-built aviation, we are free to exchange our building efforts for a factoryвЂ™s production line, cutting the cost considerably unless we try to achieve showplane perfection. Available today in a quick-built kit, the plane is more popular than ever. ItвЂ™s not fraud, per se, itвЂ™s just that a designвЂ™s projected performance, empty weight, build time or cost is based more on best-case intentions rather than an average of numbers achieved out in the field. Claims and representations, in EAB aviation, are somewhat speculative targets. If the advertisement says вЂњ200 mph,вЂќ it probably means one specimen may have achieved that benchmark at least once, but an average clone, likely modified with extra elbow room and weight, wonвЂ™t get there. Because homebuilders are free to build, modify and change their uncertified aircraft as they wish, repeatability is not guaranteed. The category was established to support building airplanes for personal education and enjoyment rather than commercial practicality. Homebuilding is about freedom freedom to build what you want, using whatever materials you choose, to achieve whatever point you want to make. Photo by Wikipedia Commons Ahunt But, They Say It WillвЂ¦Д«y now, one of the assemblages will say, вЂњBut what about the XYZ SuperFlash? It does 200 knots on 10В gph and is fully aerobatic to boot.вЂќ IвЂ™ll have to issue some disclaimer about the difference between the 200 mph stated in the brochure and the 230 mph implied by his statement, and then note that we have to analyze what is meant by вЂњfully aerobatic.вЂќ Like full-IFR, that claim is frequently subject to interpretation.ДЄt the foundation, I posit, is the whole point of the EAB category. That engine wonвЂ™t be seen in a certified airplane, and the plane might be too small to fit much of the population.вЂќ A simple old-school ultralight design, the Harper LilвЂ™ Breezy is a quick build. Or, in other cases, experimental-aircraft builders will shift toward a small, low-cost alternative engine, as a basis for flying reasonably fast and cheap. вЂњThe go-like-hell crowd will subscribe to the Great Big Engine/Little Bitty Airplane concept, something that would have never been available in the certificated marketplace because not too many people want to go fast at all cost. Its performance is usually optimized toward a certain criteria that were important to the designer and builder, and youвЂ™ll see sacrifices in other details to achieve that end. вЂњThe freedom to build and fly something that doesnвЂ™t meet standard certification simply means that an airplane licensed in the experimental-amateur-built category (EAB) will probably fly differently than the normal/utility category bus you rent from the FBO. Homebuilts simply cut across some of the barriers imposed by mass-market appeal and FAA certification standards. Every airplane is a compromise if you want more of this, you have to give up some of that. вЂњThere are no surprises, and very few breakthroughs, when it comes to light aircraft design. But I am nevertheless emboldened to render a broad-based opinion, although itвЂ™s probably delivered sharply enough to offend some of the hearers in the group. Truthfully, IвЂ™ve only flown a few dozen homebuilts, out of the hundreds of amateur-built experimental designs out there, so IвЂ™m hardly an expert. More often than not, it will include discussion of what this or that airplane is like, which one does this or that best, which one is the top performer-topics that generate strongly held opinions, ones frequently founded on speculation or hearsay rather than fact.ДЄnd then someone will say, вЂњWhat about homebuilts?,вЂќ and I feel eyeballs turn toward me, as the aged arbiter of aviation argumentation. Conversation around our airport hangar crowd generally rotates among favorite subjects covering lots of aviation topics.

Kit airplanes