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Aviator168

Well Known Member
Can your builders break down the time spend on each section of the aircraft? I have been learning a lot here and trying to figure out which part of the aircraft will likely to cost the most in time. At the moment, I think it will be installing things that are not included in the kit like the engine and avionics.
 
time

Time ?,

I have built, flyable QB RV airplanes in about 500 to 700 hours.
That is no interior paint, no insulation, just the basics needed to FLY, and receive an Airworthiness Certificate.
Several have come to RV Central and wanted to keep there labor bill as low as possible.
They wanted a flying RV and are finishing up at home. Yes out of state builders come here to RV Central.

That would be a RV QB 7/8, tail wheel, carb, and simple panel.
The wheel pants, farings,and getting ready to paint is the time killer. Finishing the canopy skirts and all the glass parts is another 3-400 hours. Nose wheels and Fuel injection make a RV build take longer too.

I have helped build the major part of 32 RVs, including 6 solo (4 were my own), and have helped on many, many more.

I know how to be very efficient and do not wast time building or reinventing.

If you would like to call me I can break the time down for you. Here are some guesses.
Tail about 100 hours
QB Wings about 120 hours
Canopy 80
QB Fuse about 80
FWF about 120


Shop #817 439 1220
 
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I'm building a Rocket, not an RV and am not finished yet, but these macro-statistics might be useful at some level. I work full time and still manage a lot of time on my project. I figure "administrative" (research, correspondence, parts ordering, etc) time artificially as being 4 hours per week.

Beginning date: 11 Mar 06
Todays date: 7 Apr 09
Total build days: 1106
Months: 36.5
Admin months: 42.5 (includes months researching options prior to starting build)
Av. building hrs/month: 43.9
Av. of high hour months: 65.3 (upper half)
Av. of low hour months: 21.4 (lower half)
Highest hour month: 151.1
Lowest hour month: 4.3

Good luck with your project!

Regards,


Lee...
 
How much time....

A QB in 500-700 hrs.... geezzz.... perhaps so if that's all a person has to do, just build. I'm building a QB -9A, right now I'm at 3 yrs & 1050 hrs hands-on time and still have FWF to do, plus paint, plus assemble the airplane. I'm thinking it's gonna be around 1500 hrs to complete to point of flight.

I've found that a person needs to take whatever seems reasonable for cost and schedule, times Pi/2!!
 
rv9av8tr said:
A QB in 500-700 hrs.... geezzz.... perhaps so if that's all a person has to do, just build. I'm building a QB -9A, right now I'm at 3 yrs & 1050 hrs hands-on time and still have FWF to do, plus paint, plus assemble the airplane. I'm thinking it's gonna be around 1500 hrs to complete to point of flight.

I've found that a person needs to take whatever seems reasonable for cost and schedule, times Pi/2!!
Click to expand...

Once you multi-task, your efficiency goes down the drain. The time overhead switch between tasks can go up to 99%. I am sure you can build one in 500-700 hrs if all you do is build like Jay does. Also, the more you build, the quicker you can do it.
 
more time

RV time to build.
The short answer is it takes 2000 hours to do a slow build and 1000 hours to do a QB.
I have done 2 RVs here with the owners working full time 6 days a week/
Both had the the emps done prior to us starting.

A RV8 and a RV8A
One was completed in 54 days, my labor approx 500 hrs
the other in 92 days, my labor approx 420 hrs
They were ready to paint. and did go to the paint shop soon after finishing.

Both of these planes were similar to my panel in Borrowed Horse.
NOT having to learn a bunch of new tricks is important to building fast.

I have a radio guy that charges independently. He usually spends 100 to 150 hours wiring up a pre built panel. Steins or who ever...

We have Avery tools on the field and he has a machine shop we can use.
Lots of talent around to get any thing done here. Plus Danny King,

A Flying RV QB done in 5 to 700 hours will have a Lot, of work to do after it is flying. Read my first response carefully.
 
Jay,

How much time out of that 700 hr do you usually spend on engine and prop installation, including connecting fuel and engine controls. I know that would take me a fair amount.
 
time

Hang Engine, about 30 minutes
I have a tool so no prop to do Cowl, 3 / 4 days.
prop is in the way so it is last
Baffles, 40 hours, can't speed this up too many parts
prop spinner 4 hours. I have a tool to cut out spinner for Hartzell
air box carb,,, all day and some of the next, waiting for epoxy to cure..
Fwd facing Fulie? Snorkel,,, for Everrr .. GrRRRR :mad: 5000 hours
FWF takes three weeks, me alone. That part is the most fun, except for the air filter box. You see a lot of progress bolting stuff on.
I like to do cowls. The new ones for side by side 6,7,9, are too short on the sides. One I just sent back. No problem with 8 cowls.

I added some times to my first response. See above.

Finishing the glass pieces are the time consuming part of building an RV. I do the glass parts as they come up so I dont have all that stuff in one wad at the end. My guess is Fiberglass and finishing is almost half of doing a QB 7/8.

AN RV10 has a tremendious amount of glass. I have only done 1 and it was too much.
 
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Fuel Injection

Hey Jay..... I've completed three snorkels now, and like everything else, you learn ways to make it easier and quicker. Of course, non of them fit out of the box. I wasted a lot of time trying to fit that square peg in the round hole the first time. On the last one, I simply fit it knowing it was going to be cut and modified. After making the changes to fit around the starter, and then bolting it to the throttle body, I drew a line on it where it would meet the baffle with the left front baffle NOT installed. I then and made the first cut. Then with the left front baffle in place, I did the final trimming.

The snorkel on Strick's 8 ended up fitting better than the on the Doll, and I did it in a fraction of the time.
 
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