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Is a finished homebuilt worth more than the cost of the parts?

Silvaire wrote:

a plans built plane from a well known builder will often be sought after

That’s also my experience. For example price of a Bucker Jungmann replica built somewhere in central Europe is absolutely disconnected with labour and material costs.

Silvaire wrote:

with better quality than a factory built plane

Well, manufacturers try to “optimise” costs and the simplest thing is to cut the number of man-hours spent building, or sourcing components from a cheaper location. After all, customer will never see what is inside…
In case of a built to order homebuilt things get more complicated. On one hand, investor can inspect the built process and components at his leisure on the other hand he needs to know what to look for. Relying on a reputable builder and having someone experienced to oversee the build seems to be a good strategy.

Some builders make them too heavy. Then it may be worthless. Probably not possible with a Vans kit, but easy with wood or composite.
Folklore has an award-winning Jodel derivative, with folding wings, which is trailered to US airshows, but only flies a solo circuit due to fuel limitations for max AUW. Very glossy finish though.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Older aircraft are startlingly cheap at the moment, so any new homebuilt has to be something special to be worth the cost of the raw materials. The decreasing number of pilots is clearly making more aircraft available and depressing the market.

The reason I have normally heard from owners of homebuilts (in most cases, these were bought ready built) is that

  • the running cost is a lot lower than certified aircraft
  • you can get something which doesn’t exist in a certified form

I suspect the first one is often an illusion, but illusions become convincing if often stated (a de rigueur thing in the Rotax community ) and by the time you work out the bottom line you are committed.

Many of these ready-built homebuilts go for high prices e.g. 80-100k for an RV. I doubt the original kit was that much when originally bought (some of the builds were started say 20 years ago).

Old aircraft are indeed cheap but aren’t most of the really cheap ones just old neglected wrecks?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Old aircraft are indeed cheap but aren’t most of the really cheap ones just old neglected wrecks?

I think that depends on the type of aircraft. It might be true for a 40 year old retractable single. OTOH I bought a very simple 70 year old type for $22K that was one year before judged the best of its type at the national US fly-in, with 60 or 70 similar aircraft in attendance for comparison. In a compact place like the UK that kind of plane would take you on a lot of interesting adventures, and certainly attract a lot of favorable attention along the way. It’s not practical transport for long distances, but it’s nothing whatsoever like a neglected wreck.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 14 Nov 01:07

Make sure that you also have a credible path to registration. If you buy an half-finished kit from another builder (and maybe from another country), you may have to tear it down to prove that the welds are correct or that the glue is sticking ..

Peter wrote:

I suspect the first one is often an illusion, but illusions become convincing if often stated

No illusion. It’s very much the truth. People may end up spending just as much money though, but they spend it on fixing and pimping up the aircraft, getting a second aircraft etc. instead of throwing the money out the window (maintenance organizations).

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

The Pioneer 300 versus RV 12 posts are in a new thread

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Recently, on the Vans forum, a guy showed up looking for a low hours RV10 for less than 250k$.

He was told to reconsider

So some kit planes are seen as high value and appreciate from the cost of parts. Not enough to make aliving of course, but a little.

Last Edited by Jujupilote at 02 Nov 08:52
LFOU, France

I think my RV7 will cost something in the north of 150 K euro , plus work .
No way to sell it for that money if I wish

Pegaso airstrip, Italy
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