Alex Roca's Zodiac CH601 XL 50% Done
I am currently building a Zodiac CH601 XL. It's a two seater, side by side, low wing, all aluminum aircraft. This is my first project. Flying has always been my dream. I got my PPL back in 82 but have not flown much since. Recently I realized that building and flying your own aircraft was within my reach, so by summer of '02 I started researching as much as I could. I joined the Chapter soon after and decided to go for the Zodiac for three reasons. One.... I wanted cross country capability. Two... low cost., and three... easy to build. One thing I learned quickly is that there are lot of companies out there which claim their total building hours are X but reality usually is 2X or even 3X. Another decision factor for me was the fact that I did not want to mess with a composite design. Not because composited are better or worse compared to aluminum, but because I thought I did not have the right skills for the job. The use of blind rivets instead of the conventional "bucked" rivets gave me an additional comfort given that I really did not have any experience with building aircraft. One final very important factor was the fact that I was not alone in this venture.... there were others in the Chapter (Weston Walker and Randy Stout) who were also building a Zodiac. I do have to say that I have learned so much from them (thank you !).

It was early March of '03 when I placed my order for the complete Kit (all except engine and instruments). I attended a workshop (highly recommended) at the factory and picked up my kit on April-03. Since then I have been working consistently an average of 10-20 hours per week although my wife thinks is more like 30 - 40 hours/per week. I do have to say that if it weren't for her support I would not be here today sharing this story. Believe me it is a challenge to raise 3 kids (one year old, a 3 year old and an 11 year old) and build an aircraft at the same time. Sometimes you have to learn to put the drill down so as to spend some quality time with your family. God bless them all.

Given the space constraints (2 car garage) I decided to build the fuselage first. The following pictures show the progress since I started in early May-03.

I just purchased all my instruments and avionics (this is an are where I feel very intimidated). I will definitely need help from someone ! I am getting ready for my first visit from my TA.... wish me luck.... I plan to purchase the engine -Jabiru 3300 (120 hp, six cylinder) sometime early next year and hope to be flying by 2005. I do want to thank Norris and all the Chapter members for all the support. A project of this magnitude cannot be completed alone!

Alex Roca