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Holding Pattern

bryanj58

I'm New Here
Now that Van’s has teased everyone with the RV-15. Is anyone putting ordering a current kit on hold until they release more info?
I was planning on pulling the trigger on a RV-9 empennage and Wing kit in December but now I’m questioning that decision.
I’m guessing it would put my project on hold for two years or maybe longer before I could even get started if I decided to wait on the RV-15.
 
I’m in the same boat. I was about to order an RV10 empennage kit.

Realistically, it would probably be good if I took the time to get current and get my IR. I haven’t flown in 6 years except as a gunner. I won’t have a garage for the next 3 years anyway.

Steve
 
If one ordered an airplane kit, any airplane kit, from Van's today, what's the realistic chance that the actual ship date of that kit will happen before all the details of the RV-15 are known?
 
We're sort of in this camp... We also own a '57 Cessna 180 that I fear sooner rather than later won't be economical to maintain and I'm eyeing a potential replacement. Considered the Rans S21 as a follow-up project to the RV-7 but were put off by the service ceiling/engine size limits and some of the things I learned while lurking on their builder forums. Opted in February to start up a -10 instead with an undefined keep/sell agenda and are just finishing the empennage, wings were on a six month wait and are expected to crate just before Thanksgiving.

I was sitting in the tent at OSH when a friend who had gone to the Vans forum texted the news of the -15 announcement and the first reaction was, well, unprintable. However, if they aren't even going to have it ready to reveal until OSH '22 and if they continue to have production backlogs AND considering the growing pain issues my neighbor experienced as one of the first -14 builders, I figure we're realistically looking at a year before we know what boxes the -15 checks off and probably two years before it is a known entity fully brought to market and available for kit delivery.

TLDR; we're opting to continue the -10 and wait and see. If the -15 is everything we're hoping for it will become our third RV build, but we're really going to need more than two seats for the -15. Unless you're fully confident that the -15 will be THE airplane that suits your needs better than the current offerings, you will have lost a year in the build process and order queue waiting to find out if you'd prefer it. Figure 6-8 months for ANY wing or fuse kit, you could always put down your deposit on a current model kit that you think you want now and delay until you get a better idea of the -15 shape and mission, upon which time I have no doubt Vans will let you change orders as there will certainly be someone in line behind you eager to take your cancelled kit.
 
Not waiting,,,,,

I have wanted The C175, type / sized Back country airplane from Van’s for 25 years,,,,
I have built several kits while waiting,,,,
A North Star Super Cub completed in 2004. 980 hours on the tach so far...
Bought the ultimate Back Country machine in 2009,, it’s a Cessna 180 J. I’ve put almost 1000 hours on it...
Been flying to Idaho from Texas since 1997..
Just finished my 3rd RV8. Last month.. it’s getting painted now....
I may be too old to get a Van’s RV15,,,, but I haven’t waited for life to pass me buy.. neither should you... get something and fly...
 
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