Van's Air Force
Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.
Fuselage Kit RV-12
- Thread starter Peterk
- Start date
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
Thanks Pete, I sent an email yesterday and have not received a response yet.
Maybe we should keep this thread alive, with any news on the Fuse kit.
Regards
Rudi
Maybe we should keep this thread alive, with any news on the Fuse kit.
Regards
Rudi
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
Guys,
Barbara from Vans answered my email...she says they dont have a fixed date yet to schedule FuseKit shipments, but she guess it will be in the beginning of October.
PS: my wing kit is on the ocean, this waiting it going to drive me mad
. I can see a few wing kits will be done before the fuse kits get shipped.
Rudi
Barbara from Vans answered my email...she says they dont have a fixed date yet to schedule FuseKit shipments, but she guess it will be in the beginning of October.
PS: my wing kit is on the ocean, this waiting it going to drive me mad
. I can see a few wing kits will be done before the fuse kits get shipped.Rudi
Wing Kit #105 delivery anticipated
Wing kit #105 was shipped on 9/5/08. The delivery company called and the kit will be delivered to my Arlington, Tx address on Friday, 9/12/08. The wing spars, from an outside vendor, was the hold up on my kit delivery. My speculation is that Van's has received a shippment of ??? spars and several kits beyond #105 have been or will be shipped soon.
Would like to hear from any other RV-12 kit builders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area so we can share information locally. This forum is a terrific way to share information but it is nice to have a first hand look when you don't understand something. Send me a private e-mail on this forum and I'll be in touch.
Bob Kibby, fuselage kit ordered
Wing kit #105 was shipped on 9/5/08. The delivery company called and the kit will be delivered to my Arlington, Tx address on Friday, 9/12/08. The wing spars, from an outside vendor, was the hold up on my kit delivery. My speculation is that Van's has received a shippment of ??? spars and several kits beyond #105 have been or will be shipped soon.
Would like to hear from any other RV-12 kit builders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area so we can share information locally. This forum is a terrific way to share information but it is nice to have a first hand look when you don't understand something. Send me a private e-mail on this forum and I'll be in touch.
Bob Kibby, fuselage kit ordered
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
Jim,
That is good news, let us know and start a new topic and keep those pictures comming. I am holding thumbs!
Rudi
That is good news, let us know and start a new topic and keep those pictures comming. I am holding thumbs!
Rudi
I should get a pick up date tomorrow (Sept. 17th)
two weeks later...same answer...only now more like 1st of Oct. Also...none will be released this week.
Pete
Fuselage kit delivery
I found out yesterday that Van's is still waiting for the lower firewall to be press formed by an outside contractor and that there are a few other parts that have yet to be made. The hardware kit has not been put together and the entire kit has yet to be priced. It looks like it will be the end of the month before all of this will be done. Cross your fingers.
I found out yesterday that Van's is still waiting for the lower firewall to be press formed by an outside contractor and that there are a few other parts that have yet to be made. The hardware kit has not been put together and the entire kit has yet to be priced. It looks like it will be the end of the month before all of this will be done. Cross your fingers.
steve wyman
Well Known Member
Vans just posted an RV-12 update on their website this afternoon. Fuselage kits should start shipping about the first week in October. I can't wait, I'm having AACWS (aluminum aircraft construction withdrawal syndrome) ! Steve
Fuselage kit shipping order
Joe:
When did you place your fuselage kit order? I am guessing you received the postcard indicating that all customers who had ordered wing kits would get priority if they ordered by August 11th. I presumed that within that group, they would then prioritize according to when the fuselage orders were received and not based on wing kit number. I am builder number 41 and placed my fuselage kit order August 4th. I have not yet received any notification of estimated ship date (hoping it is in the mail though!)
Joe:
When did you place your fuselage kit order? I am guessing you received the postcard indicating that all customers who had ordered wing kits would get priority if they ordered by August 11th. I presumed that within that group, they would then prioritize according to when the fuselage orders were received and not based on wing kit number. I am builder number 41 and placed my fuselage kit order August 4th. I have not yet received any notification of estimated ship date (hoping it is in the mail though!)
