New guy and potential -10 builder!

Hello all,

New to the community although I’ve been researching airplanes to buy for years. I just can’t seem to justify spending a couple hundred grand on a certified aircraft that will be a project and to some extent “unknown” since a rod could be thrown or a case cracked at any time putting me out 50k for an engine swap. With that said, I think I’ve settled on an RV-10 for my family of 4 (two babies). I guess my concerns are how long the project will take to build and really how much experience or inclination you need to have as a builder. While I got a degree in aerospace engineering many years ago, I’m basically next to useless with my hands in terms of home or car repair, but I’m smart enough to learn when I need to. If things go my way and I get the orders I want next (in the Navy), then I’ll be set to buy the first (empennage) kit and tools/prep equipment this summer. If my wife moves ahead of me to get settled, I’m hoping to have at least a few months where I’ll be able to put in 2-4 hours a day of work into the kit. If I can knock out the empennage kit in that time (300-400 hours), I’m hoping the QB fuse/wing kits will really accelerate the project at my next stop. Is it realistic to have a -10 ready to start within 3 years if I can knock out 300-400 hours of work on the empennage kit in a few months and then QB kits after that? I am also all ears on recommendations, advice, and tips for a new builder! I really like learning from others’ mistakes.

EDIT: are there any RV-10 owners willing to indulge a ride in San Antonio or New Orleans?

Thanks all for the input on my ramblings!
-Josh

EAA building course

Hi Josh,
I would recommend the EAA builders course for Van's aircraft / aluminum aircraft that walks you through the building process to see if you have the basics needed to get the airframe assembled. I took the two day course and afterwards felt confident that I was up to the challenge. I was an auto mechanic by trade at the time. My build took just under 4 years to complete while working a full time job. I did several modifications that added time to my build.

Don Orrick
N410JA
40010

Welcome, Josh!

Welcome to VAF

Navy_flyer said:

Hello all,

New to the community -------


Thanks all for the input on my ramblings!
-Josh

Click to expand...

Josh, welcome aboard the good ship VAF

Welcome to the forum. Can?t give much advise as I just started my -10 the end of January but if you work steadily it goes by pretty quickly.

If possible get your wife involved. Although it was painful at times to watch my wife struggle with using a vixen file, drilling holes, deburring parts etc... she now helps prep parts while I?m at work and we assemble/fit/match drill/dimple them when we are both there. She had zero knowledge of aviation but now knows clekos, reamers, the difference between rivets, and many other aviation terms and can apply them. It also helps when you need to order a tool to help the build proceed quicker.

Good Luck

"1. 18 months to 5+ years. Depends on how much time you put into it. Vans has an hour estimate. I plan on doing it in 14-16 months barring any unforeseen delays in shipping etc. I have already built a 7 so I should be a little faster than the Vans estimate."

That will be an impressive build. I built a -6 and my -10 has been in the shop for 6 years and nearly 2200 hours of build time. The qualifier is that I haven't missed ANY family obligations or kid's events. This is extremely important as if you forego those events, you will finish faster but you won't need 4 seats at the end...

"2. You need NO experience. Half the people on here didn't know what an AN anything was before they started the build."

True, no experience needed...BUT...having no experience WILL increase your build time.

The point is, the -10 is a BIG project. Be realistic in your goals and do not forego your family for the project...you will end up with a really nice cruiser and still have a family to put in it.

Best advice that is constantly repeated on this forum:
If you primarily want to fly, buy an already completed one. If you want to build, then build.

You mention you wonder how much ?experience? or ?inclination? is needed to build. As others note above, the experience can be learned or gained. However, i would argue it is the inclination part that is much more critical. You need to have the inclination and temperament of a builder to sustain yourself through a longer project than you anticipate. That inclination and temperament also includes a keen attention to detail, and the ability to make many good judgements daily about whether the work you have just completed is ?good enough.? Then, if the answer is no, the willingness to redo things, at more time and expense, is essential.

Long and short, building really needs to be a passion in and of itself. Building solely to fly might not be enough to get you to the finish line, or get you to the finish line with a plane you want to put yourself in, let alone your family and loved ones.

Good luck with whatever route you go.

+1

What he said^^^^

alpinelakespilot2000 said:

Best advice that is constantly repeated on this forum:
If you primarily want to fly, buy an already completed one. If you want to build, then build.

You mention you wonder how much “experience” or “inclination” is needed to build. As others note above, the experience can be learned or gained. However, i would argue it is the inclination part that is much more critical. You need to have the inclination and temperament of a builder to sustain yourself through a longer project than you anticipate. That inclination and temperament also includes a keen attention to detail, and the ability to make many good judgements daily about whether the work you have just completed is “good enough.” Then, if the answer is no, the willingness to redo things, at more time and expense, is essential.

Long and short, building really needs to be a passion in and of itself. Building solely to fly might not be enough to get you to the finish line, or get you to the finish line with a plane you want to put yourself in, let alone your family and loved ones.

Good luck with whatever route you go.

Click to expand...

Thanks all for the honest replies. And as for the above, I absolutely hear what you are saying. I’m not taking this project on lightly, nor with the impression that it’s a quick or easy job. While I may not have experience in handiwork, I absolutely have attention to detail to learn and to know the intricacies of techniques and when something doesn’t come out “quite right”. I have no intention on taking shortcuts or making guesses with a machine that will carry my family. The build is as important to me as the end project as I’m a bit of a busy-body and I’m happiest when I have a daunting task ahead. I absolutely will get the project to practice my skills from Van’s as well as taking at least a builder’s course at a minimum for preparation. I thank you all for the replies and I think I got what I needed out of this. I can’t wait to get started and I hope to be riveting by fall! I’m sure I’ll be asking hundreds more questions on here in the years to come.