8 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN SHOPPING FOR BUILDER ASSISTANCE
1) Plan your project wisely. Remember that a quality builder is as important as the parts that go into the project.
You would not spend large amounts of your money on a custom home with the best finishes, appliances, windows, roofing material and piping, and hire a substandard, low-end contractor to build your home. The same rule should apply when looking for assistance when building your airplane, EXCEPT, EVEN MORE SO. YOU ARE STRAPPING IN AND HURTLING YOURSELF THROUGH THE SKY IN THIS! Get several bids, and make sure you get them from experienced contractors with a proven track record. An experienced contractor should have assisted at least ten homebuilders.
2) Get AT LEAST 10 CUSTOMER REFERENCES from your contractor.
3) BEWARE OF THE SWEET TASTE OF LOW BID…
It has become an all-too-common experience for customers to start their projects in the garage of a low-bid, unknowledgeable individual, only to find that double the time later the contractor:
a) Realizes they underbid the work, underestimated the time and are losing money, and sloppily throw the remaining portion of the project together
OR…
b) File bankruptcy, and close their doors.
Unfortunately, an alarming number of our customers have a history of this experience…and the customer is still angry over the
BITTER AFTERTASTE OF POOR WORKMANSHIP. We have been known to convert more than a few flying coffins into airworthy aircraft. However, the more damage there is in the INITIAL BUILDING PROCESS, the more difficult and costly it is to correct.4) Just because they know it doesn’t mean they can build it.
Some individuals are gifted planners and designers, perhaps are degreed in engineering, aeronautics or similar disciplines. These individuals usually venture into kit building as a way to combine their knowledge and creative passion. However, unless they have lived the experience and know the rigors that await them, they commonly lose interest in "building for hire" when reality sets in. We have seen many builders come and go over the years for this reason.
5) Check out the operation.
Make sure that your builder assistance center has the experience, the skill level, and the reliability you need to be assured that your project is in good hands. When you are working on your project, your contractor should be able to guide you in the right direction, anticipate critical points in the project and how your work and theirs will come together, and be available to you for advice that you would never learn from the manuals.
6) Manuals cover the basic fundamentals. Experience builds a better airplane.
An experienced contractor will be able to advise you on the details that you won’t find in the builder’s manuals. This can save you time and money in the long run, make your plane safer and easier to service, and provide creature comforts that you otherwise would not know about – until your plane is already finished! We get a lot of retrofit work in our shop for this reason.
7) Two words to remove from your vocabulary: CHEAP and QUICK.
When it comes to CHEAP, remember that if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you need further review on this point, reread rule number 3.
Regarding QUICK: These kitplanes are handcrafted, and no two are exactly alike. Many customers are in the mode of needing an aircraft NOW. For these individuals, we have several aircraft already flying and available for sale. See our "aircraft for sale" section.
For those of you that want to have the experience of building something that is uniquely yours, remember that it takes time and patience. Most worthwhile things do. However, your builder should be able to provide a realistic timeline for the completion of the contracted portion of the project.
8) Once you have purchased your kit, generally you have about 1/3 of the total parts cost needed to complete your airplane.
With few exceptions, even the most complete kits do not come with avionics, an engine, propellor, interior, paint, and miscellaneous parts. Also, a SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of parts will have to be fabricated by yourself or your hired contractor from the raw materials provided in the kit. Be sure that your builder is experienced, and a stickler for precision. Also look for one that is knowledgeable enough to advise you on the remaining 66% of your parts investment. Too many times we have seen poor choices made on these parts, simply because the customers obtained bad advice. Remember, tradeshow vendors and the one-time kitbuilder are not the best resources for advice. If you are at a place in your purchasing decisions where you could use some experienced advice, we will be happy to share from our depth of experience what we recommend, based on your unique situation. Call us at
(480) 924-9750, or e-mail us.