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6/6a building from plans.

H

hohocc

Well Known Member
Gidday folks,
I've noticed with interest vans very generous offer on fuselage kits for the 6/6a, but for a number of reasons I'm going to have to wait, so will not be able to order mine until the batch manufacturing system is in place. What I'm wondering about (hypothetically), is if it is possible to build the fuselage from the plans. Yes I understand it's far more work, cost will be no better maybe more, but in the future IF the fuselage is no longer produced at all, are the plans a complete enough reference, and so is this a doable option for completion? Ideally I will be able to order a factory kit at some point, just trying to establish whether the factory is the ONLY option.
Look forward to any responses, thanks.
 
I have never heard of Van's selling "construction" plans. What they sell with the kits are "assembly" plans that are by far insufficient to scratch build.
 
scard said:
I have never heard of Van's selling "construction" plans. What they sell with the kits are "assembly" plans that are by far insufficient to scratch build.
Click to expand...

The RV6 plans are construction plans and I believe Van's did sell them as such at one time. They are hand drafted by Van himself and include material specs and gauges, detail part dimensions, rib and bulkhead profile ordinates and weldment piece part dimensions, etc and enable all the parts to be built from scratch. They are full of useful detail - if not the most elegantly or neatly drawn. Sorry Van - you are a better engineer than draftsman!

The received wisdom however is that due to Van's volume purchasing power it is impossible to buy the material cheaper than the company sells it as a kit.

It's true that beautiful solids model derived masterpieces though they are the newer RV7/8/9/10/12 plans show assembly details only with the critical to scratch builder part details left buried in the CAD jockey's computers back at the mother ship.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - nearly there!
 
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Thanks for that, I'm very early into a project I've bought from a guy that never started it so don't feel confident to say the plans are construction standard or not, although I vaguely remember what you say about them being marketed as such in the past. As I said I am only asking in case building from plans becomes at some stage the only option available to me for the rest of the kit.
I understand the rv6 finishing kit these days is much the same as the rv7 finishing kit, in fact some builders use the 7 kit, so whether this kit is continued or not is not such an issue.
Thanks!
 
I used the RV7 finishing kit on my -6 - bulkhead mounted battery, relays and fuel pump etc. It worked well.
Jim
 
Thanks for the info.

jsharkey said:
I used the RV7 finishing kit on my -6 - bulkhead mounted battery, relays and fuel pump etc. It worked well.
Jim
Click to expand...

I'm a 6 builder and that is a good tip.

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To the original poster, see who has what available as bits and pieces.

I have a full set of Vans 6 wing ribs for instance.

I had a set of Beautiful handmade (no flutes or notches) ones from Underwood Aircraft before he went back home to England.

The only Vans ones I used were the ones between the tank and the outer leading edge splice area.

I also have some of the Vans aft bulkheads.

I have not bothered to send Vans back.

I would be willing to make you a good deal if anyone's interested.
 
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A friend here at DVT built a RV6 from plans. It worked out well but was a ton of work. He then built a HRll, guess what? He used a kit. :))) Larry
 
Lot's of orphan kits

There are a bunch of orphaned 6 kits still out there, beyond just empennage kits. Chances are, you would be half way through your "plans built" and a partial built orphan would come along for pennies on the dollar.
There are occasional entire airframes for sale out of estates that have been made "un-airworthy" as well.
More 6's are flying than any other model and I would venture to guess more orphans out there too.

PS- I also used the 7 FWF plans, tunnel, etc... to finish mine and took advantage of what I felt where improvements.
 
Orphaned kits etc

The kits I have at this stage are the empennage and wing, which were not started by the original builder, but were kept in good storage conditions for 14 years, so essentially they are "new old stock" I guess. As my location is in new zealand the cost of freight is an issue, though obviously not a surprise, and also our dollar has slumped recently where it will likely remain for a while. To illustrate the effect of this, when I got the emp/wing 4 months ago, the fuselage kit at full price (excluding freight/taxes) would've been about $6500NZ, now at the offer price it's $6800! I figure I have at least 2 years work to go on my current parts, so the above is no real incentive to go ahead and purchase more!
Having said all that, the vans offer is very generous and I congratulate them on keeping the rv6 "alive".
I am certainly interested in other options for getting a fuselage, but am not in a great hurry, and no doubt there are others around like me.
Thanks for the responses.
 
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