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My reasons to buy a RV-3B

Tony Partain

Tony Partain

Well Known Member
1. Kit costs will be about half of the 7QB, the only difference is the fuselage and empennage construction. Now with the QB wings for the RV-3B this will shorten the time to finish.

2. Cost of engine. An IO320 will be less than an IO360 and it will burn less fuel. Bart I will be calling next fall!

3. Cost of panel. To build a RV-3B I will need fewer “expensive parts”. The panel on my 7 cost over $30,000, of course this was in 2005 and the same panel now would cost less due to the influx of glass EFIS manufacturers. I expect that the panel on the 3 will cost about half of the 7 panel. AFS 3500 Trutrak Digiflight VSII

4. This one is all about me! Build a nice plane and keep it that way.(My Kitfox is going to by my kicking around plane that I can throw my friends and stuff into and not worry about scratching or getting it dirty.) The 3 will be the “nice plane”. The one that when you park it, walk away and turn back to look at it again and think yes I did build it and it looks great and it’s mine!

5. Center line seating. I bought a flying RV4 in 1996. The flying qualities of that plane still stick in my mind. The 7 is a great plane but different. From what I've read, I believe that the 3 will recapture that feeling.

6. Right hand flying. I am left handed but always seem to fly the RV4 better with my right hand. Strange but true.

7. Construction. My first build was aluminum, the RV7. I am now building a Kitfox, tube and fabric. The Kitfox is much easier to construct. But every time I need to fabricate an aluminum piece it makes me smile. Time to get a pile of aluminum for a fix.

8. My Kitfox will cost less now. (All of the wives out there would love this one). The panel will be very basic now in the KF and not a robust glass panel. Steam gauges and simple. Just need a GPS, a hand held radio and go!

9. Vans. How can you go wrong with this company? You can’t. When it comes to kit companies they have set the standard. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but it’s true. As a transport company for the kit industry I have talked to every kit manufacturer out there and most do a very good job. There are a couple of small companies that do a fantastic job, but no one has the track record of Vans.

Now I have a problem. TWO PLANES UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT ONCE! Ya let the fun continue!

The RV-3B components list, so here is what I am doing so far.

Engine IO320 from Bart @ www.aerosportpower.com

Efis from Rob @ http://www.advanced-flight-systems.com/index.html

Digiflight VSII Auto pilot from Jim @ http://www.trutrakflightsystems.com/

Radios and harness from Stein @ www.steinair.com

I like to fly but this part of collecting and researching is the best part.

The tail kit is here and I am off to the hanger to play with my new toys! :cool:
 
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Tony Partain said:
1. Kit costs will be about half of the 7QB, the only difference is the fuselage and empennage construction. Now with the QB wings for the RV-3B this will shorten the time to finish.

2. Cost of engine. An IO320 will be less than an IO360 and it will burn less fuel. Bart I will be calling next fall!

3. Cost of panel. To build a RV-3B I will need fewer ?expensive parts?. The panel on my 7 cost over $30,000, of course this was in 2005 and the same panel now would cost less due to the influx of glass EFIS manufacturers. I expect that the panel on the 3 will cost about half of the 7 panel. AFS 3500 Trutrak Digiflight VSII

4. This one is all about me! Build a nice plane and keep it that way.(My Kitfox is going to by my kicking around plane that I can throw my friends and stuff into and not worry about scratching or getting it dirty.) The 3 will be the ?nice plane?. The one that when you park it, walk away and turn back to look at it again and think yes I did build it and it looks great and it?s mine!

5. Center line seating. I bought a flying RV4 in 1996. The flying qualities of that plane still stick in my mind. The 7 is a great plane but different. From what I've, I believe that I will recapture that feeling in the 3.

6. Right hand flying. I am left handed but always seem to fly the RV4 better with my right hand. Strange but true.

7. Construction. My first build was aluminum, the RV7. I am now building a Kitfox, tube and fabric. The Kitfox is much easier to construct. But every time I need to fabricate an aluminum piece it makes me smile. Time to get a pile of aluminum for a fix.

8. My Kitfox will cost less now. (All of the wives out there would love this one). The panel will be very basic now in the KF and not a robust glass panel. Steam gauges and simple. Just need a GPS, a hand held radio and go!

9. Vans. How can you go wrong with this company? You can?t. When it comes to kit companies they have set the standard. I know I?m preaching to the choir, but it?s true. As a transport company for the kit industry I have talked to every kit manufacturer out there and most do a very good job. There are a couple of small companies that do a fantastic job, but no one has the track record of Vans.

