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Realistic RV-14 price

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
Has anyone calculated what the real cost of building an RV-14? When I first started building, Van's indicated $90K for a finished VFR plane. I am not sure where they came up with that number from.

My numbers show that just the kit ($35K-vans site), CS prop ($7,750-Vans site), and engine ($37K-vans site) would cost almost $80K. If you throw in the VFR avionic from the RV-12 ($14K), you are at $94K. Then you need seats, lights, ELT, and paint. Not sure what else I am missing. This is not including the $3-5K, which one will have to spend on tools.

My guestimate for a VFR plane is about $100-110K, while and IFR plane will cost about $125-130K. I assume that I will be in the latter category for my plane.

Am I missing something? like the engine and prop would cost $37K? Or is the vans estimate with "used engine" and "used prop".

Maybe others will share their cost estimates.
 
How about:

$40k for the airframe, including all the miscellaneous stuff.
$20k for a low time IO-360 from a Mooney.
$15k for other FWF stuff, including a prop.
$10k panel.
$5k of DIY paint and store bought seats.

Total: $90k.

You could do better on the panel and/or engine if you were a good shopper.
 
So you think that when Van's says that you can build the -14 for $90K, they meant a low time engine, avionics less than a -12, and a $3000 paint job?

I just would like to know how Van's came up with the number.


How about:

$40k for the airframe, including all the miscellaneous stuff.
$20k for a low time IO-360 from a Mooney.
$15k for other FWF stuff, including a prop.
$10k panel.
$5k of DIY paint and store bought seats.

Total: $90k.

You could do better on the panel and/or engine if you were a good shopper.
 
So you think that when Van's says that you can build the -14 for $90K, they meant a low time engine, avionics less than a -12, and a $3000 paint job?

You can easily save $10k from your own numbers by using an IO-360 and a fixed pitch prop. Also, if you look at what's included in the RV-12 avionics kit, it's not a bad package. It's a really complete electrical package, even including an ELT. And given how many planes are flying without paint, I wouldn't expect any allowance for paint in their $90k estimate.

I don't know if that gets you down to exactly $90k, but it starts to be come $90k-ish.
 
At Sun nFun

one of the reps said $85000 with new engine and prop. That did not include avionics. Or paint I imagine
 
Some interesting information from a talk that Gus did here at Sun and Fun yesterday:

- They are building the taildragger with an IO-360 to work out additional fwf tweaks that may need to be done as they recognize that others may want to use this engine due to availability in the used market.

- Fixed pitch prop was mentioned as undesirable as there would be a lack of take off thrust (above my paygrade/experience level - he did mention it though). Might have been specifically to harness the 210 hp.

- Finish kit price based on precut canopy and many parts which cost more than the 7/8/9 kits. As they developed the 14 it really looks to me that this is a small 10 with regards to pricing as well as many components (Gus made a similar comment, some of that is my interpretation and opinion).

Perhaps not for this thread but I will throw it in: my main reason for building the 14 is to take advantage of the newest thoughts at Vans, and to be able to have as much of the grunt work and basic design be thought out for me.

If Vans had available an RV-7a or RV-9a with a redesigned nose gear similar to the 14, and the new instructions and more prefab (canopy easier to build) that would be what I would build. I am happy with the 14, and will be anxious to await the avionics kits and see what the thoughts are there.
 
Based on my 7

I am guessing that if you want a new, nicely painted, G3X panel, IFR (basic) -then easily $140k. But, it will have all new parts, good reliability, and longevity. So, you can fly it often without worries or hassles for many years. Maybe a few teething issues, but once gone, blue skys . . . . :D

If you want to fly cheaper, many good 6's and 7's are posted for sale. Buy now, fly now.
 
Stuff deleted.....

- Fixed pitch prop was mentioned as undesirable as there would be a lack of take off thrust (above my paygrade/experience level - he did mention it though). Might have been specifically to harness the 210 hp.

More stuff deleted

Interesting. I have an RV-8 with an IO-360 and a 3 blade Catto FP prop. I have lots of take off thrust. Mine is an angle valve 200hp.
 
Not an exact comparison, but my spreadsheet for building in Canada, including shipping, sales taxes, and estimates for all the kits, engine, propeller, tools, etc. is running upwards of 140K$ canadian ... varies with the exchange rate of course.

It'll be less in the US of course ... back before the dollar took a dive and we we were near parity, I was planning on ~110K$ ...

I figure I best make the most conservative, worst case estimate I can make, and then just be pleased when it costs less, than the other way around!
 
"If Vans had available an RV-7a or RV-9a with a redesigned nose gear similar to the 14, and the new instructions and more prefab (canopy easier to build) that would be what I would build."

I likely would as well ... I mean I do want the room of the -14A too ... but for my means, a -9A with some of the -14 improvements (nose gear and canopy, notably) would be much easier to swallow.

But, for nwo the -14A seems like the best fit for me, I just may have to wait and save another year or something ...
 
"I likely would as well ... I mean I do want the room of the -14A too ... but for my means, a -9A with some of the -14 improvements (nose gear and canopy, notably) would be much easier to swallow.

But, for now, the -14A seems like the best fit for me, I just may have to wait and save another year or something ...

I'm in the exact same line of thinking. I think the 9A fits my mission, but I wouldn't mind paying the premium for an easier build and a little more airplane (since I hope to spend the rest of my flying days in it). However, if that premium is upwards of $30-40K, I may have to rethink that or win the lottery and build a 10 (which is starting to seem closer in price to the 14 than the 7/9 is).
 
RV-14 build cost

I screwed up early on and went to Aurora and flew their demo. Once you do that, there's no hope... The IO-390 feels fantastic when you start the takeoff roll but I have been hoping for a IO-360 option.

For my cost estimate, I figured out how much I could spend without my wife filing for divorce, added 30%, and begged forgiveness. :D
 
Interesting. I have an RV-8 with an IO-360 and a 3 blade Catto FP prop. I have lots of take off thrust. Mine is an angle valve 200hp.

Having seen Mark blast off from Mother Earth I can affirm his 8 has plenty of takeoff thrust.

With that having been said, what is the difference in gross weight of the 14 vs the 8? That's where getting the full rated engine HP via a constant speed prop would really make the difference - hot, high, and heavy takeoffs and climbs.

By way of comparison, the most popular engine choice for the Glasair Sportsman is the IO-390. It makes the airplane perform quite well indeed. By contrast, there are several fixed-pitch 180hp O-360 Sportsman flying and they still perform pretty darned well. You just don't find many folks who live in the big hills opting for the fixed pitch prop unless it's an aggressive climb prop.
 
So I'm home and looking at the spreadsheet and yeah, if I was in the US, I'd probably budget 105 to 110K$ to be realistic ... this is using the known prices + estimate of 5500 for a FWF kit and 16955 for avionics (RV-12 pricing). I then added some tools, shipping, inspection costs ... no paint though.

If you do your own paint 110K might still be reasonable ... and this is with all new ...

If you were to do your own FWF and/or avionics and found some used engine you can put in there, maybe you could save a few bucks.

By my math the base airframe + engine + FWF + propeller is 24K more on the RV-10, and you'll spend more on interior and avionics most likely, so I'm not sure saying the -14 is closer to the -10 is really relevant ... still worlds apart ... I could try to manage a -14, but a -10 is DEFINITELY out of my budget!
 
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