What's new
Van's Air Force

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

Accelerated delivery timeline

mulde35d

Well Known Member
Friend
Well this may be a sign of things turning around, but just one data point.

Ordered an RV10 slow build wing kit on October 17. At the time, Van’s advertised a 10 month lead time to crating. Just got the email today that it is ready for final payment and crating. Maybe I just got lucky on the back end of a mass delivery of spars and I may have to wait 2 more months to have it actually delivered due to crating wait times, but 4 months instead of 10 sounds like a move in the right direction to me.

Anyone else have a nice surprise like this today.
 
I placed my order for the slow build fuselage and wing kit on October 4th and not gotten notified it was ready for crating.
 
Ordered rv10 QB fuselage, SB wing, tail kit July 21. Received email last week for deposit on fuselage with delivery expected sept-Jan. Received email this week for balance of wing kit for movement to crating. No delivery date noted. Have not heard anything on the tail kit.
 
That's excellent news. I placed my RV-10 finish kit order the other day and was informed that lead time is 13-14 months. I'm hoping that will turn out to be pessimistic.
 
Do I need to call to see where I am in the queue? Van’s cite didn’t have a list that I could find.
 
Very interesting reports. Please keep them coming boys and girls. Perhaps adding your builder number to these delivery posts would add some value?
 
I placed my order for the slow build fuselage and wing kit on October 4th and not gotten notified it was ready for crating.

I’m assuming you are only referring to the SB wing kit. A bunch of us just got the “time to pay up to crate” email for the wing only. Apparently they are batching quite a few. I haven’t heard of any SB fuselages crating lately.
 
I’m assuming you are only referring to the SB wing kit. A bunch of us just got the “time to pay up to crate” email for the wing only. Apparently they are batching quite a few. I haven’t heard of any SB fuselages crating lately.

This is what I’m waiting for too.
 
I’m assuming you are only referring to the SB wing kit. A bunch of us just got the “time to pay up to crate” email for the wing only. Apparently they are batching quite a few. I haven’t heard of any SB fuselages crating lately.

I was specifically talking about the SB wing kit in this thread but I haven't gotten any information on either. I don't really expect to hear anything for the next few months since the lead time was 8 months on the wing kit and 9 months on the fuselage kit when I placed the order. I would take either one since I am close to wrapping up the empennage kit :)
 
Going to crating

Making it to crating doesn’t really seem to mean all that much since they hold things in crating too. My Rv-12is fuselage (ordered March ‘21) was supposed to ship last September, then it slipped to November,… I still don’t have it.

So, “in crating” really doesn’t mean much, at least in my experience.

��
 
Last edited:
Just received notification today that my -14A SB fuselage is going to crating. I ordered it late-August 2021. Wasn't expecting it until late summer. Was hoping for a late summer summer delivery to be honest since my wings aren't done yet.
 
I just received the coveted email that my wing kit is ready for crating and vans wants some money. That is about 1/2 of their state lead-time when I ordered it so I am super happy and hopefully means they are starting to get a handle on their backlog.
 
Not to be a complete downer, but having backlogs magically cut in half doesnt sound very realistic.. wonder if there was some sort of error or if they are just sitting on a lot of parts and now crating is the bottleneck.. and "crating" is just the new waiting status.

I hope the backlog is lifting but this seems more like magic or a change of business practice.
 
Last edited:
Not to put a damper on things, but I wonder if many parts will be listed as backordered on these kits? I agree it doesn't sound realistic that lead times suddenly were cut in half, but I do wish you all good news!
 
Not to put a damper on things, but I wonder if many parts will be listed as backordered on these kits? I agree it doesn't sound realistic that lead times suddenly were cut in half, but I do wish you all good news!

I would be fine if some of the parts are on backorder if I can still get enough parts to continue my build.

I could see where the backlog is starting to ease. If you watched Vlad's interview he did with Greg where Greg was saying that some of the outsourced suppliers were starting to come online. Maybe they are coming online quicker than anticipated.
 
I'm just hoping they aren't asking for loads of money from people just for kits to proceed to the crating queue, but sit there for months on end before crating happens.
 
Not to be a complete downer, but having backlogs magically cut in half doesnt sound very realistic.. wonder if there was some sort of error or if they are just sitting on a lot of parts and now crating is the bottleneck.. and "crating" is just the new waiting status.

I hope the backlog is lifting but this seems more like magic or a change of business practice.

It does make one wonder. meanwhile I sent a kit order in a week ago and still awaiting the reply
 
Not to put a damper on things, but I wonder if many parts will be listed as backordered on these kits?

Years (decades really) ago while driving cross county I stopped in the Dodge dealer in Las Vegas for a replacement fuel filter. On the wall behind the counter was a sign that read:

"Backorder" means:
They're planting the seed,
To grow the tree,
To make the box,
To ship your part in.

Never forgot that sign.

