“My project is a two-seat computer designed Vans RV-14A mostly aluminium aircraft, powered by a 210hp Lycoming engine”
I still get a kick out of seeing the expressions on people’s faces when I tell them I’m building a plane in my shed. What, a real plane? is a common response, or, are you a pilot? (Yes, I am, but more about that later.) I think many people’s first thought when they hear the term homebuilt or, more correctly, amateur-built aircraft is that it’s made of balsa wood, spit, and number 8 wire.
However, my project is a two-seat computer designed Vans RV-14A mostly aluminium aircraft, powered by a 210hp Lycoming engine. It comes as a kit made by Vans Aircraft in the USA, and it has all the necessary parts and hardware except the engine, propeller, and instruments. Vans is one of the leading, if not the leading, manufacturer of kitset aircraft with over 11,000 of their kitset aircraft already having flown, with thousands more under construction. In 2022 they celebrated their 50th year in business.
Why build a plane?
The next common question is why? It’s not for the faint hearted and will take fairly deep pockets and lots of time, so let’s consider why anyone would decide to build an aircraft over buying one made by Cessna, Piper, or a major manufacturer of general aviation (GA) aircraft. The answer, in two parts, is simple — I can trade my time to end up with an aircraft that will have a higher performance than I could ever afford to
