Pros / Cons of Homebuilt vs. certified

[Todd copeland]

I think an important part of experimental has been barely touched on here. Performance. Plain and simple, performance in homebuilts almost always far exceeds the certified world. Case in point, my friends Symphony. Compared to my Glastar its a slug in every way. The symphony is a certified version of my Glastar and yet it cruises 25knots slower, takes off in twice the distance and climbs at half the rate with less payload and less range. And on top of that it has to have an annual by an a&p with an inspection certification. Then, the repairs and maintainable is four times as expensive just for parts. I had my fuel injection servo rebuilt on my io320 and paid $800.00 for the exact same rebuild by a certified shop that charges $4,000 for the same job with a yellow tag!
Then, as mentioned, freedom. You are free to do make sense things to your experimental like LED lights. Couldn't even put them in the cessna I had, the A&E wouldn't let me replace the dome lights with them! These silly rules are gone with experimental aircrFt. The downside of this is that you are also allowed to do stupid things with your airplane as well. As long as you feel confident you won't do foolish things to your experimental aircraft I think you are likely to be very happy with the move. Welcome to our world.

[Bill Berson]

Resale value for many homebuilts can be low. I don't know about the RV -10.
Insurance is different. Contact your insurance agent.

[dusterpilot]

There's a lot of good information here for you. I've owned Cessnas, Mooneys & Pipers and a couple of experimental biplanes. I currently own one certified aircraft and 2 experimentals. The certified aircraft will cost more to maintain but the experimental will be easier to maintain and modify with state-of-the-art gizmos. The experimental will cost significantly more to insure. I tried to build once. Took on a project someone else had started to build. I quickly learned that I'd rather be flying than building and there are a lot of good flying experimentals available out there. And there are some good "nearly finished" projects that could reduce costs and shorten the build time (and some real junk projects with poor craftsmanship to avoid). I know a lot of builders. I don't know any who have built an experimental in less than 2 years and I know a LOT more who took 8-10 years to complete their project. I know a few who built to the 80 or 90% point before they died. Can you afford to keep your plane and continue flying while you build? Can you afford to rent while building? Are you willing to quit flying for several years while you build? If you don't fly while you build, what's your plan for regaining proficiency before making your first flight? Lots of things to consider. You're off to a good start by seeking opinions and looking at all the angles before making a decision.

[Gator88]

Thanks to everyone for throwing in your 2 cents - this has been very helpful in getting my arms around the experimental world. The more research I do, the more likely it is that, if I go experimental, I will probably buy or do a builder assist. Like dusterpilot, I would rather be flying than building. From all the input, it seems that the biggest differences between the experimental world and certificated world lies in what you can do to your airplane. There doesn't seem to be a big difference from the flying perspective. I think the next thing I need to do is to find an RV-10 that I can touch, kick the tires, and fly. The numbers look great on this plane, but I need to touch and smell it before I go any further.

Maybe this question belongs in another thread, but I'll ask it here to start: Does anyone know anything about Saint Aviation in Dunnellon, Fl? They do builder assists on RV-10's.

Thanks again to everyone for helping me get a start on my research into the world of experimentals.

[Sam Buchanan]

The more research I do, the more likely it is that, if I go experimental, I will probably buy or do a builder assist.

Please be advised that when you register your RV-10 you will need to sign an FAA form stating that at least 51% of your plane was amateur-built. Make sure you don't receive enough professional assistance that it will be impossible to truthfully sign the form, otherwise you are looking at a huge fine and/or an expensive lawn ornament. It is easy to violate this requirement with a combination of modern, highly-fabricated kits and "builder assist"....the FAA is proactive in this regard.

Best wishes for an enjoyable pursuit of experimental aviation!

[Gator88]

Will do. Thanks again for everyone's input!

[Ron Blum]

You've been given some really good advice by all of those above, but you mentioned that you would rather fly than build. Although it is financially less expensive to build an airplane, it does take a lot of time. Remember that 2,000 hours is a full year of full time work at a normal job. A good solution, though, would be to get your family involved. Would your wife or one or two of your children be interested in helping? If the project is not at your house, are you willing to drive to the airport every day to put in an extra 8-hour day? As was previously mention, people that complete building an airplane are a small but incredible group of people.

To address a little more of your initial questions, certified airplanes are built with a full-time quality control system in place (in other words all airplanes are built to certified type data and meet specifications when they leave the factory). Experimentals (generically speaking) are more fun to fly (lighter control feel, quicker response, ...) than a certified airplane (due to the regulations). On the flip side of that, most experimentals are not great long cross country airplanes (unless you put in an autopilot, too). Very few experimentals are approved for flight into known icing. I would strongly suggest flying an RV-10 before you buy/build one (but I know people that haven't done that).

A good, used Mooney is less expensive than building new ... and faster, and you get to fly the day you buy it.

Building, especially with someone else, is extremely rewarding. There is nothing like a first flight.

Bottom line: The decision is very dependent on the individual. Just keep flying; it is hard to go back if you get out of it for a while.

[Brian.Flynn]

Just want to comment that this is a good thread for me too - my first post.

I've hit a point in my life where private circumstances are putting a serious financial crunch on my ability to fly and probably will for the next 7-10 years. I've been interested in building for a while, but I've been having too much fun flying. So now I'm taking a multi-year break and building is an option. I can't afford to drop 40k at once, but I probably can spend a few thousand a year for part of an airplane.

In any case, it's been good to read the dynamics are basically what I thought. I'm nowhere near pulling the trigger on building, but I'm encouraged knowing I'm on the right path toward it. I'm planning on getting in contact with the local group and I'll go from there.

Thank you to all for the good information.

[Ron Blum]

I can't afford to drop 40k at once, but I probably can spend a few thousand a year for part of an airplane.

Brian: You're a perfect example of doing it right. If you think you'd like a metal airplane, a new (or cheaper used) RV tail kit is out there for you, and there are RV builder groups everywhere. Also, the local EAA chapter will know of people restoring Cubs, Pietenpols, Stinsons, Taylorcrafts, etc. that you can watch or help with. All at little or no cost to you. There is a large percentage of people that have bought a kit or plans and never completed the airplane ... sad for them, but potentially good (cheaper) for you. Building an airplane is a large commitment of both time and money, and will definitely change family/friends relationships ... for the good if they too get involved :o)

[Sam Buchanan]

Building an airplane is a large commitment of both time and money, and will definitely change family/friends relationships ... for the good if they too get involved :o)

This is a point that needs to be amplified...in the positive. Most certificated aircraft owners have access to their type clubs and these are great sources of info and social enjoyment.

But after being in the experimental community for nearly 25 years I have come to the conclusion that builders enjoy a level of camaraderie that goes beyond just owning similar aircraft. Each custom-built aircraft is the product of hundreds of decisions by the builder, each fork in the road adding to an accumulation of choices that reflects the personality of the builder. My RV-6, and the other aircraft I have built, are an extension of me. Only fellow builders can fully appreciate how much of ourselves went into our journey toward transformation of bits and pieces into a machine that carries us aloft.

Experimental aircraft have led me to remarkable places and people I would have never experienced otherwise. I still occasionally see a builder who is a "lone wolf" and am led to wonder if that builder really understands not only the technical resources they have ignored but the life-enhancing relationships.

Building an airplane is a large enough project that we learn much about ourselves. Enjoy the trip!