CH650 build cost

[MartyG]

Just out of curiosity what would it cost to build/complete a Ch650 not counting the cost of the Airframe/Engine or any over the top accesories. Probably never be in position to do it but you never know lol. Cheers Marty

 

 

[Peter Anson]

You seem to be asking how much it would cost to build an aircraft without the aircraft. Are you talking about instruments, a nice paint job, labour costs?

 

Peter

 

 

[MartyG]

A

 

You seem to be asking how much it would cost to build an aircraft without the aircraft. Are you talking about instruments, a nice paint job, labour costs?Peter

Yeh Peter, What extra it would cost after you had purchased the kit and engine package, just a dream question but you never know. Cheers

 

 

[Nobody]

Working out the total cost of a kit is hard to do as many kits don't include everything. The things that they leave out are very dependant on personal preference. For instance one person may be happy with a minimalist interior while anther want full leather with carpet floors and side panel. This can easily cost a few thousand dollars to be well done. One person is happy with a mechanical altimeter, handheld radio and ASI with an ipad backup. Another wants a full dual screen G3x system with transponder and engine monitoring, in which case allow $15k and up. It also depends on how you want to do things like wiring. Aircraft grade tefzel wiring can cost a fir bit hen it is all added up, pvc coated is a lot cheaper and works just as well until it doesn't.

 

One way to get some idea it to look at the cost of the RV-12. Vans supply a full kit including just about everything. For instance there are a lot of parts that you need to install an engine beyond what rotax give you. Each of these is not that expensive but they all add up. You can look at the parts list in the vans FWF kit and they get an idea of what all the extra parts will cost.

 

 

[Peter Anson]

As Nobody says, it depends. As an example, I did the paint myself for a few hundred dollars. If I had a professional job done it could have cost more than $10,000. I sometimes wish I had spent the extra money, but usually only when it is parked next to a good paint job at a fly-in. On the other hand, I was able to build my complete aircraft for less than $35,000. It's a scratch-built Sonex with Jab 3300 engine and a very basic glass panel. I probably spent $6,000 to $7,000 for instruments, propeller, battery, fuel system parts and upholstery. It's basic and looks it.

 

Peter

 

 

[MartyG]

Cheers for the replys Guys.

 

 

[nblight]

Hi Marty welcome to the group, we all started where you are at tinkering the thought and then it builds and you cant give it up, i think you are after ball parks for the ch650 which i looked into a while ago, landed in australia for the complete kit through zenair australia your looking at around $32k add around another $30k for engine and avionics and your flying.For a first time builder you would save around 20k by scratchbuilding rather then a kit. You can buy the kit in pieces and i have attached a spreadsheet to cost this. Plenty of good people around who are building these contact alan at zenair australia to put you in touch with them. I am currently building a CH300, or as i put it restoring a plane that never flew.

 

I also have plans for the CH640 if anyone is interested.

 

Feel free to ask more questions

 

CH 650 costs.xls

 

CH 650 costs.xls

 

CH 650 costs.xls

[MartyG]

Thanks for that Peter.cheers

 

 

[Marty_d]

If you're a keen builder then go for it Marty, but if you'd rather be flying there's a heap of second hand aircraft that will cost a lot less than it'll cost you to build it.

 

 

[MartyG]

Yeh when you add it all up its not cheap to build and there are some good used buys around. But as I said just curious for now but you never know.cheers

 

 

[Allan CH650CH750]

You have asked the 64 dollar question

 

When you work out the answer please let us know

 

There are so many factors to take in account

 

There not a single answer

 

 

[601man]

Hi I am currently building 601XL / 650

 

Depending on the value of the dollar

 

kit about $35,000 depending on options,

 

Engine new $25- 30000 depends on what you want,

 

Avionics. Depends again,$10-15000 on what you want.

 

Paint and seats, up to,$10,000

 

So you have about a $80-90,000 brad new 2 seater, that you built and can maintain.

 

Buy a second hand XL or 650 for around $50-60000 and you need a Lame to maintain.

 

Chris

 

Are you in for the build, the fly, both or just because it's cheaper to operate at first glance..?

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

My Jabiru SK kit was $24,000 for the airframe kit and $12,000 for the engine prop and instruments.

 

Then there was paint and radio, about $2000 more.

 

Luckily I didn't charge myself for the labor. Building was good fun most of the time, and I have to admit to a hankering to build one of the latest "matched hole" metal kits.

 

 

[Marty_d]

...and I have to admit to a hankering to build one of the latest "matched hole" metal kits.

Every piece of mine is measured, marked, clamped, 3/32" drilled, clecoed, 1/8" (or 5/32") drilled, deburred, scotchbrited, and primed before being riveted... so I agree, it'd be lovely for someone else to do all the prep work!

 

 

[M61A1]

Every piece of mine is measured, marked, clamped, 3/32" drilled, clecoed, 1/8" (or 5/32") drilled, deburred, scotchbrited, and primed before being riveted... so I agree, it'd be lovely for someone else to do all the prep work!