Now I have a problem. TWO PLANES UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT ONCE! Ya let the fun continue!

The RV-3B components list, so here is what I am doing so far.

Engine IO320 from Bart @ www.aerosportpower

Efis from Rob @ www.advancedflightsystems.com

Digiflight VSII Auto pilot from Jim @ www.trutrak.com

Radios and harness from Stein @ www.steinair.com

I like to fly but this part of collecting and researching is the best part.

The tail kit is here and I am off to the hanger to play with my new toys! :cool:
Click to expand...


Tony... that's also my next plane to build... should start late 2008 ;-) What a great plane!
 
Hey Tony,

Very compelling reasons to build the RV-3B indeed. BUT - I actually don't know what an RV-3B is. I helped build parts of a 3 many years back, but a 3B? Can you summarize the differences?

Thanks...

ps: Two projects at once is a sure sign of a mental disorder. Your best cure now is to get one finished ASAP!
 
Scott
Randy's web site put me over the edge! It was the gas on the fire. After spending time on his site it was get out the credit card and ship it!

Bill
ps: Two projects at once is a sure sign of a mental disorder. Your best cure now is to get one finished ASAP!
Click to expand...

I have been accused before??:D

The B designation is for the new wing spar.

Mr Reiley
What are you waiting for? With two projects if you get bored with one move over ot the other.
 
Welcome to the ranks!

Tony Partain said:
Randy's web site put me over the edge! It was the gas on the fire. After spending time on his site it was get out the credit card and ship it!
Click to expand...
Tony,
Needless to say I understand your logic having built/flown/sold an RV-8, and now building/flying my RV-3B. I can tell you that the -3 has turned out to be everything I hoped it would be and is an absolute joy to fly. Less is more... for those interested in my own logic for building a single place airplane check here.

As you know I'm about a 50 minute flight away. Whenever you need help, or more "fuel for the fire", just let me know and I'll buzz over... good excuse to fly to a beautiful destination. IIRC you'll be building at the airport also, doesn't get any easier.

Most of all, welcome to a distinct and distinguished minority... RV-3 builders! There are not many of us so we need to stick together. Now we need to push Doug Reeves over the edge, he's presently teetering. So Doug, when are you starting your open cockpit retro-styled RV-3B?
 
randylervold said:
snip...So Doug, when are you starting your open cockpit retro-styled RV-3B?
Click to expand...

Sooner than you might think :). Talking to Danny on the phone today about that very topic. Him: "you know...that thing's light enough to suspend from the ceiling with an electric winch."

b,d
 
Remember Doug...it's a slow build....it might be a couple months before you have to figure out where to hang it.....aren't you still working on Flash's Avionics?;)

Iron
 
Tony & Doug,

With both of you having built an RV before, and both of you getting QB wings, you'll be surprised how quickly the airframe goes together. You'll naturally leverage all the skills you picked up building your first plane which makes things go way faster, but just as signfificantly the comparatively lower parts count and smaller size of the RV-3 fuselage makes it go quicker than you might think.

There can be a significant lead time on the QB wings so get your orders in NOW. Also, you really should have the wings there before you finish the fuselage skeleton so you can accurately set the distance between the front and rear wing spar to match your wings. That is not an issue with a newer prepunched RV but definitely is on the -3. Van's operators are standing by to take your orders!
 
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Howdy folks!

I've been lurking over here for a little while now and have finally decided once and for all the the RV-3B is the way I want to go. I was teetering between the RV-8 and the -3B but the lower operating and acquisition costs of the -3 are very attractive (and the plane is just dead sexy with the tip over canopy, IMO). I can see that I will have my work cut out for me after comparing the preview plans for both aircraft. Another big thanks to you, Randy, for your site; it was a huge help in deciding. I fly passengers for a profession so why not have my own single place sports plane for my days off, right?!
thumbup.gif


One thing that I am trying to figure out is if the wings are pre punched at the factory if I do not order the QB option (waiting for you all to talk me into it!). Everything that I can see in the preview plans says no, except for the wing spar being pre assembled. I have the time and heated shop space, so I figure I would take my time building the aircraft. This would also be my first homebuilt aircraft, so I would really like the experience of building the entire airplane myself (obviously with lots of help).

Thanks for the info, I'm looking forward to talking with all of you.

-Alex
 
If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times....VAN, MATCH-HOLE the RV-3
KIT!!!!!!

Talk about a slam-dunk, super easy build, low buck pocket rocket of an airplane.

If I could get my RV-10 empecone kit sold....well....:)

I have the family hauler/winged mule, now daddy needs another sports car.
 
