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Cost To Build A Gnat

This is a brief table of the estimated cost to build the Gnat that I had originally prepared for the design contest. The costs are actual local retail cost's as of July 2001 when the data was collected. I've jokingly referred to the Gnat being designed and built by the "Cheap Buggers Aircraft Factory", when you look at the following table you can see its not too far off the mark.

Galvanized Sheet, 26 Ga. (.022) $24
040 6061 Bulkheads 4 x 8 $60
025 6061 Fwd fuse, wing, stab skins 3 * 4 x 8 $50 $150
020 6061 Aft fuselage skins 3 * 4 x 8 $44 $126
016 6061 sheet control skins 4x8 1 $40
5052 Alum for fuel tank 4'*4' $45
7075 Gear leg blanks 56x4x.5 $75
1.5 x .125 6061 extrusion 200 ft $120
1.5 x 1.5 x .250 extrusion 12 ft $20
Plexiglas tinted 1/8” 24 sq. ft $50
Canopy frame tubing square .75x.75 25 ft $20
063 4130 plate hinges 18"x18" $42
Azuza mains with drum brakes $125
Azusa nose wheel $25
4130 tubing engine mount front strut 10 ft .75*.035 $1.4 $20
Dow Styrofoam flotation billets 4 x 24"x96x4" $12 ea. $48
Epoxy 1.5qt kit $25
Avex Pull Rivets 1000 @ 3.8 cents $38
Used Rotax 477 with redux drive $1200
2 blade prop $150
Misc. AN hardware $100
Instrumentation ASI, Compass, ALT, etc. $400
Total Estimated Cost $2948 CDN
(Cost in US Dollars $2093)

Costs are based on local prices and may be higher or lower depending on location. It looks like the first Gnat will fly for under $1500 instead of the $3000. We had originally budgeted $1200 for the engine and I thought we would not be able to find one again that cheap, as it took about 2 months of searching before one was put up for sale around that price. With a bit of luck we purchased a Continental 4A084 engine for the grand sum of $150US or about $225 CDN. I’ve left the original budget up but I’ll put up a actual verses budget cost when were done spending money.