Build This Airplane for 10 Grand
How to get from the dollar store to the runway.
- By Bettina H. Chavanne
- Air & Space magazine, January 2007
Scott hopes the duct tape reduces excess cooling airflow to the engine.
Ken Scott
Ever fantasized about building your own airplane? Even one of the least expensive kits from leading manufacturer Van’s Aircraft, the RV-9A, equipped with the most modest options—a used, 118-horsepower engine, a wood propeller, and simple interior furnishings—would cost “somewhere in the high $30,000 range,” says Ken Scott, who oversees tech support and publishing at Van’s (and occasionally writes for this magazine). On the other end of the scale, a Lancair PropJet can cost $129,500—not including engine, propeller, avionics, paint, or seats, all of which can easily bring the price close to $1 million.
But if your budget tops out around $10,000, you do have options. A few kits out there fall in your price range: Steve Bennett, owner of kit dealer Great Plains Aircraft in Boys Town, Nebraska, sells an aircraft called the Easy Eagle for $8,000. Or you can build an affordable airplane from scratch.
If you’re going to build an airplane for that little, warns Scott, “you have to keep it down to what you absolutely need.” Some buyers, he says, “try to imagine everything they can possibly do in an airplane…. It ends up heavy and impossibly expensive.”
One of the most expensive parts of any homebuilt is the engine. The Easy Eagle’s powerplant, a basic hand-start, single-ignition, 1,915-cc VW engine, goes for $3,620, including the carburetor but not the exhaust system. “The Volkswagen conversion engine seems to be the best bang for the buck,” says Pat Panzera, editor and publisher of Contact! magazine, which covers kitplane and homebuilt powerplants. “Mostly because it can go direct-drive”—the propeller is bolted directly to the crankshaft and turns at the engine’s rpm.
There are cheaper powerplants, but builders will end up spending more because they will have to buy a propeller speed reduction unit, Panzera adds. Car engines run at higher revolutions per minute than aircraft engines; adding the unit slows rpm so the propeller operates more efficiently. As for the other costs involved in building an airplane for $10,000 or less, we offer two detailed case histories.
IN 2004, BRUCE KING of San Antonio, Texas, built his BK1 prototype for only $6,800. The total for the aluminum he used to construct his airframe came in at just over $2,500. He used a VW engine, which he bought from Great Plains Aircraft for $2,170. King’s instrument panel cost $1,250 and included the standard elements: airspeed indicator, altimeter, tachometer, oil pressure and temperature gauges, fuel and cylinder head temperature gauges, a GPS AirMap 500 unit, and an emergency locator transmitter.
King’s first homebuilt project was a highly modified Hummel Bird, a kitplane that is usually configured for a person about five-foot-seven and 160 pounds. For the BK1, “I blew it up into a wide-body, heavier version, using the plans [for the Hummel Bird] as my guide,” says King. He put in a full-size, four-cylinder VW engine (the Hummel Bird is designed to hold a VW engine with only two cylinders) and constructed a new wing and tail section. King ended up with an aircraft with a 400-mile range (and an hour reserve) at a speed of 130 mph, and room to carry a pilot six-foot-four and 240 pounds, with a suitcase weighing 30 pounds.
He flew the BK1 from San Antonio to last summer’s Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (The 53-year-old organization was founded with the mission of bringing together people who want to build their own aircraft.) “Some of my best experiences have been stopping at little airports,” says King of his cross-country adventures in the airplane. He hopes to sell the plans for his aircraft’s design through his company, BK Fliers.
LAST YEAR, KEN SCOTT, who lives in Canby, Oregon, partnered with designer Ken Krueger to create the KK-1. His total cost: $8,500. Scott purchased wheels and brakes from Great Plains Aircraft for about $500 and a canopy bubble from Airplane Plastics in Tipp City, Ohio, for $800. He built his own 60-horsepower Volkswagen engine derivative for about $2,800. “It doesn’t turn out a lot of power,” says Scott, “so the airplane has to be pretty small.” For the airframe, he used the cheapest material he could: riveted sheet metal.
The radio stack, comprising a used GPS unit and a hand-held radio purchased on eBay, cost him $480. The basic configuration Scott chose is fairly common for kitbuilders. “I know where I am to within about eight wingspans on the surface of the planet, and I can talk to anybody, so how much more do I need?”
Because he does not have a transponder, Scott does not fly in airspace where one is required. He says he uses his homebuilt to “commute around the valley, visit friends, take it out to breakfast, or just go up and look at the sky.”
OUTSIDE OF THE COSTS, WHAT ELSE do you need to consider before you build a low-cost aircraft? Great Plains’ Web site, www.greatplainsas.com, includes a list of questions prospective homebuilders need to ask themselves. For example: How much time can you dedicate to completing your airplane? Steve Bennett estimates most people spend between 300 and 400 hours annually, and that it would take 300 to 500 hours to complete his Easy Eagle. And think about the workspace you have (and how much it will annoy your family if you take it over).
You also need to be honest in assessing your skills: Do you have a knack for woodworking, metalworking, or sewing? (The Easy Eagle, for example, has a steel-tube fuselage and fabric-covered wood wings.)