I have a near run out 320 in my -6 and an O-360 needing built up for it sitting in my hangar. If I did not have the engine project, I would join you in the -3B build RACE. Maybe after the 360 gets installed in the -6 and I purchase a lot on an airport, then complete my hangar and home build, I will start a -3B and place the 320 that I am now flying in it. For me it is a hard choice between the -8 and -3 as my next airplane.
 
The sudden uptick in interest in the RV-3 is a kick. I've got an old RV-3 empennage (an Ebay score, built but apparently never flown), and a conical mount for same. Now, if I can just get everything in between... Of course, there's the little matter of getting the 9A finished...
Oh well, I like having another project or three on-deck!
 
pre-punched 3B

ive always said if vans would put out at pre-punched 3-B I would get one, I hope all this renewed interest will get Vans to looking into a pre-punched 3....till then I just keep pounding away on my 8..... Empennage done, wings done, fuselage "getting there"
 
RV3 - Reasons

I am not surprised that so many RV enthusiasts are moving to the RV3. Most notably the prior builders of other models. Like Randy, I built an RV8 and between 2002 and 2007 flew it over 500 hours all over the U.S. west of the Rockies including LOE5 and to the Artic Circle. Fantastic x-country machine.
In 2003 I purchased (at that time) a beat up 1978 RV3 because I thought I needed another project. I managed to tear it all apart, order a B wing from Van?s and had the 150 hp O-320 completely rebuilt and pushed up to 160hp. In the mean time I got into local formation and acro flying and realized the RV8 was a much better x-country than acro platform. So earlier this year I sold the RV8 intending to spend more time on the RV3. I lasted about a month but succumbed to the RV urge and purchased a flying RV4. Love the RV4. As 2007 progressed I found I was flying the RV4 (a lot, flew the Lewis & Clark Trail back thru Idaho and Montana with a few side trips this year) and not working on the RV3. (Priorities you know)
Then Randy went and finished his RV3 and I got re-motivated. I completely rebuilt the RV3 from the seat back bulkhead forward to accept the new B wing and have the wings almost finished. I should sell the RV4 in order to devote more time to finish the RV3 but I would rather have them both to fly and then decide which fits my flying preferences and sell the other. (Then I want to build a low slow plane. You know, a J3 Kitten or such.) The bottom line here is whichever RV you choose, enjoy it till your flying priorities change. The second one is way easier to build than the first???. Oh! IMHO, If you go with the ?3, keep it light and simple. That?s the way it was designed and that?s where it shines.
As an aside, while in Homer, AK we ran into a fellow with a Continental O200 powered RV3 which he had purchased and flown up from Texas. Said he used it as a pickup truck off an unimproved strip around Seldovia to go shopping in Anchorage for supplies.
Ok. Nuff said.
 
I dont consider the non punched airframe that much of an issue. (And I have built both pre punched and non punched components)If you have the three extra large to go with the Q build wings then that is there for the money. I'm glad to see the interest. The RV 3 is one of the great designs that will always stand the test of time. Look at all of the other experimental designs that have come and gone in 35 years. I saw an O-200 RV 3 fly about 30 years ago and it did well, especially when the builders 110 lb. daughter was flying it. It appears that the aircraft can be built in the mid 750 lb. empty weight with a wood prop O-320 if a builder works at it. I have been stuck on international trips all of november so the RV3 preview plans went into my brainbag when I left the house. I have been reading every page over and over.
 
The 3B with the quickbuild wing rocks. You get to cut your teeth and earn some bragging rights with the tail and fuselage while cutting a year or two off the build time. I just got my QB wings....they should call them pre built wings.
 
Please stop!

You guys really need to stop this. I thought I had convinced myself that I didn't have the time or patience to build an RV-3B. That's what started the crusade to get my tail kit to Brad a few months ago. I haven't heard anything lately so I hope he is doing OK with it.

I also sold off most of my specialty tools. Now, after reading this thread, the thought is creeping back in there again. I still don't think I have the time, but I do keep volunteering for stuff in the local EAA chapter, modelers club, Lions, etc. I've also gotten back into modeling and now have about seven airplanes in various stages of construction and one helicopter on the bench getting upgrades. It's a TREX by the way for those reading the thread on the modeling subject.

I think if Van's did come out with a pre-punched option (read quicker to build), I would be one of the first ones in line. I think that's been my big problem with building full scale airplanes. They just take so long to see the end result.

