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The underlying philosophy behind the STOL CH 701 kit is to provide the builder with everything needed to complete the STOL CH 701 airframe - with only basic tools and skills. The STOL CH 701 requires about one year (or about 400 hours) to build from the complete factory-supplied kit. All you need to get started is a level workbench and basic hand tools. The detailed Drawings & Manuals guide the builder through the kit assembly process. The Drawings and Manuals supplied with the complete kit are not just instructions as with most kits, but are detailed blueprints of the complete aircraft.
The airframe kit takes an average time of just 400 hours of straight-forward and basic assembly work to put together using only simple tools, such as an electric hand drill, a hand rivet puller, ‘Cleco’ temporary fasteners, a set of wrenches, a few hand files, sheet-metal snips, etc. Importantly, virtually no jigs and fixtures are needed in the building process, as all sections are built up from the flat workbench. A bending brake, shear or other machinery is not needed, and assembly is easily done in a single car garage or basement workshop.
While previous aircraft building experience and sheet-metal skills are always an asset, the STOL CH 701 kit and assembly instructions have been developed specifically for the inexperienced novice builder. In fact, an overwhelming number of STOL CH 701 builders are building their very first aircraft. The simplicity of construction, quality of parts and components, and the completeness of the kit translates into low build-times and a very high kit completion ratio, even for novice builders.
The STOL CH 701 kit meets the requirements for amateur-built (experimental) categories in the United States and Canada, as well as in most countries around the world. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that the STOL CH 701 kits meet FAR section 21.191(g), making it eligible for amateur-built registration. The STOL CH 701 meets "ultralight" specifications in many other countries.
In the kit, all the wing ribs and fuselage bulkheads are supplied pre-formed. For example, the internal wing ribs are first press-formed, with lightening holes cut and flanged, and then hand finished at the factory for a perfect ready-to-install fit. The heavy-duty wing spar comes complete with all solid (bucked) rivets already set by factory professionals. Surface skins - wings, ailerons, elevator, rudder, and fuselage - are ready for fitting, and most skins are supplied pre-drilled to minimize construction time. While the basic design of the STOL CH
701 has remained the same since its introduction in 1986, many significant
improvements have been made to the kit over the years, including a new
all-terrain gear, higher useful load, quicker and easier build kits, and
more detailed drawings and step-by-step assembly instructions. Parts Manufacturing at the Zenith Aircraft factory:
Pre-assembled parts (such as the wing spar) are factory-treated with zinc-chromate primer for maximum corrosion resistance. Welded parts, such as the engine mount, control assemblies, and fuel tank, come factory welded and ready to install. The STOL CH 701 kit is complete: the new all-terrain landing gear, hydraulic brake system, fiber-glass wing tips, control systems, welded aluminum fuel tank, etc., are standard equipment in the complete airframe kit. With the addition of the ‘firewall-forward’ Rotax 912 series powerplant and instruments package, the builder gets everything needed to complete the STOL CH 701 aircraft.
The STOL CH 701 builder can start assembly right away after taking delivery of the kit. Working from a flat table, the builder can immediately begin to build the wings - simply by measuring, drilling and riveting, and thus progress through the whole airframe section by section, aided by the detailed blue prints, step-by-step manual and visual photo guides supplied with the kit. Building the all-metal STOL CH 701 is straight forward, requiring no complex jigs, and no messy (and hazardous) doping or epoxy work is involved. With the proven and simple all-metal construction technique, the STOL CH 701 builder does not have to worry about having a temperature controlled dust-free work-shop environment, and does not have to mix compounds and wait for parts to cure.
Workshops at the factory allow first-time builders to gain hands-on experience in building their own aircraft with the guidance and help of experienced factory professionals.
START BUILDING FOR JUST A FEW
HUNDRED DOLLARS ! If you’re ready to start building your own
airplane, but aren’t sure that you have the required skills and want to learn more
about building, the introductory Starter Kit has been developed just for you. The Starter
Kit includes the complete kit for the rudder tail section of the STOL CH 701 and comes
with a detailed and illustrated 'step-by-step' assembly manual - everything you need to
get started!
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© Zenith Aircraft Company: 2013-05-06 |
Actually, a STOL CH 701
builder is really assembling the kit from quality parts and components supplied in the
kit. All components, parts and hardware are supplied – labeled and numbered for easy
identification. Every bolt, fastener, and rivet is supplied; from the propeller spinner
right down to the rear fuselage tie-down bracket. 
The STOL CH 701 builder is buying
more than a box full of aircraft kit parts: We take customer support seriously, and take
pride in the reputation we’ve developed over the last twenty years. Our relationship
with the customer only begins when the kit is delivered. Direct factory support is
always available - just a phone call, fax or email message away, which is promptly
answered by the same professionals who build the kits. Whether building from plans-only,
component kits, or from the complete kit, direct technical support is available to every
STOL CH 701 builder. The exclusive 
