Doing some soul searching- looking for input

[AlabamaSlammer]

So currently I have my Bearhawk plans and have finished acquiring all of the recommended tools (and some others that people here have said really made life easier).

I've been in talks with R&B Aircraft and am thinking about ordering the QB wings this fall.

Father of 2, married, own my own business which is rapidly growing. All good things. I've spent the last year knocking out every project my wife has for our house including two bathroom remodels, kitchen remodel, will be finishing the basement next . Paying it forward, basically, because I want to be able to dedicate at least 2 hours a night to building.

I've previous tuned cars, including a full front end swap on an old 280SX. Im not worried about electronics or the working with engines.

No experience with sheet metal or welding, however.

The Bearhawk fits what I see as my mission which is solo/duo traveling, hunting, and hauling stuff with the ability to fit 4 people. It's a flying 4Runner to me.

It is, however, a time commitment, even with the QB.

My business partner suggested I look at something "easier" (shorter build time/cheaper) like a Rans, see if I actually enjoy building airplanes, and then fly that and then resell to build a Bearhawk later.

Obviously I expect some biased answers, but I'm curious as to what others here think, particularly first time builders.


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[JimParker256]

I'm a first-time builder, about 200 hours into a QB Patrol kit. With the "deluxe" kit, there is basically no welding to be done - even the tabs are done for you. That was an incentive for me, because even after taking the welding classes at OSH (twice), I realized I would require a LOT of practice before I would trust anything I welded enough to fly in it. Even after a lot of practice, I'd be pretty nervous about some of the more complex mutl-tube junctions...

On the other hand, I took one of the SportAir workshops on sheet metal building, and found it was both easy and fun. Much less demanding of "skill" than the welding operations. Cutting, filing, drilling, deburring, and riveting are pretty simple skills to learn, and far more forgiving of minor mistakes.

I'm finding that building my Patrol is a lot of fun, although everything seems to take me longer than I would have thought it would. A lot of that is "first-time learning curve" for me. As an example, it took me about 4 1/2 days (read - try - fail - read some more - try - fail, etc.) to put together the first oleo strut. The second one took less than 2 1/2 hours!

But I'm getting a LOT of satisfaction from doing this, and every little step is a mini-project of it's own. Pretty soon, you step back, look at the airplane, and you can see significant progress. It's like eating an elephant - the only way to do it is one bite at a time. If you enjoy working with your hands, and take satisfaction from doing even small projects well, you'll LOVE building your Bearhawk. If you want to just have a plane to go fly, there's a nice-looking Bearhawk 4-place for sale on Barnstormers.com for less than it would cost you to build one -- not counting anything towards your labor!

[Edit: I should have mentioned that Mark Goldberg is absolutely AMAZINGLY helpful any time you ask a question. He either knows the answer, or finds one for you pretty quickly. Great support for the kits!]

I've dreamed of building my own airplane and flying it since I was about 15, so this is truly a dream come true for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

[Battson]

Buy once, cry once.

No point starting with a Rav4 to see if you like off-roading, when you already know you want a 4Runner.

The time spent building something else could be spent getting 70% done with your Bearhawk.

[N942VT]

Build what you really want, it's a huge project Rans or Bearhawk. Who wants a Rotax anyway.

[patrickh99]

If you don't want a Rans, it is a (almost) complete waste of time.
If you can knock out two bathrooms and one kitchen remodel in two years, you can build a QB Bearhawk pretty quick.

[Bdflies]

Hey Bama!
Your post brought a smile. You described me, in 1987. Two kids, business, honey-do's and all. My first was a Glasair. No such thing as 'quick build' at the time. 1st flight was in '91. Some observations;
Forget that stuff about taking care of all the house stuff. Stuff comes up and you'll deal with it. When you get to feeling that you're encountering delays, sit back and smile. Because that means you're enjoying your project. Right in the middle of building the Glasair wing, I took the family on a two week vacation, to the Grand Canyon. I thought I did pretty well, at separating from my project. Upon returning home, As I turned into our driveway, my Wife told me to "Go to your shop!" She was smiling.
It's been said, a thousand times; You don't build an airplane. You perform many small tasks. Some fabricating, some painting, some sheet metal, some electrical, etc..etc... You get the idea. If you find enjoyment and satisfaction, in each small task, you'll be rewarded with a flying airplane, when all the tasks are done. For me, the airplane thing is almost secondary. I enjoy the accomplishment of each task. Today, I made a window latch..... And it's a damned fine window latch!
Don't worry about sheet metal skills. That was my weakest skill, going into my Patrol. I've produced a BUNCH of scrap aluminum! Aluminum sheet is not prohibitively expensive and the scrap is recyclable. I'm not great, but I'm getting better at it! Sounds like you're a handy guy. You'll pick it up.
As for the 'quick-build vs plans-built' decision, that's kind of a personal thing. Even with the quickest of quick-build projects, there's a LOT of stuff to do. Neither choice will leave you 'wanting for more to do'. If you can write the check, I would strongly suggest the quick-build. I'm not sure I'd feel the same sense of satisfaction on the 10,000th (figuratively) rivet, of plans-built wings.
If you want a Rans, build one. Or an RV, a Bearhawk, a Kitfox, or whatever. Or buy a C-172. Those are all good choices. Which one flips your switch?
Finally, you'll be amazed at the support structure that you'll find. No matter what will stump you, somebody has been there before and they'll gladly help. Kinda like all this free advice.....

Bill

[swpilot3]

All great answers here!

I was close to in your shoes also. Married, two kids, job and owned my own business. No welding or sheet metal experience. Plans in hand and a few tools. Not sure if I wanted to take the "plunge" or not.

I love flying but also really love learning and creating. I took some EAA classes that gave me a few skills but more importantly the confidence that "I can do this".

I bought the QB kit and I'm very happy with that decision. It's the right balance for me. I'm about 200 hours in on my 4-place and I'm enjoying it even more than I thought I would. The process, mental exercise and all the knowledge gained is very rewarding. It's turned into a family project also. The wife and kids aren't always helping, but they help enough that they feel connected to the build.

Also, everyone is spot on with the forum support and assistance from Mark Goldberg (Avipro).

[AlabamaSlammer]

Thanks, I appreciate the insight. Also the confirmation bias. :-)

My thinking echoes Battson's: I'd rather be 70% into something I want than 100% done with something I don't .

I may come back in three years and put the wings up for sale or post pics of the first flight.

Won't know till I get there, I expect.


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