Am I the only one...

If I had the time and money, I'd have no problem going with a kit plane.

If I put it together, I'd have nobody to blame but myself if the wing fell off when I was flying it!

My thinking goes like this: if someone put together a homebuilt plane, they have a lot more vested in making sure everything's just so than some guy turning wrenches in a factory!
 
Interesting - glad to hear I'm not the only one who has some apprehension. I think my reservations have more to do with the fact that I'd never fly in (or let anyone fly in) a plane I built.
 
Also - there are some incredibly capable airplanes out there in kit form or plans built. I would absolutely have an A&P supervise, but I would like to build something.

My current fave is a Bearhawk. Nothing fancy at all, kind of a bush plane. Seems to be incredibly cpable though - true four seat, fill the tanks and go kind of plane.
 
From my personal list of rules in this business:

Rule #1: Don't trust anybody, ever.

There is no way in Hell I would be getting into something that somebody dude built in his garage without having to meet regulatory airworthiness requirements.
 
I went up in a home built once and will honestly NEVER do it again. It was a horrible feeling seeing cars go by on the ground and wondering if I would ever experience being able to drive, or even live, ever again.
 
I disagree. Have a good friend who built his own Glasair and is probably the best built airplane (including factory production) I've ever been in. When the FAA was giving him the certification, they told him word for word, "If all airplanes were built to this level, GA would be even safer than it already is". I guess it depends on who the puts the airplane together.

If it was someone I didn't know a lick about, I may not step in it..who knows.
 
I have been watching this site for a few years now and it is time to post a reply.

My first flight instructor hates homebuilts-don't know why. Maybe he just doesn't like me...when I told him I was flying a homebuilt around, he didn't answer back.

You will all have your own opinion. I can attest first-hand being an A&P that Cessna/Piper/(you name the company) aircraft are not all created with craftsmanship and care as you would like to believe. They are created with turning out as many units as they can with a product that can "pass" inspection. If you think all units coming out of the factory are inspected thoroughly, think again. Like any factory line, a unit gets picked for inspection every certain amount of units. Don't believe me? Then pop the cowling off or pull a panel off of your favorite trainer and look at the rivet job. If your eyes are trained like mine, your opinion may change a bit. I have seen rivets bent over like nails.

Granted, some homebuilts are not built up to snuff either. Mine is a Wittman Tailwind-built to plans steel tube/fabric fuselage with metal wings. It is built quite well with craftsmanship and care put in it. I do pamper it like a previous poster said, enough to where my wife calls it my "mistress". Plus, it will out-perform all but your fastest singles and twins on the line. I get places in a hurry very efficiently. Most homebuilts are built better than most factory builts, in my opinion. When it is all said and done, with both factory and homebuilt aircraft, pilot error causes most fatalities, a proven fact.

Wittmandriver
 
Wittmandriver said:
I have been watching this site for a few years now and it is time to post a reply.

My first flight instructor hates homebuilts-don't know why. Maybe he just doesn't like me...when I told him I was flying a homebuilt around, he didn't answer back.

You will all have your own opinion. I can attest first-hand being an A&P that Cessna/Piper/(you name the company) aircraft are not all created with craftsmanship and care as you would like to believe. They are created with turning out as many units as they can with a product that can "pass" inspection. If you think all units coming out of the factory are inspected thoroughly, think again. Like any factory line, a unit gets picked for inspection every certain amount of units. Don't believe me? Then pop the cowling off or pull a panel off of your favorite trainer and look at the rivet job. If your eyes are trained like mine, your opinion may change a bit. I have seen rivets bent over like nails.

Granted, some homebuilts are not built up to snuff either. Mine is a Wittman Tailwind-built to plans steel tube/fabric fuselage with metal wings. It is built quite well with craftsmanship and care put in it. I do pamper it like a previous poster said, enough to where my wife calls it my "mistress". Plus, it will out-perform all but your fastest singles and twins on the line. I get places in a hurry very efficiently. Most homebuilts are built better than most factory builts, in my opinion. When it is all said and done, with both factory and homebuilt aircraft, pilot error causes most fatalities, a proven fact.

Wittmandriver
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Excellent post! The Wittman Tailwind is an exceptional and efficient airplane. Steve Wittman was a genius. What engine do you have in your machine? What kind of speed are you getting? Thanks for your post - can you post pictures of your plane?
 
av8sean said:
I'd rather get in a well-built homebuilt than some 1960's-1970's rust bucket Cessna or Piper ANY day.
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Gotta disagree - that rust bucket 60s or 70s model Cessna/Piper has already demonstrated its ability to fly safely for several decades. A homebuilt is one loose screw away from disaster. To each his own, though.
 
Something worth mentioning here is that experimentals are a category of their own when considering home builts. Home builts merely get an experimental designation for an airworthiness cert.

For example, a civilian owed and flown T-38 carries an experimental designation. Would you take a ride in one of those if offered? Also there are production aircraft such as some Glass Air's, I believe, that still retain an experimental designation.
 
I have no problems with homebuilts. I did a stage of the WINGS program with a guy in his Zenith Zodiac in one of my first few hours of flying as a CFI. I thought it was a nice airplane.
 
