How to Build an Airplane at Home

Building an airplane at home is easier nowadays. There are excellent kits available, an organization for the home airplane builder called the Experimental Aircraft Association, and there are even plenty of forums for like-minded enthusiasts. Do you want to get started building your own plane?

Instructions

1. Purchase an airplane kit from a retailer. These are available online at such sites as Zenith Air, Velocity and more.

2. Create a space in which to work. The area needs to be large enough to accommodate an airplane, especially if you are working in a part of the country where cold weather and snow is a consideration.

3. Make certain your workbench is absolutely level. Have a tracing table where you can trace the plans for the airplane. An old window with a shop light hung beneath it works well. Include two hotboxes: one for keeping epoxy warm, and another, larger hotbox to cure and post cure your fiberglass lay-ups. Buy or make a cloth rack with rolling bars from which to dispense your fiberglass for the plane.

4. Try to keep the design of your airplane simple. Starting with a very complicated design, or kit that requires a lot avionics, can cause a lot of frustration for the inexperienced builder, as well as a lot of time.

5. Work on your airplane in a consistent manner. Even if it is a few hours every week night, or every weekend, means that you will be able to build your airplane a little at a time. Do not rush. You want to make sure you are carefully following the directions of the kit, because a simple mistake could affect the integrity of the plane. Don't make your airplane an accident waiting to happen.

6. Be sure your shop has sufficient heating (see Step 1). You want to be able to work comfortably in your shop year-round, even if you live in the middle of the arctic circle.

7. Follow the saying, "many hands make light work". Have others involved in your project. It'll make your plane reach completion much more quickly. Supervise them properly.

8. Plan each step in advance. In other words, study the instructions that come with the kit carefully before completing each step. This ensures that you know exactly, or at least mostly, what you will be doing for each step, and you have all that you need for each step. This will save you time, and preclude the need to dash out to the neighborhood hardware store or building supply store for that special tool that's required.