-Marc
 
We've begun the transition to producing significantly larger numbers of individual kits at a time, in larger batches than we did historically. This initial transition phase is a little bit odd, because of the scattering/timing of kit orders and how that is reflected in the large batches. But, what this means for the future is better predictability and improved ability on our part to schedule both manufacturing and delivery. And of course, it allows us to much more efficiently manufacturer and meet increased current and future demand.

Example: In the case of RV-14 wing kits, to do the most efficient large batch of that specific kit we will be producing enough wings to cover a significant majority of all the orders currently in the queue. At the same time, we will also be doing a sizable batch of RV-10 wings, plus RV-14 fuselages and then RV-10 fuselages. In addition, we will be scheduling many tail/emp kits. All of this is planned for over the next few months. And we will also be shipping some numbers of other kits, as available. In the future, you will see us running large batches of each kit, on an established schedule. Think of it as a train: Each train instance runs down the track on a schedule, as a single unit of connected cars. Each "car" in the train represents a group of the same kit, and there are a defined number of "seats" in each car, each of which represents a customer kit.

So, to further illustrate this analogy, we have a defined number of "seats" in our RV-14 wing kit car on the train. Maybe we decide to schedule two RV-14 wing kit cars, because it makes better sense overall on a given train. Regardless, once the defined number of RV-14 wing kit "tickets" for that train have been allocated (all the seats are full), the next available "seat" for an RV-14 wing kit will be allocated on the next scheduled train. And we run almost all of the kits on each scheduled train (with the exception of unusual kits like RV-3/4/6, which we sell very few of). In more practical terms, this equates to a defined number of production slots (seats) for each run (train), which we can allocate in the overall most efficient manner for the business. It also means that - once this methodology is firmly established - we can much better tell folks what to expect, and approximately when. Of course, just like with real-world trains there are sometimes unforeseen events that cause delays and affect the schedule. But, once we make it through one full train or two we will be truly settled in and things will be better. Please know that we've greatly increased production capacity and continue to do so, and the more predictable production scheduling enabled by our new methods will yield better results for everyone. In the meantime, we're truly sorry for the construction mess and fouled schedules.

I hope the analogy works. I tried like heck to think of an airplane analogy, but the "train cars" part of the whole thing was necessary to make it work. 🙂

To answer a couple of the questions/comments above, this represents a new and different business process. It’s necessary to maximize throughout and control rising costs. Rian and I will be recording and posting a YouTube video update later next week explaining some of this new process and updating everyone on what we've accomplished so far and what's coming next.
 
KanBan

Sure sounds like the KanBan system we used during my day job. Worked very well for us by making sure there was always sufficient parts to support kitting(crating). Some called it a "pull" system. It was also very efficient because everyone in the factory could see what parts need to be produced to keep the line fed, and what parts were needed in two, four, six weeks out. The hardest part of it was setting up the size of each Kanban.
 
Greg, thanks for the update. I'm really encouraged that Van's is considering new processes to handle production in the weird environment we're all experiencing.

I work in chemical manufacturing and there's a lot of strangeness going on throughout supply chains, as we all know.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail or two from the Van's team on a Saturday, so it's apparent that you're working extra hours to get stuff together.
 
Greg, thanks for the update. I'm really encouraged that Van's is considering new processes to handle production in the weird environment we're all experiencing.

Pretty much everything is changing. It’s messy and complicated during the change to be sure, and for everyone waiting for info during this period it’s like being stuck in a construction zone when you want to catch that flight you’re already running late for. Its necessary change, and in the end it’ll be worthwhile.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail or two from the Van's team on a Saturday, so it's apparent that you're working extra hours to get stuff together.

Yep. Quite a few very dedicated folks have been working many late nights and weekends for several months. Appreciate you recognizing that!
 
Sure sounds like the KanBan system we used during my day job. Worked very well for us by making sure there was always sufficient parts to support kitting(crating). Some called it a "pull" system. It was also very efficient because everyone in the factory could see what parts need to be produced to keep the line fed, and what parts were needed in two, four, six weeks out. The hardest part of it was setting up the size of each Kanban.

It’s got many of the useful qualities of a KanBan system. Rian has been putting a lot of time and effort into setting it up. When we publish our next video update later next week we’ll cover some of the changes and details.
 
SB RV-10 Fuse in Crating

According to the status portal my RV-10 SB Fuse is now in crating. It was ordered in March 2021. Good news for sure.
 
According to the status portal my RV-10 SB Fuse is now in crating. It was ordered in March 2021. Good news for sure.

FYI: We all hope things improve very soon, but I was told my RV-12iS Fuselage kit, also ordered March of ‘21, went to crating last August (2021)…

It’s not here yet. ( Some thumb twiddling going on here too.)

:eek:
 
FYI: We all hope things improve very soon, but I was told my RV-12iS Fuselage kit, also ordered March of ‘21, went to crating last August (2021)…

It’s not here yet. ( Some thumb twiddling going on here too.)

:eek:

Yeah as I said... "crating is the new waiting" might just be what we have to deal with for awhile until the crating department can output at the same rate that the parts can be produced, otherwise things are just sitting on the shelf waiting to be packed.
 
Back
Top