Let’s assume you have made the decision to build an aluminum airplane - either from a set of plans or from one of the airplane kits that are available. These consist of cutting, bending, drilling, countersinking or dimpling, and riveting. There are also certain basic tasks involved in most sheet metal work. Some builders will elect to paint their aircraft prior to their test flight while others will wait until they have flown the airplane several hours to see if any additional rigging is needed or any other problems surface that would require some disassembly. These steps are: (1) Planning, (2) Basic building, (3) Assembly, rigging and systems installation, (4) Inspection, certification, and test flying, (5) Final painting. There are five basic steps in the process of building an aluminum airplane. Most builders will want to have at least a basic knowledge of sheet metal techniques. Even if you are not considering construction of an aluminum airplane the odds of using several sheet metal skills in building your aircraft are high. Often tube and fabric airplanes will have aluminum cowlings, fairings, etc. Sheet metal construction is used on a large majority of aircraft in one form or another. The aluminum alloys used in the construction of aircraft are very strong and relatively light in weight. Today they are considered the standard type of construction for most factory built airplanes. Hopefully, after reading this article you will better understand what is involved in building an all metal airplane.Īluminum airplanes have been flying for many years. Many high quality aluminum aircraft kits and plans are available. This article will provide you with an overview of the procedures involved in building your own sheet metal airplane. In previous articles I have discussed the process of building a tube and fabric airplane. Do you build a kit airplane or buy a set of plans? What type of construction? Composite, tube and fabric, wood, sheet metal or a combination.

Once you have decided to begin the adventure of building your own airplane, you are faced with what type to build.

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