What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

RV-10 workshop opening size

ChrisC

Member
I'm in the midst of working with an architect to rebuild my house -- and the plans include a workshop in the basement for continuing work on my RV10. (I'm still on the tail kit...)

I want to make sure that it is possible to get the plane out of the workshop once complete -- which means we are designing a hatch from the basement up to the first floor, hopefully large enough to get everything I build back out again. I'm currently playing with 3D models to see what might work.

Which leads me to a question -- what is the biggest piece? Since I only have the tailkit, I don't have the complete plans available to me to figure out which pieces are easy to assemble at the airport vs. I want to spend a lot of time on them in my basement first.

I'm assuming the biggest and hardest to maneuver piece is the fuselage. Assuming this is true, is it reasonable for me to get everything set up in my basement, then detach:
  • the engine
  • the horizontal/vertical stabilizers
  • the fiberglass on top
  • the landing gear
to get the fuselage out of my house? Or are there items on this list which I'm better off just not affixing to the fuselage until the project has escaped from my basement?

Thank you!

Chris
 
Interesting challenge.....the fuselage on gear just fits through a standard single car garage door, approx. 7' tall x 8-1/2 feet wide. My initial reaction is that you should just bite the bullet and regrade the lawn so you can open up this size opening to the basement. But if not possible....

1) horizontal and vertical stabilizer easily comes off, most folks don't install them permanently until after the move to the airport.
2) Landing gear easily comes off,
3) If the engine is simply hung so as to fit baffling and finish the cowl, it isn't but a few hours work to pull it and rehang later. But.....there is a lot of work in connecting control cables, wiring, sensors, etc., I think that you won't want to undo this work and thus will have to wait on this part of FWF until after it is moved.
4) I suppose you could do some work on the top before it is permanently affixed, but installing the front windshield will have to wait, and not having a final mount will make getting a good door fit even trickier.
So, I think it may be possible, but you are making a challenging job even more challenging. I can't quite picture the "hatch" you are going to need to get the fuselage upstairs - this will be one big hole in the floor. Perhaps you could build sub-assemblies in the basement, and then move them to an airport hanger.

Good Luck!
 
The fuselage is the biggest piece. Everything else will go through a standard man door. The main gear legs are a chore to mount; I would not want to do that more than once. Same with the engine. No problem removing the cabin top before it is riveted to the fuselage. I don't think you are going to want to cut or sand fiberglass in your basement; it gets everywhere, even with good dust control. Worse than drywall dust. You will probably want to do all cutting and sanding outside.

Jim Berry
RV-10
 
We built a couple of Cozy MKIV's in my basement. Placed temporary supports under the floor joists down to the floor, cut out the existing floor joists where the hole would be, rolled back the carpet and pad, cut out the floor sheathing for the hole and with lots of help, pulled them up and out. Re-framed the floor joists, reinstalled the floor sheathing, re-stretched the carpet and had a BBQ for all the participants and spectators. The local news paper even came out and did a front page story! When there is a will, there is a way. :D I ended up building an outbuilding though to build my -10.
 
Ok, sounds like the best plan is to build the main metal part of the fuselage in the basement shop, then put the fiberglass, windshield, engine, and gear on the whole thing in my garage (which is a one-car garage, so will not be nearly as large or nice as my basement shop will be for building things).

It will be ages before I actually have to worry about this (first must rebuild the house, and simultaneously raise the two kids I had after starting this project). But I like to plan ahead, and don't want to find that my shop can't be used once I have it.

Thank you for all your help!

Chris
 
Big challenge Chris, I am building my 7 in the basement and made some models to ensure the gear would get out the door. Yours is a real doozie.

Maybe the layout of the house would allow a basement under the garage. Then a false floor could be removed and the fuse, sans wings, emp, be picked up through the opening and as the floor is reinstalled under it, set back down. You would need some floor plan that makes this viable, but then your basement shop is right below the garage for purposes of compressor etc.

A structure above to handle the weight is needed too. If the floor section is not too heavy, then pick up each end, add some wheels on an extension, tool it off, then use the overhead winch to pick up the plane. Flaws here, but maybe it stimulates some thoughts.

There is a picture here somewhere of a 10 that was removed from a basement by digging out a side wall, it was all wrapped up and looked like a birthing!

If you can do this you can build a plane, or vice-versa!!

Good luck!

Edit - you can use the opening to drop in your lathe, vertical mill etc while building and the pool table afterward!
 
Last edited:
I have empennage and fuselage joined and nearly finished in the second story of my carriage house. I will remove it through the 'hay door' and with step sans landing gear and vertical stabelizer an opening 5 1/2' by 5 1/2' will work. Engine and landing gear when at ground level.
 
Ok, sounds like the best plan is to build the main metal part of the fuselage in the basement shop, then put the fiberglass, windshield, engine, and gear on the whole thing in my garage (which is a one-car garage, so will not be nearly as large or nice as my basement shop will be for building things).

It will be ages before I actually have to worry about this (first must rebuild the house, and simultaneously raise the two kids I had after starting this project). But I like to plan ahead, and don't want to find that my shop can't be used once I have it.

Thank you for all your help!

Chris

I would not join tail cone to fuse until getting it all moved to garage. Good luck with the build. The long wait will be worth it.
 
Back
Top