R

RyanM

Well Known Member
So, I've been pondering building an RV7a. I was wondering how long people out there had toyed with the idea, before taking the plunge on tools and the tail kit?

I've signed up for an RV building class in Oshkosh come the end of the month and was wondering if people had any thoughts on the class? Did they find it worthwhile?

The other thing I'm slightly worried about is the actual cost of building a plane. I've looked at Van's estimator, but like any estimate, it almost always seems like it is on the low side. How accurate do the builders out there feel that estimator is? If anyone out there wouldn't mind disclosing their costs (public or privately), I'd really appreciate it.

Am I crazy to do this? I'm single, no kids, 25, good job, unfinished basement (most of the work will be done there) I mean, I would be foolish to wait to start on this type of project, right?

Also, anyone in the Oshkosh area on Aug 25-28th willing to give me an RV Grin, I'd gladly top of the tanks! -- I've yet to fly in an RV. Or anyone in the Fargo, ND area anytime as well.

I'm basically at the point of doing this, but I just want to make sure I'm covering all of my bases. I'd be curious to hear how your thought process was going into this project.

Thanks in advance,
--Ryan
 
Go for it - no better time than the present as its only going to get more expensive the longer you wait. I have the preview plans (7) and I've started buying tools. The GF and I are moving to a place w/a 2 car garage at the end of september so I can get started. I'm 26, no kids, little time, but its gonna get harder to do as life progresses.

The one thing that sticks out of ALL the "what do you regret about building" threads here is "I wish I had started sooner".

I've been reading everything I can on RVs for about 3 months now and I'm ready to build a 7 and I've never even been in one. I'm 22hrs into my PPL, and I've only seen RVs from a distance - anyone near LZU wanna give me a ride in a 7? :D I've been trying to make the EAA 690 meetings for 2 months now, but things just haven't worked out yet...

Its going to be a long project, but I've "refurbished" a couple old trucks and done a complete frame up on a '62 F100 (that took years) so I know I can commit to doing it. The end is worth the means.
 
Go for it

Ryan
Why haven't you ordered the kit already? Sounds to me like the timeing will never be better. I always say to people the last thing I want to say if I reach old age is "I wish I had done that when I was young"

RV 8 fuselage
 
I agree. Go for it.

There's little financial risk as you can almost always get back your investment (or close to it) by selling off parts if you decide it's not for you.

I'm 29 and a DINK'er (dual income, no kids). I'm more than 2.5 years into the project. All it takes is time and money.
 
I think the estimator is pretty accurate as long as you aren't keeping track and billing your own time. I'm a little over a year into it, and my plans for a light simple vfr night airplane haven't changed. I'm 29 in a couple of weeks, and I have to say that I'm really happy I started on this now. I'm also a DINKer, and as long as we stay that way for a while longer, I should be able to finish this thing in a reasonable amount of time. Like everyone else, time and money (wherever I can find it!).

Go for it! ;)
 
I refer you to one of my favorite sales pitches that Lancair used a while back.....


"Sometimes in life you just have to say, 'screw it.....I'm doing this!'"


Enjoy the journey



Regards,
 
Here's a ride

Tyson, Tyson,
I was at LZU on Saturday with my 6A and gave 2 hours of transition training....one hour before the meeting and one after. I'm 100 miles or so (35 minutes) from you in Louisville, Ga. You have a free ride if you come down here. If I come up there, you buy me gas and it's a done deal,
Regards,
 
Ryan,

Rest easy. You are in fact crazy but among crazy friends <g>. I was 31, married and had one child when I started my RV-6. Knowing what I know now I would have started when I was 18.

IMHO, you'll find a way to pay for it.

Welcome aboard!

D
 
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Get going on it!

I dreamed about my 7A for five years before I was able to get started on it (space in the Bay Area is tight). I would have started it the day I first learned about the RV7 if things had been different. I'm a year into it now and am already planning my second. ;)

Btw, what's with all of us 29 year old DINK's? Kinda weird...
 
I started my -7 in January when I was 20. Let me tell you, NOW when you have no family obligations is the time to build. Since you've got a good job, and aren't going to school, you've already got two legs up on me. I've only put in about 50hrs to actually building the airplane, and already have the horizontal and vertical done! Rudder is next! this is exciting, now I have to be able to figure out how to afford the wing kit (need a good job I guess...)
 
just do it!

Go for it Ryan! I am 39, almost a year into the build and loving it. My big regret is not discovering the RV and starting sooner.

