Disenchanted?

[flymustangs]

I'm "working" on an RV-3 and have once again become disenchanted with the project. This is not my first attempt at an RV, I've worked on an RV-4 and an RV-8 in the past. It happened much quicker with the RV-3 and I think that is mostly because of the plans. I knew that the RV-3 plans were probably not the best, but these should be embarrassing to Vans. I'm also aware that there is no financial advantage for Vans to redo the plans or to restructure the kit to a pre-punch.

Yes, many people have successfully completed these. Maybe their tolerance for frustration is higher than mine. This now has me questioning my decision to build an RV-3 and a single place for that matter. I didn't make this decision overnight. I studied on it a long time, almost buying a completed RV-3 at one point. You may recall the statement from Vans regarding wing fuel and aerobatic gross weight. I was pretty much the catalyst that started that chain. Randy Lervold was finally able to get the definitive answer from Vans.

I'm sure I could come up with some other Van's bashing, but that doesn't help and doesn't solve my problem. What have others out there done when they find themselves in this situation? Maybe I was just never destined to build an aircraft. I finally bought a flying Glastar when I sold my RV-8 kit and realized how spendy the finished RV-8's were. I love the Glastar, but have always liked the RV's. I figured if I built an RV-3 I could afford to have the best of both worlds.

I sincerely apologize for the rambling. I think I will coin a new term for people like me. Instead of repeat offender for people that have actually completed more than one of these, how about offensive repeater for people that have started more than one, but never finished?

Thanks.

[Ironflight]

Ken,

No doubt every individual has a different tolerance for frustration! I know that for many years, I admired the design of the RV's, but not having any real experience at sheet metal fabrication (just enough repair experience to be nervous...), I did not think I wanted to spend ten years shaping and building an all-metal airplane. The problem was, I was thinking old-school, when all you got in a kit was a set of plans and some flat sheet stock! A co-worker turned me on to the latest in QB kits a little over two years ago, and now I have five months and 130 hours on my brand new RV-8!

Maybe if your previous -8 kit was one of the earlier ones, and you still have the urge to give an RV a try, you might look at the current state of the art with pre-punched. Give the tail a try, or find someone that is building one. I never built any jigs - you can practically make it look like a tail with clecoes alone, right out of the box! If that doesn't work for you, then it might very well be that your talents lie elsewhere - and that's OK too!

One other suggestion is to ask yourself what exactly it is that makes you quit during a build session. Is it the repetetative nature of drill, dimple, repeat? Is it assemble-disassemble-resassemble (repeat!)? Is it priming? Some things can be helped, and others can't - might help you to know if you are doomed from the start! If it's hole layout, for instance, thre is hope - you don't do that on a pre-punched kit!

Paul

Paul

[Red Voodoo]

Ken,
Are you allowing yourself to become overwhelmed at the size of the whole project? I think it's critical to break it down into a series (maybe a LONG series) of small jobs. Focus on getting one thing completed before you think too much about the next. Try to work on the RV-3 at least a little every day. Take advantage of the many websites out there; you're not likely to run into any problems that someone hasn't worked through before.
But it sounds like the main thing you should keep in mind is to work steadily, taking it one step at a time, and don't feel as though you're not progressing as fast as somebody else. It's your project, so you get to set the pace!

[N916K]

Originally Posted by flymustangs

I'm "working" on an RV-3 and have once again become disenchanted with the project.

Your up in the Northwest, right? High in the 50's and a chance of rain all week? Go to the airport and buy a ticket to Sun n Fun, today. Go there, walk around, enjoy the sun, have a few beers at the beer tent. Next week you'll be back at home ready to get back to work on the plane. I always found that I was energized after a trip to Oshkosh or Sun n Fun.

[painless]

Wiliam got it right. I think one of the things that can burn you out is feeling like you have to stay on some sort of self-imposed schedule.

There seem to be two types of builders. Those that HAVE to build the airplane to have an RV, and those that GET to build one.

Had I told myself that I was going to be done in such in such a time, I too would have gotten very discouraged. There have been many times during the course of my project that I was amazed at how much time it took me to do what appeared to be the simplest task. I can remember taking all day to drill two holes! I won't even mention all the times I did things over for whatever reason.

