RV Builder Assistance Programs???

[bmurrish]

Jeff,

Not sure where you are located but there is a RV builder's assistance program at Meadowlake Airport (00V) near Colorado Springs. http://www.rvbuilder.com/

[RV6_flyer]

Here is what the FAA has to say about builder assistance.

http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/e...6/FSAW0603.doc

A shorter link to the same file: http://tinyurl.com/j8lo9

DAR Function Code 46

[JoeG]

Jeff,

Your question is a reasonable one for someone new to the amateur-built aircraft community. I am fairly new myself, having only been building since February. But I have found that if you keep asking the good questions and if you investigate the regulations, deal with reputable builder assistance companies, and heed the advice of the numerous successful builders in this forum, that you should come to the correct conclusions.

That being said, I don't believe a proper conclusion will indicate that you can build an RV aircraft in two week's time. In fact, I believe that if you do it right, you'll have more than two week's time invested in just sanding and edge finishing the parts that eventually get riveted together. Van's build instructions state very simply that the edge finishing procedures "will constitute a sizable portion of the total building time".

I have RV-7 kit number 2601. It is fairly similar, in terms of the construction process, to the RV-6. Over 6000 RV-6 kits have been sold and more than 1000 are flying. So I suspect Vans might know a thing or two about the process of building their airplanes. And they say that an average of about 1400 hours is required for the current RV-7 kits.

In our drive-thru, minute-rice, microwave society, we often want to rush to the gratification of the end product, not realizing at the onset that the gratification comes largely from the process.

So take your time, pick the kit that is right for your needs, invest the right amount of time, and enjoy the journey to your completed RV.

[Blastr42]

Thanks so much for the advise everyone! It's really helped me think through the problem more clearly.

Tonight I visited an RV-9a workshop that a friend from EAA is working on. So after looking at what he did and thinking about what I want to do. Now I'm thinking about doing one of those quickbuild empenage weeks in Georgia or Texas and then going with the quick build kits for the rest. I think that would get my skills up to par and shave a bunch of time of the process.

So the question then becomes: how long should I expect to spend on the rest of the kit if I do a quickbuild tail class and the rest of the quickbuild kits?

Any further help would be great.

Thanks.

[Kevin Horton]

Originally Posted by Blastr42

So the question then becomes: how long should I expect to spend on the rest of the kit if I do a quickbuild tail class and the rest of the quickbuild kits?

It'll take two to three times as long as your initial estimate. This is a recursive law, in that it is still true even if you take it into account when you make your first estimate.

[dan]

Originally Posted by Blastr42

So the question then becomes: how long should I expect to spend on the rest of the kit if I do a quickbuild tail class and the rest of the quickbuild kits?

42.

When you know you must build the airplane, when there is no choice but to do it, that you won't be happy unless you do it, the rest will fall into place. When you've achieved that state of enlightenment (your friends and family will call it obsession, and they will be correct), it won't matter how long it takes.

[rv8ch]

Originally Posted by Kevin Horton

It'll take two to three times as long as your initial estimate. This is a recursive law, in that it is still true even if you take it into account when you make your first estimate.

This is totally true! I'm in the 3rd year of my 1 year project.

As an aside on the empennage training class, check out this thread for some feedback. I think the training classes are really a great idea.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ead.php?t=5732

I really want to get my RV8 finished and flying. My original goal was to simply have an outstanding aircraft. However, the journey of building has been much more interesting, mentally stimulating (doesn't take much for me ) and entertaining than I had anticipated.

[Rick_A]

My goal is about 2 years, which after the first year, I still think is realistic. I'd be a little further along if I had ordered the QB at the same time as I ordered the Emp kit. I still had some doubts until doing the ATC class, so I had to wait longer than I liked to get my QB delivered. BTW, I spend 90% of my free time working on the plane.