First Timer' Annoying Questions

[aviator79]

Hey Far Fox,

I'm actually replying to your question about workshop size from Cherrybark's thread here to avoid hijacking his build thread.

"Smallest but comfortable" is tough because "comfort" is pretty subjective. I'm doing it in a 10'x20' space and perhaps because I don't know any better, it doesn't even feel all that cramped. However, I have a small workshop (about 7'x15') attached to that space, I have a 3' deep "closet" that fills the 20' length of the space, my turtledeck is in a shed in my back yard, my windshield/door plastics are in my hangar, and I'm using a spare room in the house to hang parts from the ceiling and walls. If you don't have anywhere else to put stuff, 10'x20' would be extremely challenging. 20'x20' would be cozy, and 20'x30' would start to feel luxurious.

[Far_Fox]

Okay, thanks for replying on here. I am getting use to the way threads work. Thanks for the info that gives me a great idea of what I need.

[Cherrybark]

I'll repeat my reply over here so shop sizes accumulate.

I'm building in 2/3's of a three car garage, effectively 22 x 23. With some workbenches against the wall and a work table on rollers, it's a fairly comfortable space. There are times when the wife's car gets parked in the drive for a day or two - rigging the wings for instance. Don't skimp on lighting.

[Far_Fox]

Okay, listing my house next week. Fingers crossed! Next year the lady and I will look for a place with at least a 20X24 workshop. Seems like that could be a solid working space. 20X20 at the lower end. Thanks for all your help.

Now I have to decide if I want to put in the order when the house sells and have to drive 30 mins to work on it at the hanger for a year then move it to the our new place....or save up more cash and order it a few months before we are ready to get a house and just start it in the workshop.

Still scares me looking at the photos of people building, looks like alien language to me, or when I read peoples questions about this and that, which I have no idea what they are even asking. I assume this is normal because I have never been around anyone who has built a plane before, but still a financial investment in something that looks over my head.

What got you started on your first builds?

[Esser]

Nothing really makes sense until you get your hands on it. The odd time it still won’t but that’s why we have this forum!

I started building because I was sick of paying $200 an hour for a poor performing aircraft that I couldn’t take on a whim or over night and I have to do a cross wind component even if the wind was 5kts.

After the sale of a Luscombe fell through, I went to Oshkosh talked to some manufacturers. Kitfox was one of the only ones that gave me (24 years old at the time) and the rest is history. I ordered my kit three months later.

[aviator79]

It's just something I've always wanted to do. I've spent years putting the pieces in place to make it happen: Acquiring a hangar, saving enough money to finish the project with zero debt, visiting with manufacturers at Fly-Ins, building weighted-average spreadsheets to compare different designs, flying a club plane to nail down the mission so that I can feed good data into those spreadsheets, etc. The last piece fell into place when John helped sell my wife completely on the idea at Oshkosh. Two months later I was visiting the factory, and three months after that I started building.

If I'm honest, I would advise waiting until you get the workshop. That hangar will cost you more than a few dollars in rent, and will be sub-optimal for a guy trying to work the build around a full time job. And that monthly rent payment won't help you get rid of those student loans. I think a year is a trivially short amount of time to spend planning, fixing some variables, getting some Kitfox stick time, learning on this forum, studying the manual, etc. so that when you do take delivery, you really hit the ground running.

[efwd]

I agree with Brian. That's sound advice.
The manual is available to read on the Kitfox website. Read to your hearts content. The manual is so clear that you will realize that there is nothing difficult or that can't be managed.
Eddie