A controller I work with has an RV6 that took him about 6 years to build. I had no problem getting in that plane with him. He had to pass an inspection and also had to fly off 40 hours before he could take a passenger. It's a sweet plane.
 
I went up in a "Spirit" once while I was instructing in North Las Vegas.... one of the scariest experiences of my life!

It was a bit nerve-wrecking just cruising and doing basic maneuvers (btw, they're not required to have a stall warning indicator), but the real scare came on the final landing. Everything was going ok, until the we caught a bit of wind during the flare. Next thing I know the wing is way up in the air and it felt like our ground track was still over the runway, but the airplane was perpendicular to it... for a quick second I was just bracing myself for a crash. Scary S***!
 
Steve Wittman is my hero. Not just because he designed the plane, but because he was the little guy who made it big. In his 60 plus years of air racing, he never had one sponsor. And if you do not think he did well, go to the Airventure Museum and check out his wall. Truly amazing! He was known as "Mr. Aviation" and of course the Oshkosh, Wisconsin airport was named after him.

The avtar picture is of my Tailwind.

I am sorry you had a bad experience in a homebuilt. It is not fair to judge all homebuilts because of a bad experience. I have had just as many events that prickled my neckhairs in Citabrias and Cessnas as I have in my Tailwind. My hours are about equal in factory builts and my Tailwind. I think I have learned more about flying in my Tailwind though. My over the fence speed is 80mph. Landing a taildragger going that fast, sometimes at night, requires a pilot to be definitely on his toes. After I learned to fly, I was on final in a 172 to Jefferson County Airport on the Olympic Peninsula in WA. When I was about ready to flare, the same experience happened to me-a gust of wind lifted a wing up so fast on me it scared the bejesus out of me. All I saw was grass in the windshield. All it took was an instantaneous response and a go-around. My first landing in my Tailwind after completion-I now belong to the ranks of test pilots:)-left a lot to be desired. It was the worst bounce and porpoise session I have ever had. However, I am now able to grease it most of the time-depends on the wind. It likes both grass and concrete equally. It only likes doing wheel landings, though, and that is fine with me. There is not much for a flare in it. It is mostly just to flatten out to landing attitude. What it is NOT is a trainer for the inexperienced. Most homebuilts are not designed with that mission in mind since there are so many Pipers and Cessnas fullfilling the training role.

There is no stall warning or AOA indicator in mine either, and that is ok with me. It is the only plane I fly right now and nobody else flies it. I know my speeds. It will not power off stall dirty. It hangs on and is still flying, although dropping 1200ft per minute, below 50mph. This is due to the lifting body fuselage. Power on clean it stalls around 68mph and the nose drops with no wing drop. It is really a non-event. What you do have in all situations is an incredible sink rate befoe it stalls. That is a good warning for me. You can feel it in the seat of your pants in the beginning stage of the sink. Just watch the airspeed and verify with GPS.

One plus:it is the straightest trailing taildragger I have ever taxi'd on the ground-much easier than a Citabria. You do not muscle controls, either, or it will bite you.

Wittmandriver
 
Oh yeah, it has a 150 HP O-320E2A with a fresh overhaul originally from a Cherokee 140. The prop is a wood 68X73.

I made many mods this winter and need a calm day to get some good figures. Last Saturday, I was going into a 14 knot headwind at 1950RPM (it was rough so I crawled along) and my GPS said 120kts. I usually plan at 160kts. VNE is 200mph. I can make that in straight and level flight now. I have done fly-bys at 210mph. I do not like going above VNE except in smooth air.

It gets the equivalent of 23-25mpg in cruise. Not bad with today's gas prices. Total cost per hour in gas ranges $30-$45 depending on if I am X country or staying in the pattern. I estimate it costs me around $60 per hour to operate.

Wittmandriver
 
Wittmandriver said:
Oh yeah, it has a 150 HP O-320E2A with a fresh overhaul originally from a Cherokee 140. The prop is a wood 68X73.

I made many mods this winter and need a calm day to get some good figures. Last Saturday, I was going into a 14 knot headwind at 1950RPM (it was rough so I crawled along) and my GPS said 120kts. I usually plan at 160kts. VNE is 200mph. I can make that in straight and level flight now. I have done fly-bys at 210mph. I do not like going above VNE except in smooth air.

It gets the equivalent of 23-25mpg in cruise. Not bad with today's gas prices. Total cost per hour in gas ranges $30-$45 depending on if I am X country or staying in the pattern. I estimate it costs me around $60 per hour to operate.

Wittmandriver
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Thanks for the info - great plane. Wish you could post a larger picture - your avatar is small.
 
I don't even trust myself to change the brakes on my car so I don't know if I would trust my craftsmanship on an aircraft. However like said before if I know you and trust the plane I would have no problem flying in it, Iv flown some 150s that probably shouldn't have been flying so who knows.
 
If the Wright Bros had waited for FAA certification, we'd all be stage coach drivers.

Seriously, most accidents are yoke actuator failure. Use some common sense and have some fun. You can snooze on autopilot and program FMS later.

PS. Plenty of homebuilts ARE built and flown by A&Ps. Maybe they know something you don't?
 
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