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doctornigel

Active Member
I am trying to decide whether to go slow or QB, I'm finished with everything on the emp except the tail cone. I know the cost but how much time does the QB fuse and wing save me each? And what do I start next, the fuse or the wings (my heart says fuse so I have something that looks more like a plane in my garage). Inquiring minds want to know because the prices for the QB go up again at the end of January. Thanks
 
I really enjoyed building the fuselage, I had it to QB stage faster than the lead time, plus I have heard that the QB's had some issues with drilling out panels, riveting and such. The wings on the other hand, if I had to do it again I would do QB wings, except I'm cheap and probably wouldn't anyhow. The wings were very simple just a ton of deburring on the ribs, boat loads of countersinks on the spars and then the tanks, which the perils of building are over rated. Hmmmmm, I guess I would go Standard Build again...I feel I had ultimate control over the process and I do like building as much as flying, which I need to do more of. I can't bring myself to call it slow build, I just know if I did I would wake up tonight around midnight with the nightmare of Ken Scott yelling at me that it's STANDARD BUILD!! STANDARD BUILD!!! :D
 
Well, I would recommend the wings next, as they are easier to store out of the way while you build the fuse, than it is getting the fuse out of the way to build the wings. If you have plenty of space, then maybe it doesn't matter.

There are some decisions that have to be made before you can finish the fuselage that you can put off if you build the wings first but, again, if you know exactly what you want, it may not matter. I do think that getting the wings finished is akin to "getting over the hump". If you do the fuse first, then it may be psychologically harder to have to go back and do the wings, whereas if you do the wings first, you still have lots of enthusiasm left over from the tail to get you going.

Having just started the fuse, I am finding it fun, but I enjoyed the wings, too (well mostly). Plus, at least for the -9, the instructions become much more cryptic with the fuse, so building the wings first will be less daunting and it will provide training needed for the fuselage. A good compromise might be to order a SB wing, but get pre-fab'ed fuel tanks. Building the tanks was not fun, and it took a lot of time, though I am glad I did it.

As with about everything, it comes down to personal preference and finances. You can outfit a nice panel for the cost difference between quick and slow builds but if you have the money and building isn't your thing, then QB will get you in the air sooner. But, as was mentioned, check the lead times. I would guess you might save a few months of construction time on each kit going QB, but if the lead time is several months longer, it would be a wash.

I would guess that building a -10 SB would take longer than the SB -9 I am building, so a QB -10 might save more time. If you want to stop by and see my project, now that I am working on the fuse, drop me a message. I am on South Tropical Trail a few miles north of the Pineda Causeway.
 
having built a few wings they are boring and when done they just hang around

I started a 10 and i'm ordering the slow build fuse because i know i can get it to QB quickly i enjoy the build when i need the wings i will get the QB wings this way all i need is to order the center section with the fuse kit which will be credited from the wings later with this process i might even have the engine hung before i even get wings it is also easy to know how and what you will need in the wings as far as wiring/cables/tubing

ken in maine
 
I am building a half-fast -8. I decided to build the Fuse, since there a lot more 'options and customizations' that you can build in. When I am a few months away from 'done', I will order the QB wings and the finish kit. By the time they get here, I should be ready for everything.
 
Looks like you've already gotten several differing opinions so I'll toss my .02 in as well.

I'd do the wings first because they are very simple and help to continue building your skills before you get to the fuselage. They are duplicates of each other and there's not really anything left to the imagination during construction. QB will save you about 300 or so hours of repetitious building.

The instruction manual on the -10 gets progressively less "step by step" and so by the time you get to the fuselage instructions there are things implied but not actually written because it's assumed you know what you're doing at that point. The QB version of the fuselage will save you around 400 hours of building. If I had the money to spend and could only order one of the kits as QB, it would be the fuselage. There are several steps that are kind of a pain and they are already done in the QB like rolling the front/rear cabin lower skins, applying the bend/twist to the longerons, etc. You will still have to do all of the fiberglass work but the head scratching stuff will be done.

Most people build a rolling wing cradle to store both wings with the leading edges down. This minimizes storage area while building. If you build the fuselage first you'll have a much larger chunk of airplane to have in the way for a few hundred hours while you build the wings - especially if you attach the tailcone!

Bob
RV-10 #40105 / N442PM
 
Jerry Van Grunsven suggested to me (after I had my wings almost built and had ordered the QB fuse) that in his opinion, if he had to go half fast, he would go QB wings and SB fuselage.

My limited experience suggests that I agree with him, but I haven't done a SB fuselage.

The other option is SB both, but buy the prebuilt tanks (maybe 1/4 fast?). Tanks are intimidating for some and the thick skins are hard to get the ribs flush against. OTOH, after you have done your tanks and they don't leak, you'll say "that wasn't so bad!" If they do leak, you might say something unprintable...

A not often mentioned advantage of the QB's is the workmanship is much better than mine and some of the "savings" of SB can be eaten up by redoing some parts.

Richard Scott
RV-9A Fuselage
 
SB wings QB fuse

Less step by step instructions as build progresses, as stated earlier is 100% true.
I'm building a -10 now. I think Van's likes for you to build the tail then the wings then the fuse. That's what I'm doing. I have the tailcone/emp finished, I went standard build:) on the wings. They were really a piece-a-cake, including the fuel tanks. I ordered the qb fuse at OSH in July '07. Van's called about 4 days after I got home & said they had several qb fuse's ready to ship, asked if I wanted mine then, I said "sure". So, lead time really wasn't an issue. My sb wings were shipped with the center sections, but Van's didn't need me to send them to them for the fuse since everything is CNC on the
-10 now, they are all kind of interchangeable. They did, however, ask me to return the ones sent with my wings, so I sent them back with Partains when he delivered the fuse.
As far as a space issue, the wings are easier to store out of the way than a finished fuselage is. I don't have that problem, I live on an airpark, own a
60' x 72' hanger 20' from my garage on my property.:D
So far, I'm pleased with my decision, it's worked well for me.

Marshall Alexander-OKC
RV10 N781DM
QB fuse- working on the panel & wiring
 
QB vs SB

This is a tough choice. I built (and fly) a RV-6. It is a real "slow build" since it pre-dated the prepunch kits. Took me 8 years and 3 months to finish.

Since I still work and have limited free time, and since I already have the bragging rights on a SB, I choose the QB fuse and wings. It was a good choice. The wings on the RV-6 took me 3 years; the RV-10, 3 months. The quality of my QB is good. It was delivered in August. The fuselage is huge. I just attached the tailcone for the first time and it still amazes me how big this airplane is. That translates to a LOT of work.

If you have the time and want the bragging rights to a SB, or if your funds are tight, go for the SB. (Though the 10 is not cheap - the difference in cost to the QB will be less than 10% of the total.) Otherwise, I would reccommend the QB. If your main interest is in flying, then the QB is a must.
 
Wings then fus

Personally I find the term "quick build" funny. Really there's only slow build and slower build options. :D

Wings first. You will spend a long time in the fuselage customizing it and you will have to buy avionics long before you want to. You don't want you shiny new avionics sitting around waiting for the wings to be built in the mean time your EFIS, radios, GPS... are replaced by newer models and software revisions.
 
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