WORLDWIDE Kit sales could total around 7,750 aircraft annually by the end of the decade, according to research published by the US magazine Kitplanes. A survey examined the expected growth in sales of kitplanes and plans-only designs for 95 home-build aircraft manufacturers, around 60% of the industry, from 1990 up to 1999.
The results reveal that while annual sales for plans-only aircraft are variable at 1,600-3,200 a year, sales for kitplanes have grown steadily, and are forecast to rise nearly seven-fold, from 1,147 in 1990 to 7,750 by 1999. In 1996 the US-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association recorded sales of 530 certiÌcated piston-engined singles. More than 2,640 plans-only and 5,700 kitplanes were sold in the same period.
Source: Flight International
