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Hope I don't regret this!

ryane67

Active Member
Hey all, I'm Ryan, been lurking here for about a year trying to decide what to do as far as these wonderful aircraft do... was first thinking I wanted to build a -10 but then I realized I'd never really use 4 seats.. was considering a -9 for awhile but it just seemed like the 6/7/9 was going to be too cramped of a cabin for long cruises and the useful load might be a bit tight as well with me and my wife and any stuff we want to take.

I figured the 14 was the right choice so I just submitted an order form for a Tail/Emp kit.. It feels like a huge commitment but I know it's a long process to build one of these planes.

I've always liked building /assembling things, do most of my own automotive repair work, my own home improvement projects, etc, this seems.... almost like putting together a lego set by comparison, just that it's going to take longer and cost a whole lot more :)
 
Congratulations!!! Great choice :)

Right now, lead times are your biggest problem, order everything you can as soon as you can.

Is your wife going to help you with the build?

Tip #1 ... Try to do something every day, no matter how small, avoid extended breaks

You'll have a blast! Nothing like finishing a project like this.
 
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Congratulations!!! Great choice :)

Right now, lead times are your biggest problem, order everything you can as soon as you can.

Is your wife going to help you with the build?

Tip #1 ... Try to do something every day, no matter how small, avoid extended breaks

You'll have a blast! Nothing like finishing a project like this.

Thanks! I am thinking that patience will be the biggest skill learned in this process.. I was thinking I could order several kits at once but I don't want to store all of it for an undetermined amount of time... once I see how long it takes getting into the tail kit I will be able to plan out order times for the others..

Yep my wife has said she would help me build, so it could wind up being a good experience.. deburr aluminum or watch tv together.. *shrug*

I've also got someone who is interested in being a partner, but that has not been settled yet. I figure get building and see where the project goes / needs help :)

Something every day you say.. does waiting count as something? :D I feel like there will be a lot of that, but with careful planning, additional tasks can be completed while waiting for something else to ship, etc.
 
I got drunk on Christmas eve 2019 and ordered my empennage kit... now my fuselage kit is about to show up.

I might just pull the trigger on the wings too since there's an 8 month lead time right now.

I wish I would have just ordered the whole kit in the beginning because I spent a year inside with nothing to do because of the pandemic.

Set a goal for at least an hour a day and eventually it gets done.

I haven't run into anything overly difficult yet. As long as you take your time and think about what you are going to do before you do it, you probably won't cause too much damage.
 
Congrats on jumping in! I'm not far along in my own build, but I'm not pushing myself to build too quickly, as my wings won't be here till the end of the year. I'm doing lots of other stuff related to the plane, though: I've worked with a designer on the paint scheme and ordered some upgrades/customizations that I'll use later on when I get to those sections. I'm also learning SOLIDWORKS for when I inevitably need to fabricate something that I want to customize.

As was pointed out above, the best piece of advice I got when I started was to do something -- even if it's just sweeping the shop -- every day.

Good luck with your build!
 
Congrats! Building an RV-14A has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and along the way, I met great fellow builders who are now my friends. Van's is great, the builder community is highly supportive, and the airplane performs exceedingly well. If you stick with it, and work a little bit on it almost every single day, you'll have yourself a wonderful, high-performance airplane that can travel the country/world. Comparatively few people fly airplanes, and far fewer can say that they built their own airplane.

_Alex
 
Although I'm building an RV-3B instead of an RV-14a, this might help with ordering - I ordered all the airframe kits at once and have never regretted it. As soon as I could, I ordered the finish kit, too.

It was the right decision even though my project is much slower than yours will be.

Dave
 
extra material

Hi Ryan, congtrats, I hope you enjoy the experience!
I suggest that when you order the wing and fuselage kits to include some additional spare j-stringers and alum angle. It's not expensive to buy from Vans, but shipping on its own is relatively expensive due to the length. It is handy to have some spare on hand to cater for possible errors in cutting and drilling.
 
