[Brambo]

I'm just about to start an RV-7. When and/or how do you get a serial number?

 

[dan]

When you order the kit

When you order your empennage kit (or was it the preview plans? I forget...) you are assigned a customer #. This is your builder #. For example mine is 70379.

Does anybody know if the original factory demo RV-7 now RV-7A is 70001, or whether the first -7 kit sold was 70001?

I also wonder what they'll do after more than 9,999 -7 kits are sold...

 

[keen9a]

Its the empannage kit

It with the empannage kit, not the preview plans. Also, it isn't obvious on the paperwork since they call it different things everywhere (builder number, acct #, cust# . . .). Just look for a 5 digit number that starts with 7 on your invoice.

 

[Brambo]

OK, I have a customer #, but is this also the aircraft serial number?

 

[DGlaeser]

Serial number

OK, I have a customer #, but is this also the aircraft serial number?

I suspect you're talking about the serial number that you have to enter on the inspection plate. Since you are the manufacturer, you get to assign whatever number you want. I'm planning to use my Van's customer number - I suspect a lot of folks do the same.

Dennis Glaeser
Working on the fuselage of #72381

 

[mlw450802]

I also wonder what they'll do after more than 9,999 -7 kits are sold...

I'm thinking jump for joy!

-mike

 

[dan]

Most of the time, yes

OK, I have a customer #, but is this also the aircraft serial number?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer:

Sort of. Yes, in normal cases, your builder # becomes your serial #. But...if you do some sort of dodge-the-taxman type of maneuver where you register your plane as something other than an RV, you may not end up using that serial #.

But in normal cases, Van's gives you a "kit bill of sale" that ends up transforming the builder # into the kit aircraft serial #.

 

[ptrotter]

I've always been curious as to why Van's has to give you a bill of sale for the airplane. After all they are not selling you a plane, but a pile of aluminum, and that is probably only about 30% of the total cost of the plane. Since the builder is considered the manufacturer, I would think that I as the builder would provide the initial bill of sale. What do people do who build from plans?

 

[beattiema]

Brambo,
Don't confuse Serial Number with the FAA N number. 2 different animals. You don't need an N number until ready for the final inspection. But you can reserve a number ahead of time for a fee if you'd like.

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/n_numbers/

MB

 

[joeboisselle]

serial numbers

I'm building a -4, and my builder number is 4463. I've never seen 5 digets on any of my paperwork from vans, is this my number or should I add a zero at one end of it?

 

[keen9a]

I'm building a -4, and my builder number is 4463. I've never seen 5 digets on any of my paperwork from vans, is this my number or should I add a zero at one end of it?

I'm guessing that Van never imagined selling 1000+ kits when the -4 came out, thus the 4 digit number!

 

[thallock]

Obviously, when the 7 reaches 9999 kits sold, they will obsolete the 7 and go to the RV-14. It will probably be twice the cost of a 7 kit, but the total build cost will be the same because the rotary installation will be perfected by then at half the cost of a lyclone.

Tracy.

 

[oldsfolks]

Serial Number

My first RV-4 was # 126 (1981 ) Current one is # 1191 (Kit purchased 1986, plane completed 2002).
That is the numbers I used for the plane , and still use for Van's contacts.

Bob Olds
RV-4 , N1191X

 

[Bob Axsom]

The serial number is up to you

You can pick the serial number you want - you are the manufacturer. I chose to use my "Builder Number" and not the serial number van uses to keep everything coordinated or a totally different number of my choosing. I contacted Van's near the end of my 8 year building period and they issued an FAA bill of sale for the kit (when you read the FAA requirements you will see they provide for that). The EAA documentation on getting through the "FAA please make my airplane legal to fly paperwork process" was VERY helpful to me. It is complex and sometimes mind bending but if you read that information, go on-line to get the FAA documents directly and read them, reconcile what the documents from those two organizations tell you, decide on a plan that is going to give you what you want in the end (the repairman certificate was very important to me), then go through the serial process (you cannot do it in a single step) and collect all of the documents along the way, it works out very well. This is something to focus on, get it right and be done with it. The airplane manufacturer not the kit supplier assigned the official serial number that went on the ID. Plate when I started my process in 2003. Things change so you have to go to the source and follow the rules that are in effect now.

Bob Axsom