Simmer, hi.

Are you thinking of building or is this just a thread starter?

Building an aircraft can be as difficult as you make it and, depending on your skills, it could be easy. The ability to learn new skills is essential unless you are willing to pay others to do the dirty work, the ability to think sideways may also be a help. I do not know anyone who has not had to learn some new skill.

Obviously some a/c are easier to build than others so what type would you want and how much workspace is available and of what type? As an example it would be no good trying to build a plastic, sorry composite, a/c in a draughty outhouse or barn, your inspector would have kittens. You would not get me working in composites because of the health and safety aspects, but that is purely a personal choice.

Some of the 3-axis microlites come in a kit form that goes together relatively easily without any special skills and even the covering is ready made to be laced on. These could not be easier.

All metal, relatively easy but a lot of work and will require some special tools for riveting and bending. All those holes to be drilled, deburred aligned etc. are very satisfying once done but a pain at the time. All parts will need some form of protection applied before/during assembly – do you have a spray facility while building?

Steel tube and fabric will require a licensed welder. I know a chap who did an approved welding course and obtained his licence so he could do all his own welding.

Wood and fabric, clean but dusty and not generally critical on climate and only then while gluing but any type of spraying will require the right temperature and humidity.

These are just a few personal thoughts on home-building/restoration to get the thing going but I am sure others will add to them and disagree. Building or restoration can be slow, satisfying, frustrating, exciting, boring at times, but the end result will always be well worth it.
😀

GeeDee, hi.

You say:

Me personally, I prefer to hang underneath a wing ! I dont know why, I just feel…safer…with it above me than below my seat, almost as if my weight is keeping it in balance (which I know is a load of sphericals!)

I don’t agree, have you ever seen a low wing hang-glider?:) or have you ever tried checking the balance point of a low wing model by the fingers under the wing tip method method? It is just as likely to flip upside down. A high wing A/C must be more stable (hope I’m right).

Simmer

Try the British Microlite Aircraft Association (BMAA) on
http://www.avnet.co.uk/bmaa/, but don’t foget to come back here:)

Simmer

Whatever some people say, microlites are real aircraft. Please don’t get the “them and us” syndrome:D there is enough of that at the moment on another forum.

Some of the latest ones can be built as microlite or Class ‘A’ aircraft and I know someone with a Kitfox that is Class ‘A’ only because of the wing differences. Many will out-perform my old class ‘A’.

What type of flying do you want to do?