Building from plans has a number of advantages to my mind:
1. The build can be spread of a number of years and therefore the cost to build can be spread so as to keep it very low (until the powerplant has to be purchased, but you can save a bit each year for this as well.)
2. There is no danger of the kit manufacturer going out of business during the build.
3. You will have all the skills to repair the aircraft if it should be damaged.
4. You can potentially delay the point at which you require large workshop facilities, by building up sub-assemblies just to the point where they will still fit your workshop.
The down-sides are the length of time it takes, and the potential to increase the the cost/complexity of tools you need to complete the build. But the build is going to take a long time whichever way you do it, and tools can be begged/borrowed/hired. In the same way that you have more options for suppliers of aicraft materials, you also have more options for getting more complex work done.
Last edited by tacpot; 14th May 2003 at 22:58.