Flying cheap - CAN - be done. Check out the Yahoo group FLY5K. If
cheap is the primary goal, I'd forget designing your own. It just
takes a lot more time than you think it will - especially when you
start thinking about something that has more performance than the
average ultralight. Trust me. Been there, done that. I like the
designing as much as building so for me it works out. But if you want
to actually fly the thing use the cookie cutter method.

My brother has a nice Tailwind project going right now and It looks
like it may actually get in the air for under $5K if he doesn't get
sidetracked by buying back our old Aeronca. He ran into some really
good deals and spends lots of time looking at eBay. The hurricanes in
Florida helped some to. Got a 600hr O-320, delivered, for $1300 off
Barnstormers. The add had been up for only 20 minutes when he called
and said "I'll take it". Sometimes you just have to be in the right
place at the right time.............with the cash.

So don't give up. Just make a reasonable plan, gather up what cash you
can, and start shopping. Buying anothers abandonded project can pay
off as well - if the workmanship was good. My brother found his
Tailwind fuselage, mostly finished, for just a bit more than the cost
of the steel. 'course it cost me a fender on my truck, a tire, and an
alignment............but thats another story.
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Leon McAtee
Need to take my advice more often