When you think back to the very early days of aviation, flying was fun and exciting. These days, you probably aren’t eager to take your next plane trip. Imagine for a moment that flying really becomes a pleasure again. For Zenith Aircraft, the enthusiasm generated is no longer just in the destination, it is in the journey itself.
Founded in 1992, Zenith designs do-it-yourself kit planes for sport aviation pilots. Yep, believe it or not, you can build and fly in your own aircraft. “Most people think that an air flight is used for transportation and not for a pleasure ride; this is particularly true for a flight on a commercial line, ”said Sébastien Heintz, founder of the company Zenith Aircraft. “From a sports aviation perspective, transportation is not the primary focus. You fly because you love the experience. This is similar to driving an old or vintage car or motorbike versus a daily commuting vehicle. With a classic car, you can take it out on weekends and drive without a real destination in mind. You just enjoy the vehicle, the weather, and you have fun. This is how sport aviation pilots approach aerial flight. You can obviously take your plane to go from point A to point B, but it will be more than a means of transport. Sports aviation leans more towards sport than transport. ”
If flying for fun wasn’t innovative enough for you, what do you think of actually building your own airplane? This is where Zenith Aircraft comes in. The company’s sports aviation aircraft kits originate in the 1960s when Sébastien’s father, Chris Heintz, graduated as an engineer and actually worked on the design of the Concorde. Chris was keen on owning his own plane, but supporting a young family meant buying an airplane was a pipe dream. However, like many avid engineers, Chris decided to go ahead and make his dream come true. He designed an airplane, simple to build, all in metal and with two seats, which ultimately spawned his own industry. Chris’s friends, who are aviation enthusiasts themselves, loved the design and asked him to have blueprints for their own design and often necessary but hard-to-obtain parts that Chris could get for them. This is where the do-it-yourself airplane kit industry was born.
Making an airplane for sports aviation is similar to a sports air flight. It’s all about the adventure. “What I’m selling is not a finished plane,” said Sébastien. “If you buy a puzzle, you don’t buy it to have the finished picture. You buy it because you want to have the fun of putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The same goes for airplane kits. If you want a finished plane, don’t buy a kit. On the other hand, if you enjoy the process of building things, then you’ll love a kit. ”
How long does it take to build your own airplane? In fact, it varies from person to person. “We can say that the assembly time is around 500 hours,” explained Sébastien. “People don’t want to be quick when putting our kits together. Remember that what they are looking for is experience. Most of our customers are working, so they will spend a year or two building their aircraft, assembling it in the evenings after their workday and on weekends. ”
Motivation is essential to be sure that customers will go to the end of the assembly. This is where Zenith’s goal of providing quality instruction plays an important role. The goal is to provide an aircraft that is easy to build and maintain with simple instructions. “After a few hours of assembly, we want people to see their progress,” said Sébastien. “We make sure the instructions are easy to follow so that mistakes can be avoided even with a low skill level. I am convinced that if you realize your progress, even after one or two hours of editing, the motivation to continue is only reinforced. ”
Zenith has been using SOLIDWORKS to design its kits for approximately four years. “Using SOLIDWORKS over 2D CAD allows us to access more information and view designs virtually rather than on the shop floor,” said Sébastien. “This is particularly important for customers. They can really see what they’re going up to and how they’re going to do it. ”
“Design wise, SOLIDWORKS makes it more efficient in developing new designs from older versions,” explained Sébastien. “For most designs, we are not starting from scratch. This is not necessary as long as the planes still fly the same way. However, SOLIDWORKS helps us modify our designs, and allows us to test these updates more effectively on a computer rather than a physical prototype. I was really impressed with the efficiency of the design. Today, creation and modeling are simultaneous, which is much more efficient. ”
Now that we understand the design work and the fun that comes with assembling an easy to fly and safe airplane kit, what must we do to make the airplane eligible for take-off? “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) makes building and owning your own aircraft relatively easy,” said Sébastien. “The FAA does a final check of the aircraft to make sure it is fit to fly, other than that it leaves you free to build your aircraft however you want. The other difficulty is to obtain a pilot’s license for sport aviation. It was created to reduce barriers to entry into aviation and make flying more affordable and accessible compared to a traditional private pilot license. ”
From the moment your aircraft is registered and you have obtained your sport aviation pilot license, you are ready to fly. Sébastien recounts one of his favorite air corridors, from Missouri to Florida, for an annual visit to the US Sport Aviation Expo. “I make three or four stops along the way. We fly at an altitude of about 300 to 900 meters above the ground. It is an excellent altitude for sightseeing and it feels like a pleasant trip, only you get to see more from the sky. We are also lucky to be able to stop at funny airports with welcoming people. Like any other public establishment, the use of a public airport is free and represents an invaluable resource. ”
If you are determined to go head-to-head on this adventure and make aerial flight fun, check out Zenith Aircraft Company and get ready to take to the skies – just like our special guest, co-pilot, SOLIDWORKS CEO Gian Paolo Bassi , who took the following images:
