anyone ever build a (real) airplane?

I have help build an RV, mainly bucking rivets and mostly avionic. They are safe if built right. I have seen both good and really bad builds in both foam core and metal. some I don't know how they got FAA approval.
all kits are very time consuming and will cost a lot more then you will plan for.
I have lost friend and customers in both certified and experimental class. all mostly due to pilot error except one experiment friend who had his W&B screwed up.


look for a 172 not a 152 mainly because you will out grow it after a few hours (a Cherokee 140 is also a very nice little plane and the its a personal preference high or low wing) .

They are very reliable, cheap to fix( at least from an A&P mechanics point of view).
Avionics is were the money is at. I installed cheap crappy packages to some sweet glass cockpit 150,000+ set-ups.
I would not go cheap in this area especially if you want IFR capability. your passengers and your life will count on this as much as a wing joint.

I have always wanted to build a plane (lanair 4P propjet) and if I was a rich young retired person I would.
no matter what you decide don't jerry rig anything not even a wire tie and if you drop something in a deep hole that you can't see in. find a way to retrieve the FOD, your life may depend on it no matter how harmless it may seam.

great dreams and disires, I hope it works out for ya
 
madssjeep, sounds like you know your way around planes. im going to keep your info, as im sure ill have many more ???'s to pm you about. thanx again
 
Put one of these in it, they are fairly reliable;

37044b14f10b5bed.jpg
 
I have a coworker that built one...don't know a lot about it...basic specs:

Ours is the RV7A, Engine: LYC. O-360 A1A, 180hp. Fixed pitch prop.


Manufacturer's website: http://www.vansaircraft.com

If you ever get real interested in that one...let me know, and I can get you in touch with him...but he's in Louisiana, so it would be phone/email stuff...

BTW...it tooks it's maiden voyage on 6/24/06...

Greg
 

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Hate it when this happens!

370478f718a362c9.jpg



Oh, well spinner heads. Who'll be the first to identify the turbine engine in my above post?
 
Nope, try again, it's bigger than a Citation X.
 
Ding, Ding, Ding - we have a winner

Falcon 2000
CFE 738 (Honeywell/GE)
Early versions had towershaft faliure, prone to eat duplex bearings and trip chip lights!

You want another?
 
Here's another;

3704797fde1e15f0.jpg


Took this picture during wing mate, they only do it at midnight. I spent about 6 months checking up/in on these as they were built. Nice people but the aircraft is overbuilt/overengineered, spends alot of time AOG.
 
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