What airplane to build?

[Don White]

I'm researching the variety of options available for my first build. There are so many kits out there, I thought I'd poll the experts for some advice and direction. I'm looking for something that has folding wings with the ability to be trailered to and from the airport. Beyond that, I think the next biggest issue would be ease of contruction, being my first build. Thanks in advance for any ideas! Don

[Mike Switzer]

The biggest issue for me is finding something I will fit in. :)

[CraigCantwell]

Don: You need to define your typical flight first. Once you have that, start listing all of your wants and have-to's. Now rank them in order based on how critical each one is. Once you have a decent handle on that, you can then decide on production materials. From all of that, you can distill down all the various designs to a couple that you can take a real detailed look at. Once you get down to that point it becomes pretty easy to make a decision on what to build.

Folding wings and trailerable pretty well forces you to a one or two place a/c, and if you are going to be doing the folding solo, I think there are only a couple of desings that would work for you. I can think of only a couple...the Midget Mustang, Mustang 2, Thorp T-18. I'd bet that there are a couple of others that I can't remember right now.

I've dealt with a/c that had both manual and power fold and it's a hassle either way.

[Don White]

Luckily I think they are all made for me 5'9" and 180 lbs...

[Don White]

Don: You need to define your typical flight first. Once you have that, start listing all of your wants and have-to's. Now rank them in order based on how critical each one is. Once you have a decent handle on that, you can then decide on production materials. From all of that, you can distill down all the various designs to a couple that you can take a real detailed look at. Once you get down to that point it becomes pretty easy to make a decision on what to build.

Folding wings and trailerable pretty well forces you to a one or two place a/c, and if you are going to be doing the folding solo, I think there are only a couple of desings that would work for you. I can think of only a couple...the Midget Mustang, Mustang 2, Thorp T-18. I'd bet that there are a couple of others that I can't remember right now.

I've dealt with a/c that had both manual and power fold and it's a hassle either way.

This plane will be for me. Family flights and most business flights will remain with certified aircraft, so one seat is just fine. I'll add your suggestions to my kits to research. thanks a lot!

[Jim Hann]

This plane will be for me. Family flights and most business flights will remain with certified aircraft, so one seat is just fine. I'll add your suggestions to my kits to research. thanks a lot!


If you like working with wood, Fly Baby... www.bowersflybaby.com (http://www.bowersflybaby.com)

[Don White]

If you like working with wood, Fly Baby... www.bowersflybaby.com (http://www.bowersflybaby.com)

Thanks Jim, I've never done much woodwork! Looks like a great little plane though.

[David Darnell]

A Lot depends on the "mission" requirements. Another thought- the Kitfox?

[Neil]

This came up in another thread here. My first build was a Sonerai II. I really liked the airplane and it had folding wings as well.480

[Mike Switzer]

As near as I can tell, if you want folding wings on a Thorp, unless you come up with a set of plans you have to go with the S-18, and they only sell the plans with the kit.

[CarlOrton]

Take a look at the Onex; http://www.sonexaircraft.com

[Bob Dingley]

Mike, the T-18 was designed from the begining with a quick detachable wing. 1. Detach the stabilator push pull tube from the sticks. 2. Detach the wing from the fuselage (4 bolts) 3. Lower the wing to the ground (sticks still mounted to the wing center section, ailerons still connected. 4. Walk off with the 23 foot wing. Forgot to mention disconect nav lights. No fuel in the wings, its all in the fuselage.
Bob

[Mike Switzer]

From what I have read, the S-18 has a true folding wing. Personally, after reading about both I don't see that one really has an advantage over the other. Both probably require 2 people to do it easily.

[Don White]

Take a look at the Onex; http://www.sonexaircraft.com

Carl, I've got that on my list. What do you think as a builder? I don't have any sheet metal experience and have never built a plane. Could a 'beginner' take on a project like that? Thanks!

I've saved the book mark for your log, ships coming together!

I flew into Addison once, but fuel was much cheaper at HQZ!

[Don White]

This came up in another thread here. My first build was a Sonerai II. I really liked the airplane and it had folding wings as well.

Thanks Neil, I've put it on my list to research, sharp looking plane too.

[Don White]

A Lot depends on the "mission" requirements. Another thought- the Kitfox?

David, I just took a look at the KitFox site, neat looking plane. It's definitely on my list to research now. Thanks!

[Don White]

As near as I can tell, if you want folding wings on a Thorp, unless you come up with a set of plans you have to go with the S-18, and they only sell the plans with the kit.

Thanks Mike, I'll look into it, but I know I'm not ready for 'built from plans'. Gotta get some experience with some sort of kit.

[Mike Switzer]

Thanks Mike, I'll look into it, but I know I'm not ready for 'built from plans'. Gotta get some experience with some sort of kit.

Check out this page http://thorp18.com/

and this is the company selling the S-18 kits http://www.classicsportaircraft.com/


a kit may be a good thing for that plane, there have been cases of the wings not being built the same which makes one drop bad in a stall

I was interested in them until I found out I was a bit large to fit...

[Eric Witherspoon]

Carl, I've got that on my list. What do you think as a builder? I don't have any sheet metal experience and have never built a plane. Could a 'beginner' take on a project like that?

Check my website. The Sonex was my first (and second) homebuilding projects. They are designed to be relatively easy to build. I'm trying to remember something I needed help with (other than asking questions on their Yahoo group or emailing the factory directly). Yes, drilling the wings to the fuselage and putting the wings on at the airport. That's about it.

What did I have for experience? The Sportair weekend workshop for sheet metal. Sonex also offers a weekend workshop at the factory (and I've done that too), but I would recommend the Sportair one as it's 16 hours of hands-on metal working. The one at the factory has a little metal project, but also spends a good bit of time on marketing, history, their other products, their engines, etc. (it's at the factory, so of course they're going to do some marketing to the audience). Other positives of the factory workshop is you get to see the whole operation - where exactly your kit is coming from and meet the people who support it. But I'm just saying their demo metal project probably isn't quite enough to give good confidence to start digging into a $13k kit of parts...

Other things I would recommend as a first-time metal airplane builder: visit other metal airplane projects in your area (join the local EAA chapter and ask them) to see what quality level you should be looking for in your own work, and have someone who has built and flown a metal airplane stop by your shop after you've made some parts but BEFORE you have attached any two parts together. That way, if you aren't getting the edges smooth enough or whatever, it's easy to fix. If you can get to Oshkosh or another regional fly-in with some homebuilts, you'll find yourself looking VERY closely at the metal airplanes, for any/all exposed metal parts you can see.

Onex already has a HUGE support system - over 1500 Sonex builders/flyers + the gathering numbers that have already signed up and started building Onex. Lots of websites, very active groups on Yahoo, regional Sonex-specific fly-ins, people with flying Sonex aircraft to look at (and maybe get a ride in) in many locations. Since Onex kits/parts just started shipping to customers a few months ago, I'd say that by the end of 2012 there will be more than one website that has photos of EVERY SINGLE part in the airplane, every assembly, and most of the major steps documented in photos and text. That said, their plans are excellent, and contain all the information necessary to build it, but all the photos and blogs that builders will produce just adds to what you can use to get it figured out.

[CarlOrton]

Hi, Don; sorry, took me awhile to get back in.

Yeah, what Eric W said above! About sums it up!