Zenith Aircraft has been manufacturing and marketing kit aircraft for 30 years. What do they offer and what is behind their enduring popularity? Mark Broadbent investigates
It was mainly due to enthusiastic amateurs that the homebuilt aircraft movement began and started to grow more than 60 years ago, firstly in the United States. Things have evolved since then, with various specialist manufacturers supplying kits and plans for pilots willing to put in the time and effort to build the aircraft they fly.
Build your own
Typically constructed in garages and basements from kitplane specialists’ plans (approved by aviation regulators), homebuilt light aircraft – also known as sports aircraft – are officially classified by the Federal Aviation Administration in the US as experimental amateur-built aircraft.