Hi, Nice vid ! But i would like to know what takes soo long to build a plane ? I mean, you started to build your LongEz almost 10 YEARS AGO, and I remarked that for all amateur constructors, it's almost the same thing
@@drnugget8347 These airplanes are built from scratch… they are not a kit. So for every part, one has to figure out how to make it, what tool will be needed, perhaps build a special jig for it, etc. All that takes time. Yes, the plans might tell you “the bolt goes here”… but now you need to figure out how to accurately measure where the bolt needs to go, what size drill bit to use, consider tolerances and accurately drill the hole, etc. All that takes time. Most kits give you the parts you need, and comes pre-drilled, saving a LOT of time. Here, everything is made from scratch. Also, the plans might tell you the fiberglass orientation, but you don’t get templates… so now one has to figure out how to be efficient in cutting the fiberglass to minimize waste (which costs $$). For every hour I spend in the hangar, I probably spend 5 hours reading the plans, figuring out my plan of action, how am I going to execute the next step, purchasing materials (which one has to be strategic about - consider epoxy shelf life, etc), do I have the tool/materials I’ll need? If not, I need to buy it (another trip to the hardware store!) Maybe it’s not available nearby, so now I need to wait for it to be shipped to my residence, etc. Oh yea, then there’s that thing called “life”. For most of us builders, this is a hobby… so the amount of time one has available to spend on the build is relatively limited compared to other things that take priority (work, family, house chores, etc.). Lastly, it’s an AIRPLANE! Your life and the life of those you will take flying will depend on how thorough you were throughout your build. I can’t tell you the amount of time I have spent reworking something just to make sure it was built “right”. Building something you are putting your life on requires a whole other level of detail one would otherwise have to make. This too takes time. I normally don’t reply to questions on RU-vid, but I honestly felt you were genuinely intrigued as to why it takes so long to build, rather than a jab at me. So there you have it, building an airplane from scratch takes time.. that’s just how it goes. Unless you have resources (like Burt Rutan did when he owned Scaled Composites) to throw at a project like this, the average Joe will take 10+ years to build one. And that’s ok. It takes as long as it takes. The builders who are successful and finish a project through - did it because they love to build - the journey is part of the enjoyment and reason we do this! Hope this helps answer your question.
@@aryjg alr, thanks a lot for the response and for the time you took to answer, ideed, you answered my question ! I never thought about that part of building an airplane and this is truely HUGE ! I'm 16 and I was always a true fan of planes and engeneering !
@@drnugget8347 No problem! If you have any questions or thinking about becoming an aerospace engineer and would like to know more, feel free to reach out! Shoot me an email!
You all are doing an incredible job with some serious attention to detail. Thank you for putting your work on display, very impressive! Looking forward to the finished product. Hope to see it at Oshkosh in the future!
Following your journey since 2019, amazing to see what you have accomplished so far. Keep in mind that it's just a hobby and an expensive one for sure. So it's nice to see someone so dedicated to an idea most people would call nonsense. Your long reply to a comment simply sums up the journey.
