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First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

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Re: First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

#41

Post by muraiki »

alixr wrote: post #5

This is great, I've been wanting to get into aviation for some time but the barrier of entry is steep. Using their plans as a guideline for building an ultralight instead of a light sport aircraft would reduce the cost dramatically. Ultralights have much lower limits but don't require any formal training/licenses. In the end you could probably build an ultralight for the cost of a pilots license.

Learning to fly a glider is relatively inexpensive. It's a very different skillset than flying with an engine, but it sounds like a lot of fun. There are glider clubs in many cities where you can learn. I'm hoping to start sometime soon!

http://www.ssa.org/WhatIsSoaring

Re: First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

#42

Post by jamie_ca »

TheAnimus wrote: post #17
cjrp wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the design itself has been tested by the manufacturer, it's just your implementation that's untested.

Also you will need FAA inspection once it's been built if you are in the US. In the UK you need to get a permit to fly, as you can't get a CoA (Certificate of Airworthiness) because its an unlicensed build. Apparently (I've no first hand experience) these are rather thorough. However my concern with this is the traceability of parts and such. There is a reason why a single rivnut costs a fortune for a plane.

In Canada, for a homebuilt LSA-equivalent you need to have the aircraft inspected and first flight performed by someone certified by Nav Canada. And no way he's going to risk his life in-flight unless he's pretty damn sure your aircraft is airworthy.

Re: First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

#43

Post by cpncrunch »

fr0sty wrote: post #33
cpncrunch wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you could buy a certified cessna 150 for $15k. Much less likely to kill you or have an engine failure. Anyway this isn't really anything new. You can already build your own plane from plans, and the plans only cost about $100 (a very small portion of the cost of building): http://www.quickheads.com/index.php?option=com_ixxocart&Item...

In fairness it should be mentioned that the first Cessna 150 was made in 1951 and the last was built in the mid-70s so we are not talking about "late model" aircraft by any stretch of the imagination.

Agreed, but a 50 year old 150 is a lot safer than most homebuilts (especially if the engine is homebuilt too!)

In theory it may be possible to build a safe aircraft for $15k, but it really depends a lot on the builder.

Re: First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

#44

Post by glabifrons »

cpncrunch wrote: post #43
fr0sty wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fairness it should be mentioned that the first Cessna 150 was made in 1951 and the last was built in the mid-70s so we are not talking about "late model" aircraft by any stretch of the imagination.

Agreed, but a 50 year old 150 is a lot safer than most homebuilts (especially if the engine is homebuilt too!) In theory it may be possible to build a safe aircraft for $15k, but it really depends a lot on the builder.

I don't buy into that. For one, I've never seen one go that cheap (but then it's been over a year since I looked). Back when I was looking, typical prices for a 50 year old Cessna 150 was >$50k, unless it needs $30k worth of work done to it. Hard to believe they'd drop that much in only a year or so. Beware planes being sold in areas that have flooded (TN, LA) too, as they require tear-down inspections.

Also, to debunk the "they're unsafe" line:

"How Safe Are Amateur-Built/Homebuilt Aircraft?

Studies by FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) show that Amateur-Built/Homebuilt aircraft have an accident rate less than one percentage point higher than the general aviation fleet. In fact, the accident rate for Amateur-Built/homebuilt aircraft is dropping. The total number of registered homebuilt aircraft is increasing by about 1,000 per year, while the total number of accidents has stayed virtually the same. Another good barometer of safety is insurance rates. Companies that insure both homebuilts and production aircraft charge about the same rates for owners of either type of airplane. That indicates a similar level of risk."

http://www.eaa.org/homebuilders/faq.asp

Edit:

"Safety data on experimentals show them slowly approaching accident rates equivalent to those for small factory-made planes. And with some 25,000 experimental aircraft in the FAA's registry and another 1,000 added each year, more amateur-built than factory-built airplanes have been registered during each of the past five years, according to Bob Warner, executive vice president of the Experimental Aircraft Association."

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3686445/ns/technology_and_science-...

Re: First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

#45

Post by cpncrunch »

glabifrons wrote: post #44
cpncrunch wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, but a 50 year old 150 is a lot safer than most homebuilts (especially if the engine is homebuilt too!) In theory it may be possible to build a safe aircraft for $15k, but it really depends a lot on the builder.

I don't buy into that. For one, I've never seen one go that cheap (but then it's been over a year since I looked). Back when I was looking, typical prices for a 50 year old Cessna 150 was >$50k, unless it needs $30k worth of work done to it. Hard to believe they'd drop that much in only a year or so. Beware planes being sold in areas that have flooded (TN, LA) too, as they require tear-down inspections. Also, to debu…

I'm not sure where you're looking, but you'd need to be insane to pay $50k for a 150. Have a look on controller.com and you'll see prices range from about $15k to 30k. You can buy a perfectly safe and flyable 150 with a high-time engine for $15k.

As for accident data: I think the EAA statistic is misleading. I believe they are looking at total number of accidents. However amateur-built planes comprise only 10% of the GA fleet, and their fatal accident rate is 3-4 times that of the rest of the GA fleet per flight hour:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/NTSBCompletesHomebuiltS...

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