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cost to build 601-xl

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haven

Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 19
Location: Kansas City MO

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:15 am Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

does anyone have a comparison of the cost to build a 601xl from the plans vs the cost of the kit?  This cost would not include avionics or engine.

TxDave

Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 168
Location: Temple, TX

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:28 am Post subject: Re: cost to build 601-xl

It is much less expensive to build from plans. For example, ZAC charges $2145 for the center spar and both main spars. I have probably less than $300 invested in the same parts. Another example is the wing rear channels. ZAC charges $140 each (you'll need 2). Making them myself took maybe 1/3 of a sheet of aluminum to form both pieces for a total cost of about $30.



It all comes down to time vs money. If you want to get flying quicker go with the kit. If you can't afford the kit then scratch build. If you don't have any sheet metal experience you'll have to learn the necessary skills. I had absolutely no building experience when I started. If I can scratch build anyone can. The homebuilthelp.com videos really help.



One of the great things about building a 601XL from plans is the fact that you can purchase any individual part from Zenith. Also, you will still receive great technical support.



Sorry for rambling.



Dave Clay

601XL plans builder

Temple, TX

http://www.daves601xl.com

jerryhey(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:54 am Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

David,  I want to scratch build a 701 so I am very interested in your  

experience.   Did you buy a shear, brake, etc.    Can you give me a  

short list of essential tooling, hand, air  and so on.   I have  

ordered one of the videos from homebuilthelp.com.  I am hoping it  

arrives today.     Thanks, Jerry



On Apr 11, 2007, at 11:28 AM, TxDave wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 It is much less expensive to build from plans. For example, ZAC  

 charges $2145 for the center spar and both main spars. I have  

 probably less than $300 invested in the same parts. Another example  

 is the wing rear channels. ZAC charges $140 each (you'll need 2).  

 Making them myself took maybe 1/3 of a sheet of aluminum to form  

 both pieces for a total cost of about $30.



 It all comes down to time vs money. If you want to get flying  

 quicker go with the kit. If you can't afford the kit then scratch  

 build. If you don't have any sheet metal experience you'll have to  

 learn the necessary skills. I had absolutely no building experience  

 when I started. If I can scratch build anyone can. The  

 homebuilthelp.com videos really help.



 One of the great things about building a 601XL from plans is the  

 fact that you can purchase any individual part from Zenith. Also,  

 you will still receive great technical support.



 Sorry for rambling.



 Dave Clay

 601XL plans builder

 Temple, TX

 http://www.daves601xl.com





 Read this topic online here:



 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=106278#106278

taffy0687(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

I agree 100% with what Dave said below.   Also without doing a lot of math, I believe it is a fair statement to say: Scratch building the 601XL, I have saved enough money to buy a William Wynne built corvair engine and prop.

  Fritz-- scratch builder



TxDave <dclaytx2(at)HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

  [quote]--> Zenith-List message posted by: "TxDave" 



It is much less expensive to build from plans. For example, ZAC charges $2145 for the center spar and both main spars. I have probably less than $300 invested in the same parts. Another example is the wing rear channels. ZAC charges $140 each (you'll need 2). Making them myself took maybe 1/3 of a sheet of aluminum to form both pieces for a total cost of about $30.



It all comes down to time vs money. If you want to get flying quicker go with the kit.       It's here! Your new message!

Get [url=http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49938/*http://tools.search.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/mail/] new email alerts[/url] with the free [url= http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49938/*http://tools.search.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/mail/]Yahoo! Toolbar.[/url] [quote][b]

bill_dom(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:07 am Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

I’m building from plans and so far, based on what I’ve  already spend, my projected airframe cost will come about $5,000 give or take  $1,000.

          Now, if you start buying sheet metal and cutting it as need  it to make the next part, you will probably spend a lot more and will end up  with lots of unused scrap. The key to build from plans cheaply is to cut your  material as shown in the layout provided in the builder resources section of www.ch601.org

                      I think plans vs. kit boils down to personal preference and  needs, my impression is that most plans builders are able to afford the kit and  most kit builders have the capacity and the skills to build from plans.

  

  

  William Dominguez

  Zodiac 601XL Plans

dougsnash(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:14 am Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

Jerry, I am scratch building a CH-701.  If you ordered

the "Scratch Building Basics" DVD from

Homebuilthelp.com you've bought your first important

tool.  Mark and David do an excellent job of

explaining the basics.



Another good resource in the ch-701.com and ch-601.org

websites.  They are geared toward the scratch builder

and have several hints and tips to aid people that

enjoy doing thing the hard way (or at least not the

easy way).



I built my own brake and have been using the Olfa

knife cutting method (explained on the DVD)instead of

needing a shear.  My brake is only 5 ft long and there

are are a few pieces that are around 8 ft.  For those,

a better idea would be to build a bolt together 8ft

break.  The brake plans are available on the ch-701

website.



