Zenith Aircraft Company, manufacturer of kits for the popular Zodiac XL, STOL CH 701 and STOL CH 801 designs, has announced the availability of quickbuild (QB) kits for the Zodiac XL and 801. The Zodiac XL QB option promises to reduce construction time by 50%, from an estimated 500 building hours to about 250. Similarly, the 801 QB should drop build time from 750 to less than 400 hours.
For the Zodiac QB kit, the entire airframe will be factory-jigged before delivery. Nearly all major components will be pre-aligned with rivet holes pre-drilled. Once Clecoed together in jigs, most sections are then taken apart again for shipping. Final reassembly by the builder is completed with easy-to-set blind rivets.
The 801 QB kit is similar to the Zodiac, but it goes even one step further: the fuselage and horizontal tail sections are actually riveted together before delivery.
Price for the Zodiac QB is $23,975 (compared to $15,890 for the standard kit), and the QB version of the 801 increases the price from $20,950 to $31,950. Both QB kits meet the FAAs 51% Rule.
Additionally, Flight Crafters in Zephyrhills, Florida, offers seven-day builder assist workshops for each design. For $3995, Zodiac builders will be able to complete the assembly of the rudder, horizontal stabilizer, elevators and wings in seven 8-hour days. CH 801 builders will complete the tail surfaces and wings in the same amount of time, resulting in an airplane thats 90% complete.
For more information on either design, contact Zenith Aircraft at 573/581-9000 or visit www.zenithair.com. Flight Crafters can be contacted at 813/779-1156 or http://www.flightcrafters.com/.
