Building a helicopter from a kit is one of aviation's most demanding commitments — and one of the most rewarding. The community is small, the projects take years, and the result is an aircraft you understand from the inside out. But which kit do you actually build?

This guide covers the four homebuilt helicopters that serious builders choose: the Mosquito XET, RotorWay Exec 162F, Helicycle and the Safari 400 from Kitplanes for Africa. Each represents a different philosophy of helicopter design. The right choice depends on whether you're flying solo or two-up, whether you want turbine or piston power, and how much build support you need after the manufacturer ships your kit.

Forty-two pilots have set up helicopter alerts on Sprinkle — they're watching the market closely. Used examples do appear. Sprinkle currently lists RotorWay Exec 162Fs ranging from $45,000 to $70,000, a 2014 Mosquito XET at $55,000, a 2019 RotorWay A600 Talon at $115,000 and a 2019 Safari at $121,749. These are the real asking prices in the current market.

Quick Comparison

Model	Seats	Engine	Used Market Price	Build Support
Mosquito XET	1	Turbine	~$50,000–$65,000	Community
RotorWay Exec 162F	2	Piston (162F)	$45,000–$70,000	Strong community
Helicycle	1	Turbine	Rare, negotiated	Type club
Safari 400	2	Piston (varies)	$80,000–$130,000	Active factory

Browse helicopter listings on Sprinkle →

Mosquito XET: Turbine Helicopter Ownership Within Reach

The Mosquito is a Canadian design from Innovator Technologies that has done something few manufacturers manage: made turbine helicopter ownership accessible to amateur builders. The base model, the XE, uses a Rotax 582 two-stroke. The XET — the turbine variant — swings a surplus Solar T62T-2B1 turboshaft producing around 100 shaft horsepower. That's the same engine used in ground power units for military aircraft, which means parts availability is genuine and the powerplant has a hard-use track record before it ever goes near a helicopter.

The Mosquito XET cruises at around 75 mph with a range of roughly 200 nautical miles. It carries one person, full stop. Empty weight is approximately 260 pounds with a maximum gross of around 520 pounds. This is not a cross-country tourer — it's an ultralight helicopter with turbine reliability.

What's in the market: A 2014 Mosquito XET with 55 hours total time is listed at $55,000 in Miami, Florida. One example in the current market is a small data set, but it aligns with builder community expectations for a low-time turbine example.

Why builders choose it: Cost of entry. The Mosquito XE kit is the cheapest way into powered rotary flight in the kit category. The XET commands a premium for the turbine, but completed examples represent arguably the cheapest turbine helicopter — kit or certified — on the market anywhere.

Watch out for: Factory support has varied over the years. Buying a used Mosquito means relying heavily on the owner community. Verify the build logs are complete from kit receipt through final FAA inspection sign-off. Single-seat aircraft also mean you cannot fly with an instructor in the aircraft — plan your helicopter rating in a certified machine (Robinson R22 or R44) before flying the Mosquito solo.

View Mosquito XET listings on Sprinkle →

RotorWay Exec 162F: The Most-Built Kit Helicopter in History

If there is a mainstream kit helicopter, it is the RotorWay. The company — RotorWay International of Arizona — sold kits for decades before closing around 2012. The Exec 162F was their definitive product: a two-seat helicopter powered by a purpose-built six-cylinder horizontally opposed piston engine, the RI 162F, producing around 150 horsepower. Cruise speed sits in the 90 mph range with a range of approximately 175 miles.

Two-seat capability matters enormously for both training and practical use. You can build the helicopter alongside an experienced pilot who can then fly with you to critique your technique — something the Mosquito and Helicycle physically cannot accommodate.

What's in the market: Sprinkle currently lists four Exec 162F examples globally:

2015 model, 53 hours — $59,995 — Hockessin, Delaware
2007 model, 165 hours — $69,500 — includes custom trailer, Sawyer, Michigan
2000 model, 132 hours — $45,000 — Norwood, Missouri
2002 model, 167 hours — €65,000 — Extertal, Germany

That is a $45,000–$70,000 range for USD-denominated examples, with year, hours and included equipment driving the spread. The $55,000–$65,000 band appears to represent fair value for a well-built mid-2000s example in good condition.

View RotorWay Exec 162F listings →

The RotorWay community is the strongest of any kit helicopter type. Because so many were built, third-party parts suppliers exist, type-specific instructors are findable, and forums carry answers to nearly every question a new owner will face. This matters especially given that the factory is closed — community depth is the safety net.

RotorWay A600 Talon: This was RotorWay's final design — a refinement of the Exec with a larger main rotor and engineering updates throughout. A 2019 A600 Talon with 98 hours is listed at $115,000 in Anaheim Hills, California. Talons are rarer than the 162F but represent the most current RotorWay technology. At that price they compete directly with lower-hours certified piston helicopters, which makes the Robinson R44 market worth comparing.

