I am just starting the build, but here is what I found out so far:
How long - 1000 to 2000 hours. If you work about 10 hours a week, that is
about 4 years. Some do it faster, while some take longer. The best advice I
can give is, don't set a target date. Just keep working one step at a time,
and some day you will see a finished airplane.
Epoxy - Aeroepoxy is pretty good as far as epoxies go. It gels relatively
slowly and it doesn't smell too much. It is also thinner than other epoxies so
it is easier to wet out.
Why people stop - Probably because they were too anxious to fly the airplane.
If you are fixated on flying the airplane, you will easily get overwhelmed by
the tasks in front of you. Work on one task at a time. Research as much as you
can about that task, and do your best job at it. Take pride in each and every
piece you make, and admire your workmanship.
In order to stay motivated, you should go out and fly as frequently as you
can. That way you get the flying bug out of your system and won't get
frustrated with the slow build process.
Builder support - the builder support is great. There are a variety of
sources. This forum is one. Or, you can call the office in Lakeland or in the
U.K (no offense to the Lakeland folks, but I have found the U.K office to be
much more helpful). Russ Lepre and Bob Berube run a service where you can get
help over email for a small annual fee. There are several builder websites
with all kinds of useful information. In short, there is no shortage of
information and help.
Cost - The plain vanilla xs (with a 912 engine) might cost about $50k. About
$70k if you want to be fancier.
"Kevin Flynn" <cannylordelm@hotmail.com> wrote:
Hi I was thinking about the europa xs kit. Can anyone answer a few
questions. 1.How long will it really take.2. How many have many have had
problems with epoxy. 3.How many stop there projects and why. 4. How much to
operate after complete , insurance, maintenance,etc. 5. How is Europa,s
builder support. 6. How much will a plain vanilla xs cost to get into the
air. 7 how simple/hard is the europa to rig and transport.
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