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Any quickbuild experience?
I'm back to studying the feasibility of building an RV14. Since I can't buy a 14, and I want it done exactly the way I want it, I think building might be the way to go. I'm willing to spend a little extra to move the project along.
I've found quite a bit of info on actual build times for the standard kit, but can't seem to find much on Quickbuild experiences. Has anyone finished either qb wings or fuselage? Do you have a guesstimate for time savings? From reading forums and logs, it looks like "aggressive" avg time, working efficiently with no deviations from plan would be 1200-1400 hours for the standard kit, but I'm unclear if that assumes paint and panel. If I were to get quickbuild wings/fuselage, and have Steins do my panel, and I'm optimally setup and reasonably well organized, is 900 hours to a flyable, non-painted aircraft a decent estimate? I was a welder for many years, and I've always been pretty efficient in the shop. I took the build class at Oshkosh a couple years ago, and while we only built a small assembly, I was pretty comfortable with it, probably due to the fab experience in my former life. |
There's an old saying and it certainly applies here.
"Build an airplane because you want to build an airplane." "Do NOT build an airplane because you want an airplane!" |
An experienced builder working 8 hour days could build a quick build 14 in 6 months. A newbie could do it in a year. This estimate is based on my own experience.
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RV 7 quick build experience
My QB fuse has saved me 200 hrs at least
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Took me around 2 months, or 100 hours to substantially complete my 14A QB Fuselage, a few minor things to finish up on the cabin interior to end up painting the interior. Now about half way through the Finish Kit.
Seen or heard reports of taking anywhere from 800 to 1400 hours to complete a slow build 14 fuselage, so definitely some time savings on the QB. |
That's a couple of good data points on the QB fuselage. Very encouraging, thanks.
Does anyone have experience with the QB wings? |
There are a number of build centers out there that will assist you with or do a large portion of the work, you just join them for a few weeks or so. Spendy, but if you want a custom built 14, fast, that may be the way to go. Purists may not approve but apparently it satisfies the 51% rule still.
Chris |
The slow builds will take much, much more than 1400 hrs, probably a minimum of 1000 hrs more and could make the QB route more compelling for you. I have 1100 + hrs and am no where close to being finished and work fairly quickly. If you want an airplane more than you want to build and can afford the QB, then that's what I would do. I'm happy with my slow build decision even if it delays me flying my 14 for a year or so vs a QB.
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Not Really.......
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A lot of people are already pushing the edge and the FAA is watching. |
I built a set of RV14 slow build wings in 4-5 months and about 400 hours when that was the only kit available and there were no QB options. That included finishing the wingtips and fitting/rigging the ailerons and flaps.
A set of QB wings should take you no more than 100 hours to finish, probably closer to 50 if you have prior experience. You could probably do that in a month if you stayed focused, saving maybe 3-4 months - just on the wings. |
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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