When I started building my -8, I read every builder's web site and on-line forum I could find for ideas and tips. I quickly came to the conclusion that there were a number of tasks in the build that scared the willies out of people - stories of canopies gone wrong, cowlings that wouldn't cooperate, and builders being eaten by blobs of pro-seal....
Boogeymen - those creaturs that we use to scare small children (or, more accurately, that older siblings use to scare younger siblings... ) are ever present. However, like most fearsome creatures, they generally evaporate with the light of day, or a little knowledge. I wonder how many people are reading these forums, sitting on the fence about building because they are afraid of the boogeymen?
As I progressed through my kit, I found that the vast majority of awful tasks didnt live up to their reputations. Of course, everyone has slightly different fears - some hate plumbing, and love wiring - and for others, it is the opposite. Personally, I enjoyed almost all of the tasks and skills I learned along the way - although those that are highly repetative are generally lower on my list....
Maybe we can help open the drapes and let some light in for people that haven't quite conquered those fears yet. One good way to make the fears go away is to simply talk about them.
In the spirit of the season (Halloween is just around the corner...), how about a list of the Boogeymen - and what helped you to get past them?
Here's my first....The RV-8 Canopy! "Oh woe to the person that makes a bad cut, or slips with a drill and makes a crack!"
Certainly, this is a huge-looking part of the kit, and ruining it must be the lowest point in a builder's career. Or such was the impression I got from the collective wisdom. How did I conquer the fear? By realizing that you can buy a replacement for about $350 - a tiny, tiny portion of what I was spending on the airplane - and repeating maybe 20-30 hours of work. Not something that I looked forward to, but if it should break, it wasn't going to be the end of the world, throw the airplane in the dumpster and take up knitting....
Next fear?
Paul
Boogeymen - those creaturs that we use to scare small children (or, more accurately, that older siblings use to scare younger siblings... ) are ever present. However, like most fearsome creatures, they generally evaporate with the light of day, or a little knowledge. I wonder how many people are reading these forums, sitting on the fence about building because they are afraid of the boogeymen?
As I progressed through my kit, I found that the vast majority of awful tasks didnt live up to their reputations. Of course, everyone has slightly different fears - some hate plumbing, and love wiring - and for others, it is the opposite. Personally, I enjoyed almost all of the tasks and skills I learned along the way - although those that are highly repetative are generally lower on my list....
Maybe we can help open the drapes and let some light in for people that haven't quite conquered those fears yet. One good way to make the fears go away is to simply talk about them.
In the spirit of the season (Halloween is just around the corner...), how about a list of the Boogeymen - and what helped you to get past them?
Here's my first....The RV-8 Canopy! "Oh woe to the person that makes a bad cut, or slips with a drill and makes a crack!"
Certainly, this is a huge-looking part of the kit, and ruining it must be the lowest point in a builder's career. Or such was the impression I got from the collective wisdom. How did I conquer the fear? By realizing that you can buy a replacement for about $350 - a tiny, tiny portion of what I was spending on the airplane - and repeating maybe 20-30 hours of work. Not something that I looked forward to, but if it should break, it wasn't going to be the end of the world, throw the airplane in the dumpster and take up knitting....
Next fear?
Paul