Yes! You can build and fly a "real" airplane for the cost of a new SUV. Contrary to popular opinion, airplanes don't have to be outrageously expensive-at least not all of them. The Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft initiative is one program that promises to lower the cost of ready-to-fly aircraft. But many of these Special LSAs and Experimental LSAs will be priced well more than $40,000 and can run upwards of $85,000. One way to get airborne for less than $40K is to choose an ultralight, powered parachute or weight-shift trike. But if you want something more conventional, more comfortable or larger, you're likely to find what you want in the world of kit aircraft. After all these years, building an Experimental/ Amateur-Built airplane still qualifies as one of the least expensive ways to get a get a great airplane into the air on a reasonable budget. Our $40K benchmark is designed to narrow the field for builders on a budget-and that benchmark means a completed, ready-for-flight airplane. We're not going to play the marketing game and list $39,900 airframe kits that will approach or exceed the $100,000 mark by the time they're in the air. It's not an easy goal, but it can be achieved. To prove it, we'll detail more than a dozen interesting machines from across the spectrum. But what's so special about $40,000? After some contemplation, we determined that $40K provides the best estimate of what a typical, medianincome builder might be able to afford without being forced to sacrifice the rest of his or her life. In today's market, this figure might buy you a fine automobile or (extra-fine) motorcycle, a mid-level SUV, or even a small boat. If airplanes can remain in the same category, price-wise, as these other luxury items, they'll have a lot more appeal to that average builder. But to have a cross-country aircraft that's roomy and reliable for this sum of cash will take some effort. You may have to forego all the bells and whistles (high-tech instrument panels, luxurious interiors, award-winning paint jobs and souped-up powerplants), but the following kit manufacturers insist that you can reasonably expect to get these airplanes into the air for the target amount. We are assuming, however, that you're starting with an average stock of tools and a decent workshop to build in; starting from scratch can add thousands to any project. And we're omitting things like sales tax on the kit and local use taxes. To choose from the hundreds of kit aircraft available, we established some basic criteria for our selections. These rules weren't written in stone, but we tried to limit the field to proven designs that will appeal to the flying interests of a wide number of KITPLANES® readers. The Criteria To help define our target, we elected to specify a minimum cruise speed of about 100 mph-even though as a practical measure we all want more. Why this requirement? We figured that most pilots would want an aircraft that was capable of at least short crosscountry trips and one that would get them there faster than an automobile. Many otherwise highly enjoyable aircraft weren't designed for such speeds and were not included; on the other hand, reaching toward 200 mph will dramatically raise your powerplant and prop costs. We also searched for aircraft with interiors that invited two people of normal size (pilot plus one passenger) to fly for 2-3 hours in relative comfort. Many pilots will prefer side-by-side seating, but we included some tandem aircraft. We wanted full enclosures, the preference for most pilots who wish to pursue cross-country flying. Seeing America from an open-cockpit airplane is great in the summer and for short periods, but this kind of adventure eventually wears quite thin. And, for the purpose of staying within budget, we've eliminated any quickbuild kit options from the equation. Unless noted, prices listed and used in calculation are for the airframe alone with no quickbuild components or optional add-ons. This is where you save money, but contributing your own efforts to the cause. Most pilots prefer four-stroke engines. This eliminates many ultralight aircraft that make good use of the high power-to-weight ratio of two-stroke engines. When we limit ourselves to four-stroke engines, however, the powerplant cost alone can hit or exceed half our budget. You can choose an 80-hp Rotax 912 for about $12,000 or lower your cost significantly with the similarly powered AeroVee engine from Sonex, Ltd. for less than $6000 (it's a kit engine, so you have to build it). However, if you insist on Lycoming or Continental, a used engine will be required in all cases to keep within budget. Lycomings in particular are available in large numbers on the used market in various states of time remaining before overhaul. Other economic engine choices include the Jabiru line-the company's 120-hp 3300 model ($15,400) will lift any of the following aircraft without problems, and some will do fine with the 85-hp 2200 model ($10,400). Others may be interested in VW, Subaru and other auto conversions. Most pilots are awed by the impressive capabilities of fancy glass cockpit avionics. Ken Scott of Van's Aircraft says RV builders are installing more avionics than in the past: "With IFR panels, you can spend $40,000 in the panel alone," he said. With avionics consuming a substantial percentage of many builders' budgets, will you have to suffice with ordinary instruments? Probably not, unless IFR flight is your desire. New software-based electronic instruments are available that have far better prices for