What would you do differently?

[Rick RV-4]

I WOULD do this again. Order the Numatx rivet gun. Not cheap but well worth the cost, in my opinion. I built a "4" and I'm now building an RV-10. Never liked the bulk and weight of the other pneumatic squeezers out there, but the smaller weight, size and power of the Numatx squeezer makes it well worth the expense.

[Weefle]

Originally Posted by Rick RV-4

I WOULD do this again. Order the Numatx rivet gun. Not cheap but well worth the cost, in my opinion. I built a "4" and I'm now building an RV-10. Never liked the bulk and weight of the other pneumatic squeezers out there, but the smaller weight, size and power of the Numatx squeezer makes it well worth the expense.

That is one nice looking tool and the weight and size would definitely be advantageous. Unfortunately my pneumatic riveter is already on the way or I would have opted for this one.
Thanks for sharing!

[SooBoy]

Originally Posted by Rick RV-4

I WOULD do this again. Order the Numatx rivet gun. Not cheap but well worth the cost, in my opinion. I built a "4" and I'm now building an RV-10. Never liked the bulk and weight of the other pneumatic squeezers out there, but the smaller weight, size and power of the Numatx squeezer makes it well worth the expense.

Very cool, lightweight-looking tool. Wish I'd have known about this one! My squeezer arrived today.

[echozulu]

Lots of good answers here:

https://vansairforce.com/community/s...d.php?t=166693

I'm not done yet, but to echo what some others have said, stick to the mods that are absolutely necessary for you. Especially if you are a new builder. You don't fully appreciate pre-made parts and precise instructions from Vans until you're trying to integrate an aftermarket mod and need to fab all of your parts.

[BrianDC]

I'm a bit torn on this, but I honestly wish I had more -10 builders (or just other builders) stop by more often. I'll admit I'm perfectly happy and a little proud of doing 99% of the work myself. I will reach out when I really get stumped (even after reading VAF, searching YouTube, or reading other build logs). I'm sure that a lot of my frustration and re-work could have been avoided by having someone stopping by more frequently to talk me through the process / help explain some of the nuance that I may have obviously missed.

I'm only a few months away from moving to our EAA hangar so I expect I'll get plenty of free advice and inspections to point out anything I missed

Fancy tools are great, and I have a bunch. They do make life a little easier, but not to the point where I would say they are "must haves". (I'll say a harbor freight rivet puller may rise to a "must have" looking at cabin floor!)

Some of the things I wish I did earlier:
- Installing a mini-split (AC/Heat) in my garage/workshop sooner
- Installing more LED lights in the shop

I will also agree with others, every mod or upgrade has consequences (both in time, and budget). Really think through where you want to spend your resources and the benefits of each change.

[Weefle]

So this is where I’m getting a bit perplexed.

When I look at all the mods one can do on a 10.... I have to wonder what is absolutely a no brainer or a nice to have.

Will the stock Vans brakes fail in 100 hours hence upgrade now

Will the stock fuel valve work fine

Will using piano hinge for cowl mount be a PITA down the road so do Skybolts now.

McMaster door seals vs what Vans recommends.

I’m all for doing things once and right the first time , does anyone fly with a bone stock 10?

[arr]

As I am waiting on the empennage kit I have similar questions. It is quite likely that new builders will need to just move ahead and learn by experience. (like everyone else)

My question:

In the interest of:
1. Keeping the costs reasonably controlled.
2. Flying within the next decade.

What kind of plan could be put together to build a great plane that can be upgraded later with minimal downtime during upgrades.

Example: would anyone run refrigerant lines and perhaps a dual pulley with the idea that AC could be added later....thereby preserving 8k.

Could a lot of the interior panels be added later...possibly buying an interior kit later.

[Strasnuts]

Originally Posted by Weefle

So this is where I’m getting a bit perplexed.

When I look at all the mods one can do on a 10.... I have to wonder what is absolutely a no brainer or a nice to have.

Will the stock Vans brakes fail in 100 hours hence upgrade now

Will the stock fuel valve work fine

Will using piano hinge for cowl mount be a PITA down the road so do Skybolts now.

McMaster door seals vs what Vans recommends.

I’m all for doing things once and right the first time , does anyone fly with a bone stock 10?

These are just my opinion and my experiences...

It's not whether Vans brakes will fail in 100 hours it's that they are too small for the RV10 weight. Ya, you shouldn't need to push hard on the brakes but if you need to abort a takeoff or stop faster because of a deer or something on the runway they are undersized and can fade out.

The stock fuel valve will work but it doesn't look as nice, that's about it.

I have the piano hinges and love them. They work just as good as new after 1100 hours. The others look nice too. One mod I know that helps on the cowl is fitting nutplates/screws and on the bottom sides. I guess the old hinge pieces there would crack out. Not sure if Vans changed this down the road.

Mcmaster seal is super nice and stays on the cabin top. I've seen stock seals which are attached to the door and flop around and get stuck between the guides. I'm sure there are some good fitted stock seals but the mcmaster seal makes it easier to completely seal up the door and the hinge pockets to keep the warm/cool air from leaving or coming in. MAkes it quieter too in most cases.

[BrianDC]

Originally Posted by arr

What kind of plan could be put together to build a great plane that can be upgraded later with minimal downtime during upgrades.

Example: would anyone run refrigerant lines and perhaps a dual pulley with the idea that AC could be added later....thereby preserving 8k.

Could a lot of the interior panels be added later...possibly buying an interior kit later.

Tough question. Once you are flying, you can absolutely tear back into the cabin to do upgrades, but do you really want to?

For the panel, you can absolutely do some pre-work to make life easier down the road. (Build as a VFR with room to grow to IFR? Buy older model garmin/dynon/whoever model? Maybe pre-wire for stuff you expect to use in the near future?)

I'm sure you could put in an overhead console after the fact, but it would be a huge pain in the rump. Gravity works against you and fiberglass dust sucks in a finished interior. Interior panels or center console, maybe be easier to retrofit.

I would not specifically recommend installing AC lines now for a future upgrade. Easy enough to run them in the center tunnel to retrofit later if needed. (Depending on who you get it from I'm sure).

Everyone has their own opinions and wants. Half the fun (at least for some of us) is trying to figure out what works for you.

[Fenderbean]

Originally Posted by BobTurner

I made a jig for quickly dimpling the ears on nut plates with the DRDT-2. But if I was building again I’d look hard at the special very shallow head rivets, and countersink the skin rather than dimple.
Everyone swears by the tungsten bucking bar. I don’t have one.
I don’t have a drill press or a band saw. Hand held jig saw worked okay.
I did have a pneumatic squeezer, which I really liked.

Can someone expand on this? Is he saying counter sink everything vs dimpling?