Anyone build a Zenith 701 lately?

[VictorMike]

As the title suggests, I am trying to pick the brain of more recent builders of the 701. I understand there are no final size holes like the other models and everything will require drilling but the 701 really has appeal for my mission... plus the price is right. I want low and slow with awesome STOL capability. I don't want to take it far and I don't care about the baggage space. That being said, if you're building one right now, give me some feedback. I know Zenith is working on the fuselage only as "final hole sizes" in the updated kit but that still leaves the wings and tail to drill. The kit advertises a 500 hour build. Is that remotely possible as my first airplane I've built from scratch? Thanks for any input.

Note: Resist the urge to tell me to build the 750. I've heard it before but I want 701 feedback, I already know the 750 is great.

 

[Warmi]

I don’t know if 500 hours is realistic for you personally but given that this is probably their most basic plane and now with the modernized kit … to me it does make sense that it would take fewer hours than their more complex planes.

 

[texasclouds]

Have you looked at the 750?




j/k

 

[samiamPA]

The 701 kit is very much less advanced, as you might expect. So there aren't many matched holes - it's a lot of measuring and lining pieces up together.

You might ask yourself - are you really attracted to the 701 kit or just the price? There are those that love the 701 because it is somewhere between an ultralight and a light sport. The downside is that for a plane that small you really need a light engine, which means the Rotax 912. Which is very expensive. So total cost for a 701+rotax might be similar to 750+used O-200.

I would not expect to build a 701 in less than 2000 hours at a minimum.

 

[Warmi]

The 701 kit is very much less advanced, as you might expect. So there aren't many matched holes - it's a lot of measuring and lining pieces up together.

You might ask yourself - are you really attracted to the 701 kit or just the price? There are those that love the 701 because it is somewhere between an ultralight and a light sport. The downside is that for a plane that small you really need a light engine, which means the Rotax 912. Which is very expensive. So total cost for a 701+rotax might be similar to 750+used O-200.

I would not expect to build a 701 in less than 2000 hours at a minimum.

That used to be the case - now they are offering a modernized 701 kit with prepunched holes etc

 

[kmacht]

If you aren’t building because you want to build then just buy one. 500 hours may get the fuselage riveted together but that’s only a fraction of the work. You then have everything firewall forward to figure out, instrument panel to build and wire, engine controls, paint, etc. Those items will easily double or triple the hours you spend putting the fuselage together. The saying of 90% done and 90% still to go applies here. Very few people can build for less than what a used model costs so don’t expect any savings there either. You would be surprised at how quickly the little things like mil spec wire, seat cushions, seatbelts, engine baffle seals, nuts/bolts, spinners, tools, extra rivets, etc all add up. Since you are focused mostly on the 500 hour claim it sounds like building may not be the best fit for you.

 

[VictorMike]

If you aren’t building because you want to build then just buy one. 500 hours may get the fuselage riveted together but that’s only a fraction of the work. You then have everything firewall forward to figure out, instrument panel to build and wire, engine controls, paint, etc. Those items will easily double or triple the hours you spend putting the fuselage together. The saying of 90% done and 90% still to go applies here. Very few people can build for less than what a used model costs so don’t expect any savings there either. You would be surprised at how quickly the little things like mil spec wire, seat cushions, seatbelts, engine baffle seals, nuts/bolts, spinners, tools, extra rivets, etc all add up. Since you are focused mostly on the 500 hour claim it sounds like building may not be the best fit for you.

I do want to build my next airplane but the advertised 500 hours implies there isn’t as much drilling as the old kits. The appeal of the 701 is really the performance over price but the price differential for the 701 vs the 750 comes down to, do I need a bigger trunk? Is that bigger trunk worth $7000 for me? Not really. But if the thing will take 3-4x the advertised time, that’s a different story. Time is money but I’m trying to understand the true time line. I can’t nail down anyone with a newish kit who can tell me if that 500 hours is fantasy land though.

 

[VictorMike]

That used to be the case - now they are offering a modernized 701 kit with prepunched holes etc

And this may factor into my decision. Roger says the fuselage would be ready soon but the wings and tail will still need to be drilled… I assume, unless there is pre drilled holes that I don’t know about. I would wait and pay more even for a match holed fuselage though.

 

[VictorMike]

The 701 kit is very much less advanced, as you might expect. So there aren't many matched holes - it's a lot of measuring and lining pieces up together.

You might ask yourself - are you really attracted to the 701 kit or just the price? There are those that love the 701 because it is somewhere between an ultralight and a light sport. The downside is that for a plane that small you really need a light engine, which means the Rotax 912. Which is very expensive. So total cost for a 701+rotax might be similar to 750+used O-200.

I would not expect to build a 701 in less than 2000 hours at a minimum.

But a mid time o-200 these days with no prop strike is still around 12000 plus a FWF kit at 6500. God forbid it needs an overhaul and we exceed a new ULPower. The engine price is irrelevant to me at this point because everything lands around the same ballpark.

 

[Mikey52]

That ulpower is a good looking, and good sounding engine.

 

[Daleandee]

My pilot friend has a Corvair powered (William Wynne design) Zenith 701. Performs well ...

 

[kyleb]

I do want to build my next airplane but the advertised 500 hours implies there isn’t as much drilling as the old kits.

As the builder of one pre punched RV and one non-prepunched, my opinion is drilling time is a minor issue in the scope of building an airplane. What prepunched does is allow you to build your airplane accurately without a bunch of jigs, fixtures, and endless measurements.