Plans built KR-2 retract tail dragger with Diehl wing skins then converted to Diehl tri-gear, all electronic gauges. 3800 hours build time, $28K in parts and supplies over 29 years. Painted it myself with house paint. Have 4 flights and still trying to get rid of the tail heavy cg. Left arm and head room lacks about 2-inches on left side. Have abandoned the dream of taking friends and Young Eagles for rides with this airplane. Were I a Ken Rand sized person, no problem. Next airplane will be a KR-2S with a big engine (Corvair or such), should I live so long.
Sid Wood Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 Mechanicsville, MD, USA ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Magazines used to say you could build one for $400, in about 40 hours, and it would go supersonic. But now we have almost 50 years on the design (can you BELIEVE that!) so realistic numbers are avail. OH, what kind of $$$ have builders spent in recent build? KR2 info ok too, they are prob similar ballpark $ and time. ------------------------------ I have never built a KR1, but have built 2 KR2 and I got in on both of them as started projects. The first one took as much time tearing out and starting over, as the rest of the build. The second went fairly smoothly, but both took me 6 years to complete. I don't think you should be looking at anything under 1000 hours, and probably 1500 is much more realistic. But you have been reading this list and must realize that nobody wants to do it pure stock. Those dollars and hours of 40 years ago never were even close. It is hard to say how much money you will spend, but my guess is anywhere from $10 to $25 thousand. The more you try to skimp on quality, the more risk you take on. You need to building this plane because it meets your desire to fly and it is the plane you want. You have to stay within budget and time constraints that are realistic for you, but you also have to realize that flying is not CHEAP, no matter how you cut it. I doubt that there are many planes that you can build that are more easy and fun to fly than a KR. If that is what you want, build it. If you want to make a lot of changes, plan on a lot more money and time.
