My designs are ultra-simple. If you want more sophistication you need to do a lot more study. If you go ahead with your design and construction, I suggest you join an aircraft builders’ group and they will provide you with the support you need when you start building

The design process I present in this booklet is common to every aircraft that flies. Be it the simplest mud puddle jumper or the most sophisticated corporate jet, every aircraft must meet the same criteria, balance on a pillow of air and carry the load in safety.

Let’s begin with some basic information. Yester year pilots weighed about 70 kg’s. Today, pilots weigh about 100 kg or more. Very few older light aircraft or new designs, accommodate the heavier pilots. This book is about designing for heavier pilots.

Few people know how to interpret payload information. This book explains how to make accurate design calculations for your aircraft as well as how to calculate the payload from the statistical data given for any aircraft you want to buy.

This booklet only describes the design process, it does not cover the materials and construction process. I publish another book on building the wooden aircraft designed in this book. But otherwise, there are so many building materials on the market it would require a separate book for each. Wood, aluminium sheeting, steel tube, aluminium tube, foam, glass fibre, and more. Once you have made your design calculations you must choose the material you will use and your method of construction.

NOTE: Below 200 knots all conventional air foils behave much the same. Any air foil you choose for your design will fly your creation. I recommend the NACA 4415 air foil. It has a very benign stall compared to the NACA 23012 which has a vicious stall. The NACA 23012 has a very short, stumpy nose section. The NACA 4415 has a very long smooth nose section. The long smooth nose section and deep main spar is what gives it the benign stall characteristics.