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I have always wanted to fly and I have taken some ground school but I don’t have enough money to finish my ppl and get a plane so I think ultralights are the next best thing, it is just what should I build it out of. I have seen many people use wood, aluminum, or steel. What would be the best bet for a new builder that has a lot of understanding how a plane works

David Warren
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  • Welcome to Aviation.SE! While you might receive some good answers, it is also possible that your question will be closed. If you edit your question to clarify what research you have done so far and what you are looking for, it is less likely to be closed. – dalearn Apr 07 '20 at 14:00
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    There is a young man who built an ultralight out of foam insulation. https://hackaday.com/2017/08/14/building-an-ultralight-out-of-foam-in-a-basement/ Since this article came out, he has successfully flown it, I saw it on a TV program. Google his name, or "foam ultralight" for more hits. He's a youtuber apparently, more hits in this article http://inspire.eaa.org/2017/11/21/airventure-2017-inspires-homebuilt-foam-board-ultralight/ – CrossRoads Apr 07 '20 at 14:17
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    Have you tried your local glider club. I have nothing against ultralights. If your end goal is to get your private pilots certificate, it may be more cost effective to spend your time and money at a club, renting aircraft, than to buy/build an ultralight. You can build the ultralight later if you want. But, as of 31 Jan 2012, ultralight experience can not be logged as aeronautical experience towards an FAA license per Part 61.52. – Dean F. Apr 07 '20 at 14:32
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    Cheapest solution: Take ultralight training, then buy a second hand ultralight, bringing along an expert to evaluate it. Kit built ultralights depreciate heavily in the first 10 years. Building from a kit will cost more than buying a used puddle jumper aircraft like a Champ. You'll have 20-30k into it and it will be worth 5-10k in 10 years. – John K Apr 07 '20 at 16:24
  • Possibly discarded face masks? – quiet flyer Apr 07 '20 at 21:59
  • Airplane parts. – Ron Beyer Apr 08 '20 at 01:33
  • @CrossRoads - I think the name you're looking for is Peter Sripol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqdtz3tJkbY – Robin Bennett Apr 08 '20 at 09:44

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The best solution would be to buy a kit where an engineer has worked out the materials, fasteners, etc. into a proven design that likely won't kill you from mechanical failure assuming correct assembly and proper flight control manipulation by you, etc.

CrossRoads
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