DIYer builds Glasair Sportsman TC airplane in two weeks

Posted By: Vinod Sharma | Nov 22 2010

Any DIY creation is too juicy for the enthusiasts to follow the suit. The airplane you see above isn’t built in a factory, but is the craftsmanship of Doug Berry who’s created it in merely eleven days, which shows the passion and effort that this man is born has put in. The New Mexico resident and formally a pilot has built this aircraft, dubbed the Glasair Sportsman TC, to take him to the skies yet again.

doug berrys glasair sportsman tc

The airplane is build under Glassair's "Two Weeks to Taxi" program which provides any DIYer with everything needed to build one thus reducing the building time from several hundred or several thousand hours to merely two weeks. This four-seater DIY airplane with carbon fiber body and a turbocharged engine that generates 180hp can carry more than 1,100 pounds, which is too impressive for a plane of this size.

Glasair Sportsman TC is designed to take off and land in a very short distance of approximately 350ft and can climb more than 2500ft per minute with one person aboard. It maintains the full power up to 20,000 feet and is outfitted with glass panel displays, leather seats and carbon fiber has extensively been used in its making. The displays give complete information of routine flight such as airspeed, altitude and the artificial horizon over a simulated, digital display of the terrain.

With much sportier feel, Sportsman TC has a cruise speed of 150mph while burning about eight gallons per hour. And the most spectacular part is airplane’s ability to fly slow as the plane can switch from 140mph to 40mph anytime. Total cost to making one will depend on options and a plane build with factory assistance is to cost around $200,000, about $20,000 more than you'd pay for the same kit shipped to your door. However, buying factory built airplane similar to a TC would cost you something well north of $300,000.