Experimenter

December 2012

Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.

Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/96284

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 1 of 49

H o m e b uil d e r 's C or n e r Renaissance Plan Is there a plans-built resurgence? By Chad Jensen From the day I finished my RV-7 in 2010 I knew that I would be aching to have another project. Over the past two years, I've started numerous projects but haven't found the end of those projects. My observation of those of us who have built and finished kit airplanes is that many of us just need a project, and there's a common thing I'm seeing: plans-built airplanes seem to be on a bit of a resurgence among successful kit builders: A flying kit plane and plans in the shop. I'm not the best example because I've had trouble finding the "correct" airplane to build next, but many successful kit builders are finding solace in plans-built airplanes after finishing their speedsters by building an opposite mission airplane, and vice versa. For example, RV and Glasair builders working on Cubs and Legal Eagles, and RANS and Kitfox builders working on GP4s and Cozys. Those are just examples, but I get the feeling that the highly successful (with no end in sight) kit industry may be spawning a new generation of plans builders…which is an allaround good thing! Some of the kit manufacturers offer plans-built versions of their airplanes, so there is certainly value in what they are doing and their thinking. As I said, I'm not the best example of my thinking here, but I did do exactly as I'm describing when the RV was finished. I almost immediately bought Hummel Bird plans. I've since added Tailwind, Zipster, Cougar, EAA Biplane, Legal Eagle, and Sport Trainer plans to my shop library. Projects have included a Thatcher CX4, Tailwind, and Cougar. Those projects are all with new owners, but a Sport Trainer (Wag-Aero CUBy) is currently being built in my shop. That project is a split plans/kit project because I am building wood wings from plans, but I may end up buying kit components for the fuselage…a very nice option. So I'm curious; I'd like to hear from you to see if my thinking is valid. Are you a successful kit builder who can't put the tools down? In doing so, have you opened your mind to a new challenge in plans-built airplanes? Send me an e-mail at cjensen@eaa.org to let me know. There are plenty of repeat offenders in the kit world, so what I'm saying in this column isn't that all kit builders are turning to plans- or scratch-built aircraft. But it is an easy and economical way to keep your mind engaged in airplane building on the not-so-nice days, and you have the ability to go fly that Velocity, Titan, or Zenith on nice days. On the cover: Don Stewart designed the Stewart Headwind in the early 1960s, but the design lives on; Bill Budgell completed this Headwind in 2011. (Photo courtesy Bill Budgell.) 2 NO. 4/ DECEMB ER 2012

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Experimenter - December 2012