Plans, Mini-Kits & Full Kits

Three ways to build a Mini-Max

Start by deciding how you want to fly. That points you at an aircraft family, and the family points you at an engine path — and once you know the aeroplane you want, there are three ways to go about getting it.

Plans, Mini-Kits and a full aircraft kit are not three different aeroplanes. They are three ways of buying the same one.

Compare Mini-Max models · Aircraft by engine

Plans — from $299.99

Useful if you are still choosing a model, you want to understand the aircraft before committing to kit money, or you intend to build from raw material.

A set of Mini-Max plans is the complete drawing package for one model. It is the lowest-cost way to get the real design in front of you rather than a photograph of it.

Plans sets are available for 18 models. Seventeen are $299.99; the 1850V SuperMax is $389.99. The 1950S AeroMax is covered by an Assembly Manual at $299.99 rather than a plans set.

Two supplements sit alongside them:

  • Full-Scale Tail Surface Drawings — $39.99 to $199.99, full-size references that save layout work at the bench
  • Single Drawing Sheets — $14.99 to $24.99, individual sheets covering wing tank installation, brakes, landing gear, flap and canopy options

Plans, manuals and drawings are licensed for permitted personal use and may not be copied, shared, uploaded, resold or distributed without written permission from Mini-Max USA.

Browse all plans →

Mini-Kits — $629.99 to $4,499.99 per section

Useful if you want to buy the airframe in pieces rather than all at once, or you want to take on more or less of the fabrication yourself depending on the section.

Mini-Kits divide the build into purchasable sections. Available for 19 models, with the same six sections across every one:

Section Options
Wing Rib Kit Raw Materials · Laser Cut Gussets · Prebuilt Wing Ribs
Wing Assembly Kit Standard
Fuselage Kit Standard
Landing Gear Kit Standard
Empennage Kit Standard
Metal & Hardware Kit Standard · Prebuilt Metal Parts

Two of those six let you decide how much of the work is yours. On the Wing Rib Kit you can order raw materials and templates and build every rib from scratch, step up to laser-cut gussets, or order the ribs prebuilt. On the Metal & Hardware Kit you can take the standard parts kit or the prebuilt metal parts.

Individual sections run from $629.99 to $4,499.99 depending on the model and the option chosen.

Two further Mini-Kits cover consumables rather than structure: the Mini-Max Aircraft Epoxy Mini-Kit at $99.99 and Mini-Max Aircraft Fabric Covering Mini-Kits at $899.99 to $999.99.

Browse all Mini-Kits →

Full Aircraft Kits — $10,899.99 to $19,699.99

Useful if you would rather order the airframe package once and get on with building it.

A full kit is the airframe package for one model. Available for 19 models, each in three versions:

  • Base Kit
  • Kit with Prefabbed Wing Ribs
  • Kit with Prefab Wing Ribs and Prefab Metal Parts

Prices run from $10,899.99 for the 1103R Mini-Max Ultralight to $19,699.99 for the 1950S AeroMax, depending on model and version.

What a full kit covers

For most Mini-MAX and Hi-MAX models the kit provides the major materials, hardware and covering supplies needed to build the aircraft structure:

  • Materials — wood, plywood, metal stock and moulded parts
  • Hardware — bolts, fittings, hinges, cables and more
  • Covering — fabric covering, cement and T-88 epoxy
  • Plans — printed plans or builder manual, depending on model

What it does not cover

Engine, propeller, instruments and paint are left to you. Those are personal choices that depend on your flying goals, your field, your panel preferences and your budget, and keeping them separate means you are not buying them before you are ready.

What's included in a full kit · Browse all full kits →

Which one?

Plans Mini-Kits Full Kit
Entry cost $299.99 From $629.99 per section From $10,899.99
Bought Once Section by section Once
Fabrication you take on All of it Varies by section and option Varies by version
Models available 18 (+ AeroMax Assembly Manual) 19 19

They are not mutually exclusive. Plans—or the AeroMax Assembly Manual—provide the build documentation; Mini-Kits and full kits provide the materials and components for the airframe.

Building to Part 103?

The 1030R MAX-103, 1103R Mini-Max and 1703R Hi-Max are available on all three paths:

You don't have to build it alone

Bring your Mini-Max project to our Niles, Michigan facility and work on it alongside factory-trained builders, with an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic overseeing the work. Builder Assist is hands-on — you build your aircraft, with help beside you.

Builder Assist →

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