You have to keep your building project in prospective. Do you view it as a job, or is it a hobby? For me, it has definitely been a hobby. One that I have enjoyed beyond description. I recently told my wife that I think I am a troubleshooting junkie. I really enjoy working my way through some of the challenges that I have come up against while building the RV.

Since you say you have a Glastar to fly, perhaps you need to treat the RV as more of a hobby and enjoy the challenge that it presents you. Its not like you HAVE to build the RV to have something to fly.

Take small steps, and enjoy the journey.



Regards,

[Bob Axsom]

This is not for you! If you are not motivated enought to finish the first plane you start - forget it - you do not have the desire that it takes to do the job.

Bob Axsom

[Hawkeye7A]

In the Vans factory video Ken Scott makes a very appropriate statement: "Kitplanes are a mixed bag. you either GET TO build it, or you GOTTA build it". As many others have said, momentum is paramount. Many days(maybe most!) I'm tired when I get home from work, but I make myself go out to the garage(aka airplane factory) and what starts out as "GOTTA build it" turns into "GET TO build it" in the first 5 or 10 minutes. And I whole-heartedly agree that a time-table will defeat you. I'm getting tired of people asking me when it will fly, so instead of trying to be witty, I just say, "Who the **** knows? How do you swag something that you have never done before?" I especially get discouraged when some builders(Dan Checkoway comes to mind) build a spectacular bird in 2-1/2 years. Standard build, no less! I've been on mine for 3-1/2 now, got most of what I need to finish it but try to stay focused on "this rivet, here and now". It's easy to get overwhelmed by trying to see the "Big Picture". Not good for productivity although to some extent you do need to plan ahead. Now that I'm done rambling(and having given GMCJetPilot George some competition in longevity) I can only hope this helps. Good luck.

[dan]

Can't believe nobody suggested this yet...but here's something to try... Go get a ride!!! Sometimes that's all it takes to light a fire under an otherwise stalled builder. I'm sure you've flown RVs before since you've been around them for so long. But if you haven't flown one recently, gotta fix that. Go up and poke a hole in the sky with somebody who'll let you do most of the flying. You never know what kind of wonders it'll work with your motivation.

[avaviat]

I can sympathize...

In my case, I was getting frustrated by the weather... I've need to prime and whenever I had time rain or snow started falling. I actually decided I was going to risk the rain one day, got everything set up, and the wind started blowing dropplets of water in from who knows where... very frustrating, and it has being going on for seven weeks now.

I finally decided to dust off my old Yamaha 1100 and actually get a California motorcycle license (by taking the CA MSF-equvalent safety training)... plus buy a new helmet and other modern safety gear... it is a bit of a distraction from building... but that's part of the point really. Once the weather clears up to where it is fun to work outside again (a few weeks...though weather in SoCal has been strange these last few years...last year it actually sorta-snowed in May...), I'll pick up where I left off on the plane...and I'll have a summer ride that might get me home from work earlier so I can spend more time building.

If you are having technical problems, find someone to help you break out of the rut. If the whole project is looking bigger and bigger... finish something... if you can't finish something on the plane (e.g. my inability to do the priming I need to do) finish something else. The endorphin rush will feed your desire to finish the whole plane.

[ScottSchmidt]

I would suggest finding someone to help you build it. You could either pay someone or better yet, find someone who is very interested in building an airplane to help and keep you motovitated. If I had to build an RV-10 by myself I would have quit many times but I have had a freind build it with me the whole time. Some days I am burned out and some days he would be but our energy together was enough on those days to work through it and get to the great days. Most days are great and I love the building process.
Plus you can build 4 times faster with two people than you can by yourself. But it has to be the right person that fits your personality.

I also like the previous suggestions of going to Sun N Fun, Oshkosh, local airshows, EAA chapter meetings, or just go rent a plane for an afternoon and have fun.

It will all be worth it. I remember an older fellow in Houston telling me that if you touch you plane everyday someday you will be flying.