The best selling airplanes out there tout speed, physical comfort, and glass panel technology to cater to, if not create their market segment. Seamless, rivet-less fiberglass molded into smooth shapes and curves suggest speed. Leather interiors and thick, fighter-like propellers suggest power. Buttons and dials and teevee screens literally scream modern. But you know, some pilots realize that you can get most of this plus more economy, efficiency and capability for much, much less. And not only is this direction an economically responsible tack, it brings with it lifestyles that diverge from the ordinary, offering greater rewards and less stress while reflecting the true personality of the owner. While Cirrus, Cessna and Beech market their aircraft to a specific group, there is another segment of the pilot population that approaches their particular realities differently. They want to be efficient, economical, and a bit adventurous. This adventurous spirit is manifest not only in the type of flying they want to pursue, but also in how they want to get there. The real adventure is in building their own airplane.

Homebuilders have been dreaming of the perfect airplane for over 70 years. Thousands of units have been licensed, some years surpassing factory build aircraft. Builders realize that they can build a machine to their own specifications, with the equipment they need, or can afford, and have the pride and satisfaction of doing it all on their own.It’s no wonder that pilots around the world gravitate to one company offering builders choices. Zenith Aircraft has built a reputation designing and building airplanes for discerning, focused people who want more than cross country speed. The company offers a family of dependable aircraft; simpler, slower, safer airframes that put little strain on the owner/aircraft relationship. Their airplanes are an intelligent blend of moderate speed, simplicity, and the ability to operate at slow speeds…some very slow.The initial company, Zenair, was started by renowned designer Christopher Heintz, who had a hand in designing parts of the Concorde SST, two and four place Avions Robin aircraft, and was the stress engineer on the deHavilland Canada Dash 7. He moved to Canada in 1973, and a year later started Zenith Aircraft. In 1992, a new US based Zenith Aircraft Company was started, which marketed plans and kits for his designs. The company built and certified the CH-2000, but maintained its focus on Experimental designs, winning accolades for each of the twelve designs introduced to the public.

What sets Zenith apart from all other aircraft companies is the variety of aircraft it offers. Following the initial CH-100, Mini Z, Mono-Z, Cricket, Acro-Z and Super Acro-Z, Chris settled into the beginning of the cruiser family. The Ch-200 evolved into the CH-601 and current CH-650 Zodiac line; the unique CH-701 STOL has matured into the four place CH-801, and the new and LSA qualified CH-750. Along the way the company has developed the CH-640 four place Experimental kit and the Twin Engined CH-620, along with float kits that can be applied to any of the designs. The company never wanted to create a plane that offered blazing speed. The CH–601/-650 low wing design is based upon a thick, wide chord wing that balances high lift with strength and ease of construction. This wing also offers the pilot a vastly greater number of landing sites as it provides an enormous amount of lift at slower speeds. A tapered wing is offered on the -601XL for a moderate increase in speed. At the other end of the airspeed indicator is the boxy, high wing full slat leading edged CH-701. This airplane, along with its big brothers, is a classic in aviation. Superbly balanced controls and a takeoff roll similar to that of a duck or goose have created a STOL icon among the homebuilding set. With straight and amphibious floats designed by Heintz, this airplane is the ultimate Utility/recreational vehicle. The much larger CH-801 that can use engines of up to 220 hp is a true four seater with a 1,000 lb. useful load, unheard of with experimental aircraft. The latest variation is the CH-750 that “grows” the –701 to meet LSA standards. All of these kits are built in Mexico, MO.

Stephen R. Smith is a software guy in California. A self-proclaimed workaholic, he developed some medical problems that could have been devastating, and after successful treatment realized that life wasn’t getting any shorter. A no nonsense intellectual, but with a flair for adventure on a regular basis, he decided to build his own airplane, and he chose a Zenith CH-601XL. Because of his experience he wanted a kit that was fast to build, doable for a first time builder, offered decent speed and good economy, and was a good platform for some of his software gizmos. Steve and his brother each purchased partially built airframes, and side by side, during four-day weekends with friends and family, finished them in just over a year. While the building was in progress, Steve took lessons in a Zodiac owned by friend Bob Archibald, and got his ticket. He had 46 hours when he began flying the Zodiac, and today the tach reads over 625 hrs in just two years.You don’t pile up that kind of time by flying around the patch. Steve has flown from California to Key West, stopping at Sun ‘n Fun, has been to Washington DC, Oshkosh, Mount Rushmore and Devil’s Tower, and has flown the entire length of the Sierra Nevada range. If you would like to know exactly where he, or his brother, has gone, he can show you. His airplane is unique in that it contains some pretty sophisticated tracking gear designed by Steve. Mounted in the instrument panel is a Windows XP Tablet computer. It is hooked up to cell phone antennae, complete with boosters that transmit tracking, engine and flight data to his server every ten seconds. His website tracks every movement of his airplane.

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