4 Amazing DIY Planes—And How to Build Your Own

LOCATION: San Diego
PLANE: RP-4

David Rose obviously built the overpowered RP-4 for speed. The experimental counter-rotating propellers, inspired by a NASA project, run at an impressive 4800 rpm. Rose can connect both propellers directly to their engines without heavy reduction gearing. The props can change pitch for maximum efficiency at any speed. "It's a drag-racer frame with skin on it to keep the wind out," says Jerry Baer, a former pilot who helped Rose build RP-4.

LOCATION: Mojave, Calif.
PLANE: Symmetry

In 1989, Cory Bird was a shop fabricator at Scaled Composites, famed aviation designer Burt Rutan's company, when he decided to use his knowledge of composite construction to build aeronautical art. "I wanted to show what I could do," he says. Over the next 14 years he conceived and created a two-seat airplane he called Symmetry. The sleek aircraft can reach 284 mph at 3000 rpm. The labor of love proved so exquisite that it won a Grand Champion prize at the Experimental Aircraft Association's big air show in Oshkosh, Wisc. Today, the 53-year-old Bird, now a project manager at Scaled, is hard at work on another design for a plane that will carry two and land on shorter airstrips than Symmetry.

LOCATION: Christoval, Texas
PLANE: Lucky Stars

Homebuilt airplane pilots are motivated by more than aerodynamics. Mark Stull built Lucky Stars with a 4.5-foot-diameter ring tail. It took some clever engineering—and some hair-raising test flights—to make it work. Stull added a hydraulic damper to ensure that the tail didn't swing too far to the side, and balanced the tail by adding weights to the ring. He then moved the seat forward to maintain the craft's center of gravity.

LOCATION: Tempe, Ariz.
PLANE: Savor

Self-taught 31-year-old amateur builder Chris Christiansen designed and flew his third homebuilt airplane, the high-wing Savor, in just 15 months. That's especially impressive considering that Christiansen designs with pencil and paper. Yet the Savor, which is intended as a cross-country flying machine, looks very much like a professionally built airplane—a good deal, in fact, like Cessna's new entry in the light-sport aircraft market, the Skycatcher. Except that Savor can go nearly 200 mph, 65 mph faster than Cessna's plane.

Want to take to the skies in a plane that you've designed and built yourself? You've got a long climb ahead of you, but some inexpensive tools and a supportive community of like-minded pilots will help you on your way.

1. Build virtually first

To test how well your ideas will work in practice, buy a copy of X-Plane, a program that lets you design a plane and then fly it over realistic landscapes. Homebuilt designer David Rose uses the program in conjunction with the CAD program AirplanePDQ (combined cost: $198). "With those two programs," he says, "I can do everything a $30,000 design suite can do."

2. Design the structure

To configure actual parts and solicit advice on how to put them together, crack open Martin Hollmann's book Modern Aircraft Design. Hollmann also offers design classes at fly-ins, and structural consulting for intrepid airplane homebuilders ( aircraftdesigns.com).

3. Get support

The Experimental Aircraft Association, an organization of aviation enthusiasts, has branches all over the world. Local members can offer encouragement, advise you on technical issues and even help do the work. "A lot of people are willing to volunteer their time just to be involved in a project," Rose says.

4. Get to work

People who build planes of their own design tend to be retired folks with a lot of energy. "It's going to take at least two years of full-time work, including weekends," Hollmann says. "And that's if you do everything right."

Not totally committed to building an airplane from scratch? Consider buying a kit plane instead. Many manufacturers produce partially assembled airframes. Some companies even allow you to come to their factory and assemble the kit with the help of employees, potentially cutting the build time from months to weeks.

1. Shop around

Before you jump in, make sure the plane you're going to build is the right one for you. Read up on the various available models. The more successful designs have active online forums where builders can share their expertise. "Don't just base your decision on what a plane looks like," says Andy Chiavetta, a crew chief for Reno air-races pilot Darryl Greenamyer. "Talk to people who've flown them."

2. Dabble

There are three main construction materials used in homebuilt planes: wood, metal and composite. Each has its own advantages and requires different aptitudes. Try them out to determine which suits you best. Every year the massive EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh, Wisc., holds hands-on workshops where would-be homebuilders can try different techniques.

3. Start small

Manufacturers such as Van's Aircraft sell partial kits. Buy the tail, and if building it is too hard or unsatisfying, you can rethink your options without wasting months of work and thousands of dollars.

4. Be realistic

Even if you're involved in a builder-assist program, constructing a functioning aircraft requires a serious time commitment. "There are an awful lot of kit planes out there that get started and are never finished," Chiavetta says.