Building an Airplane

Have any of you built and airplane? I have been researching for a few years, I finally broke down and bought the plans. I plan on building a plane originally designed in the 1920s, with a few modernizations in the 30s. It's the Pietenpol AirCamper. It is a wood and fabric construction, most likely with a more modern engine (we'll see when I get there). It will be a long project, lasting several years, but I can't imagine anything else giving such a feeling of accomplishment.

I'm hoping to find more homebuilders in the area. We do not have an EAA chapter nearby, there is one in El Dorado, and another in Pineville. While working in Burleson, TX, I met with the EAA chapter there, and got a good look at a nearly complete Piet, and two more in construction.

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contri...liard/9866.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ES4YZ5j09...4+13.47.26.jpg

My father built two kit planes. I worked for midst custom craft for a summer in college. It's very rewarding but tedious beyond compare. I love airplanes but my wife says that until my youngest is out of the house, I'm in a holding pattern.

Mine loves the idea. We've taken a weekend trip to Hot Springs (1.5hr by air vs 3.5hr by road). We also rented a plane in Michigan and flew to Mackinac Island for the 4th of July this year. That's with my two girls (6 and 2 at the time). Our resort had a private strip, so we could walk from the airplane to the room.

I plan on buying a plane in the next year, but also building for fun.

I watched one of my partners build a kit plane. He worked so hard on it and had it looking great. He flew it from Delhi to Vicksburg on the initial test flight. When he landed in Vicksburg the tail wheel got caught in a gap in the runway, ground looped, and tore the plane up. I felt so bad for him.

He later rebuilt an Aeronca and is still flying it today.

I've seen a guy destroy an RC plane on his first flight. That would be devastating.

KS, as far as your wife. Numbers may work on her, they may not though.

2013 saw 361 individual fatalities in helicopters and light airplanes, the fewest in more than 50 years.
http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/...-T-Nall-Report