Chris Prata wrote: >> Here's another noob question. How many hours does a KR1 take to build? I know it can really vary, but I'm hoping a few answers will come through and give me a ball park.<<
Funny you should ask this, as I was thinking about it yesterday. I finally read the January Sport Aviation article about the KR2 spinning it in while with video running, and after reading the NTSB's description of the KR2, I thought "anybody reading this is going to think you could build one of these in no time". And then it occurred to me why I've seen an uptick in new list subscribers in the last few weeks...some of them read this same article and it sounded like a cheap and easy to build airplane. But that's not reality. I kept meticulous records building mine, and although I made a lot of changes, I quit counting at 5400 hours because I thought it was ready to fly, and I was close to being done. The advertising that RR used to do said 800 hours, and I don't know of anybody who's built one in less than 1500. I'm guessing 2500-3000 is more typical for a "plain" KR2. I'll bet Robert Pesak and Hurbert Furle have more time in their planes than I do. And with the kind of changes you're planning, you are headed for the same schedule. A KR1 will take a little less time to build than a KR2 or KR2S because there's less wing area to sand, but most other pieces will take the same amount of time...they're just a little smaller. You'll definitely be making your own cowling, as nobody sells one that I know of...not that it's a big deal, but it's not like buying one with your Visa card. Mine was "scratch built" and it took a lot of time...12 years of spare time, an average of 38 hours per month, and I never even painted it! Having said all of this, I expect my next plane to go at least twice as fast, if not faster. Experience and knowing where I'm going is half the battle...no head scratching required on this next one. Joe Horton is proving that now on his next one. I saw Allen Buzza in Perth laying out a fuselage side in an afternoon, and he expected to have the boat done in a week! This was his second (almost third, considering his canopy disaster) KR2. I guess what I'm trying to say is it ain't quick to build, especially if you make changes that nobody's ever done before. A lot of people show up here with their hair on fire to build the airplane of their dreams, and many burn out before they even get started. If you have to ask how long it's going to take to build, you have to decide how seriously you want to fly, and then consider how much persistence you have to apply for the long haul. Take into consideration how important some of your changes are to the equation of getting it done soon, or getting it done to match your dreams... Mark Langford, Harvest, AL ML at N56ML.com www.N56ML.com
