RV-10 Builder Assist?

1001001 · #1 03-01-2023, 07:51 AM

Hey folks, it's been a while since I've been regularly posting here, and as they say "life happens."

In my case, life's been great to me in the last year, and we welcomed twins, a boy and a girl, to our family last summer!

As you can imagine, my build time has been rather severely curtailed in the last six months. I am considering my options for completing my RV-10 in a reasonable time frame at a reasonable cost.

I'm about 98% complete with all sheet metal work and have partially fitted the cabin cover. I'm awaiting delivery of the finish kit, hopefully in the next two months or so. I have all conduit pulled throughout the airframe and some of the wiring.

I'm considering engaging with a builder assist group to help me finish the airplane. I'm looking for reputable shops that do high quality work that can pick up on a project at a rather late stage and bring it to completion. I have a set of ER fuel tanks that needs completion as well, and the appropriate wing mods made.

Any suggestions? Again, I'm looking for quality, time, and reasonable price. I've heard some stories about some builder assist shops that have questionable quality--I'd like to avoid those, so if you have first hand stories of experience with them, I'd appreciate hearing about that in private messages.

I'd also love to hear first hand stories of good experiences!

Thanks!

1001001 · #2 03-01-2023, 08:03 AM

Alternatively, for those of you who have completed airplanes with small children taking up a bunch of your time, do you have concrete suggestions for how you did it that I might apply?

Carl Froehlich · #3 03-01-2023, 08:24 AM

You are in the hard slug of work RV-10 phase of building. I suspect the biggest problem you will have, if you find a shop to help, is moving the project to them.

The best path forward it to find and experienced builder that is between projects. Offer to put him up for a week from time to time, pay for his travel (100LL and hangar space) and keep him well fed. You should also offer some cash compensation for his time. For what you need right now (cabin top, doors and windows) a single helper for longer is preferred over several people doing small stuff.

For avionics, wiring and such I suspect you will find a larger pool of people to help. Find them first before buying anything (like wiring kits and panel stuff). Builders tend to like what they like and shy away from other approaches.

I built a set of RV-14 wings for someone in between my second and third projects. He is now a good friend.

Carl

1001001 · #4 03-01-2023, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Froehlich

You are in the hard slug of work RV-10 phase of building. I suspect the biggest problem you will have, if you find a shop to help, is moving the project to them.

I suspect you're right about the complexity of moving the project. While not insurmountable, it'd be better to have the work done here in my shop as much as possible.

I'm fairly particular about what I want avionics wise and would probably complete that work on my own, maybe with some help mounting them physically.

I could see doing work for others in the future once this is done--help finishing wings and fuel tanks and the like. Maybe the kids will catch the bug someday too and help out!

lr172 · #5 03-01-2023, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Froehlich

The best path forward it to find and experienced builder that is between projects. Offer to put him up for a week from time to time, pay for his travel (100LL and hangar space) and keep him well fed. You should also offer some cash compensation for his time. For what you need right now (cabin top, doors and windows) a single helper for longer is preferred over several people doing small stuff.

Carl

I would be up for some of that. However, you likely need months of support and not weeks if you don't even have the top on yet. That is too much for me to do out of town. I would build your ER tanks if sent here. Not offering free work, but rates are reasonable.

Larry

KatanaPilot · #6 03-01-2023, 11:58 AM

Private message sent.

alpinelakespilot2000 · #7 03-01-2023, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1001001

Alternatively, for those of you who have completed airplanes with small children taking up a bunch of your time, do you have concrete suggestions for how you did it that I might apply?

While my kids were very young was the only time I could have built. (By the time they got to late elementary school they had too many activities I prioritized attending. This lasted until the left for college.) I found that I could regularly devote a couple hours each night after they went to bed around 7:30 or so. Of course, leave some of that time to your SO, but those hours add up pretty fast if you just remain committed. Also, it really helps to keep your project at home as long as possible to take advantage of those times when the kids are down for naps. If you still enjoy building, and if don't have a lot of other hobbies digging into the little free time you have, I'd encourage you to keep moving forward on your own. Good luck though!

Auburntsts · #8 03-01-2023, 12:15 PM

I feel your pain. Kids was one, but not the only reason my RV-10 took 9 years to complete.

DerekS · #9 03-01-2023, 12:17 PM

Photographic proof it can be done even without builder assist..(That was July 2017, and I started flying last summer). I recommend builder assist, life gets busier and busier with the little guys

aturner · #10 03-01-2023, 12:18 PM

Double Congratulations! I built my RV-10 (slow build all the way) while raising infant twins. I won't say it was easy.....but I managed to both shoulder much of the child care responsibilities during the daytime hours and keep a full time job going. Work on the airplane was mostly relegated to evenings and weekends when my wife could help with the kids. I put in long hours in those evenings and weekends, nearly every single day. Six years later we had a beautiful airplane and kids beginning first grade. As with everything, focus, drive, determination, and endurance makes the difference. You can do it.

FWIW I agree with the comment above that I had more time to build when the kids were young than I would have now. Life become very simplified when you have kids at home. I spent much of my time in the house, caring for them, and the shop is just a few steps away.

One aspect that I would not trade for anything: From the time they could walk the boys both spent a lot of time in the shop. Today they are 14 and still in the shop every single evening, now working on their bicycles and motorcycles, and are skilled mechanics. I think this is a very healthy thing for a teenager and in this way airplane construction had a good influence on their lives. We are now plotting to build a RV-15 together, fun times ahead. Good luck,