Amateur-built and experimental aircraft - Australian Transport Safety ...

Figure 48: Number of aircraft built
3.5.2 Type of build process
Plans-built, slow-build, fast-build kit
Figure 49 records the method used to build the ABE aircraft where the respondent
had both built and flown an ABE aircraft (N=268). About 50 per cent of
respondents constructed slow-build kit aircraft, while plans-built and quick-build
aircraft accounted for about 25 per cent each of the remaining proportions. Data on
construction method was not collected for second-hand aircraft. Of the 278
respondents who reported that they had both built and flown an ABE aircraft, 10 did
not respond to this question.
Figure 49: Method of construction used
The decision to construct a plans-built aircraft is often made on the basis of cost and
available resources (Cook, 2005). Although kit-build aircraft were offered for sale
in the US in the 1920s and 1930s, it has been in the last 30 years that they have
been used more extensively in Australia. Pre-fabricated parts in kit aircraft save
time, but are more expensive. Because of the need to fabricate parts from scratch, a
plans-built aircraft represent a significant challenge, starting with nothing but sheets
of paper.
Build time for different types of aircraft
Aircraft can be built in three ways using plans, slow-build kits, and quick-build kit
options. With a plans-build option, the builder usually fabricates all parts, except
the engine. Kit aircraft are available as slow or quick-build options. Both slow and
quick-build options have the same parts; the difference is that the wings and
fuselage are largely complete with a quick-build option (Figure 50). Some
respondents choose a combination of slow-build wings and quick-build fuselage.
- 60 -