Then there is temperament. The people who have what it takes “are clever, crafty individuals,” says Panzera, “the type of people who would rather build something themselves than pay someone to do it for them.” Or people for whom hunting down a cheap radio stack on eBay is as much fun as tinkering with a conversion engine in the garage.
Comments (31)
One plane that is cheaper or about the same cost as these is the JDT Mini-Max: http://www.jdtmini-max.com Depending on the plane you can get a kit for about $5,000 and an engine for the plane for about $3,000-$4,000. So with avionics included you can build one for under $10,000 easily (these prices are high-end estimates).
Posted by John on August 22,2008 | 08:21 PM
Do you have plans for the KK-1?
Posted by Sam Marlow on September 11,2008 | 06:14 PM
Do you have plans for the KK-1?
Posted by Sam Marlow on September 11,2008 | 06:14 PM
Hi
I am a AME and teach aircraft at a school in Toronto Canada. I have an 85 Continental engine and would like to know can this airplane be converted to a two place .
Stephen
Posted by Stephen Cohen on February 11,2009 | 09:18 AM
IN YOUR MIND WHAT WOULD BE THE EASIEST PLANE IN IN NORTH AMERICA TO LEARN TO FLY.
I'M A BEGINNER WHO WANTS SOMTHING THAT IS SAFE AND EASY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FAST.
SEEMS THAT THIS INFORMATION IS NOT EASY TO FIND.
THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE;
ROB.
Posted by Rob MacDonald on March 19,2009 | 10:11 PM
please i am a young boy , who lives in west Africa in Ghana who have intrest in building an aireoplane , please i need your help in advice, on how to start ,this project. EDITORS' REPLY: Start at www.eaa.org
Posted by Jacob Abbey on April 10,2009 | 04:46 PM
Rob, take a look: http://www.skykits.com/
on my mind this is the easiest (but even more the safest) plane you can buy as a beginner.
Choose the Savannah ( http://www.skykits.com/IOIO800.jpg ); it flies nice.
Fabri
Posted by Fabri on July 21,2009 | 01:07 AM
Are plans available for the KK-1?
Posted by Robert Baker on October 13,2009 | 09:32 AM
If you read the articles in Kitplane Mag, you will find where Ken Scott had no plans to sell plans or build a production kit at that time!
If we all get together and try to persuade Ken Scott, he may consider or reconsider his thoughts about producing plans for us Cheapies so we can join the ranks of such aircrafts as Van's, Lancair, Aerocomp, Murphy, Bush, and Bearhawk. (Ok, so it's still just a dream for a lot of us, but we can't give up on our dreams either!)
I am myself currently working on a design that I hope to be able to keep down in the ultralight range using Valley Engineerings Big V-Twin.
After talking to Larry Smith, he has now developed this engine to produce 50 hp and it happy with it. My design so far is a cross between Valley Engineering's Backyard Flyer UL, The Legal Eagle and Aerodrome's wing and fuse process!
Don't be in a rush yet, I am still in the drawing stage and still have a long way to go!
Good luck on all your dreams and hope to see you out in the Wild Blue Yonder!
Posted by S.L. (Trucker) Reno on December 13,2009 | 09:07 PM
Hey dudes,
I'm 17 but still a boy at heart and my biggest dream is to fly, the sky is the limit. I already have a basic design for a simple plane I invented myself but was wondering, What's a good minimum horse power for an engine? The plane including me should weigh about 400-650 . . . maybe. EDITORS' REPLY: We asked homebuilder Ken Scott, who is featured in the article, to reply. He says: "You'd need 45-60 hp for a 400-650 lb airplane -- for small airplanes, 10lb/hp is a useable rule of thumb. The little KK-1 I built and which was used as an example in the article weighed 550 and used a 62-65 hp VW engine." You might also go to the website for the Experimental Aircraft Association: www.eaa.org.
Posted by Frankie (crazy boy) on December 17,2009 | 04:36 PM
Hey guys thanks for you reply, it was really helpful but I was also wondering do you need a specific engine design or can you use any engine maybe something like a dune buggy engine, cause what happens when you "roll"? Can fuel still flow to the engine upside down?
Posted by Frankie on March 1,2010 | 10:14 AM
i am a young boy , who lives in west Africa in Ghana who have interest in building an airplane , please i need your help in advice, on how to start ,this project. EDITORS' REPLY: Please go to www.eaa.org
Posted by venkat on May 28,2010 | 01:09 AM
I am looking into building a world war one biplane from scratch however that would fall under experimental and all together im not sure if that would be worth it any ideas??? EDITORS' REPLY: We always recommend starting with the Experimental Aircraft Association: www.eaa.org. Maybe readers will chime in with other suggestions.
Posted by cj on June 8,2010 | 03:34 PM
hi, i am an auto mechanic and would like to build my own aircraft but i am not sure where to get the plan. i live in Botswana, Southern Africa. Please help. EDITORS' REPLY: The Experimental Aircraft Association specializes in homebuilding aircraft and has chapters in South Africa; go to this Web site.
