So what do you do when you're ready to build.. but there's no money?

[Jim Heffelfinger]

Surprised no one mentioned this - there are literally dozens of projects looking for new homes for pennies on the dollar. Barnstormers is a good, but no only, source of finding a project. Many can be had with FWF and many extras for less than a basic kit. Some are just started, many stuck at the 80% done stage when things get going slowly. A big question we kind of need to know is where are you in your flight training? If not started yet then taking on a Cozy project or another high performance aircraft might be more airplane than you can chew. Seems as though the base of popular "entry level" kits is in the 22-24K region. Single seaters a bit less. Had you thought of wood to work with ? There are a number of all wood kits/plans available and "adjustable" to someone larger. Understand that the engine will be your most expensive single purchase. That scratched Cozy... might require a $35K engine investment. In some ways the kits are really the cheapest part of the plane.
Time can be a commodity as well. That scratch built plane will eat up tremendous amounts of time and you will be doing rework so materials will be a constant stream of UPS deliveries. A match holed CNC created kit will take a 10th of the time of a scratched plane with little rework. Lets see if I can find the webinar on first time builders and the commitment needed to get to completion.
Jim in Sacramento - stuck at 80%

[brian_thomas]

I'll second the recommendation for Barnstormers.

I feel your pain. I've been out of flying since our DINK days ended. With our kids being older, I am trying to convince my better half that we can start throwing money at airplane stuff again, build the cheap stuff now, and be ready to buy an engine by the time they're out of college.

[brandon67e]

So, mentally, I'm ready to get started on a project but I thought I'd throw the problem I have up on here and see how others have dealt with it - surely I'm not the only one!

Top of my list right now is the Onex because that seems to fit my mission and budget for flying (which is rather low). The major problem I have is a lack of money to get started. The Onex seems to be kit only and, although I could do a Sonex from plans, it doesn't fit me physically or budget-wise as well as the Onex. I'm open to other options but they all end up with about the same costs from what I can tell. Are their other project options I'm not considering? There are some ultralight projects that are appealing but I'm 6'1" and about 270 - which, again, limits my options.

I have the basic tools and could afford to start scratch-building a project but I can't afford to buy a kit or finance a kit right now. Even low cost tail kits are something of a stretch. I fear, I'd complete the tail kit, then need to sit looking at it for a few years before I could get the next section and that would just be too frustrating. What I do have plenty of is time. If I could find the right project, with plans at a reasonable cost, I could spread the materials cost over time and get started this summer.

In a few years, when the kids are out of daycare and the cars are paid off, this will change but between now and then, I wait.

What advice do you have for how best to spend the time while I save up? I've done some EAA workshops and other things. Options I'm thinking about are learning to gas weld - that could be really useful. But without a project, it seems hard to justify buying the set up, learning, and then having it be a hatrack for the next few years. What could I build using that skill that might be useful later? A brake, maybe?

Are there other things I could build using metal aircraft skills that could be useful? Anybody make desks or something with construction like a wing?

Any advice?
Thanks!

I was in the same boat as you. Broke and wanting to build an airplane. I had young kids and just wanted to start building something that I could progressively work at. I was sold on the hummelbird. It was plans built and i could. So a little ata time. Right before I was ready to order the plans a friend showed me the cx4. I did some research and I was sold. I was a first time builder and heard the cx4 was easier metsl fabrication than the hummelbird. I REALLY liked the look of the cx4 and the reviews were great. It had a good support group on yahoo. That was very important to me. Thatcher said it took 800 hrs to build. I am around 750 and the FAA is coming on Thursday for my inspection. Once I got started it was so fun and I couldn't stop. If you give up tv you would be surprised how much time you come up with. I got up early and worked for an hour. I would go out for an hour after dinner. I worked on the weekend, etc. It took 1.5 yrs and looks Great. I would highly advise the cx4. Check it out. My build log is brandoncx4.blogspot.com

if you want to chat email me

[skyvine]

A lot of good suggestions and enthusiastic support in this thread. I just want to add that I found the local chapter of the EAA a tremendous help, and was able to meet many pilot/builders who were more than happy to offer use of tools and skills on plane projects to those in need. I found it interesting that some of the folks I have met actually seem more into the building than the flying.

My recommendation (like others before me) is to start now, and seek out the closest local EAA chapter to join. Get going, and let us know how things progress. Best of luck!

[Aegidius]

Thanks, again, for all the replies. Some are along the lines of what I was already thinking but there's some new options here I hadn't considered. I had heard of but not really looked into the CX4 - That's changing! Might be a good option for me.

Where I am now, I could get Sonex plans OR a decent materials order... but not really both. $750 for plans only seems rather steep. Too, I hesitate to go full on Sonex because one of the factory models I sat in this year just wasn't comfortable. It wasn't even so much the width as the body position. I realize there may be some flexibility when you're building your own to custom fit. Couldn't quite put my finger on why. The Onex was super comfortable. When I asked one of the staff about it, they said something to the effect of, 'well, the designers are small guys so they build to fit themselves'. I think they purposely designed the Onex for those of us who were, ahem, a bit bigger.

I spent a couple of years looking at their stuff and asking about a single-seat version before Onex came out.

I would like the Barnstormers option excepting that it's often about as much spend as a kit. I think the best bet for me would be to find a plans-built option and spend my time working up parts. I think I could source some metal locally so maybe shipping wouldn't be such an issue. A bit of a drive but maybe worth it. Most attractive part of the CX4 is that I could afford both the plans and some materials to get started. Wish I'd have looked at them at OSH last year though. Maybe I can find one near me to eyeball.

Thank again!!

[Dave S]

I am building a CX4 on a "buy as I go" basis. It would be nice to have everything match drilled, but it is certainly do-able without. You might want to check out the new CX5 as well. The cost is not much more than the -4 but you have the option of hauling a friend along if you want. Also, the 5 was designed with plus size guys in mind.

[Aegidius]

Yeah! The CX5 looks awesome!

[1600vw]

Buy used you will save tons of cash. Shop around and get a deal on something that needs some TLC. If you can build you can do some TLC. Keep the big picture in mind and do not fall in love with it unless it is the airplane of your dreams. Otherwise sell it for a profit and invest the money in your next airplane.
I have been flying only a very short time and I am on airplane number 9. I have maybe 4 grand of my own money invest in 9 airplanes. Today I own 2 of the 9. I might just keep them both. But then again I might sell them both..

Tony

[brian_thomas]

Tony-

Buying certifieds or homebuilts?

-Brian

[1600vw]

Tony-

Buying certifieds or homebuilts?

-Brian

EAB......Tony