Since taking over in 1992, Mustang Aeronautics has been continuously updating the airframe kits. What is available today is now a true assembly kit with almost all of the parts already fabricated at the factory. Hand tools will be sufficient to finish what fabricating is required. Any item to difficult for the builder like the center wing section main spar is completed at the factory. This item would require something bigger than a 3x rivet gun to assemble because of its weight.

The required tools to build the airplane cost less than $1,000 total. Most people already have many of the needed hand tools like drills, files, hand shears, a tape measure, wrenches, etc.. Besides standard items like these, the more specialized bigger cost items include a rivet gun and accessories, sheet metal fasteners, a hand drill, and an air compressor. A small table top drill press ($150) and a cheap 18 inch sheet metal bender/brake ($40) that can handle up to .040 material are also useful. The air compressor can be a small 1 hp model capable of 80 lbs pressure. While builders can purchase much larger and more expensive equipment, it is not necessary with the kits we now offer.

Many parts are now predrilled in the standard kits.  For example in the center wing section the skins, ribs, steel parts, stiffeners, bulkheads, and rear spar assembly are all predrilled.  In the fuselage the tailcone skins are not drilled but the underlying bulkheads are.  The procedure is to drill from the inside out through the pre-punched bulkheads and through the skins.  All control surfaces are predrilled.

Center Wing Section Kit

Shown with the optional finished main wing spars (standing) and riveted center section rear spar (back). The kit includes ready to install control stick and flap handle assemblies, pre-punched main skins, and fully assembled and powder coated main spar.  The main spar is also pre-drilled for rib attach holes . Leading edge skins have the airfoil shape rolled into them.  Gear assembly shown is for the taildragger version and comes powder coated and ready to bolt in place (landing gear kit).  Click for more info.

Center Section Quick Build Kit

Ribs and bulkheads are alodined and riveted to the spars, skins are final drilled, control stick assembly and flap handle brackets are mounted,  wing walk stiffeners, wing walk doublers, and seat stiffeners are clecoed in position.  Fuselage sta. 99.35 bulkheads are clecoed in position.  This option will save at least 200 hours for a first time builder.  The center section is basically assembled and a jig is no longer required.  The major remaining task is to debur, dimple, and rivet the skins on.  The builder will hardly have to touch a drill motor.  Other remaining tasks are to finish the flap handle installation, finish the control stick assembly installation, install the seat belt attach brackets, rivet/bolt the forward fuselage attach bulkheads in place, and attach the flap hinge reinforcement.   Click for more pictures.

Wing Quick Build Kit

Wet wing version is shown with the installed capacitance fuel probe.  Use with autogas is not recommended.  Fiberglass wing tips and the pitot tube need to be installed.  Conduit for tip lights and 1/4" line for the pitot tube are installed.  Ailerons are complete but need to be balanced after painting.  The wings are the most critical part of the aircraft in achieving the best performance and handling qualities.  The laminar flow airfoil needs a smooth wing for optimum performance.  A bit of body filler can cover quite a bit but quality of construction makes a difference here.  Because of the confined working space the wings are also one of the more difficult items to rivet on the aircraft, especially when doing a wet wing.  This is why we have put our emphasis on these quick build options and left more of the fuselage up to the builder.  This is also why we encourage builders not getting this option to do the wings last so they are at the very top of the learning curve having become expert riveters by that point.

Wing & Center Section Quick Build

(C/S top skin removed)

Sample Full Kit

With Assembled Center Section and Completed Wings

Sample Costs

Empennage Kit

With fiberglass tips and assembled spars

Fuselage Kit

Firewall With Tri-Gear Engine Mount

Firewall is engine turned, engine mount is powder coated white, and the nose gear is ready to bolt in place.