That looked like a lot of fun! The first time. Must be very gratifying for the very proud builder, though.

Roberta
 
My friend's warbird restoration shop is just north of me. I watch them make really complex parts the same way. Amazing craftsmen. The guy in the video does great work but when he is done he'll just have a Hummel Bird for all that effort. Don
 
Seeing things like that is why I identify myself as a "kit builder", not a "homebuilder"....gotta have a lot of respect for folks that start with flat metal stock!

I do love seeing processes like that though - I just store them away and bring them out of my head when I have to fabricate something.

Paul
 
WOW!

Come on it only took him just over 3 minutes to do that part its not that hard! :p

Only kidding, man that is labor intensive and I am sure like it has been said earlier it has to be rewarding to be able to do that much of the construction. I like what Paul said about being a Kit builder makes sense to me I never thought of it that way.

Good video thanks, makes me appreciate Vans even more
 
My first thought when watching it was that he gets to debur while it's still a flat piece, and the fluting is part of the forming process. It really doesn't seem like that bad a deal.
 
Hummel Bird

I've got a couple of model planes almost as big as a Hummel Bird. How many ribs can there be? We have one of these on our airport. Very tiny. I couldn't fit in there if I wanted to.
 
And my bi-plane has 48 of them! (each with 4 lightening holes)
Eight of them are .032" (fuel tank and step ribs)
 
Seems pretty even to me.

At the end of the video he says, "Must have about 30 hours in those." For the (IIRC) 54 (main & leading edge) ribs in my 7A with deburring, fluting and seaming it took me over 25 hours! Of course, like a previous poster listed, "he still finishes up with only a Hummel Bird."
 
You guys with the new "assembly" kits complain too much. I spent over 30 hours just cutting out the lightening holes in my ribs.
 
I remember my friend"s RV6 kit #7. It was just flat aluminium with some blueprints and very little instruction. I remember him cutting out hundreds of lightning holes and cussing the flycutter all the way. It's a wonder he had any fingers left after that. My hat's off to you early RV builders as that was a bunch of work. Don
 
There is a reason they call it a "labor" of love. I scratch built a 1/4 scale R/C B-25 from plans in the early 80's. 2 years of work and very rewarding. I flew it three times and sold it. My heart couldn't bear the stress of making it a smoking hole in the ground.:eek: I almost went this route with a Zenith 601 from plans, came to my senses and built or should I say assembled an RV-10 (almost there). Paul is right on when he says "Kit Builder" compared to "Home Builder". And I don't mean to take nothing away from anyone who fabricates their own aircraft...look at the difference between the first RV kits compared to the match drilled versions we, or some of us enjoy today.
 
Work

While talking with a couple of Aussies (not RV Builders) at Oshkosh, they made the comment; "You RV Guys aren't builders, you're only bloody assemblers."

After having scratch built a Pitts S-1 years ago, I sort of had to agree with them. Those plans only had 10 sheets total and on each sheet was a "materials list" where each "dash number" had the material it was made from. For example "-1 Longeron Tube---3/4in.X.032in.X120in. 4130N Chromoly steel.

Remembering those days, it's hard to believe what's allowed nowdays under the "51% Rule!:D
 
"he still finishes up with only a Hummel Bird."
Click to expand...
Yeah...at ONLY a 5th of the cost too. I'd be proud to own a Hummel Bird. I think they are amazingly elegant and efficient.
 
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