Fuselage order date
I faxed my RV-12 fuselage order to Van's on July 26, just before I left home for Oshkosh. So my fax was waiting for them when they opened their doors on Monday July 28. Van's expects to ship the fuselage kit to me during the week of October 21. I expect it to take a week or more to get from Washington to Michigan.
Joe
I faxed my RV-12 fuselage order to Van's on July 26, just before I left home for Oshkosh. So my fax was waiting for them when they opened their doors on Monday July 28. Van's expects to ship the fuselage kit to me during the week of October 21. I expect it to take a week or more to get from Washington to Michigan.
Joe
Talk with Vans yeterday . I have number 74 .My wings are done. I ordered fuselage 7-28 and they are giving priority to orders (before 8-10)just as they were recieved. They said the first 8 fuse kits will go out next week and mine will not be one of them. However they said that those orders that came in before August 10 would be the first out the door .
Hoping to be the first 12 to fly in South Dakota
Brad Stiefvater
Hoping to be the first 12 to fly in South Dakota
Brad Stiefvater
I got my fuselage kit.
I got my fuselage kit on Friday as planned. Van's did not have the plans printed and said that they would mail them to me ASAP. I plan to inventory the kit Sunday. It fit in the back of my Toyota Minivan easily.
On another note, Barb at Van's said that I was creating problems for them by posting delivery information that they give me so from now on, I will let Van's post the information on their web site and hope that not so many of you guys call to get information about when your kits will ship. I will continue to post building progress and pictures.
I got my fuselage kit on Friday as planned. Van's did not have the plans printed and said that they would mail them to me ASAP. I plan to inventory the kit Sunday. It fit in the back of my Toyota Minivan easily.
On another note, Barb at Van's said that I was creating problems for them by posting delivery information that they give me so from now on, I will let Van's post the information on their web site and hope that not so many of you guys call to get information about when your kits will ship. I will continue to post building progress and pictures.
InsideOut
Well Known Member
Thanks Jim, I can hardly wait!
steve wyman
Well Known Member
Jim- When you picked up your fuselage kit, was it crated? If so , I'm curious about the crate size- will it fit in the back of my pickup with the tailgate down? 96 by 41 or so will fit. Steve
creating their own problems
Jim, You are not creating problems for Van's by giving us information. Van's Aircraft is creating their own problems by keeping us in the dark. I am sure that it would take them a lot less time to post on their website weekly updates on the RV-12 progress and kit shipping schedules than it would take to answer all of the individual phone calls from builders anxiously waiting for their kits. If anyone agrees, reply to this post and maybe Van's will listen to our comments.
The RV-12 is well designed and easy to build and I am sure that Van's is doing their best to ship kits as soon as possible. Delays from suppliers is beyond their control. But it would be nice if they kept the customers informed via their website. Informed builders would call Van's less. And those customers who normally do not call will be happier by being informed.
Joe
Jim, You are not creating problems for Van's by giving us information. Van's Aircraft is creating their own problems by keeping us in the dark. I am sure that it would take them a lot less time to post on their website weekly updates on the RV-12 progress and kit shipping schedules than it would take to answer all of the individual phone calls from builders anxiously waiting for their kits. If anyone agrees, reply to this post and maybe Van's will listen to our comments.
The RV-12 is well designed and easy to build and I am sure that Van's is doing their best to ship kits as soon as possible. Delays from suppliers is beyond their control. But it would be nice if they kept the customers informed via their website. Informed builders would call Van's less. And those customers who normally do not call will be happier by being informed.
Joe
Crate size
I did not have the fuselage kit crated. From the look of the parts, the crate will fit in any small truck.
I did not have the fuselage kit crated. From the look of the parts, the crate will fit in any small truck.
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
Ditto, Joe,
If regular updates was on the site, it would only take a short while for vans to redirect RV12 phone calls to website for us to get the message, leaving them more time to work instead of answering same questions.
