[Ironflight]

It?s fun to see how different folks react to different points in their RV projects. Many feel like they have really jumped in with everything they have when they order a tool kit. For others, it?s the arrival of their tail kit. For many, that big check that goes with the wings or fuselage is the point where they stop and say to themselves ?wow ? I?m really in it now!?

For me, there is no doubt about this point ? it?s the engine. Today, we paid for our new Mattituck TMXIO-320 (Red-Gold package, P-Mags, etc) which ran for the first time last week, and is now crated for shipment to Texas. It?s a big chunk of change, a new engine?.bigger than any single kit you?re likely to buy for the rest of the airplane (unless you get all the avionics at once). The fact that I try to always buy ahead of need, so as not to slow down the building process, means that I frequently have big, expensive items sitting on the shelf, ready to install, taunting me to get the airplane done. And nothing taunts louder than a $25,000 jewel of an engine sitting on a pallet in the corner. I admit that once that is sitting there, I feel a certain amount of pressure to ?pick up the pace?, since that ?money? isn?t giving me any return on investment until it flies, and the real fun begins!

So sometime next week, we?ll get a call from the trucking terminal to come pick up the crate, and we?ll have a bit of an early Christmas as we open the box to ?Ooh and Ahh? over the jewel from Long Island. We?ll say thanks to Mahlon and all the folks in the little toy factory up north. And maybe we?ll pick up a few tools and get going in prep for engine mounting sometime this winter?Who knows, if we are REALLY good, Santa might even have a prop on his sleigh by the end of the year!

Then we?ll REALLY be committed?

Paul

 

[michael_c]

My clear point of commitment

Started back in August. After all of the convenience of building at my house, I got to thinking about how much time I'll have to spend going to and from whatever airport I finally park my 8 at when I'm done with the build. (I'm in Chicago, 5 mins from the loop, so everything is at least a 30 minute drive without traffic.)

So I started looking around for airpark lots to build a house on and make using the plane as convenient as building it. After reading a post here, I found a realtor out in Oregon who specializes in airport properties and started talking to her about what I wanted. Flew out to Oregon in September to look at some airparks, made an offer and closed November 1st. Along the way I got upsold just a bit and bought more than just the lot I was originally thinking about.. And now I own Valley View Airport (5S9) in Estacada, OR. 3800' paved runway, 20 T hangars with room for more (and fuel) and an attached airpark with around 20 families already out there, plus a nice wooded corner for my house to be.

Now all these parts need to continue assembling into a finished plane so I can start work on the house and move out there in the not too distant future. If that's not a way to guarantee I won't walk away from the build, I'm not sure what else could do it.

 

[bruceh]

Paul,
Very true. I'm at that point where there is only a few more things left on the fuselage kit, and I want to get the finish kit ordered. Before I can do that I need to determine what type prop, engine, fuel injection, pumps, etc. are needed in order to get the right engine mount, cowling, etc.
Too many decisions! And they are all getting expensive...
Hopefully I can figure it all out before the yearly bump in kit prices.

 

[Brantel]

I felt committed when I started feeling like the risk of not having insurance on the pile of parts I had in my garage was too high!!!

 

[ArVeeNiner]

What the heck am I thinking? Building a plane in my garage?????? Am I losing it?

It took me a long time to get past the "what the heck are you thinking?" phase. Up until the wings were almost done, I felt that this was just a fact finding excercise. I didn't feel that I was building "my" airplane for this entire time. I still had my Aeronca Sedan which flew just fine and was tons of fun so I reasoned that I could always sell what I had and keep flying low and slow.

At some point during the wing build it all clicked and I was convinced that not only was I building an airplane, it was MY airplane and that I was going to complete it. By the time I sold the Aeronca, I was into the RV with both feet and didn't look back.

My Aeronca has been gone for 4 years now (yea, I'm going slow) but I'm very close to completing the RV and I have no regrets at all. I've got to tell you though, I'm about ready for it to be done and flying.

 

[eatenbyagrue]

Big step

Congrats on the new engine.... coincidentally, I also bought a new engine today. Just got off the phone with Eric at Western Skyways not an hour ago.

Definitely puts the project in a more serious light!

 

[dicel87]

So I started looking around for airpark lots to build a house on and... now I own Valley View Airport (5S9) in Estacada, OR.