Ryan,

Since you are in Michigan, get to Oshkosh for Airventure in July and attend one of the Sheetmetal 101 workshops to get familiar with the tools and terminology (twice daily, every day, unless COVID has changed things). Many of the major tool vendors will be there also, with Cleaveland allowing you to try out tools.

To help build confidence you might also consider a Sportair workshop. Sometimes members of local EAA chapters can help with familiarization and special tool loans.

John Tierney
 
Good choice. I am sure you have already run the numbers, but if money were no object, the 10 is almost a no-brainer whether there will people in the seats or not. Just keep in mind, in rough numbers a 14 will cost about $25K more to build than a 9 and a 10 will cost about $50K more than a 9. Operationally a 14 will cost roughly $20 per hour more than a 9 and a 10 will cost roughly $30 more per hour than a 9.

Tim
 
Congrats and welcome from a repeat offender! :)

You've absolutely chosen the ideal design from Van's current lineup. Kudos for realizing that four seats are unnecessary for most guys most of the time. I've always suggested that one should perform a logbook check for the number of flights over the last two years where you've flown with more than one other person. If that number is under, say, 20 (pick any reasonable number that makes sense to you), then you don't need a 4-place airplane.

The -10 will be more expensive in every way, including insurance, and less capable with respect to aerobatics. As I've sometimes pointed out to both my wife and my mother, a coupon (insert "savings" of any sort) is only a bargain if you needed the thing in the first place. If you don't need a 4-seater, then the incremental cost bump doesn't represent a value for you.

That said, the -10 will sell for more than a similarly-equipped -14A, but that's only the current market condition and may be different (at least in degree) years down the road.

As others have said, buy all of the kits upfront (or as soon as possible), especially now that lead times have gotten out of hand. Hopefully, that will trend back toward normal as life continues to enter the post-pandemic phase.
 
Ryan, I’m about 2/3 done with my 14. If your looking to fly somewhere and want to look at one under construction, come on over to Benton Harbor (KBEH) and I’ll show you around.
Jerry Kalin
 
Welcome aboard Ryan. I think you made a great choice with the 14A. I'm 2.5 years into my build and have never regretted my choice, except maybe now. Fitting my engine cowls and just LOVE (LOL) all the sanding and fitting. Enjoy the journey!
 
Good choice. I am sure you have already run the numbers, but if money were no object, the 10 is almost a no-brainer whether there will people in the seats or not. Just keep in mind, in rough numbers a 14 will cost about $25K more to build than a 9 and a 10 will cost about $50K more than a 9. Operationally a 14 will cost roughly $20 per hour more than a 9 and a 10 will cost roughly $30 more per hour than a 9.

Tim

Keep in mind also that you can do loops, rolls, and a few other fun things in your RV14, but not in the -10, or -9. It’s an all around great airplane that is comfortable.
 
Ryan, I’m about 2/3 done with my 14. If your looking to fly somewhere and want to look at one under construction, come on over to Benton Harbor (KBEH) and I’ll show you around.
Jerry Kalin

wow cool Jerry, I will have to take you up on that. Are you building in the hangar at BEH?
 
Keep in mind also that you can do loops, rolls, and a few other fun things in your RV14, but not in the -10, or -9. It’s an all around great airplane that is comfortable.

Yep, I absolutely agree. Two points, though:
1) the numbers apply to a 7 as well.
2) Personally I believe the 9 is the best of the bunch, but that's just me

Tim
 
Ride in a 10

I live in Clarkston and have a 10. If you are interested in a ride, let me know. There are several RV drivers in my hanger row including a 7 and a 9 at Pontiac KPTK. We also have a EAA Chapter 194 at Pontiac KPTK. If you aren't already in a chapter, you should join up.

PM me for a contact phone number

We just finished two trips that I should write up. Pontiac, MI (KPTK) to Salt Lake City, to Lakeland FL, then home to Pontiac for a total of 4200 miles. Then this last week Pontiac to Oxford, CT them to Rutherford NC ... this leg included a flight down the Hudson River in NY ... then back to Pontiac.

They are great traveling machines!
 
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