I really don't think a pre-punched RV-3 kit is high on the priorty list at Vans and may not be on the list at all after talking to some of the guys there. It's a shame because I agree with the sentiment here that this is THE plane for solo flying. I'm sure they've decided that it would be a negative return, which is a shame.

Sorry for the long post, but you guys got me going.

Thanks.
 
Stop! Stop!

La, la, la, la...

I'm not listening to you!

Last night at dinner Radomir and I were talking about our next projects and I torn between an RV-3 and a Hatz.

The -3 would be a blast but I would like to take Nora up for a low and slow flight on a warm spring evening. Smelling the flowers, looking at the mountains, etc.
 
Do it for your own reasons

I think all your reasons have some merits but your are nitpicking.

Your cost logic does not make sense. I can't argue with the kit cost but:

You can put a 320 in any RV, so the engine and fuel reason are moot
You don't have to fill a RV-X panel up regardless of how big the panel is.
You can hunt for and buy a used unfinished kit at a discount

The RV-3 is a great plane, no doubt. When Van was addressing a group under the tent at Oshkosh years ago, post RV-8 time frame, pre RV-7, he was asked -

"What's your favorite RV? RV4, RV6 or RV8?"

Van replied" "RV-3"

The crowd laughed and cheered. Even by than, the RV-3 was semi-forgotten and was not even thought of by the guy asking the question. There's no doubt Van thinks enough of the RV-3 to still support and improve the line.
 
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One Disadvantage to an RV-3!

Crawling through an RV-3 doing an airworthiness inspection is hard for an old fat man!
Just kidding. It's still my favorite RV.
 
flymustangs said:
You guys really need to stop this. I thought I had convinced myself that I didn't have the time or patience to build an RV-3B. That's what started the crusade to get my tail kit to Brad a few months ago. I haven't heard anything lately so I hope he is doing OK with it.
Click to expand...

I figured somebody would ask!

Well i've got some tools, workspace set up, and talked to several builders who are willing to help. Exploring and getting to know the builders manual and drawings, too! But that one annoying thing... COLLEGE! That's got me on hold right now. I was looking for an RV builder around the area I live in, and not having any luck finding one. I thought I'd have some free time to work on something in college, but studies have me tied up. Dreaming and anxiously waiting to get some real progress on it - i really can't wait! But this extra interest in the -3 on here lately definitly adds to the excitement to get it finished!
 
Response

George....

You can put a 320 in any RV, so the engine and fuel reason are moot
Click to expand...

True. But put an 0320 and cruise over 200 mph you can't do that in another RV. That was my point. Speed is important and I need speed! Randy is cruising 210mph with an IO320. Try that with another RV. So with VNE at 210 you will have to throttle back and enjoy the fuel mileage!

I think all your reasons have some merits but your are nitpicking.
Click to expand...

No thats just male logic for justification to pull the trigger! :cool:

Mel
We can get you some mirrors on a stick!


Brad

College first! Keep up the good work. But we would love to see you building also. Have you seen Randy's web site? It's posted earlier in this thread.
 
i'm somewhere between the fence and the ground

well after years of saying "one day i'll be up there looking down instead of down here looking up" i have taken the first small step. don't know if i will follow through but i ordered the plans today. looking at what i spent on travel, computers, camera and driveway improvements this year i could have got a good start on my plane. dr i bet you get done first though.
leon
 
Corvair?

I've been considering building an RV-3 (would be my second homebuilt project), but going with the Corvair engine (which I also have some experience with).

Talking low $ here. I can't afford anywhere near what a 7/8/9 would cost in "ready to fly" condition. Plus, I like the 3 for the same reasons you guys do....

Anybody flying an RV-3 with a Corvair up front?

- Patrick
 
corvair

patrick
ww says there are some. i have not seen any websites where they are featured but i was thinking possibly along those lines too.
leon
 
Tony Partain said:
Brad

College first! Keep up the good work. But we would love to see you building also. Have you seen Randy's web site? It's posted earlier in this thread.
Click to expand...

You can guess thats what the parents said! And for anybody on the fence about a 3-, just check out Randy's site, that should do it! I think I've gone over every inch of it more than once!
 
Brian Denk said:
If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times....VAN, MATCH-HOLE the RV-3
KIT!!!!!!

Talk about a slam-dunk, super easy build, low buck pocket rocket of an airplane.
Click to expand...
Shoot, how about some love for the -4? A -4 with a QB wing and matched hole fuse would be a winner. The -3 is a great airplane, but I've loved flying the -4, and the small but usable back seat enhances the utility of the airplane a lot without adding much complexity.

TODR
 
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