Posted by mbaki on July 5,2010 | 06:23 AM
I'm 17 and from west Africa precisely Nigeria. Pls, how can i get instructions on how to construct an air plane, because before i begin a fresh man year in aerospace engineering at college, so i would make a good engineer. EDITORS REPLY: Do any readers have suggestions for this young person?
Posted by AZOR OKORUGBO PETER on July 8,2010 | 11:00 AM
what is the minimum take off speed possible for a small homebuilt aircraft that is around 500 lbs?
Posted by cboard on July 13,2010 | 11:30 AM
also, what are the dimensions usually of small homebuilt aircraft like the kk-1?
Posted by cboard on July 13,2010 | 11:45 AM
All of the "West African" comments are simply scammers who're fishing for email addresses. EDITORS' REPLY: Not sure how one would be certain of that. In any case, no commenters' email addresses are published.
Posted by Bill on August 11,2010 | 02:33 PM
@cboard -- I think these are exuberant youths excited about flying who would just about to anything to do it. I'm 39 - been there. Could have killed myself as a 13 yo with my roof launched tarp-pvc pipe 'hang-glider.' It actually worked - but my neighbors ratted me out.
These African youths are likely inspired by the media reports of home made, boondocks aircraft made by acacia tree engineers.
Links:
http://tinyurl.com/2euvcx7
http://tinyurl.com/25hnmnl
http://tinyurl.com/369cs2l
Posted by Chris H on October 4,2010 | 06:37 PM
CONTACT! Magazine, as mentioned in the article, is a great informational resource for any and all homebuilt aircraft. Searching through the back issue page, readers can discover 'Easter eggs' of articles and entire issues available to read online. www.ContactMagazine.com
Additionally, EAA's Experimenter is an online experimental aviation magazine that is free to everyone.
www.eaa.org/experimenter
Pat
Posted by Patrick Panzera on October 9,2010 | 04:27 PM
Hi,i have been having a dream of building a jet ever since I was a little boy. I need help! any one with any hint, please send it to me. EDITORS' REPLY: Start at www.eaa.org
Posted by naphtaly ngesa on December 21,2010 | 06:42 AM
i m from pakistan and i want to work with any of u guys. EDITORS' REPLY: Start by visiting www.eaa.org
Posted by muazzam ali on February 16,2011 | 02:42 AM
Anyone using a 3 cyl Suzuki-metr0-firefly engine to power a plane? these were tiny but strong and reliable engines.
can they be direct drive?
Posted by M Reid on March 11,2011 | 06:10 PM
The 3 cylinder Chevy Sprint-Suzuki-Geo engine is a great engine, super light 100# minus manifolds, starter, flywheel,reliable and pulls good HP 55, and capable of 65-70. asy to build a reduction drive too. Bill
Posted by Bill on April 6,2011 | 11:32 PM
I am a Nigerian who desires to own and build an aircraft. I want to know all it takes to under go a proper training in this field. Your urgent response Will be appreciated .Thanks
Posted by Edike Akpan on October 24,2011 | 07:14 PM
I am a Kenyan curious and passionate about aircraft building,I wish to own one ,can I get detailed information on how to build one using a Subaru S5 engine or a Volkswagen engine below 70 HP.I will really appreciate for every bit of information releyed to me .
regards ,
Moses
Posted by Moses on December 17,2011 | 05:36 AM
I am a boy of 19 years old, I come from ghana in west africa, I study motor vehicle mechanic in the college , I want to know more about aircraft because i want to be aircraft engineer in the future.
Posted by Isaac Agyei on December 18,2011 | 08:45 AM
Ok, but how safe is it if you build it decently?
Posted by vic on May 24,2012 | 09:05 PM
Try this for a home built airplane: the Air Camper. So far it has been built with more than thirty different engines, 55 to 85 horse power.
http://community.pressenter.net/~apietenp/
People have been building Air Campers since the late 1920's, and unless you go overboard with the instruments, you can build one for less than $10,000.
Posted by Russell Hedges on November 30,2012 | 11:24 AM
Hey! Currently looking to buy a plane I've done some research however and found them to be pretty expensive ($10,000-$30,000) Way much more than what a line cook can afford :( I'm thinking of just simply building my own airplane. Can I buy pre-fabricated wings or any others parts somewhere near Cincinnati?
Posted by Clipped wings on April 9,2013 | 02:57 PM
under 10K? I flew 50 hours last year in a six hundred dollar plane. A friend is covering a minimax that he built with funds from aluminum cans, another who has built over a dozen beautiful planes is about half way done on a set of biplanes made out of wood from an old trailer home, his cost so far NOTHING except time.
Funny that the organization that is supposed to be promoting these folks prefer to promote manufacturers instead. There are guys flying for less than 1000 bucks every day. Hell another friend bought a used ultralight for a couple hundred and is having the time of his life. You won't ever read about him or see an ad for him. All I have learned about hanger flying so far is if someone has an airplane that looks perfect that means he prefers to talk, wipe, clean, shine up, and tell stories about things he never did, the guy with the beat up old airplane will be less likely to talk but know what he is talking about.
Posted by andy peterson on April 26,2013 | 12:41 AM