Update from the mother ship

[Ed_Wischmeyer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMTkDq2g-p0

Shipping, vendors, etc.

[RV-Ogler]

Laser cut parts, interesting.

[jjmanton]

I do hope we get more info on laser cut parts. I’ve always heard that the heat makes it prone to cracking. I’m fully confident Vans has investigated and determined it’s safe, but I would love for them to put my wandering mind at ease! Haha

[cderk]

Originally Posted by jjmanton

I do hope we get more info on laser cut parts. I’ve always heard that the heat makes it prone to cracking. I’m fully confident Vans has investigated and determined it’s safe, but I would love for them to put my wandering mind at ease! Haha

if its good enough for the airlines...

[SantosDumont]

Greg and Rian talked a lot about quick build but didnt say anything about slow builds. So it seems that parts are being prioritized to go into shipping containers?

[Pdp7427]

The update is very much appreciated. It’s good to hear about some of the challenges being faced, and what’s being done to correct them.

I feel like what I want to hear most is an updated lead time window. Just setting expectations goes a long way and allows some additional planning to occur. I know that dates can still change but providing best information when available really helps.

As of now, I’ve paid for the kit in full after being notified that the kit was ready to be crated and now can’t get any idea about what stage things are in, what lead
Time looks like, etc.

That’s the update I really want: will it be no early than 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks?

Thanks again for all of the hard work behind the scenes, Vans Team. Looking forward to building.

[Tlrguy]

While I do appreciate Vans creating that video as a direct result of the talks on this forum, I can honestly say it didn’t give me the warm and fuzzies. Call me hard to please.

Obviously for these kits to go together with prefabricated holes, precision of manufacturing and quality control are of the utmost importance. Outsourcing these procedures are ripe for quality issues if not kept under a very watchful eye.

I’m not quite sure how good I feel about my build being the test bed for a new method of manufacture either. I really hope these methods have been throughly tested and proven. Could you imagine assembling one of these planes only to find years later that the methods employed to create kits at a faster rate were actually detrimental to the project as a whole!? Cracking and precision of manufacturing are a real concern.

[jjmanton]

Originally Posted by Tlrguy

While I do appreciate Vans creating that video as a direct result of the talks on this forum, I can honestly say it didn’t give me the warm and fuzzies. Call me hard to please.

Obviously for these kits to go together with prefabricated holes, precision of manufacturing and quality control are of the utmost importance. Outsourcing these procedures are ripe for quality issues if not kept under a very watchful eye.

I’m not quite sure how good I feel about my build being the test bed for a new method of manufacture either. I really hope these methods have been throughly tested and proven. Could you imagine assembling one of these planes only to find years later that the methods employed to create kits at a faster rate were actually detrimental to the project as a whole!? Cracking and precision of manufacturing are a real concern.

I agree. I also was thinking about the transition to final size holes. Will laser require us to drill again?

[Paul 5r4]

I have to say that I'm not surprised at the simply superior customer focus vans aircraft has always exhibited. Unlike so many companies that will just pass on cost increases to customers, Vans bends over backwards attempting to keep quality up, costs under control all the while communicating this information to their customers. There reaching out through a video like this answers a lot of questions and gives customers an inside glimpse of the what's and why's of what's going on.

[Ironflight]

As a lot of you know, I am friends with many of the folks at Vans, as well as many of the people that work in other kit companies around the country (and the globe). I can count on the fingers of one of Stein’s hands the number of folks in that huge group of people who are in this just for themselves - by far, everyone in this industry is in it for their customers and the greater good of experimental aviation. So when you see this (and I recommend watching the whole thing), you can trust that there is no hidden agenda - Greg and Rian are being honest and open about the challenges and the solutions.

I personally think that one of the best things about this video is the insight it gives into just how complex Van’s Aircraft is. This is not Van and his brother bashing out wing ribs in his barn. When Rian talks about engineering, he really means engineering - there is no “that looks about right” when it comes to finding methods, vendors, or materials. Every change or new design is evaluated for safety and longevity, as wel as from a business perspective. The complexity frankly amazes me - and I am used to “complex”.

And…..everything I have said applies to most of the kit industry. If you think you don't want to wait for an RV kit, so you’ll go elsewhere, good luck - the challenges are industry-wide. Lots of good folks out there are struggling to support the huge number of folks that want an E-AB kit right now! That’s a double-edged sword of course, so we just have to have patience and realize that the companies have to look at both the near and far term to make sure they are going to be here for their customers now and in the far future.

Great job Greg and Rian!

(Now about that airplane that we’re supposed to be flying…… just kidding! )

Paul