lancef53,

My brother is financing the project. He is the owner. My EAA chapter is building it. I am the builder of record. When we are done and the FAA has signed off on it, then we (the qualified chapter members) get to fly it for one year. At the end of the year my brother will sell it and keep the proceeds. A couple of the guys in the chapter have already expressed an interest in buying it.

My brother is not looking to make money on the deal. Just get his investment back out of it plus maybe a little interest. The Chapter gets the building experience and some flight time. Meanwhile, everybody has fun.

Then maybe we will start over on another project!

We are deep into the wings and are getting ready to start the fuselage this week. Here is a link to the album I created to keep the chapter members up to date on progress.

http://www.eaa839.com/chapter_project/chapter_project_album.htm

Enjoy!

Rod,

That seems like a great way of building a plane and keeping costs to a minimum and the build to be completed in the shortest time.

It's a win-win for all the members.

Have you guys done this before, this way?

Any idea what the plane might cost including the engine and instruments?

Hey JC!

We have built and rebuilt planes before but it was always a tedious task and only for the skilled. This 701 kit has 10 to 20 guys showing up nights and Saturdays to work on it because it is so much fun!

Best guess on a completed cost is somewhere around $35K. That is with a slightly used Rotax 912S engine and instruments. We are only aiming for a fun-to-fly cheap VFR plane. We have guys in-house that were in the automotive painting business (since retired) so we figure we can do a reasonable job of painting it ourselves. As you said, it keeps costs to a minimum.

Rod - if you have a couple of professional painters in-house then PLEASE OH PLEASE come up with a paint scheme that actually works with the airframe.

There are way too many 701 builders that follow the contours (such as they are) of the airplane with angled lines or they just give up and paint Holstein cow splotches or some horrible mural on the side like people do with the tailgates of their pickups (and used to do to the sides of 1977 Chevy and or Dodge vans)

Plus it should help the resale value and you can buy an 801 after this. (tell them I'll send along another DVD if they do)

Brad

Saw one once with a USAF paint scheme that actually didn't look too bad.

Eric

I found a Savannah with a pretty good paint job.

Both Zenith and ICP have galleries of finished plane photos with lots of goofy and great examples of paint jobs.

ICP
http://www.icp-avio.com/index.htm

Skykits
http://www.skykits.com/

Zenith
http://www.zenithair.com/stolch701/7-photo108.html

tom

Tom,
Why's the Savannah kit $10 grand higher than the Zenith?
Are they basically the same aircraft?
There's a Zenith plant here in Missouri I'm planning on visiting.

I met a guy one time down to the Owyhee that was flying one of these Zenith aircraft. I wonder if it was one of the pilots on this forum? Bob

wirsig wrote:Tom,
Why's the Savannah kit $10 grand higher than the Zenith?
Are they basically the same aircraft?
There's a Zenith plant here in Missouri I'm planning on visiting.

The Zenith is an american company. The Savannah is made by ICP in Italy. At the time I purchased the kit in 2004, they were about the same price, when you factored in the cost of a complete aircraft. Now, the dollar, thanks to 20 years of Greenspan nonsense, has been reduced to about 75 cents compared to the Euro. That pretty much makes the difference.

At the time I bought my kit, Zenith didn't have predrilled holes (350 hours more assembly time), included fewer instruments, and had a poorer delivery time. I went with the Savannah. No regrets, but I'd buy the Zenith today, with the lower cost and they finally got to predrilling holes.

tom

Thanks Tom!

Well, the build is moving along real good! The rear fuselage is about half done, the wings are just about ready to be covered, and the engine was purchased at Sun 'N Fun. We got a Jabiru 3300, 125 hp, 6 cyclinder power plant. It will be delivered in June. That is 25 horses more than the Rotax 912S and should make that puppy pop right off the ground!

We even decided on a paint scheme.



Just add green instead of red!

I have a 95% completed empenage kit w/elec trim for the 701 if anyone is interesed. I decided it is more fun to fly than build.

