Buying an RV10 vs Building questions
 

I am looking at an 2009 RV10 for sale that is 99% of what I had planned to build. I mean it is darn near perfect match - Paint scheme/color, panel, interior, engine, etc are all exactly what I would do (if not much better in some cases). Low time plane in the 500-600 range. Flown often and IFR. The price on this plane is 200K which when I pencil out building my own RV10 with the QB kit, without some of the massive upgrades the guy did on this RV10 for sale... 200K would be the minimum I would expect to spend if I were to build my own RV10 with the QB kit, and it would not have all the upgrades and updates this other guy did! I would say this particular RV10 for sale should be listed at 250 with all the upgrades and updates done to it. I am tempted to buy this plane site unseen but I wouldn't do that. Would get PreBuy and inspect first.

What say the RV10'rs here?

Also, would I be able to do all my own maintenance and repairs even though I did not build the airplane? I would assume inspection required by an AD?

Buying is a matter of the heart as much the mind, so I offer no comment on that. As to your last question, you or anyone can work on the plane as much as you desire. Once a year, an annual ?condition inspection? is required, and that needs to be signed off by an A&P (or the original builder, if he has the limited repairman certificate for the plane).

If you want to fly, buy. If you want to build, build.

Sounds to me like you've found the near perfect airplane for yourself. I would not hesitate to consider purchasing this aircraft, Of course upon passing a comprehensive pre-buy inspection.
As said before, you can do any and all maintenance and/or modifications to an experimental amateur-built aircraft. The only thing you can't do is the condition inspection. That must be done by an A&P or the licensed repairman for that particular airplane.

Not a 10 guy, but . . .

I wanted to be a builder, I became a buyer, I have had a lot of fun maintaining, modifying, and doing condition inspections (under supervision) on my plane.

Give them a fair offer contingent on a pre-buy inspection by a respected RV guy, and let the adventure begin.

You will be happy.

Welcome to VAF
 

Kent, welcome aboard the good ship VAF:D

Sounds like you have already made up your mind, and are just asking for our "permission" -----------

OK, I give you permission, GO FOR IT!!!!!

RV-10 decision time
 

If I had to do it all again... which would put me in the same scenario your in.. I would probably build. I loved building the plane. I also dont let anyone touch my plane (for maintenance) because I am a little paranoid of "human error". I just dont trust the great work of another builder nor would a "perfect" plane be perfect to me until I completely redid it,"my way" and knew it was safe for my family. (there is a lot more to this than the statement ;-)) which, technically, I couldnt since I didnt build that specific plane. But if none of that matters to you, buy the plane, you will absolutely love it. I have flown many beautiful planes but none have ever given me the enjoyment of my -10.
So if you're a avid builder and want to have the pride of creating a beautiful sample of a -10, build, you'll be able to assure that its safe for the family and know every nut and bolt torque, but otherwise, why wait? get a perfect sample of what you would spend over 1000 hours building (not to mention reading and researching) and about 4-5 years and consuming your life to the project, by buying one already completed to enjoy!!
Whatever you decide, its a win-win!!
Best of success deciding,
or, check out the plane and see if your heart says buy it!!, otherwise you'll know you want to build it!

Get a knowledgeable person to do a prebuy and then if it checks out, you'll be set.

I saw an unfinished RV-10 that someone had bought without that. They did a fair bit of finishing work and bought all the systems, engine, prop, avionics, etc., and then discovered that the airframe was unusable. They took a beating.

Dave

Yup. I saw the same unfinished project, in order to offer my opinion, as a 10-builder. Absolutely heart-breaking. Get a pre-buy inspection!

I was the one who inspected the RV-10 that was mentioned above. I felt horribnle for the 2nd buyer, a first-time want-to-be builder who bought it without a prebuy inpsection. It was a huge loss, both financially and emotionally.

Vic

OK now my morbid curiosity is piqued so I have to ask, can you provide some examples of what was wrong with the kit? Or was this previously discussed in another thread by chance?

I too as I'm sure others would love to hear some details about this, keeping the parties involved private of course, really interested as to what was wrong with the build so bad that it had to be scrapped.

I did post a few pictures regarding this particular RV, but I?m hearing they aren?t available anymore since photobucket changed their policy. I will try to sign up for smug mug and see if I can post them here again.

Basically, I found more bad rivets than good rivets. It was the worst case of riveting I?ve ever seen. Unfortunately, there were oversized rivets, missing rivets, and just plain awful rivets in areas that pretty much required a tear down of the airframe. In reality you would be building 2 rv?s, since it required a tear down and rebuild.

Vic

I agree with Vic.

Bottom line, get a pre-buy from a qualified inspector!

Dave

OK. First post with Smug mug. Let's see if it works. :) I think th epictures will speak for themselves.

To be clear, I would never associate names with this type of stuff. I post it here so we all can learn, and know what to look for. I might be an experienced builder today, but there was a time when I didn't have a clue. But it is about asking for help or advice. That's one of the greates attributes a person can have.

When I started my RV-4 in 1981 I did take the horizontal stabilizer spar to the local A&P at a flight school I happened to be working at part time. He laughed, yes laughed, as I walked in the door with it. But he showed me how to drill them out and set them properly and the rest is history.

We all will still set a bad rivet every now and then, and you have to weigh drilling it out or just moving along if it might cause more damage to drill it out. But 1 bad rivet in a line of good rivets is a whole lot different than clustered bad rivets in structural members.

https://photos.smugmug.com/VAF-Pics/...MG_4153-X3.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/VAF-Pics/...MG_4157-X3.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/VAF-Pics/...MG_4158-X3.jpg
https://photos.smugmug.com/VAF-Pics/...MG_4178-X3.jpg

OK. Sorry. I will work on it. I can't seem to get to the same screen settings you showed me.

Have to agree with all that is said concerning a pre buy. If you are east of the Mississippi, Vic is almost in the middle. No better guy to do a pre buy than Vic. Buying an airplane that almost meets your requirements, plus a few extras, can't be beat. Unless your time is worth a negativee number, buy it if it passes inspection. Enjoy, and welcome aboard!