NovaBandit

There are a number of advantages to building vs buying.

First, I can build this specific plane for less than half the cost of a comparable factory new plane (in this case, the closest factory plane in size, speed, capability, ect. is a Cirrus SR-22).

Second, as the builder, I am licensed by the FAA to perform the maintenance on the plane. All airplanes require an annual inspection, which can cost into the thousands of dollars, depending on the plane. As the builder, the FAA authorizes me to perform these inspections, under the assumption that no one will know the plane better than the person who actually put it together!

Third, since all homebuilt aircraft are considered "Experimental", I there are many options available to me that aren't available to factory built aircraft in terms of the latest and greatest avionics.

Personally, I feel that I come out way ahead. I flat out can't afford a $600,000 airplane, nor could I afford the maintenance. So if I want a plane of that caliber, I need to build it.

But even looking at the $/hour, if I save $300,000 and take 2500 hours to build, that's $120/hour. And these are hours that may otherwise be spent watching TV. I would probably choose the DIY path over buying factory new even if it was even money. It's fun for me, and I get the exact plane that I want!

1. It's a toss up between the paved municipal airport 25 minutes from my house and the private 2200' grass strip 5 minutes from my house. We'll see how it works out.

2. I talked to my (very understanding) wife about this before I started. I've taken her flying a bit in rental planes, and while she doesn't really care about airplanes, she loves to travel. I did take her for a ride in another RV10 before starting, and she enjoyed the flight.

3. The -10 has a range of about 1000 miles, but in reality, you will always land short of that to maintain fuel reserves. I'm in Minnesota, and if weather isn't a factor, I can be anywhere in the lower 48 in 9-10 hours with 1-2 fuel stops. Most times, I should be able to beat the door to door time of the airlines, given that I don't have to deal with parking, TSA, checking luggage, driving to the international airport, flying directly to one of the smaller airports that are often closer to the final destination, ect. As for cost, this plane can cruise at 165kts burning 10-12 gallons per hour. if you do the math, I can fly 4 people round trip from Minneapolis to Key West in a little over 8 hours and costing less than $1000. So less than $250 per person and no baggage fees or getting groped with a side of radiation at security. And I can bring a big gulp and a machete with me if I want.

4. I do have a pilots license.

No permits, per se...

However, the plane does have to pass an FAA inspection before it is legally considered flight worthy.

Personally, I am taking advantage of the EAA's tech councilor program. This is where skilled builders offer technical visits throughout the course of the build to answer any questions the builder might have, and get various point in time inspections. It's very reassuring to have someone doublecheck my work and tell me I'm not screwing everything up!

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*Edited for grammar!

I've made a huge mistake!

Actually, the wings won't be bolted on until it's at the airport. And the unfinished plane is light enough to transport on a utility trailer.