Cheap DIY Jet

[Jim123]

Like what? (This thread is really piquing my interest.)

Sure... let's see...

Mostly things about major construction methods (metalworking, tube and fabric, fiberglass/composite), what I personally like and dislike about each one, and some surprising facts and misconceptions (in engineering, historic, and practical senses) about each one. A lot of "arcane" details about systems integration, manufacturing techniques, and just putting the frickin thing together. One or two hard lessons about life (I bought my kit and received most of it from a major and up-to-then reputable company less than a year before they went bankrupt... oops, learn, move on, better luck next time...). Which goodies you really want to spend money on--cost/benefit and compromise--or not. And the most important lesson of all if you build your own plane- throwing away some piece that you worked really hard on and starting over on it because the first one is no good. After the first time it gets easier.*

Basically a lot stuff you already know somehow on some level but just don't realize it. Hope all that makes sense!


*Squorch has seen my stack of "bad" fuel tanks...

 

[yak52driver]

If I was into motors I think the RV-8 would be my perfect toy.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/rv-8int.htm

Check out this cockpit from an RV-8 that was for sale. Sweet.
http://www.lareata.org/Gallery.asp

That is a sweet looking panel. Looks like it might even be IFR capable with the LOC/ILS in the upper left panel. I like the mirrors around the canopy rail, guess he doesn't want to get bounced by friends! ;-)

 

[OscarMyers]

Good looking panel, He got a little crazy with the guarded switches there on the console. Must have been one of those buy in bulk deals.

 

[C420sailor]

Good looking panel, He got a little crazy with the guarded switches there on the console. Must have been one of those buy in bulk deals.

If I had a dollar for every time my O2 mask shut something off on my right console.

"Sir, I just lost my TACAN."

"Check your T/R switch, dumbass."

 

[Pepe]

Promise yourself you'll take your time before spending any money! Don't just read printed and online stuff (although there are some really great magazines, websites, and bulletin boards). Go out to the local EAA chapter meeting for at least a few months, or better yet go to more than one chapter if there is another or a third nearby. Take EVERYTHING you learn with a grain of salt. Then, go for it. To paraphrase an old saying, dumber and lazier people than you have successfully built and flown their own airplanes

This is one of those "if I knew then what I know now" things. I'm a few years into building my own plane and I'll say that I'm pretty happy with a lot of the choices I made along the way... BUT... while my gut instincts were right on a lot of things up front it turns out that looking back I was pretty far off on other stuff.

What kit did you end up buying and what "great magazines, websites, and bulletin boards" are you talking about? I'd like to take a quick look at a few.

 

[Jim123]

What kit did you end up buying and what "great magazines, websites, and bulletin boards" are you talking about? I'd like to take a quick look at a few.

To start, EAA Sport Aviation and Kitplanes magazines (although neither these seem to publish adverse product reviews... don't bite the hand that feeds you and all that), Matronix online forums for most experimental aviation and Vans Air Force for anything RV. If there is a particular model you're curious about, just google it- a lot of people publish their own construction pictures and write a lot of notes online. Don't try to read them all at once and remember to leave your house once in a while. I bought a Kitfox- a lot of that comes down to personal choice.

 

[Gatordev]

I bought a Kitfox- a lot of that comes down to personal choice.

A friend of the family did the designs for that plane when I was in high school. He was a naval archatect turned aviation draftsman and designed such boats as the Flicka and Saga (Saga was the name of his boat and was the first hull built of the class). At one point he had the fuselage of a Kitfox in his garage, but as far as I know, never finished building it. He also used to do the sketches in Cruising World, years ago.

 

[PropAddict]

I think the RV-8 would be my perfect toy.

Agreed. I keep hoping to have the same luck as my IFS instructor: one day, we flew to Easton and were walking around the T hangars. We saw a nice RV-7 that looked like it hadn't moved in a while. The owner happened to be there, my instructor offered him $30,000 and the next day we flew it back to Freeway. Some guys have all the luck. . .

There's a Sim instuctor at Corpus who was building an RV-10 when I winged. He said the kit was going together like a dream. He claimed to have build models that were harder to assemble.

 

[MIDNJAC]

There's a Sim instuctor at Corpus who was building an RV-10 when I winged. He said the kit was going together like a dream. He claimed to have build models that were harder to assemble.

My folks came to visit me back when I was there for primary, and they stayed in a condo right next to his house. The thing was sitting in his garage and I got to check it out.....pretty cool little airplane, though I would prefer a retract personally. My personal dream single would be a turbine Legend:

 

[MIDNJAC]

And I offer this as evidence of why a DIY/homebuilt jet may not be the best idea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BD-10

Personally I would not want to fly any single engine jet not equipped with an ejection seat, and I think perhaps the 3 guys involved in the BD-10's fatal in-flight breakups would probably agree with me

 

[scoolbubba]

Not a big deal, just wait for the DIY ejection seat kit to come out and you're good to go.

 

[Gatordev]

My personal dream single would be a turbine Legend:

I literally was just looking at two of these on Trade-a-plane this morning. I was curious about RV-10s so went there and then saw the Turbine Legend listed. Looks like fun and not that expensive. As with a bunch of these turbine jobbies...I always wonder how smart it is to buy something w/ a Walter engine. I know there's lots of them out there, but getting parts isn't the easiest thing to do, let alone getting someone who knows how to work on them, I would think.

 

[OscarMyers]

If you like window shopping for homebuilts this website has a lot to look at http://www.barnstormers.com/ Makes long days in the Safety Office go by much faster.

 

[Van]

If I was into motors I think the RV-8 would be my perfect toy.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/rv-8int.htm

Check out this cockpit from an RV-8 that was for sale. Sweet.
http://www.lareata.org/Gallery.asp

Nice! I have to agree, an RV-8 would be my first choice of "toy". Great planes! Anyone know how much the plane in the pic sold for (not listed anymore, just says *sold*)

 

[Jim123]

And I offer this as evidence of why a DIY/homebuilt jet may not be the best idea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BD-10

I agree, the BD-10 was, umm, very ambitious. Which is everything the Sonex jet is not. Both can turn fuel into noise and fun, the Sonex just does it going a lot slower which should means far less chance of killing yourself in a fiery crash, no more than most other airplanes anyway... (Not the you "yourself," the general "yourself.")