Why are RV-14’s $230k when a 7 or 9 is $100k

[DeeCee 57]

never understood why the “market” doesn’t account for the labor required

It’s a hobby... for some

[Vansconvert]

Check your private messages.

[rvsxer]

Originally Posted by bkervaski

So you're saying if the op would just loose weight $50k will get him the same plane as $200k?

Sounds like it if you aren't building one. If you look at a nice -7 with all the same equipment and finish quality as a -14, and an IO-360 instead of the bigger engine, all you are getting for that extra 50K is space, and maybe a little extra useful load. Performance is the same. Even my old -6 gets the same top speed. The -14 is kitted different so I think if you are building that's where a lot of the extra value comes from.

[JDA_BTR]

The kits and engines to build anything cost a lot more than they did 10-20 years ago. So an older RV was built for a lot less money. 14s tend to be built with full avionics and 40k engines with c/s props. My 8 that I’m building slow will have 45 in kit, 40k in engine, 35k in avionics, 10k in prop, 8k in upgrades. And 2000+ hours of time to construct. That’s 130k plus my labor. It will be new and it will be mine. But it isn’t cheap. Avionics might cost less but it seems to add up to that pretty quick. Just wiring is 500 in wire and terminations. I’ve got about 150k in my 14 after recent painting and it is better than new at 150 proven flying hours. There should be some sig value in my labor to bring it to that point.

[bkervaski]

Originally Posted by rvsxer

Sounds like it if you aren't building one. If you look at a nice -7 with all the same equipment and finish quality as a -14, and an IO-360 instead of the bigger engine, all you are getting for that extra 50K is space, and maybe a little extra useful load. Performance is the same. Even my old -6 gets the same top speed. The -14 is kitted different so I think if you are building that's where a lot of the extra value comes from.

Another factor is the wifey .. put them in a 14 after a 7 and you're going to have a hard time getting them to look back at that 7

[TimO]

That first reply was spot on. Supply vs demand. The -14 will probably always command more money than a 7/9 will, because most -14's will come with IO-390's and newer equipment. But there is just a lot of demand for them due to their bigger size and many other aspects of the airplane. But, when people start trying to sell them for over $200k, unless they just threw piles of money at the project when it was built, they're asking well over what a nice RV-14 can be built for, if you're willing to build it. When the RV-10's first came out, people that built them realized how demanded they were, and many builders quickly sold their completed plane. The demand caused the price to be so much higher than their build price that they couldn't turn it down, and that cash easily paid for another complete kit plus tens of thousands of extra dollars. And then they could build it again, tweaking things that they wish they would have done the first time. I'm sure some of the -14 builders will do the same. They'll see the dollar signs, sell off their couple of years of hobby, and then either pocket it or build again.

What's the best way out of the high prices? Take part as an actual experimental aviation BUILDER and build it, from a standard kit. You'll gain far more knowledge about the plane than you'll ever get by being a buyer. You'll get the repairman certificate, and you won't be scared to tackle every maintenance task or service bulletin that comes out. To me, that's how you really get the most benefit for the lowest cost.

[jeffw@sc47]

IMHO from personal experience, it is possible to complete a 14 for under $180-190K. A $200K advertised sales price for a recently completed 14 does reflect the added premium for a completed airplane. And $200K is very likely something over what was put into it and includes some of the builder's time (reflection of the supply/demand factor) and I'll bet a fairly long list of cost items not tracked. Therefore, a $200K sales price probably reflects a total tally of most cost items of over $185K.

I'll guess that you could build one for the projected cost that Van's posts for a 14 complete cost (from their web site promotional 14 text> a completed, flying RV-14 airplane can be finished for around $90,000.

From my own experience and that of two other 14's I know a little first hand knowledge about, getting one complete for around $90K would take some magical involvement from some unworldly sources. And, a lot of scouring for a panel full of fairly good used analog instrument gauges/radios/electrical components, no paint, home made interior furnishings, and the like. For $150-160'ish? - maybe'ish.

[Kyle Boatright]

Originally Posted by jeffw@sc47

From my own experience and that of two other 14's I know a little first hand knowledge about, getting one complete for around $90K would take some magical involvement from some unworldly sources. And, a lot of scouring for a panel full of fairly good used analog instrument gauges/radios/electrical components, no paint, home made interior furnishings, and the like. For $150-160'ish? - maybe'ish.

Put a Cub panel in it, paint it yourself, no interior other than seatcovers, and you could bring one home at $125K.. The kits (including FWF), engine, prop, governor, come in just under $100k. You can do the rest of it for $25K, as long as you're selective.

Of course, homebuilding has moved on from the time of bare bones, day-VFR airplanes. I think a lot of that is peer pressure, and I'm sure Stein is grateful for it. ;-)

[jeffw@sc47]

The I Wanna Itch is impossible to ignore for any red-blooded E-AB airplane builder, EAA or VAF ball cap owner, and tool junkie.

And the I Wanna Itch can only be scratched by getting another tool and other neat stuff to stick on the airplane that makes other E-AB'ers green with envy - and it feels good. It adds up in big big chunks and little bits.

So that makes it impossible to keep it lower than $175K.

This thread has been fun, plus it's been like going to confession.

[climberrn]

Originally Posted by bkervaski

Another factor is the wifey .. put them in a 14 after a 7 and you're going to have a hard time getting them to look back at that 7

Not all. My wife sat in the factory -14 and said “I like ours better, its paid for!” Cant argue with that!