Yes, but hourly rate for someone else to do it adds so much more to the cost, and take a lot from the experience. It's probably the biggest slice of the kit price. You will learn far more from plans building.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Yes, but hourly rate for someone else to do it adds so much more to the cost, and take a lot from the experience. It's probably the biggest slice of the kit price. You will learn far more from plans building.

I think automation would save a lot of man hours though. I'm sure kit producers would have machinery that stamps out your rivet holes, properly located and spaced, at the finished size with no deburring required.

I agree you get a lot from plans building, just not sure you need to repeat the experience 20,000 times...

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I reckon the paint etc came to more than $2000 but I am in denial about the true cost.

 

Just like the operating cost, the wife pays the bills and I only have to ignore the grumbles.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I reckon the paint etc came to more than $2000 but I am in denial about the true cost.Just like the operating cost, the wife pays the bills and I only have to ignore the grumbles.

I'm often in that Egyptian river.

 

Still, as I tell my wife, it keeps me off the streets, every hobby costs money, and it's cheaper than a gambling addiction.

 

 

[manna]

Hi Marty

 

After building a 601XLB, which cost 61000, and this included the kit , Rotax 912 ULS, Paint, interior fit out and avionics. It would have been cheaper to buy one already built, but the reason I built was that I enjoyed the building process, and I now have 280 hours on the aircraft. I am now building another aircraft from plans, which is timber, because I enjoy the build process.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Hi MartyAfter building a 601XLB, which cost 61000, and this included the kit , Rotax 912 ULS, Paint, interior fit out and avionics. It would have been cheaper to buy one already built, but the reason I built was that I enjoyed the building process, and I now have 280 hours on the aircraft. I am now building another aircraft from plans, which is timber, because I enjoy the build process.

Good on you Manna. Yes I agree, if I didn't love building I'd be a fool not to just buy someone else's hard work.

 

Part of it is the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Another part is being a tight-ars*e (I didn't buy a kit, just the plans and a lot of aluminium).

 

 

[rgmwa]

Every piece of mine is measured, marked, clamped, 3/32" drilled, clecoed, 1/8" (or 5/32") drilled, deburred, scotchbrited, and primed before being riveted... so I agree, it'd be lovely for someone else to do all the prep work!

Marty, what equipment have you got for cutting and bending sheet?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Marty_d]

Marty, what equipment have you got for cutting and bending sheet?rgmwa

For anything below 0.063" (ie 0.016, 0.025, 0.032 and 0.040) - if it's straight lines, which a lot of this plane is, I use an Olfa linoleum cutter held against a straight edge. For the thin stuff it only takes about 4 runs and the sheet will quite happily snap at the score. Obviously the thicker it is the more scoring it needs.

 

This leaves a rough edge that needs lots of filing to smooth out. Recently I had my local sheetmetal worker do a heap of cuts with the big guillotine, that works a lot better and leaves a nice clean edge. So these days (bit late in the game, I know, but live and learn) - I draw up all the bits for the next section I want to work on and get him to cut them.

 

For 0.063" and larger, and extrusion, I have a spare blade for my drop saw. With care, safety equipment and a firm grip, pretty much any shape can be cut out.

 

For circles I use a fly cutter on the drill, followed of course with a lot more filing.

 

 

[rgmwa]

Thanks. What about bending flanges, etc. Have you got a bending brake, or use formers/mallet etc?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[M61A1]

For anything below 0.063" (ie 0.016, 0.025, 0.032 and 0.040) - if it's straight lines, which a lot of this plane is, I use an Olfa linoleum cutter held against a straight edge. For the thin stuff it only takes about 4 runs and the sheet will quite happily snap at the score. Obviously the thicker it is the more scoring it needs. This leaves a rough edge that needs lots of filing to smooth out. Recently I had my local sheetmetal worker do a heap of cuts with the big guillotine, that works a lot better and leaves a nice clean edge. So these days (bit late in the game, I know, but live and learn) - I draw up all the bits for the next section I want to work on and get him to cut them.

For 0.063" and larger, and extrusion, I have a spare blade for my drop saw. With care, safety equipment and a firm grip, pretty much any shape can be cut out.

 

For circles I use a fly cutter on the drill, followed of course with a lot more filing.

For all the 0.016" stuff, I use a big set of dressmakers shears. cost me about $40.00. The do a lovely job, nearly as good as a guillotine but go around corners as well.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Thanks. What about bending flanges, etc. Have you got a bending brake, or use formers/mallet etc?rgmwa

I've got a little 750mm bending brake which does all the small bits quite well. Anything bigger than that, I take up to old mate.

For the formed parts - ribs etc - I make a left and right wooden form with routed and chamfered-back edge to allow for spring back, screw them together with the aluminium blank between them and hold in a vice while belting with a rubber mallet, then wooden hammer (home made). Relief valleys are formed by bashing appropriate diameter rods - from screwdriver shanks to tube - down onto the flange.