Postby grostek » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:36 pm
Hi all,
The 601xl can be scratch build in approx 2000 hours, sounds a lot but if you work, and note I said work,2 hours every evening and 5 hours every weekend you will have done 15 hours per week. so in 50 weeks per year (need the holiday for the family) you will have done 750 hours. This leaves another 1,7 years add those 8 months for running about for spares etc and the total will be near enough 3 years.
All that is needed is enthusiasim and dedication as well as a set routine. Plan your work and then work your plan.
Zenith recommend you build the Rudder first, this will show you all the techiques needed for the rest of the aircraft and build up the confidence level .
The best workshop to have is the one attached to your house, because then its not a pain to drive around on dark winter nights and working in freezing hangers.
Working in the garage on a project like this is also a form of therapy, gets you out of the chair in front of the TV and you can always involve the kids and wife at various stages to help.
Almost all the raw material can be bought in South Africa.
That 1200BMW that Oupa and Vliegvark are developing might very well be the ultimate engine for a project such as this.
As Mike in PE says scratchbuilding is cheaper all round as well.
Once you have build one , the second one seems to be completed in about 40% less time than the first.
I have the utmost respect for scratch builders.
More power to them all.
Kind regards,
Gunter Rostek.
Even is it is taking more than 6 years 
Wife does get a bit tense 
when you are working with a router in the next room and she has just put little pink foot down 