Welcome to scratch building 



Doug MacDonald

CH-701 Scratch Builder

Working on controls

NW Ontario, Canada



Do not archive

--- Jerry Hey <jerryhey(at)earthlink.net> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <jerryhey(at)earthlink.net>

 

 David,  I want to scratch build a 701 so I am very

 interested in your  

 experience.   Did you buy a shear, brake, etc.   

 Can you give me a  

 short list of essential tooling, hand, air  and so

 on.   I have  

 ordered one of the videos from homebuilthelp.com.  I

 am hoping it  

 arrives today.     Thanks, Jerry

 

 

 


	


       

Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peak at the forecast

with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.

http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather

zodierocket(at)hsfx.ca
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:53 pm Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

Thanks Doug, I'm blushing.



Mark Townsend

Can-Zac Aviation Ltd.

president(at)can-zacaviation.com

www.can-zacaviation.com 



--

naumuk(at)alltel.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

Bill-

     Very well said. Once you  get to a certain point, money is no object (Sort of). It's you against the  project!

 Bill Naumuk

HDS Fuse/Corvair

Townville, Pa

 [quote]   ---

p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject: cost to build 601-xl

Let me expand on the comment about time vs. money.



When you buy a kit, you are paying for three things that you don't 

pay money for when you scratch build.  First there is the "Retail" 

cost of materials instead of the wholesale costs paid by a large 

scale manufacturer like Zenith.  Second is the labor costs for 

cutting and forming parts as well as purchasing the required 

materials.  To some degree this also applies to selecting vendors and 

choosing alternative materials.  Third is the profit made by Zenith.



On the plus side, kit builders get preformed parts - particularly 

when the forming takes special skills (like welding) or special tools 

(like a 12 foot bending brake).  You also get a certain amount of 

quality control from the kit manufacturer.  Zenith has always 

provided high quality parts in the kits I have received with proper 

dimensions and materials.



Perhaps the biggest question is how much your time is worth.  There 

is real value in the savings of work to form the parts and accumulate 

the materials.  There is also real value in building your plane in a 

fraction of the time needed to scratch build the same plane.



I don't think there is a universal "Right" answer to the kit vs. 

scratch build question.  Each of us must evaluate how much time, 

money, and delay we can deal with in our project.  For a retired 

millionaire, the kit is an easy choice.  For a younger person working 

full time for a big salary and expectation of living another 40 years 

the answer could be different.  Likewise, someone interested in 

having a plane for absolute minimum cash outlay who doesn't care 

about the build schedule or labor value would reach another 

decision.  It all works so long as we use reason instead of raw 

emotion in our choices.



Paul

XL fuselage (from standard kit)





 	  Quote: 	
		  It is much less expensive to build from plans. For example, ZAC 

charges $2145 for the center spar and both main spars. I have 

probably less than $300 invested in the same parts. Another example 

is the wing rear channels. ZAC charges $140 each (you'll need 2). 

Making them myself took maybe 1/3 of a sheet of aluminum to form 

both pieces for a total cost of about $30.



It all comes down to time vs money.


	


--

Ron Lendon

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 685
Location: Clinton Twp., MI

Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject: Re: cost to build 601-xl

I just ran through the math and it looks like I have $5628 invested so far.  I purchased most of the sheet metal at one time when prices were lower.  About $1800 dollars were just the initial purchase of Aluminum.



Here is were the project is at now.  Rudder, Stabizer, Elevator, Ailerons, Flaps, and wing spars are complete. Left wing, both 15 gal fuel tanks in process.  Have two Corvair Blocks, Two Crank Shafts, One crank is flight ready, Heads are out to Falcon for their magic.  Have the rest of the engine parts in a box and am about to get the cylinders, rods, pistons, camshaft in process.  The engines cores didn't cost me anything, just asked around and they just fell in place from helpful people who wanted a piece of the dream.



Started about 19 months ago.  If I just dropped the cash and bought everything at once, not the quick build, I would probably have spent $19880 for the airframe, $18250 for the engine & ??? for avionics and be flying it already with a Jabiru 3300 engine.  Easily 50k to 70K could be spent on the XL.



I am having the time of my life building the way I am.  It is taking me back to my roots in the metal trades which I have been away from for 15 years.



Thanks for asking, and I hope this helps you decide.  Once you start, it's hard to stop.

_________________
Ron Lendon
WW Corvair with Roy's Garage 5th bearing
CH 601 XLB
N601LT - Flying
http://www.mykitlog.com/rlendon
Corvair Engine Prints:
https://sites.google.com/site/corvairenginedata/

haven

Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 19
Location: Kansas City MO

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:27 am Post subject: Re: cost to build 601-xl

Thanks for the quick replys.  Money is of course a large consideration.  It looks like I may get into it, and do it both ways.  Build some from scratch, and buy some premade parts.  Thanks again for the replys....

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