diff --git a/Tools/scripts/build_all.sh b/Tools/scripts/build_all.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..eb00ff67db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/scripts/build_all.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# useful script to test all the different build types that we support.
+# This helps when doing large merges
+# Andrew Tridgell, November 2011
+
+set -e
+set -x
+
+pushd ArduPlane
+for b in all apm2 hil hilsensors; do
+    pwd
+    make clean
+    make $b
+done
+make -f ../libraries/Desktop/Makefile.desktop clean all
+popd
+
+pushd ArduCopter
+for b in all apm2 hil; do
+    pwd
+    make clean
+    make $b
+done
+make -f ../libraries/Desktop/Makefile.desktop clean all
+popd