View RotorWay A600 Talon listings →

Watch out for: With any used RotorWay, have the build logs reviewed by someone who has completed the kit themselves. Common pre-purchase findings include improper torque on rotor head hardware, unauthorised fuel system modifications and variable engine condition — the 162F engine is sensitive to contamination and requires specific lubricant. An A&P familiar with experimental rotorcraft is essential; a mechanic unfamiliar with rotor systems is not enough.

Helicycle: High-Performance Turbine for Experienced Builders

The Helicycle occupies a different tier. Originally designed by Eagle R&D and now maintained through the type club community, it is a single-seat turbine helicopter with a semi-rigid rotor and engineering detail that more closely resembles a production machine than most kit aircraft. The powerplant is typically an Allison (now Rolls-Royce) 250-C18 or similar surplus turbine, producing in the region of 250 shaft horsepower in an airframe that weighs under 600 pounds empty. The result is genuine performance: cruise speeds exceeding 100 mph and a power-to-weight ratio that certified helicopters in this class cannot match.

The Helicycle is also expensive to build correctly, demanding in terms of builder skill, and extremely rare on the used market.

What's in the market: Helicycles appear infrequently on open listing platforms. Completed examples tend to move through the type community directly. Setting up a Sprinkle alert is the most reliable way to be notified when one surfaces.

Set a Helicycle alert on Sprinkle →

Who it is for: Builders with prior kit aircraft experience — ideally a completed experimental fixed-wing — who understand fabrication, have access to rotorcraft-experienced inspection support, and are prepared to be largely self-sufficient during ownership. If the RotorWay is the approachable kit helicopter, the Helicycle is its uncompromising counterpart.

Safari 400: Two Seats, Active Factory, South African Engineering

The Safari is the outlier in this comparison — a design from Kitplanes for Africa, a South African manufacturer that has maintained consistent production while RotorWay shut down and Eagle R&D went quiet. The Safari 400 uses a conventional two-blade semi-rigid rotor and accepts several engine options, most commonly Rotax or Lycoming O-320/O-360 variants. Build documentation is considered thorough and the factory actively supports builders — a meaningful advantage when you are three years into a helicopter project and need an answer.

What's in the market: A 2019 Kitplanes for Africa Safari with 336 hours total time is listed at $121,749 in Johannesburg, South Africa. That is a significant ask for a kit helicopter. It reflects both the newer design and the practical cost of a machine with genuine factory backup. Note that this is a South African listing — US buyers will need to factor in airfreight, import duties and registration steps.

View Safari listings on Sprinkle →

Why builders choose it: Active factory support. If you start a Safari build today, the manufacturer exists to answer questions, supply updated parts and issue service bulletins. That is a distinction that matters over a multi-year build and in ownership afterwards — and it is one that RotorWay and Helicycle buyers can no longer count on.

Watch out for: The Safari is less common in the United States than the RotorWay, which means fewer type-experienced mechanics and a smaller US community to draw on. Import logistics for the South African listing add complexity and cost that a domestic RotorWay purchase avoids.

Before You Buy Any Used Kit Helicopter

Build logs are the non-negotiable

A kit helicopter's airworthiness rests entirely on the quality of its construction. Demand the complete build log from kit arrival through the FAA experimental certificate sign-off. If the seller cannot produce these, the aircraft's history is unverifiable.

Use a rotorcraft-experienced inspector

An A&P mechanic without rotorcraft experience may miss problems that an experienced helicopter mechanic would catch immediately. The rotor head, swashplate bearings, pitch links and tail rotor assembly need eyes that have worked on these systems. The experimental rotor community in the US is small but findable through type clubs.

Budget for a helicopter rating

All four aircraft require a private pilot certificate with a helicopter category and class rating. The Robinson R22 and R44 are the standard training platforms. Helicopter rating training typically runs $8,000–$15,000 depending on your starting point. This is a budget item, not a footnote.

Annual condition inspections

Experimental aircraft require an annual condition inspection by an A&P or the holder of an experimental repairman certificate. Budget $500–$1,500 annually.

Which One?

Mosquito XET — turbine power at minimum acquisition cost, solo flight only, active community, proven engine in the field.

RotorWay Exec 162F — two seats, the largest inventory of used examples, the deepest community support of any kit helicopter type. Best option for most buyers entering the market today.

Helicycle — the performance benchmark of this class. Demands builder experience and self-sufficiency. Not a first kit.

Safari 400 — active factory, thorough documentation, premium price. The right choice when factory continuity matters more than community depth.

Browse all helicopter listings on Sprinkle →