If one were so inclined...?

[SteelMike]

Imagine if one had underestimated just how much one wanted to fly when one started his or her RV project, and one wanted to buy oneself a low-cost, entry level, first plane while they continued to build - being still fully committed to the build of course - what would one buy?

Assuming, of course, that the primary qualification of such a plane is that it flies (not that it's a screamer, or x-country monster, or anything fancy), the secondary qualification of which is that it's low-cost, and the tertiary qualification is that it can kept non-hangared...?

Ideas welcome!

[JHines]

You have to consider total cost of ownership (purchase price, maintenance, fuel burn). When you do that I think you'll find there is a "trough" in total cost centered somewhere on mid-1960's to mid-1970's all-metal aircraft, e.g. Cessna 150, Piper Cherokee, Grumman Traveler/Yankee. All are plentiful, reasonably priced if you look a little, and not generally subject to expensive ADs (or at this point, they are so old that the really killer expensive ones have been dealt with by a previous owner).

For example you can buy a mid-60's Cessna 150 for less than $20K. It won't complain if you tie it down out in the rain.

[Ironflight]

Many threads on this topic in the past, but to tell you the truth, I don't have a clue how to tell you to search for them! (Maybe search "Cessna", "Piper", "Luscombe", etc...)

My personal favorite was my old trusty steed, the Grumman Yankee - lots of Grumman "graduates" among the ranks of RV builder/owners.....

Paul

[Jim P]

I previously built this one (http://adap.com/BF_JAN00_frontabove.jpg) which kept the flying skills up to speed while the RV was under construction. Landing and footwork required in this one made the RV a piece o' cake, but I had to had to shift my brain from 80 MPH to 200 MPH! The 60 year-old Continental A-65 eats about 4 - 5 GPH and a quart of oil every 15 hours, but I can't keep it outside!

[brianwallis]

I would say if you wrote me a check for 17 grand, you would get a grumman yankee with wheel pants, a newly overhauled brake system(new o-rings and new tubing), fairly newly installed used transponder, new alt encoder, recently replaced VOR/GS/LOC indicator, longer seatbelts, fresh annual, fairly new vac pump, DC stereo intercom, 396 quickmount in panel with sale, canopy cover included although she is always hangered and quite nice paint. I'd also say that 6pgh and 110 mph cruise (or 128mph at RP1(full rental power 1)) is the perfect be-bop around airplane that is cheap to fly while you are building. I've got the rv-3 of my choice picked out in California... and that would let me go get it. A pic of her is at http://www.findasafetypilot.com/Info.php
She has Lyc 0-235 at 2250 hrs with 2 newer cylinders(same engine as a 152 so they are fairly cheap and plentiful). I fly her quite a bit and she flies with one finger. Swap engines to a 320 and you get a screamer. (I bought her for 19.. I've got about 24 in her... The RV-3 I want is 33k, so if you want to pay me more than 17k for the airplane then that would also be ok... I figure good karma goes a long way... so a 17,500 or more check would get a 500 donation to VAF
I work 5 days a week in West Palm and 2 days a week in Atlanta.. so I need an RV-3 yesterday.... ANY REASONABLE OFFER CONSIDERED!
Best
Brian Wallis

ps... yes she can be left outside as she is metal.

[JDRhodes]

Uh-oh. I smell checkbooks smoking!

[N8RV]

Judging from your signature line, time and money are not factors for you. I envy you.

When I started my RV-8, I was the happy owner of a Grumman Yankee. What I found was that, when I was building on a nice day, I was feeling guilty that I had a plane just sitting in the hangar instead of being flown.

And, when I would go flying, I was feeling guilty that I wasn't home building my RV.

Therefore, I sold the Yankee.

[Wicked Stick]

Ditto what some others have said.

Grumman AA-1 (a, b or c)
Get one with an STC'd 160 hp O-320 in it if you want it to be closer to an RV-6A.

[mburch]

I am also a member of the former Grumman owners club... I had an AA1B with an O-290-D2 (~135 HP) in it. What a fun little airplane. Anyone who can land a Grumman properly, will have no trouble with an A-model RV. You can also fly the Yankee in the summer with the canopy partially open, which you can't do with your RV! I wish I still had one to poke around in, they are fun airplanes... but the RV is better.

mcb

[JDRhodes]

For what you'll spend on buying, maintaining, insuring, and operating almost any airplane, you can rent a nicer one at your local FBO or flight school. And they really need your patronage!

For you, it sounds like this is just a bridge until you get the RV going. You can go fly almost whenever you want AND when you're done you can just walk away until next time.

Nothing slows down your building more than having to baby-sit a spamcan through an annual that takes a month.

my $0.02