Choosing Your Homebuilt : The One You'll Finish and Fly (Paperback)

by Kenneth D. Armstrong (Author) "Why are homebuilt plans and kits vastly outselling factory light aircraft production?..." (more)
Key Phrases: completed homebuilt, info kit, homebuilt aircraft, North Star, Hummel Bird, Ocean Eagle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"This book ... answers a lot of the questions you might not think to ask until it's too late." -- Kitplanes Magazine

Building your own plane is a journey of a thousand miles, so you want to be sure about your first steps. -- Steve Werner, Publisher of Plane & Pilot

If you want to build an airplane, making the proper choice is the most important decision you must face. -- Tom Poberezny, President of the Experimental Aircraft Association

This book covers all the bases... prospective homebuilder will have made a well-educated decision in a highly technical arena... -- Dave Martin, Editor of KITPLANES

“Choosing Your Homebuilt (will) get you started on the right foot and eliminate the surprises down the road.” -- Plane & Pilot Magazine

Product Description
Why are homebuilt plans and kits vastly outselling production aircraft?

Higher performance is one reason. (What production airplane will cruise at more than 230 mph on 200 hp?) Sounds great -- but there are pitfalls to be avoided. The fact is, up to 90 percent of homebuilt projects are not completed by the original builder¾and many are never finished at all!

Choosing Your Homebuilt was written by aviation writer and homebuilder Kenneth Armstrong to help you decide whether homebuilding is truly for you and to help you choose, from the many available kits and plans, a plane you will enjoy building and flying. This valuable book covers the subjects you need to know in order to make the right decision: Can you build it? Can you fly it? Can you afford it? Should you build from a plans, kit, or materials package? Other chapters are filled with valuable information on engines, autogas, avionics, regulations, and insurance. In addition, there are reports on more than 50 aircraft, including performance and specification charts -- and much more! Before you invest thousands of dollars and months or years of your time, get this book. Tom Poberezny, President of the Experimental Aircraft Association states that Choosing Your Homebuilt “Provides information that will be invaluable in making ‘the right choice’ for you.” If you’re considering building a plane – or if you’re just interested in the experimental aircraft phenomenon that draws nearly a million people to Oshkosh, Wisconsin every year and represents the true state-of-the-art of airplane design and construction – this book will be a great read for you. Its 360 pages are filled with easy-to-understand descriptions, plus many photos and charts. Choosing Your Homebuilt will tell you what you need to know about homebuilding and can save you from making costly mistakes. If you’re interested in homebuilt aircraft, you need this book!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Butterfield Pr; 3 edition (August 1, 1998)
• ISBN-10: 0932579272
• ISBN-13: 978-0932579270
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #639,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Lacks in comparison to other books I've seen., May 31, 1999

By A Customer

This book is good for the person just getting interested in homebuilding who has done no research at all. I'm researching my first homebuilt and I felt more knowledgeable than the author in some cases and about one particular model altogether. It does not appear he has done his homework, and his information is outdated. I have also read Ron Wanttaja'a Kitplace Construction and can strongly recommend that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall very good., February 23, 2007

By	Bill Arendt - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is well written, informative and entertaining. It provides good information about a lot of homebuilts. Its major shortcoming is that it is now out of date. A lot has happened in the homebuilt market since 1968, and a lot of good products on the market today are not mentioned. For example, the Zenith 601XL, the Sonex, and RV 7,9 and 10.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with unique information, March 6, 2002

By A Customer

This is a very useful book which presents objective views on what many different homebuilt aircraft are actually like to fly. It was the inspiration for my homebuilt aircraft website... And if you're thinking of building something, it's really fun to read!