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Nomex Maximus

Well Known Member
How much non-RV work have you done since getting your RV kit? Here is a list of what I have done or had to do since I got the RV-7A Quick-Build kit:

  1. Arrange to pick up the crates from the freight terminal 40 miles away from where I live.
  2. Uncrate the RV.
  3. Remodel the garage in Califronia so that I could use it for the construction of my RV. This included drywall completion, painting and building construction tables.
  4. Obtain a hangar from the local airport, thinking that I would be needing a hangar for final construction expected in 2004.
  5. Dispose of the torn up crating material by storing it in the empty hangar.
  6. After a year, really dispose of the crating material from the hangar to the dump.
  7. Move the RV from the garage to a storage unit while I move to Michigan.
  8. Arrange storage in Michigan for the RV kit.
  9. Six months after transferring to the new job, go back to California and load the RV kit out of the storage unit and onto a Ryder track. Drive the kit from California to Michigan. Unload the RV kit into another storage unit.
  10. Realize that even though the new house has a great big basement suitable for building the RV, the walkout sliding glass door is too narrow to get the fuselage through. Remove the sliding glass door and replace it with a new double wide french door.
  11. Rewire the basement so that there is lighting and outlets for the tools.
  12. Build new construction tables.
  13. Realize that I just won't be comfortable in the basement unless I finish it and have a nice desk and study area for using the computer while reading vansairforce.net. Install drywall, sand and paint a 900 square foot area.
  14. Build a wheeled support for the fuselage.
  15. Move the RV kit out of the storage unit and into the basement through the new french doors.
  16. Finish the wiring and drywalling that I left partly completed a year before because I ran out of energy.
  17. Build a desk and cabinets for the study area so I would have appropriate furniture for sitting around contemplating the RV kit.

Oh, and while I was doing all of this, I adopted another child from China and joined the Civil Air Patrol going to numerous meetings and missions.

Now, I think I might be able to start of the airplane again.

--JCB
 
It took me 16 months to build my 7QB. In that time my house fell apart, the grass grew, my cars were filthy, my golf game disappeared and I neglected my family and friends. But I now have a shiney new hot rod airplane to show for it. I'm so bored now I have a Turbine Cubs Super Cub kit arriving next month. Don
 
Non-RV work

I knew I had quite a bit of plumbing work and some remodeling work to get done as well as preparing my basement shop, before I went full on with a build, but I went ahead and bought the tail kit and got started so I would work faster on the remodel. :) It's setting in the corner just waiting and I'm getting my other work done faster so I can get on with the kit.
 
pay-as-you-go sux

Before ordering the tail, I had decided that during the build I would try to maintain a semi-normal life. Try not to neglect house, wife, etc. Well that's working...sorta!

1. May '07. Oregon Coast vacation with CFO. (ok this trip was a cover to visit Yakdriver in Idaho and stop at Vans and Independence Airpark)

2. July '07. NWEAA Arlington Fly-in, disguised as a 3 state quilt shop tour for CFO.

3. Jan '08. Yuma, AZ/SoCal trip to visit both our Dads. RC flying with my Dad and stopped by Frank's -7a project in Utah.

4. March '08 Family ski trip, couldn't figure out how to make this RV related.:p

House was neglected, no garden, etc. BUT the biggest hit while building(I'm doing pay-as-you go) has been NO money after trying to keep everyone else happy.:eek:
 
Here is my non RV-work. RV-4
Recd tail kit mid Dec 2007. via overnight dely company
Took pics of lawn that overnight dely company truck got stuck in/on.
Filed claim with overnight dely company local office
ordered RV homebuilders tool kit including rivet sampler pack
inventoried tail kit
drove to Oscoda MI to pick up tools/kit
practiced riveting skills by building two hard saddlebags for motorcycle using rivet samplers. #6 rivets were interesting
cleaned up basement
built workbench
wired overhead lights in basement
built wing and stab jig
read vaf forums.
plowed the driveway of snow 4 or 5 times

Any day now! lol
 
I built playhouse for my daughters too...

And, since I have been spending so much time working on things to allow me to work on my RV I had to spend Sunday all day building my daughters their playhouse out in the back yard.

will it never end???
 
All Non-RV Work Prioritized

Everything I had to do was done on schedule but in optional times the RV received priority. I respected my wife's right to her half of the garage and only had to ask her to leave her car out during the wing mating task. It did take 8 years to complete the "quick built" RV-6A kit but we owned a Piper Archer during the whole period. We maintained our status in the closely packed California neighborhood, there was no anxiety and the finished plane is a beauty.

Bob Axsom
 
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