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  #11  
Old 12-29-2009, 04:55 PM
eric.kallio eric.kallio is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Prairieville, LA
Posts: 118
Default My 2 cents

Just to feel like one of the crowd let me throw my support in for you getting started. I was 31 when I started and hope to be flying before my 35th birthday this October. I am not married, and just have a small house for me and the dog. I am building the -10 in my garage with plans to grow into the 4 seats. Since beginning I have acquired a girlfiend who has been part of the process from the beginning (we started dating after I paid for the emennage but before getting started. She actually went with me to Alexander technical center to start the tail feathers). Having the project before her arrival makes it a part of the total package from the beginning, and I truly believe it is easier for her to accept since it has been a continual presence and there is no "before the plane we used to..." type of stuff. She has been very suportive and very helpful. Until the engine and panel I paid as I went. If a plane is what you want, and you are looking at a kit-built you are at the right place. Jump on in and get started. Pound rivets when you can, and everything else will fall into place.

Eric Kallio
RV-10 N518RV
Installing panel and wiring
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  #12  
Old 12-29-2009, 07:42 PM
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Flyguytki Flyguytki is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Fairbanks AK
Posts: 758
Default

It is never to early to start!! I am 22 have one semester of college left and then am straight into the Army as an LT. I started now because I dident want to have to build the motivation again to Start from scratch when I get out of the army so I figured if I had a good portion done before I went in then it would be easy to finish. The only downside to this is that I spend all my time in class thinking the plane and what needs to be done that night. If I can do it then anyone can do it. It's alot of fun and this place will give you all the knowledge and help you need. Place an order and have some fun!
-david
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RV-7 N87DX Built, Flown, and Sold!
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  #13  
Old 12-29-2009, 11:04 PM
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aaronboulais aaronboulais is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Fontana, CA.
Posts: 74
Thumbs up Get Started!!

I agree with the other guys! I started my tail kit when I was 26 and engaged. Fortunately I already told my fiance that I wanted to own an airplane so she was totally cool with it. I worked on my plane after work and on the weekends (basically when it didn't interfere with spending time with my fiance.)

I also got the tail kit "used" from another builder. It was basically unstarted and I saved about $800.............plus he was in my area so i just drove over in my truck and picked up the kit. Its an easy way to save money! Start as soon as you can, and pay as you go!
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Stuck in spam can land for now.....
Will build when I retire in 25 years
Donation Made 4/13/2015
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  #14  
Old 12-30-2009, 01:15 AM
Camillo Camillo is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Roma, Italy
Posts: 510
Default Echo Tango...

...you forgot to say the most important reason for building your own airplane (at least it is my reason): building an airplane (as building a/p radiocontrolled models when I was a child and before a/p static models) is probably the most funny experience you can do in your life. First of all, build it if you feel you will enjoy doing it. Other reasons come later.

Having said that, I started at 30 y.o. and if I could go back in the past, I will have started sooner. My only regret is that unfortunately this is not a free hobby and you should marry building job with main job, in order not to feel yourself "guilty" to spend more money than those you can earn. That is the reason why probably I did not take earlier my decision and why I felt myself a bit builty in the first period of my building experience...
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RV4 IO-320, Catto 3-blade, Christen, I-BILT
Flight time: 1 hour
Status: test flights
www.rv4.it

ROME, Italy
---
RV9A O-320 D1A, Hartzell C/S prop, slider, I-PRCA
Flight time: 350 hours
Status: SOLD
http://nuke.rv9.it
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  #15  
Old 12-30-2009, 01:47 AM
Bob Axsom Bob Axsom is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,685
Default Your situation sounds perfect

Your situation and rationale sound very good to me. I certainly would not consider traditional life benchmarks as prerequisites for starting. In addition to the practical reasons you stated, completing the build will give you confidence and knowledge that will get you into a life track that you probably could not achieve otherwise. We can't predict exactly what path our lives will take but we can choose to do things that we can do to keep us going in the direction that we want to go. This is a good educational and recreational activity that will keep you from blowing your time and money on frivolous things and it will positively effect your future no matter what your final career path looks like when you reflect back on it. I do not agree that you can never start too early but when I was 24 I felt very mature. I joined the Air Force at 17 and I think that is too young to start building an airplane by yourself but by the time I was 19 I think I was starting to acquire the right level of personal responsibility to do the job. Desire and responsibility alone are not enough to do a good job of creating your airplane however, you will require some training to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. That's OK, the airplane will provide the motivation and the skills and knowledge acquired in the build process will serve you well in your life pursuits long after the plane is done.

