G

Greg G

Member
Hi all,

To start off, just like most people, I truly appreciate the help that you guys give to those of us who are less experienced like myself. I was hoping that someone could help me out. I'm seriously considering building an RV-10, but after looking at a quite a few sites, I'm a little apprehensive of the "extras" that are involved in the project. Can someone help me answer my questions below before I make the decision to start building, since although it's very enticing to know I could build a great light IFR platform for less than half the cost of the new composite planes coming off the line, I don't want to get in way over my head!

- I'm pretty handy when it comes to working with tools (I've done quite a few major maintenance projects on my Grumman Tiger with an A&P's supervision), but how realistic is it to assume that after you've put together a plane you'll be smart enough to do your own annuals? I'd think you'd want a certified A&P to at least help you out with building the engine and maybe the first few annuals.
- I'd think the instructions for the airframe assembly will likely be rather straightforward, but the difficulty will come in when creating the panel and the interior. It looks like quite a few people get a professional to do their panel and interior -- is it even conceivable to do these yourself without buying a bunch of specialized tools and spending many painstaking hours on a difficult job?
- Finally, again I can't imagine that the assembly instructions will cover much of the firewall forward since the engine option is up to the builder. Is there a way to know the best location / method of mounting accessories such as a vacuum pump (or components for an alternate electrical system), battery, voltage regulator, etc.?

Thanks so much for your help -- I hope to start this project soon!

Greg
 
Its not that hard

But there are a couple of smart approaches.

First off the engine...Don't sweat it. The basic thing here is don't try to do anything thats different to what Van recommends...I.e put the bog standard (I)O540 in there and just follow Vans instructions to the letter. Either buy a mid time motor or a pre assembled and run experimental clone i.e mattituck, Superior ect.

A gorrilla could do that part....not an issue.

Panels...Yes there are few very nice options...Anywhere from a hole saw on an electric drill right up to getting one of the those molded fiberglass deals and having Stein or John Stark build and test a complete Garmin G900 on the bench and ship it to you.

Both these shops have excelent reputations and will not leave you in the lurch....Tony you owe me 20 bucks..:)

A&P for the annual?...Sorry my nervous twitch is starting to act up here...Having an A&P work on my airplane is the modern day equivilant of saying something that in the 16th century would have you burned at the stake!..:)

But yes I'm sure you could do that. There are many fine A&P's who will help you out there its just that by the time you have built this thing you will jealously guard it like your first born.

I see nothing that with solid determination you can't achieve here. Airplanes really are simple machines. The avionics are dead reliable these days...And if anyone says things like "vacuum pump", just smile sweetly and walk (run) away..:D

Good luck

Frank
 
My minivan with wings

One of THE most expensive aspects of our 9A project was the panel. Before you plunk down lotsa $$, take a look at how my good friend Chet did our panel.

http://www.arizonaairparks.com/rv-panel

I second the comments in the previous post. If anyone suggests a vac pump in this day and age, be pleasant and walk away. I love 57 Chevys, but today's computers offer redundancy, backup power thru internal batteries, and a host of customization that allows you to establish a panel you're comfortable flying with. Our mission is lots of cross country so instead of squishing all of the required information onto the GPS, we moved navigational data onto the Dynon 100 allowing the entire GPS screen to be used for terrain or other usage.

Build the plane but all the while study what's available inexpensively thru C++ programming.

Barry
Tucson
 
My RV-10 was built from a slow build kit and I did everything except cover the seats. Don't get too overwhelmed out of the gates. The secret is to just take one part at a time. If you want an RV-10, buy the kit first and worry about the panel, interior and paint later.

- The airframe itself is not hard especially with all the great sites and previous builders out there. The instructions are incredible. I would highly recommend a quickbuild kit to get things done faster.
Take a class or have a previous builder come by and get you started. I built my plane with a friend which really increases the speed you can build but with a quickbuild and a wife/son/friend/neighbor, you can get all the help you need during those times of riveting, or lifting a larger peice.

-The engine and wiring are next thing to consider. The engine is very straight forward. With Van's firewall forward kit, it makes is quite easy. You need plan the holes on where you will pull wires through on your firewall, but other than that, Van's does a great job in his manual.

-Wiring can be the most intimidating but if you read books like the Aeroelectric Connection and understand the basics on wire sizes, fuses, and amps, you can do it. I would do what others have done and just have the panel built and wired for you. Then you will only have to connect the wires between your plane and panel.

There is nothing difficult in building a plane, you just need to be patient when you come to an area that you don't understand and ask alot of questions. I spent around 3000 hours on mine and another 6000 hours on the internet and on the phone trying to understand what I am about to do. It is a sacrifice but one that I feel is worth it.
 
Buy the kit,then don't look at it as a large project, but just a bunch of little projects. Be sure to do something on it every day and you will progress. If you are like most people that consider building a kit, you are able to follow directions and learn new skills. I'm having a blast building mine.:D
 
firewall forward no problem

You probably have way more experience with the FWF aspect than I did when I started building. I was also very apprehensive about fooling around in the engine compartment. I bought a new engine 0-320 from Vans and their FWF kit and followed the instructions. It was the most straightforward and most satisfying part of the building process for me. 240 hrs. flying time later, I still can't get over the fact that I built this great flying machine. With all the support at Vans, here and numerous great websites, you will do fine. Most of the building process is repetition; drill, deburr, dimple, rivet, etc. It is a major undertaking, but if you have the time and perseverance, you can do it.
 
Greg,

There a few of us in the local area thaat can help out if needed, if you want to see one under construction, and what it entails I'm in the white pages. I'd be glad to give you a tour and what to expect in the form of extras. It's like eating an elephant..one bite at a time.
 
Thanks!

Thanks for all the great advice! Looks like it wouldn't be too incredibly difficult, I'll just need lots of time to take it step-by-step. Thanks again,

Greg
 
ENGINE/AVIONICS FEAR...

I sold my RV9a kit and bought a flying RV7- I was very nervous about diving into someone elses mess!

After 50 hrs flying and a lot more time working on the plane with the help and guidance of other RV builders, this site, and a friendly A&P pointing- the engine has turned out to be a very simple part of the whole. Frankly, tuning the gear leg fairing seems more intimidating now than plumbing the engine.

The Avionics wiring is a more work, but if you label each wire ends and middle, have LOADS of termination blocks (from the lights to a termination block behind the panel, from there to a breaker) for each item it makes tracing and tracking down problems A LOT simpler.

I've upgraded my panel already and it was a lot simpler because of the "subpanels" which can be updated without messing with the whole thing.
 
This is one of my BIG reasons for waiting to begin. By spending some time with other builders who are in different stages (generally, in stages that I won't reach for some time), I can get some ideas on what I'm getting into before diving in head first. It seems like if you take your time, your skills will improve as necessary for the more "difficult" stages of building.

Mike
 
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