wrote:
It just seems prudent to me to not build a homebuilt that can't be
built from plans.

You can also buy the whole kit right away and then you have all the
parts to finish even if they dissapear. Thats what I did and finished
my plane. It turned out my kit company is still in business.

There is much better chance of doing the job right with a kit. And kits
can take much less time to finish than plans built. I finished mine in
about 3-1/2 years including the 14 month test phase. I seen people work
15 years finishing their plans built. If you are nearing 60 you may not
have 15 years to finish and enjoy it. If you are younger when you start
a plans built, the chances of abandoning the project after 5 years are
high.
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SQ2000 canard: http://www.abri.com/sq2000