Zenith zodiac 601xl kit

[ianrat]

Nice plane. But at $20,000.00 US for the kit it is $4,110.00 dollars dearer than the CH 601 XL. It also only has a cruise speed on 120 mph to the 155 mph of the CH 601 XL. The 601 has been around for a while now and has proved it self as a very easy plane to fly.

 

Ianrat

 

 

[Thruster87]

Just received the Zenith CD and plans kit, appears very detailed.They have delivered about 39 kits to Australia so far and 3/4 are still under construction. Cheers T87

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Thanks for the update T87. I'm following the experience of you and other builders on this forum and I look forward to every update.

 

What are your plans post completion, keep it at JB?

 

Have you passed the stage where you had to lock-in the engine choice for firewall forward items?

 

Mal

 

 

[Thruster87]

Going with the 3300 and have ordered the FWF from the USA. Jaspers is still on hold due to the legal challenge. Have to buy a new house with a bigger garage to fit all the toys in. Cheers T87

 

 

[Towering Cu]

Good luck with the build also T87. I look forward immensely to reading about your construction and hope you post plenty of pictures for us on the forum during the project.

 

Also hope you were able to take advantage of the Aussie dollar a couple of weeks ago!!

 

Do you have any sort of timeframe in mind for the build??

 

Regards,

 

Mike.

 

 

[ianrat]

Last weekend we took another friend down to Sports Air for a test flight. He was very impressed with the CH 601 and will be placing an order for a Quick Build kit on his return from a trip to China. That means we will be building 4 kits he in Brisbane at once. We will also be posting pictures. I think Thruster 87,s suggestion that we start a 601 club may have some merit.

 

Ianrat

 

 

[Thruster87]

Hi Towering Cu, Managed to get a good rate only on the deposit,but hopefully the share market goes up by February. Build time will depend on how well I can manage my time between building A/C and renovations on the NEW OLD house.

 

 

[Case]

Quite likely there will be 5 being built in Brisbane next year. I'm on the verge of placing my order.

 

 

[ianrat]

Case if you do decide to purchase a CH601 we would offer any assistance that you may require. The more CH601,s that we get flying the better.

 

Ianrat

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Ianrat, I'm heading north in a few weeks to try the SportCruiser which is currently at the top of my short list. Perhaps I should stop in at Sport Air and try the 601. How approachable are they? they don't expect to see your money before treating you as a genuine potential buyer do they? Does the demonstrator have centre or dual sticks?

 

Mal

 

 

[Case]

Thanks for the offer of help Ianrat. I've written to Garry for a bit more info before telling him to go ahead. Still waiting for a reply.

 

Mal - Give Garry at Sport Air a ring. I think you will find him very approachable. He took me for a fly October last year (yes, I'm a slow decision maker) no string attached.

 

 

[ianrat]

Mal,

 

Gary or Liezel in the office are very good to deal with. They will ask you for $80.00 for a test flight. They will take the plane out into there training area and put it through its paces. This cost will be deducted from the price if you purchace (fuel cost money these days).

 

I have no problem contacting them i just call Liezel on the phone and get her every time.

 

Ianrat

 

 

[Guest Flyer40]

Thanks guys, will do. $80 is quite reasonable. I just didn't want to be placed in a position where I had to commit a deposit to an airframe before I got to find out how it flies.

 

Mal

 

 

[Thruster87]

Hey Flyer40 as I've also had to pay for the inspection/pest/survey reports before I buy a house and that means every house you may consider[in NSW anyhow], which seems a bit unfair.I think the seller should be responsible for these documents. That's my bit for the day.At the moment planning to make the new garage comfortable for the upcoming 601xl project. Cheers T87

 

 

[Case]

If you haven't already found Eddie Seve's Zodiac builders site here's a link to it. It is a fairly comprehensive record of the build process.

 

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/category.php?user=eddieseve&project=89&category=0

 

I wonder if it would be possible to have a builders log application (like Kitlog) on this (Recreationalflying) site. I know people are giving us a record of their progress in other threads (eg. "Cowboy Up", J160 and J230) but may be a dedicated area would be better able to keep the records easily accessible long after we have finished our projects.

 

It would be good for new starters to see the trials and tribulations of taking on such a project, both for inspiration and direction and it would be a great addition to the Recreationalflying family of sites. - Ian ?

 

 

[darren_p]

Hi all, I am wondering how you are going with your builds, I am considering some kind of Zodiac to purchase.

 

Regards

 

Darren

 

 

[PapaFox]

Hi Darren. Well building is over, and I'm having a blast flying. The XL's are certainly a sweet plane all round. I noticed there is an XLB and two HD's for sale in the latest RAAus mag

 

 

[darren_p]

Thanks for the update, how long did it take you to complete the project and do you mind sharing what the total costs were.

 

Darren

 

 

[PapaFox]

Overall, the project spanned over 4 years, but there was probably a realistic time of a little over 2 years, if you take the breaks out, and combined with quite a few customisations that will always blow out the build times. Total flying cost, with the 912S and dual Dynons, paint, etc, was somewhere around $70k, though with the AU$ so strong now, that would be significantly less than that figure.