Jman
Site Developer
Ladies and Gentleman,
After 12 years of interest in homebuilt aircraft and over 7 years of running this website (has it really been that long?) I'm happy to officially announce that we've finally entered the ranks of homebuiders ourselves. As we speak there are actual airplane parts in the garage in partially assembled condition! We've drilled holes, we've bent aluminum, we've puzzled over drawings, we've deburred edges, we've even repaired screw-ups. It's been great! Ask me in two years how much fun deburring is and it'll probably be a different story.
Our family's ultimate goal for this airplane project is to donate a completed and flight tested aircraft to an aid/missionary organization operating in a remote area of the world. It will be given 100% free of charge and used as that organization sees fit. We've not chosen which group it will go to but I'm confident, when the time comes, a suitable home will be found. To some this may seem like a lot of money and time wasted on an endeavor that ultimately will go to someone else, but I can assure you that we do have some selfish reasons for doing it. Here is what we hope to get out of the project:
Well, that about sums it up. I'm in the process of creating a website to blog our progress. Until that's done, I'll probably post some updates in this thread from time to time.
Jake and Family
After 12 years of interest in homebuilt aircraft and over 7 years of running this website (has it really been that long?) I'm happy to officially announce that we've finally entered the ranks of homebuiders ourselves. As we speak there are actual airplane parts in the garage in partially assembled condition! We've drilled holes, we've bent aluminum, we've puzzled over drawings, we've deburred edges, we've even repaired screw-ups. It's been great! Ask me in two years how much fun deburring is and it'll probably be a different story.
Our family's ultimate goal for this airplane project is to donate a completed and flight tested aircraft to an aid/missionary organization operating in a remote area of the world. It will be given 100% free of charge and used as that organization sees fit. We've not chosen which group it will go to but I'm confident, when the time comes, a suitable home will be found. To some this may seem like a lot of money and time wasted on an endeavor that ultimately will go to someone else, but I can assure you that we do have some selfish reasons for doing it. Here is what we hope to get out of the project:
- An experience for our kids that will last a lifetime. Not many kids can say they've helped build an airplane and the confidence it will instill is priceless. My children are 8 and 10, a perfect age to really start learning what work ethic is all about. Since I don't have a farm to put them to work on, this project will fill that role.
- A chance to provide a needed asset where it is needed. Some of these folks work for years in the direst of circumstances for very little in return. An airplane in the right place can really make a difference.
- For recreation and education. No doubt we'll learn a lot and have some serious fun in the process. Beats watching TV by a mile.
Must be extreme STOL. There are a lot of 182s and such out there doing humanitarian work. These types of airplanes are great workhorses and fulfill 90% of the need out there. Because of this I didn't see a point to building something that falls into that category. The niche we hope to help with is in extremely remote areas that cannot be reached using an airplane requiring 1000 feet of runway. I've read stories about groups taking 3 days to reach a village by river that is 45 minutes away by air.- It had to be low cost. The military pays well but we're definitely not wealthy. We needed something that we can buy in component kits as money becomes available. The 801 fit this bill nicely.
- It had to be easy to construct. Any airplane project is going to be difficult, but we wanted something that was relatively easy to go together. It's not that we're lazy, it's just that I work long hours and am gone a year at a time in some cases. We wanted to see serious progress in the short amount of working time we have together. Blind rivet, sheet metal construction is about as easy as it gets in my book.
Well, that about sums it up. I'm in the process of creating a website to blog our progress. Until that's done, I'll probably post some updates in this thread from time to time.
Jake and Family
