wrote:
Without knowing your skill levels both flying wise and as a builder, and
assuming you might be at the novice end of the scale (no offense
implied; just picking the best scenario from which to advise you)

Novice, novice.

My recommendation would be to consult with EAA initially and possibly
consider building an AcroSport. Paul Poberezny designed this plane and
he did that with the novice builder in mind. The plans are written in
plain English and in easy to understand terms. A lot of beginning
builders have built the AcroSport and were happy with its performance.
I believe you can now build it with either the M6 or a symmetrical wing
if you like inverted stuff.

I will try all the permitted stuff in our club aerobat 152 before
deciding if I want to build an acrobatic aircraft or just buy
something like an aerobat. Of course an aerobat has only a limited
number of approved acrobatic maneuvers. Do people go nuts in those, or
do they stick to the approved only (which brings up the question of
what it is safe to do, say, in a well constructed acrosport that is
not a certificated plane ...)

I've been a lot more interested in monocoque aircraft for building,
particularly STOL -- a completely different kind of plane.

I'd have to practice a lot of welding with Richard Finch as a guide
and then get some EAA guy who's done that kind of aircraft advise me
the whole way through building the tube fuselage (and everything
else). Depending on that feedback I might hire a welder for the tube
stuff. That's just got to be perfect, and even if a weld looks good on
the outside it might not be so good on the inside. You don't want to
find out about that during a split S.

I've done a little welding but nothing my LIFE depended on!

There are several engine choices as well depending on your pocketbook.
This is just a general answer for you of course, and my suggestion to
contact EAA is a sound one. For someone considering building a plane of
any kind, EAA is a priceless resource whose value can't be calculated.
Lots of luck whatever you do.

I'm an EAA member. They keep reminding me to renew, renew,
renew ...
You know, it's just a suggestion, but if you are a novice builder, I
would strongly suggest talking to EAA about what you would like to do
flying wise. They have a handle on just about every building project and
acro airplane for sale in the entire country.
Perhaps for someone like yourself, buying a well built already made
aircraft is a wise choice.
If there's a good buy out there, you can bet the farm that the EAA guys
will know about it and will steer you in the right direction.
This might be the best and least costly way for you to go.
As for the Aerobat; it's a 150 stressed for basic aerobatics as
placarded and little more. If all you want to do is see the world upside
down, the aerobat would be a perfect choice. God knows it will be a hell
of a lot less expensive than one of the higher performance birds.
I liked the bat for only one reason. If a student could do decent acro
in the bat, they could do it in anything :-)) It wallows, it slews, it
coughs up oil, but it's a safe little trainer for the basic stuff.
I will admidt it does a VERY nice snap roll, and spins are stable in the
Aerobat.
Anyway, it's a crap shoot until you nail down exactly what you want out
of an airplane and how much time and money you are willing to put into
getting there. So make those decisions first, then talk to EAA. Should
be a plan in there somewhere :-)

--
Dudley Henriques