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Building your own airplane is possible and actually quite common. There are kits for anything from one-seaters with open cockpit to pressurized turboprops. htt
by lutorm 13y ago
Building your own airplane is possible and actually quite common. There are kits for anything from one-seaters with open cockpit to pressurized turboprops.
http://eaa.org/homebuilders/ http://eaa.org/homebuilders/
- jokoon 13y agoNo I meant like newer generation planes with more efficient engines, lighter, more aerodynamic, etc. I'm not sure if current airplane designs are as good as they can...
- lutorm 13y agoTrue, engine efficiency is kind of flat-lined. Turbines aren't efficient for most GA operations, but there are new diesel aviation engines coming online. Aerodynamically, I don't know about big gains. Something like a Lancair Legacy is pretty low drag. You can make lower-drag planes, but that typically comes with much higher stall/takeoff/landing speeds that make the plane harder to fly and much less safe in the event of a forced landing.
- tjmc 13y agoPersonally I'm looking forward to the next generation of electric aircraft, once battery density improves and costs come down. A Chinese company is already producing an electric ultralight and working on a small GA electric: http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasport/germany-certifies-first-electric-airplane-espyder http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasport/germany-certifies...