Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Home-built planes like the Seawind 3000 are popular choice

The plane that crashed into DeLand Publix on Monday — a Seawind 3000 — belongs to a broad category of planes known as experimental aircraft.

The category is so broad, in fact, it includes nine different types of vehicles — from ultralight one-person flying machines to vintage war planes — with one common characteristic: they are used for recreation and personal use.

The Seawind 3000 belongs to the largest subcategory of experimental aircraft: amateur-built. Plane kits can cost between $10,000 and $100,000.

Such planes that date back nearly 50 years with an estimated 33,000 registered in the nation, Dick Knapinski, a spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association, said Tuesday.

Knapinski said most home-built planes have a single engine and are rigorously tested before hitting the market. He said they are just as sturdy as standard planes built in a factory.

Builders spend an average 2,000 hours assembling the plane, which is typically made of composite materials like fiberglass or plastic. The kit does not include the engine and a few other necessary parts, which are sold separately.

Home-built planes are lighter and faster than most aircraft, Knapinski said. For example, the Seawind 3000 can fly up to 12,000 feet at more than 175 miles per hour, he said.

The FAA inspects home-built aircraft after they are built and the owner must provide documentation about construction before airworthiness certificates are issued.

Pilots also need the same federal certification required by the FAA to fly a factory-built machine.

Source:   http://articles.orlandosentinel.com