The Best Place to Build a Kitplane

Two popular choices for most builders are to either utilize available space at home or a hangar at the airport.

Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 10:35 AM ET

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This Sonex fuselage, one wing, tools and a small fridge are ready for the journey to the airport via snowmobile trailer. [Credit: Jon Croke]

Key Takeaways:

Builders typically choose between a home workshop (garage/shed) or an airport hangar for airplane kit construction, each presenting distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Building at an airport hangar offers abundant space and eliminates final transport, but often comes with challenges like temperature control, inadequate utilities, security concerns, and increased travel time.
A home workshop is a highly viable option for building, even in limited spaces, by constructing the aircraft in modular components (e.g., fuselage and wings separately) and planning for door clearances.
Transporting the completed aircraft components from a home workshop to the airport for final assembly is a manageable task, often accomplished using a simple trailer.

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You and your airplane kit deserve a comfortable workshop area for the many days of building that lie ahead. If you are a first-time builder or are considering an aircraft kit purchase, one of the very first questions you may be asking yourself is, “Do I have enough space to build this thing?”

The two popular choices for most builders are to either utilize available space at home or to build in a hangar at the airport. Everyone’s situation is different so there is no “one size fits all” here. For example, let’s be jealous of those who live on an airport property as their building and flying all take place in the same location.