On Feb 2, 6:15*pm, Nyal Williams wrote:

This comes from EAA, IIRC. In the US, about 5% of the homebuilt aircraft
started up ever get finished...

It depends on what you mean by "started up." If by that you mean
purchased a plans set and maybe a few of the essentials for one of the
1950s or 1960s designs like FlyBaby or Tailwind, then, yeah, I'd have
to concede the point.

But there is no chance, none at all, that that kind of rate applies to
modern kit aircraft such as Vans pre-punched or quick-build kits for
airplanes like the RV-8. Near as I can tell, just about every one of
those gets finished, and relatively few trade hands in progress.

Collectively, the RV builders constitute one of the worlds most
prolific small aircraft manufacturers, as of yesterday they have
completed and flown 6069 small aircraft; that's about a thousand more
aircraft than are in the current US glider fleet:

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/flights.htm

I work on an RV-8 two nights a week, and I've been to Vans factory in
Aurora, Oregon, and it has been an incredible experience to see what
you can do with a rational and balanced approach to a kit airplane.
With the pre-punched and pre-drilled holes, relatively few jigs are
required and the whole thing sort of just falls together in the
correct alignment. It is easy to get started, and easy to keep making
progress.

The comparison to even the fairly complete Schreder kits of the 1960s
and 1970s is like night and day. There's no stress and anxiety around
transferring measurements and doing hole layouts and wondering if
you're about to ruin a part by drilling a hole in the wrong spot. All
the bulkheads and ribs are formed to shape, and almost all the skins
are trimmed to outline.

What's really amazing about the RVs, and is definitely an example to
look to, is the resale value. Any reasonably well-built and flyable RV
will command a price that is substantially greater than the cost of
the kit plus the cost of the engine and avionics and other items that
went into it.

Thanks again, Bob K.