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WTH with Vans and the wing kit....

HURMANAV8R

HURMANAV8R

Active Member
I tried to get a quote today for the wing kit from Vans, undrilled and without the parts as speced by Harmon.

Vans quoted me $6050 for the wing kit, when a stock kit costs $5500!

WTH is going on with that!!!!!!
 
What's the problem?

This seems like classic "economies of scale" to me. What seems to be your problem with it?

Vans is set-up like most businesses: namely, they have a limited set of products they try to sell as many times as possible. The fact that they are willing to take custom orders for those few people who need to make changes speaks well of them, and the fact that they charge a premium for this service seems like standard business practice to me.

I mean, I hope you don't think you deserve some sort of discount from them just because they aren't drilling some holes (using their highly automated machinery) that they would otherwise need to be drilling. Your request to customize your order adds to their workload. Considering you could choose instead to build the parts you are trying to order from them from scratch, it seems like you've already done the analysis that their assistance is a cost-effective improvement on your build.

I guess Vans could always decide that providing this specialized service to the Rocket builders isn't an effective use of their business effort and just refuse to provide undrilled skins.

--Stephen
 
Not to be harsh, but I think you're lucky. I asked for an un-drilled, unbent blank for the AHRS mount in the -10 and was refused. I was told I could get it unbent but the process to create the blank also pre-punches the part and it would take special programming to produce an un-drilled part. I'm not complaining; I get good support from Van's and, while I wouldn't want to pay more, I think that I've gotten quite a bargain. I think you're getting one, too.
 
maybe you should try to order a complete wing kit, and just mention you don't want the wing skins punched, just bent.
 
I dont recall that the spar needs to be undrilled. Its just alot easier if you get it without the preassembled spar. I assume they still sell them that way. The Phlogyston (preassembled spar) used to be an option you payed extra for.
Ryan
 
Are you SURE?

Geez - deleting $1000 or more of parts out of the kit and the price goes UP?? You might ask again to make sure - it doesn't make any sense to me.

You are going to get ALL the skins from John (or supply them yourself); along with the tank baffles & attach flanges...yep, I'd ask again. You may be the victim of a typo?

Ryan is right - you don't want the spars undrilled - you want 'em un-assembled. Maybe this is where things went south?

And, last I looked, the -4 kits have as many holes pre-punched as they always did: zero.:cool:

I don't know of any F1 Sport wing sets for sale, unless you want to buy the whole kit, which kinda drives the price up a LITTLE bit...:rolleyes:

Good luck!
Mark
 
Keep in mind that Van doesn't really want you building Rockets, so they aren't incented to prepare kits for Rocket builders. Breaking apart a kit leaves extra parts that have to be stocked, and may not be sold. That affects the production process and the revenue stream. It increases their workload and overhead, as someone else mentioned. I'm not surprised it costs more.
 
You can still order the skins for the -4 unpunched. I know because I've just received two unpunched leading edge skins three weeks ago (W-401 as opposed to the prepunched W-401PP-L or R). Just call them and ask.
 
Bob Kuykendall said:
?Wing skins sheared to size. Leading edge and fuel tank skins pre-bent. Except for the RV-3, all kits include pre-punched wing skins.
Click to expand...

And I'm still waiting for the them to add that last one (the RV-3) to the list. I know, it'll never happen, as has been discussed on the RV-3 section, but I can dream...
 
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