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Whether you build the whole thing or go quick build wings and fuse you still have to build the tail and tail cone. Start with this, see if you like the process, how much time it takes etc and then make your decision about which way to go after that.
I agree with Mel. Build an airplane because you want to build an airplane not because you want an airplane. |
QB - Still 6 1/2 Years
I opted for a -8A QB but it still took me 6 1/2 years. I had a day job that involved a lot of travel so there always seemed to be a proficiency / learning curve when I did get back in the shop. I also have an incurable Sierra Nevada backpacking addiction that kept me out of the shop during the summer.
6 years and nearly 850 flight hours later - no regrets. The building experience was very educational (I had never driven a rivet or worked fiberglass) and rewarding. After eliminating a self-imposed schedule deadline, I accepted that it had to fit into other of life's priorities and it was going to fly whenever I was satisfied it was ready. Told my buds it was going to fly Saturday - I just didn't know which Saturday! |
I am almost done with the tail kit. I will be ordering QB wings, but decided to order SB fuselage (when I started section 11). One reason is the 6 month wait: I can get a lot done in that time. When my fuse kit arrives I will order QB wings in short order, hopefully they'll arrive around the time I wrap up fuse.
I enjoy the process (most of the time anyway) and since I have an airplane to fly I'm not in a huge rush. It's taking me about 5 months for tailcone, but I could have gotten it done a lot faster - I slowed down because of the 8 week wait on fuse (my bad). I don't think it will take me more than 6 months / 400 hours for the fuselage based on experience with tailcone. As a newbie I will have about 315 hours in that, and I re-built the left elevator (it was airworthy but I am obsessive). |
Thanks for all the info, it's very helpful.
I want to build an RV-14, but I travel pretty extensively for work. I need to figure out whether I can pull this off with the time I have available at home, at this point in my life. |
To get things done, you must love the doing...
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There's another timely saying by Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead: Quote:
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I "waste" a lot of time just tinkering around trying to make stuff "perfect". Of course I waste a lot more fixing mistakes that could have been avoided by reading the plans a bit more carefully or not being in a rush. I have a hard time balancing "I want to get done" with "enjoy the process". |
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