That would not have gone over well in my house at all.

"We own a what? What part of LOT for a house did you NOT understand?"

Congrats on the purchase!

 

[Chino Tom]

For me, there is no doubt about this point ? it?s the engine. Today, we paid for our new Mattituck TMXIO-320

That was it for me too (twice)...... Santa was reallllly nice to you!

 

[scard]

...when the wife says we have to buy a new house to better accomodate building airplanes (plural). Oh, there may have been some kind of grumbling about wings in the living room for over a year too. Now I'm committed.

 

[Phil]

Hey Paul,

For me, that's always "the last check".

Tools? - check. I thought I was in.
Tail kit? - check. I thought I was in.
Fuselage? - check. I thought I was in.
Wings? - check. I thought I was in.
Finish Kit? - check. I think I'm in....

It reminds me of boiling a frog. If you put'em in a pot of boiling water, they'll jump out. But if you put them in cool water and then crank up the heat, they're committed without even realizing it.

It's escalating levels of commitment in our house.

I'm getting ready to write the G3X check in the next 2 weeks and that'll be a whole other level of commitment.

The good news is that we're paying for the entire project in cash we'll take how ever long it takes. We like being committed to the project; not being committed to "the man"!

Phil

By the way, let me know if you need help picking it up. I live up by there and we can load it into my F-150.... Just let me know and I'll help.

 

[Sparky]

I agree with you Paul. I felt I was totally committed only after I ordered the engine, prop, exhaust system, interior package, and avionics (radio stack, autopilot and EFIS system) all around the same time, easily quadrupling my investment in (up until then was just) "the project." Now, it's really "My Airplane" and I've got no excuse to NOT finish it!

 

[FredMagare]

Committed to the project or to an insane asylum? There are times when I've felt more committed to one than the other during a particularly difficult part of the build!

 

[rleffler]

I thought I was committed

For me, there is no doubt about this point ? it?s the engine. Today, we paid for our new Mattituck TMXIO-320 (Red-Gold package, P-Mags, etc) which ran for the first time last week, and is now crated for shipment to Texas. It?s a big chunk of change, a new engine?.bigger than any single kit you?re likely to buy for the rest of the airplane (unless you get all the avionics at once). Paul

I thought I was committed (my wife thought I was the other type of committed) when I ordered the Oshkosh Lycoming special from Van's, then found out it wasn't going to be delivered until 11/1.

I thought I was committed when Van's requested payment in full by 11/1 to enable the drop shipment from Lycoming, but then Lycoming said delivery was going to be 11/16.

I thought I was committed when Lycoming rescheduled shipment to 11/16, but then told me it was going to be 12/3 on 11/16.

I thought I was committed when Lycoming rescheduled shipment to 12/3, but then rescheduled again from 12/3 to 12/6.

I thought I was committed when Lycoming rescheduled shipment to 12/6, but I have no clue when the engine will arrive at the moment.

I, like most here I assume, that check was hard to write. Especially after being laid off for a year and with two kids in college. This month has clearly been a month of roller coaster emotions. Having shelled out that cash and having no product in return for over a month has been frustrating. I'm just hoping that I'll have an engine by Christmas. I would have thought with the current economy, Lycoming wouldn't have such a backlog.

Thanks for reading my vent, it was theraputic for a moment while typing it ....

bob

 

[Skyflyer]

Boiling the frog

Boy do I know that feeling! Last spring a friend helping with the fitting of my canopy looked over my garage shop and said ?You know Chuck you?re going to have to spend some serious money soon?. I was moving slowly and had procrastinated over engine, prop and avionics selections for too long and it was time. I had many ideas and had set aside the funds but just couldn?t commit.

Oshkosh 2010 was the stimulus I needed. After final reviews of my possible choices I ordered it all. And then there was that feeling. Lately I have been stimulated to move ahead simultaneously in several areas as each delivery occurred. Aero Sport Power built my IO-375 that sits on a pallet in front of the wing cradle, the Whirlwind 200RV prop from American Propeller Service lays alongside and tomorrow the Garmin avionics package is scheduled to arrive from Stein?s shop. (I?ll get some pictures out as I put it all together in the plane.)

Yeah I'm really committed now, but what an exciting feeling. Santa has come a bit early here in Sugar Land!