features even including attitude instruments. Some of these units are in the $3000 (or less) range for a surprisingly capable unit that also does not take up much panel space. Or, you can opt for only the necessary analog gauges and put together a functional panel on a really tight budget. Our Candidates But first, a disclaimer... Using the above criteria, we selected nine companies and nearly 20 aircraft models from a large field (more than 600 kit/plans aircraft are available). Winnowing this group to a few aircraft forced us to omit other choices. Consider this a sampler more than an exhaustive survey of what's available. Moreover, pay particular attention to our selection criteria so you can use it on models not presented here. Are you ready to build? Expand your search beyond these airplanes, but keep in mind some of the following points as they apply to many designs. As always, a good place to start is the 2005 Directory of Homebuilt Aircraft, Published in Kitplanes Magazinethe December 2004 edition of KITPLANES® and also available in electronic format at www. kitplanes.com. Our candidate list represents a wide range of types and design styles. The airplanes are not presented in any particular order-choosing the right airplane for you is ultimately a personal decision based on your individual situation. Zenith Aircraft According to Zenith Aircraft President Sebastian Heintz, "$40,000 is more than most of our customers spend on their projects. Ninety percent of builders keep it under $40K." Continuing the common theme heard while in researching this story, Heintz said the only thing that pushes the final price above $40,000 is the builder's choice of avionics. Heintz broke down the typical cost for a CH-601 or CH-701 (the latter Jeep-like airplane typically costing less because interior appointments and fancy avionics are rarely added): $12,000-16,000 for the airframe kit; $17,000 for Rotax or Jabiru powerplants with propeller and accessories; $1000-2000 for paint using a local auto-body shop; and anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $3000-4000 for upholstery depending on how fancy builders want their airplane to be. The 701's interior is typically simpler with some seat cushion and carpeting; the low-wing 601 might use leather or other higher-quality materials, which raises the cost. Assuming the averages, that leaves more than $5000 to devote to an instrument panel while allowing the builder to come in at less than $40,000. And Heintz says that builders can even take advantage of some of the company's quickbuild components with a target $40K maximum. RANS Aircraft With more than 1500 flying, one of the most popular light planes in the world is the RANS S-6ES Coyote II. The S-6ES features a Dacron wing and fuselage covering, which saves the need for paint-a built-in budget saver. The S-6S model is essentially the same airplane with dope and fabric covering. Another popular RANS model is the tandemseat S-7 Courier. Both the Coyote II and Courier airplanes can be built and flown for less than $40,000, one more easily than the other. An S-6ES kit costs $14,700. If you opt for the common Rotax 912, you'll add about $12,000 plus a $3000 motor mount kit for a total of around $30,000. Since you don't have to paint (unless you choose the S-6S) and because the interior can remain basic, you can spend the balance of your budget on propeller, instruments, avionics, radios, wheelpants and other goodies. In other words, it's pretty easy to stay within your means. One option-a thermal-formed interior-adds $650 but will greatly speed your interior finish. You can either select from the extras mentioned or order the quickbuild kit (about $5000 more) without breaking budget. The S-7S is the kit version of the much-refined C version of the Courier. It retains the keep-it-simple theory that company founder and leader Randy Schlitter designed into it from the beginning. Keeping the S-7S below $40K is possible but more of a challenge than with the S-6. The base kit costs $18,265. Add the same 80-hp Rotax 912 plus a $4000 engine install kit and you've spent about $34,000. That leaves $6000 for paint (this model is fabric-covered), propeller, instruments and other options. It'll be a tight squeeze and you'll have to do without many extras, but you can still build an excellent Cub-like airplane for the allotted budget. Both the S-6 and S-7 series aircraft began life behind two-stroke Rotax engines. And if you're willing to sacrifice horsepower and opt for a two-stroke, you'll have a lot more money left to devote to extras. Sonex, Ltd. As with all the manufacturers, my first question to Sonex General Manager Jeremy Monnett was straightforward: Is it possible to build any of your kits and get airborne for $40,000 or less? His answer? Yes, all six Sonex airplanes (the Sonex, Waiex and Xenos models, each with two engine choices) can be built for that amount. Monnett supplied a spreadsheet illustration (Figure 1) for specific cost breakdowns of the Sonex models. Each total price includes full paint and interior treatment and a Sensenich wood propeller, plus you can select most of the company's more popular amenities. In coming up with these estimates Sonex allocated $2500 for a basic instrument panel that includes a Stratomaster EFIS system for instrumentation, plus a radio and handheld GPS. Improvements and additions must be factored into the leftover funds. "Unless they choose exotic or expensive avionics, nearly every Sonex builder achieves this ($40K benchmark)" during the build process, Monnett says.