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

[Aegidius]

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!

[gbrasch]

The only advice I can give to you based on my own experience is this, pay as you go, don't go into debt. That is what I did and while my build took a long time (really on my time to build vs money) I never owed anyone a penny when I got done, and never financed anything. Hope this helps.

[tspear]

Think outside the box a little farther. Look at the Cozy Plans built or other Plans built planes.
http://www.cozyaircraft.com/

Good luck,

Tim

[eiclan]

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!

Gday Mate,listen I am in the same place as you but just havn't got a space to do it at the moment.Can I suggest you find a person who is building close to you or find your local EAA group and help out with anothers build. This will have a few benefits,you will learn skills,it will keep your enthusiasm going and you will see how to start and we all know that the journy of a thousand miles begins with that first step and as any parachutist will tell you that first step is a big one. Good luck with your project. Cheers Ross

[Aegidius]

Thanks for the replies!

[Charlie Becker]

I would encourage you to scratch build the Sonex with a center stick so you can fly it as a single place. This allows you to start plans building for very little money. I'm scratch building a Super Cub knock off right now and can tell you that a small investment in raw materials will keep you building for quite a while. I spent $800 on tubing and that let me buy all the tubing for a fuselage. Same would be true for buying 6061-T6 aluminum for the Sonex. (Also built a Sonex from a kit and the plans are excellent for a scratch builder).

Also, if you financial situation improves, you still have the option of buying the wing or fuselage kit down the road.

[deej]

Top of my list right now is the Onex because that seems to fit my mission and budget for flying (which is rather low).

If you are looking at the Onex, you might also consider the Thatcher CX4. This is a single place, plans built, metal aircraft that can be completed for less $$ than the Onex with similar operational costs.

Check it out at:

http://www.thatchercx4.com/

http://cx4community.com/

and the Yahoo group at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CX4/info

-Dj

[CarlOrton]

I would encourage you to scratch build the Sonex with a center stick so you can fly it as a single place. This allows you to start plans building for very little money. I'm scratch building a Super Cub knock off right now and can tell you that a small investment in raw materials will keep you building for quite a while. I spent $800 on tubing and that let me buy all the tubing for a fuselage. Same would be true for buying 6061-T6 aluminum for the Sonex. (Also built a Sonex from a kit and the plans are excellent for a scratch builder).

Also, if you financial situation improves, you still have the option of buying the wing or fuselage kit down the road.

What Charlie says. In reality, the $$$ diff between a Onex and Sonex is so small it's laughable. Lot's of guys build the center stick and fly it as a single place aircraft.

You can also find some angle stock and spend a year or more just making the small angles, longerons, etc., from that stock.

If you're really ambitious, you can build your own bending brake (google "dave clay bending brake") and you can then build all of the channel stock you'll need for the aft fuselage, tail, etc.

With your physique, you'll have no problem at all fitting and flying it.

[WLIU]

A friend has a glass topped desk that is built over an elevator that the flat skins or fabric is not installed on. The ribs, leading esge, etc are painted blue and it looks really cool.

The most important thing that you can do is start building stuff. First you need a workshop, which will need benches and tool storage. You can build those on the installment plan, one drawer at a time. You will need some racks to hold things like wings and horizontal stabs, etc. Look for plans and build some that are sized for the airplane you are interested in.

Learn to weld and you can fabricate stands for holding a fuselage and wings so that you can rotate them. And you will find other stands and fixtures to use your new skill on.

All of the above builds up your building skills so that when you actually have materials in your hands that will become airplane parts, you will have a lot more confidence and create a lot less scrap.

Plus, my experience is that all of a sudden your demonstrated handiness and problem solving skills will bring you a lot of house stuff to fill up your "free" time. I started working on a wood airplane and wound up gutting and redoing 3 bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and living room. Never thought that I would own a full shop of woodworking tools with large dust collection system. I started out as a sheet metal guy....

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[Todd copeland]

When I was a kid my dad wanted to build a plane. He didn't have his pilots liscence yet and little money to build with. So his solution was to save change. Back then, cash was the major way we paid for things and there was always coins left over from a transaction. He saved that. First, he bought the plans for the Dragonfly, then he studied the plans a lot and saved more coin. From there, he bought the time consuming stuff to build while he saved more. He never finished that Dragonfly, but now we built a glastar together and are flying it while we build a glasair III. Get started!