For the longest time I thought I was going to build a glass airplane because I had a fair amount of composite experience from building RC aircraft. Once a friend let me fly his RV, I was hooked. Once I saw the difference in price between the RV and the fast glass, I knew I was onto something. That left the problem of how to learn to build a metal plane. Once I took Tom Emery's builder class in PA, that problem was solved. It isn't that hard. You just need patience and persistence.

With regard to cost, the kit prices are pretty straightforward. Add to that your engine, prop and avionics and you will be close. Needless to say there are a bunch of other things to take into account. They aren't as big a deal in comparison to the major costs noted above, but they do add up. For example tools, upgrades that you just "can't live without" (like steps, fancy lighting systems, electric trim, leather interior . . .), insurance and of course the inevitable hangar.

I would say the biggest thing you need to be honest with yourself about is time. Are you going to be able to spend enough time building to allow you to finish the project?

Best of luck. By the way, they don't call it the 30,000 test ride for no reason.

Antony
 
aparchment said:
I would say the biggest thing you need to be honest with yourself about is time. Are you going to be able to spend enough time building to allow you to finish the project?
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I think Anthony is right on here. IMHO building an airplane, in a reasonable amount of time, is a lifestyle not a hobby. You have to be willing to commit to the project and make sacrafices along the way. There is an old thread title "What have you given up" or something like that, and it is a great read. Many of us have given up things or activities that were very dear to us in order to take on our projects, but I will bet that almost nobody has any regrets in doing so. Ok, maybe one regret, not doing it sooner!

I am 35, also a DINK (at least for 5 more months), and I find that I am more excited about my project with each rivet I set. Bottom line is... Life is short, build a plane! :D

Good luck!

EDIT: Here is a link to the thread I mentioned.
 
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RyanM said:
I was wondering how long people out there had toyed with the idea, before taking the plunge on tools and the tail kit? ... I'd be curious to hear how your thought process was going into this project.
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30 years from "I'm gonna build a plane someday" to it feeling right and actually starting.
Should I have started at 18 rather than 48? In my case, I don't think so - I think I would have abandoned at least one project, and maybe written off the dream. But that's just my particular psychological make up. I've grown (and shed vices) to the point where I'm confident I will finish, and am having a blast building.
Van's kits these days inspire confidence, and these forums actually got me moving sooner than I might otherwise - there is comfort in knowing I'm not alone.
This is a long haul. Not overwhelming if taken one step at a time, but still requiring perserverence and working through the difficulties. If an honest self evaluation says you want to build, you're willing to put in the time and work through the roadblocks, and it feels right, by all means go for it!
If you honestly just want to fly a great plane and bypass the building phase, you can probably find a nice RV for sale somewhere, sometime.
 
prepurchace jitters?

Ryan,
Go to the sheetmetal workshop at the end of the month. Make like a sponge!
Take it all in! I think you'll find that it'll be a good time building and learning with others. I did an EAA class South of Calgary, Alberta two years ago and really just started my emp a few months ago. When I went to pick up my emp in Oregon, I stopped at the parking lot entrance and thought to myself
what on earth am I getting myself in to?........It's been challanging and quite a learning experience. Not to mention the cool facter :cool: :cool:
 
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Ok, I've been looking at building for a while now (I know, what am I waiting for). I have an expecting wife (so changing status from SINK to SIOK...um, nevermind) who is very supportive of me building. I suspect my life will change in the next few months...moreso after I return from a pending deployment to "there". Good news about deployment is extra $$.
So my question is... is there anyone else currently active in the military building? If so, how do you move the project when the military (army in my case) moves you?
Should I wait 12+ years until retirement from military and can spend all waking hours building, or try to fit it around my life now? I know...all my decisions, but input is welcomed.

-Greg
 
One more vote for the "go for it". I have built an airplane but not an RV. Bought an RV-4 about a year ago. There is nothing you can do to change yesterday - You only have control of today and tomorrow. There are people that "think about doing" all of their life. And, there are people that DO! Not that you shouldn't "think", but the people that DO are the ones that get things done.

Having experience with another kit (I won't say which) I can honestly say that I have found Van's to be honest with their estimates and their dealings with customers. I doubt that there are any better people to work with in the industry.

Last, let me suggest that you not look at this as some unsurmountable huge project. Instead, look at it as an accumulation of many small projects. Most will be fairly easy and some will be more challenging. Just make a goal to work on, and continue completing each small project, and before you know it you will not only have a completed airplane, but a wealth of knowledge you can be proud of and use to help others.

Tom
 
I took my first flying lesson in 1978. Got my PPL in 1996. Budget held me back. A wife and two kids and a wife. Did I mention a wife?