I have a CH601 and a CH701 in my hanger owned by Evan S. and have flown in the 701 ! The 701 is a true STOL machine with 100ft. or less takeoff runs. I've got some pictures of the airspeed in the 701 holding 31mph and no stall ! The 801 is a enlarged version of the 701 with a bigger engine. There are plans to have a CH750 (LSA 1320lbs Gross) which is 12-15% bigger than the 701 with a 0-200 Cont. I'm a "oversized guy" who strains the 701 (1100 Lbs.Gross weight) limit.
My 182 is perfect for me but I'm going to a LSA of my own design based on the 701. I'm using the forward section of 701 (enlarged
12%) with 4130 welded structure with Aluminum exterior . Pair of
Stinson 108(fabric covered) wings and built up tail and 701 like tail boom of aluminum sheets and angles.Engine should be a 0-235/or 0-290. I've built several Expementals and rebuilt 10-12 Certified airplanes in the last 40 + years.Lots of Radio control models to my credit. I'm looking forward to getting it done. Wings are in my Ariz. Hanger ready for cover. Load of 4130 is on trailer awaiting cutting and welding. I've got a set of plans for the 701 that I've blown up
on my own . How do I add pictures ?

182 STOL driver wrote:I have a CH601 and a CH701 in my hanger owned by Evan S. and have flown in the 701 ! The 701 is a true STOL machine with 100ft. or less takeoff runs. I've got some pictures of the airspeed in the 701 holding 31mph and no stall ! The 801 is a enlarged version of the 701 with a bigger engine. There are plans to have a CH750 (LSA 1320lbs Gross) which is 12-15% bigger than the 701 with a 0-200 Cont. I'm a "oversized guy" who strains the 701 (1100 Lbs.Gross weight) limit.
My 182 is perfect for me but I'm going to a LSA of my own design based on the 701. I'm using the forward section of 701 (enlarged
12%) with 4130 welded structure with Aluminum exterior . Pair of
Stinson 108(fabric covered) wings and built up tail and 701 like tail boom of aluminum sheets and angles.Engine should be a 0-235/or 0-290. I've built several Expementals and rebuilt 10-12 Certified airplanes in the last 40 + years.Lots of Radio control models to my credit. I'm looking forward to getting it done. Wings are in my Ariz. Hanger ready for cover. Load of 4130 is on trailer awaiting cutting and welding. I've got a set of plans for the 701 that I've blown up
on my own . How do I add pictures ?

Hi 182 stol driver. I was down there about four years ago to dissamble a Zenith 801 that Stan Barrett bought and was shipping it back to Alaska. Nice little airport and friendly neighbors. The guy in the next hangar was a retired TWA pilot and had just finished his RV. Cool hangar, nice plane... For the life of me I cannot remember his name,,, This getting old sucks .. Wanna bet as soon as I click the send key his name will come to me ??? Seeya.

Hi 182 stol driver. I was down there about four years ago to dissamble a Zenith 801 that Stan Barrett bought and was shipping it back to Alaska. Nice little airport and friendly neighbors. The guy in the next hangar was a retired TWA pilot and had just finished his RV. Cool hangar, nice plane... For the life of me I cannot remember his name,,, This getting old sucks .. Wanna bet as soon as I click the send key his name will come to me ??? Seeya.[/quote]

That was Charlie Barrrets 801 -The TWA driver is Glen Smith a real great guy with the RV-9 . I'm on the same taxiway two hangers to the east.

Thought I would give a little update. We got the Jabiru 3300 engine in August a bit late. Anyway, they delayed it so they could ship the redesigned cowling and baffles. Glad they did because the new cowling is really nice!

We are just getting ready to join the cockpit area to the rear fuselage. The right wing is pretty much done and we are working on closing up the left wing.

The new Kit Planes magazine has a nice article on a two day Jabiru 3300 course in Tennessee that they hold six times a year. I am thinking that might be a good course to attend as we aren't that far away from mounting the engine.

As soon as we get the fuselage on gear and we can sit in it and make airplane noises I will post some updated pictures. So far, it looks like we are going to come in pretty much on budget.

Ah, The real question. What was the budget? It's nice to hear what something really cost.

a64pilot wrote:Ah, The real question. What was the budget? It's nice to hear what something really cost.

We were figuring $35K to start based on a used 912S. Then we decided to go with a Jabiru 3300 and an all glass cockpit. So it looks like $40 to $42K.