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Plans Built GyroplanesIn your search for a gyroplane that suits your style and mission you may have found a great little ship that is only available by building from plans. Building from plans will require you to spend more time manufacturing and building parts. The entire build process will be more involved than that of a kit built aircraft. If you enjoy working with your hands and can appreciate and produce parts with craftsmanship then building from plans is right up your alley. The builder desiring to construct an aircraft from plans is certainly one with a passion for the manufacturing aspect of the sport. Building from plans requires the builder to purchase raw stock materials and build to print the required components and parts. Gyroplanes are small aircraft and not a lot of machining or special jigs or tools are needed as compared to other types of aircraft built from plans. Some parts may have to be welded or machined by an actual shop that specializes in the process you require. Please keep in mind any work that is completed by someone else may not be used toward your percentage of the build. In other words, time and components made or assembled by someone else will detract from your part of the 51% rule of the FAA for amatuer built aircraft. It is highly recommended for anyone planning on building from plans to seek out an EAA technical counslor for help and guidance. You can try your local EAA chapter or if your are not sure where the chapter is located or how to get a technical counslor you can contact the EAA at www.eaa.org. You might also be able to find someone through the Popular Rotorcraft Association (PRA) who already built the same gyroplane. You can contact the PRA at www.pra.org. The plans will carry a materials list to let you know what to purchase so you will not have to figure that much out. There are also material suppliers or the plans provider may offer materials kits with all the raw stock already packaged for you. Ask the plans provider if there is such a kit and who provides it and at what cost. Stock materials are not terribly expensive so in theory plans built aircraft can be cheaper to build than a kit as you absorb more of the labour and manufacturing. The offset is if a lot of specialty work has to be outsourced. There are many sources of aviation grade stock materials with metals, composite, fabric, cable and so on. See the Materials page. So if plans are your passion check out the plans built gyroplanes.
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