ow long will a homebuilt take to complete?
Always longer than you think! The amount of time you spend building on the aircraft is of course directly proportional to the project’s complexity. Kit manufacturers quote their completion times in man hours. Typically an ultralight could be put together in 150 hours. A low and slow basic two seat trainer type, such as MERLIN in 350 hours. A more complex undertaking would be an all metal aircraft such as the RV series. This aircraft generally requires upwards of 2000 hours of work. The time taken to complete a project also depends on how much ‘leisure’ time of work you can put into it over a period of time. An object lesson here is to remember that EAA members are a fraternity and most will be happy to help along the way for nothing other than camaraderie. First flight for an EAA member is a great time to be shared by all members.
