KNOWLEDGE BASE
Many prospective builders are understandably anxious about the skills required to construct an airplane. The fact is that most Volato 400s are built by individuals who have no prior experience in aircraft construction. Many have never built anything before. Building a Volato does not require any special skill, but it does demand attention, commitment, and perseverance.
We make it as easy as possible, beginning with an aluminum airframe. Most airplanes built in the last 70 years have been constructed of aluminum. Good reasons exist: it is light, strong, adaptable, and inexpensive. It does not require a controlled climate, does not need toxic adhesives, and causes no health problems other than an occasional case of being “sick and tired” of working with it. Best of all, aluminum airplanes are relatively easy to assemble, requiring skills that can be learned in under an hour. (Riveting seems to worry prospective builders, probably because it is not a usual home shop skill like woodworking or welding. When you consider the history of aircraft construction, it becomes less intimidating. In World War II, America suddenly needed thousands of sturdy airplanes. There was no time to train skilled workers, so the industry developed a method that allowed workers with no mechanical background to assemble airplanes at never-before-seen rates. That method turned out to be riveted aluminum. Riveting was a skill that virtually anyone could learn on their first day on the job.)
Volato kits are very complete. All composite forming has been completed, and all welding has been finished at the factory. Molded canopies and fiberglass parts are supplied. All the hardware is included. Most steel parts are powder-coated. In Volato 400 kits, rivet and bolt holes are pre-punched into all the parts. It is hard to overstate the significant labor and difficulty savings that matched-hole pre-punching provides. All part alignments, fastener spacing, and measurements are set at the factory. When the builder aligns the holes, the parts must be positioned correctly.
While there is no such thing as a shop that is too big, most Volatos are built in the equivalent of a two-car garage. Many have been built in smaller spaces…some in much smaller spaces. The quality of the space is at least as important as its size. Good light, air conditioning or heat as the climate requires, good ventilation, and good organization are essential. An uncomfortable place to work means hurried, often poor, work.
This space should be as close to home as possible. A hangar at the airport might seem logical, but that’s often not the case. They rarely have climate control, sufficient electrical power, or enough light to work in the evening. Even a short drive to work on the airplane can significantly increase building time. Still, even a distant shop is better than no shop, and organization and determination can overcome almost any obstacle.
How long will it take to build a Volato aircraft? That’s probably the most challenging question to answer accurately. Many factors influence building time, and any answer will only be valid for a limited number of builders.
A Volato 400 standard kit should take 1100-1200 hours until it’s ready to fly. As a rough approximation, based on builder reports, we estimate about 2000-2200 “person-hours”, but significantly less time is involved in the matched-hole kits used to construct subsequent designs. These estimates presuppose a basic aircraft, inside and out. Complex avionics, instruments, and fancy interiors or paint jobs can add hundreds of hours to the project. In the real world, the total time to build largely depends on the individual builder’s habits, efficiency, and dedication. It is common to see two finished Volato aircraft at an airshow, comparably equipped, with listed building times that differ by 50-80%.
Even these numbers are suspect. Everyone knows when they started and flew, but few builders accurately log shop time. Volatos are usually finished in 20-30 months of elapsed time. The current world record for a Standard Kit is 85 days! Several early builders are currently competing for the title of “longest project.”
If the project aims to have a flying airplane in the shortest possible time, nothing will help achieve that goal, not even a QuickBuild Kit. QuickBuild Kits are available for the Volato 400. When the builder receives the kit, about 75% of the riveting is done on the wings and fuselage. We estimate that a QB will save about 35 percent of construction time—possibly more.
Other options, like the Firewall Forward Kit, will significantly reduce building time.
Keep the airplane simple. Besides being expensive and heavy, extensive avionics take much time to install. Even small changes to the airframe can consume mind-boggling amounts of time. Just a fancy paint job can add months of work.
Work consistently. If you can spend a couple of hours every evening, your airplane will take less time to complete than if you work one long day every weekend. Momentum is important.
Make your shop comfortable year-round. You can’t do good work if you’re miserably cold or hot, and you’ll avoid the shop…not the way to get a project done.
Get your friends and family involved, at least to a point. An extra set of hands can save a lot of time, even if they are helping move big assemblies or handing you tools.
Make as many decisions ahead of time as you can. Especially when installing systems, you’ll go much faster if you’ve thought it through and bought the parts before you need them. If you can reach up, grab what you need, and keep building, you’ll be done much faster than if you have to stop and page through catalogs at every decision point…especially if you’re doing the research during prime building time.
Thousands have.
Building an airplane is a large project that will put you through every imaginable emotion. It is a large project that consumes much time and mental energy. It is unlikely that you will do everything you are doing today and build an airplane, too.
But… when you finish, you will have a unique high-performance airplane you understand completely. Many builders describe building and flying a Volato aircraft as one of the most satisfying things they have ever done.
This is one of the more difficult questions since the answer depends significantly on how you want to configure the airplane. While we can give you straightforward pricing for our kits, it’s up to you as the builder (within reasonable limits) to determine what sort of engine, propeller, and avionics you want to install on the airplane. Those items can significantly impact the overall price of the aircraft.
There are a few valuable resources we can share, though.
A typical question is: “I’d like more information on building one of these kit planes. What tools are needed? What about hole drilling? How many telcos are needed, and what’s the average cost of building this project?”
Overall, costs can vary significantly depending on configuration, engine and prop choices, avionics choices, etc. We will typically share a few helpful links with someone researching Volato building costs:
Building a Volato – Overview:
https://www.ABACaircraft.com/build-center-knowledge-base/build-a-volato/
Tool info, including links to recommended tools and supplier info:
https://www.ABACaircraft.com/build-center-knowledge-base/builder-tools/
Our Volato kit prices and availability lead times are always maintained at this link:
https://www.VolatoSalesUSA.com/
From an engine/propeller/avionics perspective, the options are pretty varied, and the decisions in this area are personal and customized to the individual. You can buy used or new, and you’ll choose the brand and style of prop, engine configuration, whether you want VFR or IFR avionics, glass panel or round dials, etc. A used mid-time engine and propeller, plus basic avionics, will run slightly less than an all-new engine, propeller, and glass instrument panel with IFR avionics. So, you can make your choices based on your priorities and budget, and end up with a great airplane.
Except for the Volato 400, avionics are not purchased from Volato Aircraft Sales USA. Several excellent third-party vendors can provide what you need to build and wire your panel. Some can fabricate a custom panel and make it all for you with finished wiring harnesses, ready to quickly install and plug in.
Hopefully, that helps answer some of the most common questions!