When did I start my RV-6A? Oh, I was 60.

Bob Axsom

Last edited by Bob Axsom : 12-31-2009 at 04:50 AM. Reason: Typos
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  #16  
Old 12-30-2009, 08:35 AM
bobby bobby is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Mount Pleasant, WI
Posts: 51
Default Yes, build now!

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikehoover View Post
<BUILD NOW!>

I started building in 2003 at age 42 - single, never married, no kids, great job...

Jump forward to 2009: Married, my first baby, a girl "Jacie" newborn 10-26-2009, three great other girls ages 8, 10, 16, down market. "Life comes at you fast!" I'm about "85%" done. Glad I got started when I did.

</BUILD NOW!>
I wanted to build one of these RV things since I was in college (circa 1983). At that time there was no money or place to build. Skip forward a decade. Still little money and still no place to build but I had a private glider license and a glider. I guess thats where the money went.

Similar to Mike I started my -8 in late 2002 at the age of 42, single, never married, no kids but I wouldn't say great job, oh well. My project sat for 4 years or so in the middle there while I got married, got a different job and moved. Almost sold it a few times but am glad I didn't. Now the fuse is well under way, I have an engine and even though I enjoy the building can see the light at the end of the building tunnel.

I too say if you have the desire and the money for a tail kit and some tools build now. If during the process it ends up sitting for a while don't worry about it. It will still be there when you can get back to it.

Now I'm looking forward to when mine breaks the surly bonds. If I never started it or had sold it that would never happen and that would be a real shame.
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RV-8 Flying!!!
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  #17  
Old 12-30-2009, 09:09 AM
John Courte John Courte is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 634
Default

Build now. But it is a commitment to time/space/money. You have an advantage: You're not married and mortgaged. You can build, when and how you want, without having to be sensitive to the needs of family members. You can build in your living room or rent a hangar at the airport with a loft apartment to live in while you build, even better if said hangar/apartment is at the field where you ATC. If your life situation changes and you no longer have time/space/money, you can put the kit in storage while you work your way back to a situation where you can build, or you can sell it, retaining the knowledge and experience to help you when you start over or pick up a partial kit later on.

Oh, and re: family members - a good litmus test of prospective mates will be the shining pile of aluminum and parts slowly becoming an airplane. If they dig it, hold on to them and don't let go.
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SOLD 7/2/2020
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  #18  
Old 12-30-2009, 09:10 AM
Echo Tango Echo Tango is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SFO Approach
Posts: 204
Default

Thanks for the motivation, guys! I half-expected a bunch of replies explaining how I hadn't weighed all of the facts, hidden costs, and the impossibility of building while still moving around every couple years. I'm currently compiling a list of tools I'll need to buy, as my father has quite a few that are about a decade old from a botched hummelbird build (though something tells me when I get started on the -7, he'll want to pick up the rivet gun again )

I think he bought the "basic toolkit" from aircraft spruce back in the early 90s
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  #19  
Old 12-30-2009, 09:27 AM
dhall_polo's Avatar
dhall_polo dhall_polo is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Cumming, GA
Posts: 610
Default go to sun-n-fun and/or oshkosh this year

Now that we've decided that you will start building soon, I recommend you put in for your vacation time in April for Sun-n-Fun. Camping is a great way to enjoy the show on the cheap.
- Go visit the great folks at Cleaveland tools (Avery and others too). They'll help you get started with basic tools for the empennage, and it's nice to talk to someone in person.
- Sign up for a free ride in whichever RV you think you want at the Van's booth. hint: get there early. Also, sit in all of the other models.
- look at the workshop schedule and find one where they'll show you basic riveting. (or find a local builder and ask for a shop tour and quick tutorial.)
- Have fun looking at everything else homebuilt related. It will probably overwhelm you, but just remember that your only goal is to order and build the empennage.
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N517DG - RV7 - Flying!
Ticked Van's Hobbes meter at #6110, 3/7/09
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  #20  
Old 12-30-2009, 10:02 AM
Alex44 Alex44 is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 57
Default

Good Luck on your build, Wish I would have started when I was 21...but there was no RV planes when I was 21, LOL!
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