What I would do different, had I to do it again.

[Kiwi flyer]

For me the QB was well worth the money and quality was great, check thru all steps, I found that they missed a couple of things but also had done other steps listed to complete, Partain shipped mine and did a great job. Pete

[Kyle Boatright]

The left main longeron on my QB was underformed. The curve on the fuselage side was too shallow. That created lots of fit issues in the neighborhood of the baggage door. With some factory guidance, I corrected it with a fairly substantial stacked shim.

Another problem with my QB was that the landing gear weldments contacted some of the spar and floor structure in ways that were not supposed to happen. Sure, the QB guys had made the weldments fit, but I had to pull both main gear weldments and relieve some aluminum structure so the aluminum structure and steel structure didn't grind against each other and damage both.

There have been a few other, lesser problems. Nothing show stopping, but it is a PITA to spend hours having to rework something you paid to have built correctly by the factory.

[thelynns]

I would have bought a flying RV instead of
spending the last 12 years building one.

[digidocs]

FWIW, in my experience the QB quality is definitely spotty. I think some people get lucky, but there are definitely others that don't and end up spending a lot of time doing rework.

[Joe Jet]

I also have not heard anything bad about the quick build kits, I am curious as to what you didn't like regarding workmanship. I know a couple of RV-3 drivers who said the guys in the Philippines do a better job than I will ever do. JJ

[JackinMichigan]

The issues we had with the QB kits:
1. In the fuselage there were several parts that were riveted in the wrong orientation (upside down and such) which weren't discovered until well into the build. Fixing them proved difficult.
2. Overall quality of the riveting was spotty to poor, especially on the wings.
3. Both tanks leaked out the vent hole because the B-nut on the inside of the tank wasn't properly tightened or formed. The left tank was leaking past so many rivets that I eventually had to remove the tank and send it back to Vans. The right tank vent still leaks.

[9GT]

Originally Posted by JackinMichigan

3. Both tanks leaked out the vent hole because the B-nut on the inside of the tank wasn't properly tightened or formed. The left tank was leaking past so many rivets that I eventually had to remove the tank and send it back to Vans. The right tank vent still leaks.

Here are a couple photos of the fuel vent fittings I found on my 9A quick build wings when I opened them up to add 3.5 gallon per side. The overall quality of the QB tanks left a lot to be desired IMHO.
[IMG]DSC02046 by David C, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]DSC02045 by David C, on Flickr[/IMG]

[bob888]

My previous plane (C210) had built in O2 and it was a pain and $$$ to get it refilled. Many FBOs don't have and some that do require an A&P to fill; not the line guys. One solution is to build in the O2 and keep fill tanks in the hangar but that won't work on a long trip. My solution is to strap a tank (E cylinder) on the tunnel between the back seats. I can carry a spare in the baggage area. These can be exchanged at a medical or welding supply for much less cost than an airport fill. One tank will last from CA to OSH for one person with leftovers at 15.5K.

[MauleDriver]

Background: Started build 2008, first flight 2011, 1100 hours, N215TG

Things I would have done differently (and in some cases changed after initial flights):

1) Come up with a better oil door latch (final solution still outstanding)

2) Bob Archer Antennas: Use a standard bent whip for both Comm radios instead of a Bob Archer antenna on number 2. Neither is a backup radio and the Bob Archer is sub-optimal for comm.

2.1) Not try to share a single Bob Archer Nav antenna between 2 Nav radios. The Bob Archer nav antenna works fine for approach work but it needs to be dedicated to a single radio (I now have 2 Bob Archer style nav antennas)

3) Less interior parts, more painted structure.

4) Should have alodined everything

5) Replace spark plugs with fine wire plugs when replacement required (anybody want to buy some new standard plugs?)

6) Install Rosen sun visors instead of a cheaper alternative (took 5 years to figure that out)

Best Things Done (with all possible restraint)

1) Attending 1 week long tail build class at Alexander Tech Center (no longer offered). Most productive use of time and money imaginable. I learned the basics of aluminum construction from a very experienced 21yo and had a chance to try multiple versions of each tool so I could select favorites.

2) QB option; my QB wings and fuselage were very high quality, generally better than I could do, but luck of the draw applies I guess.

3) Having decided to wire my own panel, use of Approach Fast Stack's wiring hub made it possible. I was able to order custom harnesses for all equipment. In selecting wiring and functional options, their expertise was right on target as evidenced by 7+ years of flying. They produced full and detailed documentation for the wiring of my custom panel.

4) Fabricating a center console with a RAM mount for the iPad and that encloses a removable E cylinder O2 tank (I first flew with no center console - flying with one is more comfortable).

5) Spending almost a year building a comfortable shop inside my hangar. Five years is a long time to be less than comfortable.

And finally, here is another option for headset jacks. Putting the jacks right under your outside knee works real well in terms of staying out of the way and not ever requiring removal.
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/displa...g=117561&row=5