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Replacement Blues!

rv8gibbo

Well Known Member
It Seems I have ordered enough replacement parts too build a second RV!:( Am I alone? Does any one else share my pain? Please help reinsure me I'm not alone!:)
 
No you are not alone.

I ordered all the parts for a new elevator and a new canopy frame.
Can't tell you how many other small items but there were a lot.

Most recently was a new set of front engine baffles.

I have also had to re-order several hoses because I can't seem to measure them correclty. Tom at TS Flightlines has been great to replace them for me.
 
You are not alone. My checkbook and I can recall all the pieces I have had to reorder, to include those knife twisting shipping charges.

All that said, I am very glad I chose to order new parts rather than salvage a mistake.
 
Reorder

I just trashed both my flap spars. Not the same mistake. I hate doing it but if I ask myself or anyone else, "should this be replaced", it should. Order it and sleep better.
 
Lots and I'm only on the wings

I've replaced many parts so far and I'm only on the wings. It's my first time building a plane I expect some mistakes.

I agree with WireJock, I want to sleep better tonight and the night before the plane flies for the first time. It's going to be right and safe or it's not going to be.
 
Same here

I've ordered numerous parts for every stage of the build. Mess up, pay up. My wife and children will eventually fly in the -8 with me and trying to make a part work when it should be replaced doesn't cut it!

It's only money:eek:
 
There's a thread right now that shows what the alternative is to fixing your mistakes correctly, even if it means replacing. For all the reasons mentioned above, and because I don't ever want to be embarrassed by MY workmanship, I have replaced more parts than necessary, I am sure. It's frustrating, but as soon as you order it the worry is lifted off your shoulders and you can move on.

I'm convinced Van breaks even on the kits and makes his money on replacement parts!

Chris
 
You are not alone. My checkbook and I can recall all the pieces I have had to reorder, to include those knife twisting shipping charges.

All that said, I am very glad I chose to order new parts rather than salvage a mistake.

I ruined a LE skin and a wing skin moving all my stuff cross-country. The crating/shipping charges on those were especially painful. But now I have lots of spare/scrap material!
 
My experience is the opposite, but may make you feel better. I don't remember ordering any replacement parts, for sure not any major parts that registered $$ wise in the build. However, When building there were two times where I slightly messed up a part. I talked to vans who said it was not a flight safety problem only cosmetic and decided to build on. My thought process was I built the plane to fly and wasn't trying to win any awards; as long as it was safe.
If I'm being honest I wish I would have just built them again, most people don't notice them when looking at the plane and I still get lots of compliments. But *I* still notice them every once and a while.
 
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Hang In

G'day Nathan,

Cliff & I have sent you an e-mail. Saturday 13 December at noon - our hangar at Maitland. Bring Erin.

Bob Redman
 
We all know that mistakes happen, I must say I had very few,, not because I'm so good but because I was willing to check not just once or twice but many times to make sure I was doing the job right. We have the benefit of this site which is outstanding, we have Vans,, we have so many other great builders, almost 9000! What I'm saying is take your time, check and recheck, sure it takes more time but how much time extra does it take to reorder parts and rebuild the part.
So just take your time!
 
Thanks guys, my biggest downfall is the lack of understanding from not thoroughly reading through every step before commencing work! The cost of freight to Australia is starting to change that! :)

Cheers
Gibbo
 
If you are redoing stuff that means you are holding yourself to a high standard. Nothing wrong with that. We are all different. Some don't care if there are glaring cosmetic errors. Others it drives them nuts. Many scratch builders talk about building the airplane 3 times because of do-overs. Turn off the self butt kicking machine and build on. And DO NOT add up your costs, it will just depress you!:D
 
Gibbo---take up the invitation to go look at another RV. Just so happens that we have another 7 fuselage at QB stage at Ridgeland and I look at it ALOT. (threatened to replace my rack of parts with it, but the owner would certainly notice. Even Santa's elves dont work that fast!) Once you get a bigger picture it get easier. I'm working on bulkheads--but the same thing applies.
Tom
 
Haven't ordered any replacement parts yet, but pretty soon I'll need a bigger container for my collection of drilled out rivet heads. :eek:
 
knife twisting shipping charges.

.

I'll second that!! I once had to rebuild a Lotus engine on a very tight time-line during the UPS strike. Fed-ex was so swamped that they would only take overnight shipments. I paid much more for the shipping then for the parts.
 
Lots and lots of replacement parts. I've even got a scrap fuel tank (without sealant) that I use to let visitors try riveting. Not many builders can say that.

Dave
 
Being a "two year veteran", I enjoy the noob posts about "what else I should get from Vans to save on shipping costs..." I was the same way, back in the day; now I find that orders on Monday get to the shop by Friday (lucky, living in CA - UPS ground is fast enough!) so I can fix the Doh! (or, the $$&##@@%@@@ !!!) from the previous weekend. My recycling bin has been getting a workout. Though, as I get better, the quantity of foo-bars is thankfully dropping!

Build on!
 
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replacement parts can get expensive

Same here when it comes to replacement parts.
On one hand it's natural at the beginning, since it's a learning by doing process for a first time builder like me.
But I envy all of you "across the ocean builders". You have UPS overnight delivery.
Here, I wait 2 weeks and pay 40 bucks cost for a $5 part. :eek:

That's how I learned to measure twice, and to read 3 times, before start driling.
 
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Oh heck yes and that's the PG version. I'm on my third rudder skin. The last one I screwed up by removing the blue protective stuff too aggressively and put a crease in it I couldn't remove. The first two skins involved my C-Frame tool and skin that slipped off of the dimple die and the other one a.....well, you get the idea. My completed VS and HS and newly arrived wing kit went up in smoke along with my house back in Jun of 13. Build on brother and stay positive!
 
trim tab

It all started the day I ordered my second trim tab? or maybe it was the third? no wait, I think it was the fourth?

sigh
 
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