Why Supplier Choice Matters
Delays, customer complaints, and costly recalls often trace back to choosing the wrong aircraft parts supplier. For kit plane manufacturers, choosing the right partner is about more than just placing an order – it’s about risk mitigation. By asking the right questions upfront, manufacturers can protect their timelines, budgets, and reputations while ensuring the quality and safety of their kits.
What to Look for in an Aircraft Parts Supplier
Not all suppliers are equal. To avoid common pitfalls, here’s what every kit designer should evaluate when selecting an aircraft parts supplier:
Proven Quality & Compliance
A supplier should provide aircraft parts that meet strict aviation standards. Ask about certifications, testing, and compliance with industry regulations. High-quality, compliant parts reduce the risk of failures and costly retrofits down the line.
Supplier’s Experience
Look for aircraft parts suppliers with decades of experience serving the aviation industry. Deep technical expertise and familiarity with aviation-specific regulations are essential. A supplier that has successfully supported kit plane manufacturers over time is better equipped to anticipate challenges and provide reliable solutions.
Extensive Product Range
When building a kit, manufacturers need more than a handful of parts – they need access to a supplier that can provide a wide catalog of reliable options. From wheels and brakes to master cylinders and assemblies, having all the aircraft parts you need in one place helps simplify sourcing, reduce delays, and keep projects on track. For additional insight, learn more about choosing the right aircraft parts for kit builds.
Competitive Pricing & Availability
Compare prices across suppliers when sourcing aircraft parts, but don’t overlook availability. Even the most affordable parts lose value if they’re out of stock when you need them. Partnering with a responsive U.S.-based supplier with large inventories and fast shipping capabilities ensures you get the right parts on time, keeping projects on schedule and budgets under control.
Reliable Customer Support
Technical projects demand responsive support. Will your supplier help you identify the right aircraft parts for your application? Can they answer urgent technical questions? Reliable support also means offering ongoing aircraft maintenance resources – guides, troubleshooting tips, and direct access to experts – so builders have what they need long after delivery. This kind of support ensures smoother builds, long-term performance, and fewer surprises.
References & Reviews
Check references and customer reviews. Feedback from other kit plane manufacturers provides valuable insight into a supplier’s dependability, responsiveness, and overall reputation. Hearing about others’ experiences can help you anticipate potential challenges and make a more informed choice for your projects.
Quality Control
Strong procedures for handling returns, replacements, and inspections of aircraft parts demonstrate a supplier’s commitment to long-term reliability. A well-documented quality control process should be non-negotiable.
Conversely, watch out for these warning signs that a supplier might not meet your quality expectations:
- Limited product selection
- Vague or missing compliance certifications
- Unresponsive support
- Frequent stock shortages or delays
Why Kit Plane Manufacturers Trust Matco
When selecting a supplier, kit plane manufacturers look for proven reliability across several key areas. Manufacturers typically seek suppliers that excel in the following:
- Certifications and compliance with aviation standards
- Long track record in the aircraft industry
- Broad catalog of essential aircraft parts
- Responsive customer service and technical support
- Transparent pricing and availability
For more than 80 years, Matco ALS has supplied aircraft parts to kit plane manufacturers and builders across the globe. As the largest manufacturer and aircraft parts supplier of sport aviation wheels, brakes, and related components, Matco checks every box on the supplier evaluation checklist above.
When your next kit launch is on the line, trust the low-risk choice: Matco ALS.
Contact us to discuss your kit project and see how our precision-engineered solutions can help you deliver safer, more reliable build kits.