What to Know Before You Buy Airplane Parts For a Kit
When purchasing airplane parts for an aircraft kit, from major parts of an airplane to smaller assemblies, there are a few factors to consider. Taking stock of your desired price point, your target customers’ skillset and your brand priorities before purchasing anything is key to assembling an aircraft kit your customers will love.
- Budget: The price point of every airplane part in the kit has an impact on both the retail price of the kit and your ultimate profit margin. Determining your financial goals up front allows you to be judicious with your budget and establish your ideal price points for each airplane component.
- Ease of Installation: Some homebuilt aircraft components are designed for easy installation, whereas others require a more involved approach. As a kit assembler, perhaps the most important consideration for you is how you want to market your kit. If you want to make a beginner-friendly kit that allows even the most amateur of builders to DIY, then ease of installation should be a top priority when choosing airplane components.
- Quality: As with any other class of products, homebuilt aircraft component quality varies. Material selection, manufacturing method, and quality assurance processes all play a role in the quality of the final product. Understanding your own quality preferences—and your customer’s expectations—is key to choosing airplane components that meet your expectations. Substandard quality will ultimately reflect poorly on your brand, so it’s important to opt for quality airplane parts you can stand behind.
- Performance Goals: Different components bolster different performance attributes of the final aircraft. Major components of an aircraft play an especially important role. If you aspire to assemble a kit that boasts a certain level of performance, it’s worth doing research into which aircraft components bolster specific performance attributes.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
There are a few common missteps that may occur when choosing products for a kit, from major parts of an airplane to individual components:
- Buying the Cheapest Option: There are certainly times when the cheapest option will be the right choice, especially when you’re looking to maximize your profit margin or cater to budget-conscious customers. But defaulting to the lowest price point every time is bound to have consequences eventually, especially in terms of quality. Determining your budget and profit goals, as well as quality expectations, ahead of time allows you to determine when to splurge and when to opt for the more affordable component.
- Buying From an Unknown Company: Many aircraft components must be replaced over time due to the nature of their function, as well as typical wear and tear. When you purchase from a company with no established legacy or proven track record, your customers may not be able to get the replacement parts for their airplane when it comes time to replace them—and you may find yourself fielding their frustrations and scrambling for a solution. It’s best to stick with trusted companies, with proven experience in the industry. Plus, established companies are far more likely to offer support to both you and your customers, which is excellent for your brand.
- Foregoing Safety Research: Safety is mission-critical in the kit world. Your customers are trusting you to make smart safety decisions when choosing aircraft parts for the kits you will ultimately sell to them. Spend some time researching the safety records of your vendors, industry conventions, and norms regarding safety performance. Knowing what to look for in terms of safety will give you an edge—and earn your customers’ trust.
Ensuring FAA & Kit Builder Compliance
Homebuilt and experimental aircraft must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — and must meet certain requirements to qualify as “experimental amateur-built.” The Major Portion Rule—also called the 51% rule — requires that at least 51% of your aircraft’s fabrication and assembly is done by an amateur builder. Compliance with the 51% rule requires careful documentation of every single component and whether it was:
- Professionally manufactured.
- Built, assembled, or installed with commercial assistance.
- Assembled by an amateur.
- Fabricated by an amateur.
This applies to both major components of an airplane and smaller assemblies.
Builders are advised to keep all receipts and document their work, so they can provide—and prove—this information when it comes time to apply for certification. Providing documentation resources in kits helps builders with this.
Types of Airplane Parts Available for Kit Assembly
Matco ALS is proud to provide a range of high-quality airplane parts for kits, mostly in the categories of wheels and brakes. These are major components of an airplane, serving vital aircraft functions, which is why we have spent years honing our manufacturing and quality practices.
Our full catalog of product offerings includes:
- Wheels: Matco ALS offers a wide selection of main wheels, nose wheels, and tail wheels, suitable for virtually any homebuilt aircraft. We also offer additional accessories and components for wheel assemblies, including tires, tubes, and axle assemblies. Our aircraft wheels are available in a range of sizes and other specifications, each designed for ease of installation.
- Brakes: Our brake offerings include full assemblies, master cylinders, valves, reservoirs, and other components for main and park brakes. We make internal and external caliper brakes, multi-stage brakes, and more.
Shop Quality Aircraft Parts to Start Building Your Aircraft Kit Today
Matco ALS is proud to supply kit assemblers with quality aircraft components designed for ease of installation—at an unbeatable price. With our practical approach to aircraft component manufacturing, we make products that are just as reliable as our competitors, without the high costs. When you partner with Matco ALS, you can leverage the long-standing reputation of a trusted brand when marketing your kits to customers. You can promise easy installation, reliable components, and excellent service.
If you’re a kit assembler looking to discuss a partnership, talk to a member of our team.