That said, more information on the RV12 have been provided onsite than any other model before it, so there is progress.
OK so where is my fuse kit???
Regards
Rudi
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
I did not call (out of respect for Jim/though I do believe it unfair to lay that burden on him) but....my credit card was charged on Monday so I will assume my fuselage has been sent to crating and will wait patiently to hear from ABF...yahoo!
Pete
Mark Henderson
Well Known Member
I agree that Van's could save a lot of time and effort if they posted info on their site as to the progress of the fuselage kits. It has to be frustrating as a builder to be sitting there with a completed wing and no idea when the next kit will be shipped. I am waiting for my wing kit to arrive, but am still interested in the status of the fuselage.
RudiGreyling
Well Known Member
My fuselage kit is scheduled to arrive October 31st. I'm looking forward to spending lots of hours in my garage again.
Well done Jerry! just spend also some time on your blogspot showing us what you've done as well...I like following long! Regards, Rudi.
You just need a couple of saw horses. The way the fuselage goes together, a rotissery would not be practical.
gblwy
Well Known Member
Hi,
My fuselage is due to be delivered tomorrow from Glasgow airport (Scotland). $1.51 to the ? means this has cost me 33% more than it would have done a couple of months ago. Ouch! Worse yet, I still have not got approval from the UK LAA to commence building, so this box will be added to the two wing boxes gathering dust in my garage.
Unless Vans can get some information to the LAA in the UK sometime soon, I may be the first builder who gets around to building a trailer ;-) Here too, we have a challenge as the the maximum trailer width is 7' 6" which is shorter than the tailplane. Does anyone yet know how difficult/time-consuming it is to remove the tail. I do understand this won't be a five-minute job.
Cheers...Keith_the_patient_(non)builder
My fuselage is due to be delivered tomorrow from Glasgow airport (Scotland). $1.51 to the ? means this has cost me 33% more than it would have done a couple of months ago. Ouch! Worse yet, I still have not got approval from the UK LAA to commence building, so this box will be added to the two wing boxes gathering dust in my garage.
Unless Vans can get some information to the LAA in the UK sometime soon, I may be the first builder who gets around to building a trailer ;-) Here too, we have a challenge as the the maximum trailer width is 7' 6" which is shorter than the tailplane. Does anyone yet know how difficult/time-consuming it is to remove the tail. I do understand this won't be a five-minute job.
Cheers...Keith_the_patient_(non)builder
First trailer
As far as I know I have the first trailer for a RV-12 down under in Australia
http://www.tonyearle.com/page6.html
Tony Earle
As far as I know I have the first trailer for a RV-12 down under in Australia
http://www.tonyearle.com/page6.html
Tony Earle
Tony,
I don't mean to rain on your parade (cause it is a nice looking trailer) but for anything more than a 25 KPH trip down a very smooth road, it will be very hard on an RV-12. Without something to support the tail, it will be flailing around all over the place in the back. It is one of the problems associated with hauling airplanes on the wheels (the tires are bouncy). Even sailplanes have systems in there trailers that support the fuselage so that it is not sitting on the tire. You may think you can strap it down real tight so it wont move but you can't. That tail has a long moment are behind teh main wheels and even though the empenage isn't real heavy, it has more than enough weight that the tail will be moving all over the place.
I believe trailering an RV-12 on its wheels is totally possible but it will require a support at the aft end of the fuselage to keep it from bouncing around. The other important issue is using a trailer that is sprung for the amount of weight being hauled in it. Some people have been talking of adapting enclosed cargo trailers to haul an RV-12. These trailers often have a payload capability of 4500 lbs or more. If someone uses this type of trailer to haul an RV-12 with fuel and support equipment totaling less than 900 lbs, the suspension will pound it to death.
Any RV-12 trailer will need to have suspension specifically designed for teh weight, or pay the extra money for an air ride suspension system so that it can be adjusted for the light weight.