No matter when you start, take your time. You've been without an RV all of your life - a year or two more won't matter that much.
 
RyanM said:
So, I've been pondering building an RV7a. I was wondering how long people out there had toyed with the idea, before taking the plunge on tools and the tail kit?
Click to expand...
The idea building own plane has been on my mind over 15 years, but finally realized that I want my build my plane when I saw Lancair (SE-XOP) in 1999 at Jami fly-in. Already before that I'd seen pictures of Lancairs and considered it to be good choise. However when I started looking things two years back I realized that maybe the Lancair is not as good as a project as it looks. :D Finally after making specifications what I want and what is offered it was pretty simple to choose RV. I'd say that it took ? year no so considerate study about the possiblities (which plane to build).

After the RV (7) was chosen I had to figure where to build it. I also did some budget calculations and figured that if normal people buy houses with loan which cost substantially more that RV this should be no problem at all. This happened in few months or so. Same time I did ordered the tools. Now when I've had empennage kit and the tools for four months, I was able to get my very first ride with RV (6) few weeks back. The plane acted as I'd considered it to be and was propably even a bit better...

The other thing I'm slightly worried about is the actual cost of building a plane. I've looked at Van's estimator, but like any estimate, it almost always seems like it is on the low side. How accurate do the builders out there feel that estimator is? If anyone out there wouldn't mind disclosing their costs (public or privately), I'd really appreciate it.
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Do you want new engine or used one? Steam gauges or EFIS with autopilot etc.? Painting? How about doing own estimate? Just be realistic and put everything in it. Compare it and ask opinions about the other experimentalists -- what is missing and are the prices correct. Find prices for each invidual task you can rely on.

You can't change kit price so if that is too much don't even consider starting the project. If you are able to put twice that much money, you get flying plane. If you are able to put 3 - 4 times more than that, you'll get "everything". And that ain't the limit how much you can splurge... Quickbuild is more expensive but saves time.

Am I crazy to do this? I'm single, no kids, 25, good job, unfinished basement (most of the work will be done there) I mean, I would be foolish to wait to start on this type of project, right?
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Most builders are much older than you and so are you if you just wait... The empennage and the tools needed to build it are cheap and can be sold with reasonable price if you finally end up not being interested building your own. So the investment (compared to the whole project) for first 250 hours ain't much in $$$s.

And when you start young, you have time to build more than one plane before you leave... ;)
 
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Transformation

I also looked at the Lancair (320) as my original choice for my homebuilt airplane and focused my attention and research on it until I saw a prize winning RV-4 at the annual EAA show at Camarillo, California. I didn't know what it was (and I am VERY familiar with airplanes) but the practicallity and the appearance of the metal airplane definitly got my attention. When the RV-6 came out I knew it was the right airplane for my situation. Once I get something in my serious thinking I tend to focus on it - HARD. Still what ever I do effects everything else in my life so I work out all of conflicts as much as necessary to assure that the task is possible. Family compatibility, time and money are the big issues.

My wife was persuaded by my arguments for the project. Her strong points were quickbuild, side-by-side seating, tricycle landing gear and steps. All of these were compatible with mine so the quickbuild RV-6A was the airplane choice.

I commuted for 4 hours every day just to get to work and back, the minimum work day was 8.5 hours plus the the hour of getting up and getting ready. Most days were longer than 8.5 hours and there were irregular hour demands, nights, weekends and travel but I could not plan for them. There would be no time for anything else and my sleep would be considerably less than 7 hours per night but as long as I had a place to let my work lay where I stopped (the garage) until I could get back to it I figured it was doable.

This established we took out an equity line of credit loan on our home to finance the plane so we could take care of purchasing whatever we needed when we needed it and keep the project moving.

We ordered to preview plans set.

I went to the builders training at Van's (no longer offered).

We ordered the kit and never looked back.

I made the first flight after around 7.5 years but it wasn't really complete (still isn't actually as I keep developing it further) until 8 years and I have well over 4,000 hours in the building so far. Two things I found extremely important to me personally were my permanent detailed builder's log and correlated Photo album. I could always see the hour number building even if the difference in building details from day to day were sometimes hard to see. Two other things that were important to me even though my build time was usually around one hour per day plus weekends, "never give up" and "never compromise quality."

Building an airplane is definitely a life altering activity that was right for me. I started in December of 1996 a little over a month after my 60th birthday.

Bob Axsom
 
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Thanks for all of the comments and words of encouragement! I think the timing is right, and I'm planning on ordering my tools and tail in the next month. Then I'll be on my way. :)

Thanks!
Ryan
 
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