There is a lot to this question. First of all, it is important to emphasize that there is no «best kit plane». But you will find the «best kit plane for your needs and desires». It all depends on your preferences, your taste and what you plan on doing with the airplane.
Remember that aviation is the art of compromise...
If you want a very fast airplane, it will not have STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) capabilities, will not have much cargo capacity and will not have a very roomy cabin.
If you want an airplane that will allow you to carry a lot of stuff between short unimproved fields, then that type of airplane is not going to be a speed record breaker.
The TUNDRA kit was designed with three main objectives in mind. One - It was created as a float plane. So it had to be very rugged and strong enough to take the beating of rough water landings and takeoffs at gross weight. Two - It had to be as easy as possible to assemble. Three - It had to last forever (longevity) and to be easy and relatively inexpensive to operate and maintain. We are proud to say that these goals were achieved with the TUNDRA design.
Now, to answer your «where should I start» question, here are some steps we suggest. Start by identifying what you would like to do with the airplane most of the time: long cross-country flights, short hops between unimproved fields, hauling lots of camping, fishing, hunting gear or just carrying a small suitcase and flight bag ? Are you going to be flying mostly by yourself or with your family or friends ?
Then evaluate the budget you are planning for the completed project. We emphasize completed project because you have to be careful when shopping around to make sure that everything is considered. Different companies include different things in their kits and some of the «options» you will «have to» buy to complete the project can add up pretty quickly... Be careful. |
