RV-10 Regrets...?

[cstanley]

Okay, I'll put it out there and admit that I'm one of the irresponsible ones. I suspect at least a few of you are of the same mind-set as me, but feel the need to support your decisions. I understand and am not criticizing that mental manipulation. I don't have to go through all that because: 1) I'm single (probably the single largest factor) and 2) as long as it's safe and it works well, I don't care what others think.

I chose the -10 because it was the biggest Van's plane. "Well, Chris, was that for people or payload?" Don't care. Didn't analyze probabilities for percentage of take-offs needing to be at gross weight. Just want to be able to do it when I want to do it.

I am paying as I go, so I'm not incurring any debt for this build. That means it will take longer, but that's okay with me. I don't know how much my -10 is going to end up costing. I don't care. I'm not building for re-sale. I'm building for me. I intend to have all the bells and whistles. I intend to make it scream as much as you can make a -10 scream. I intend to be silently smug about it.

This is my first build and I absolutely love doing it. That's fairly obvious because I haven't actually flown for some time. Granted, I'm not yet in a flying machine, but I have absolutely, positively, no regrets.

[ppilotmike]

Originally Posted by cstanley

I chose the -10 because it was the biggest Van's plane.

Chris,

Well now THERE's something I never thought about.. Somehow, the size never came into my criteria, other than my wife sure did like the elbow room.

I started this thread because I was having cold feet about the 10, due to my LOVE for the handling qualities of the RV-7. Comparing the flying qualities of the two vastly different airplanes was not really an "apples to apples," so I was mainly concerned with whether or not I'd have regrets after building the "family truckster."

I wanted to know if there was anyone who had actually lived out my worst fear. Apparently no one has, because I didn't get back a single negative comment about the 10. No one replied that they hated looking at the empty seats while flying along, wishing they could do a barrel roll. That was what my fear was... mostly empty plane, less speed, more cost and less fun.. According to all of the people who chimed in, this is not a valid fear. Therefore, I am moving on with the 10 as THE project and not looking back.

Thanks again everyone for your thoughts.