Fuselage Finished......For Now

[Coviper]

I finished with the fuselage tonight and I am again at an unwanted stopping point on my build....I am soo frustrated with the way things are right now that I need to vent....

When I started on this build back in the summer of 2006, I was a very successful home builder and developer. I owned my own company and things were going very well. I had put both of my kid through college, I was (and still am) married to a great wife and life was good....until the economy and the building industry took a dive. I ended up going out of business and put the -9A on hold for 17 months. Last fall I finally started up again with the delivery of the fuselage kit. I've loved this part of the build....but before I knew it, I ran out of parts and the fuselage was complete (more or less). Now, I would like to get my finish kit and engine and complete this project, but I can't.....
I've been doing enough business to keep my head above water and pay all of the bills, but I'm not to the point where the cash flow is enough to get the rest of the things I need to finish this project. I'm now thinking I might have to get a regular job if things don't pick up soon. It's very frustrating!!!! Three years ago I was on top of the world, taking vacations every 3 months, driving a new vehicle every 2 years and enjoying the fruits of my labor.....

So.....I will cover the fuselage in the shop and focus my efforts on improving my cash flow. I will do what I need to do (I've always managed to come out on top) but I just want everyone to know how much this sucks and how frustated I am!! I have worked my A$$ off all of my adult life and I thought I was going to retire early and fly, and fly, and fly some more......well, that dream is going to take a little longer than I had hope.....

Thanx....I feel better now.

 

[wpisar]

You are not alone. I should have ordered the finishing kit two months ago and I should be looking at purchasing the avionics for the panel. Tuition, House renovation and the economy has put it all on hold. Last tuition check went out last month, house renovations should be done and paid for by the end of May. Now if the economy would turn around a little I could get this thing back on track.

Bill P.

 

[pierre smith]

Joe, you seem...

...like a git-er-done kinda guy, so chin-up. Always see the glass as half-full and if you have to get a regular job, do so and don't look back. I see the same kinda thing down here in Georgia and wonder how many acres I'll spray this season with commodity prices as they are.

Change the things you can and accept those you can't... still applies. We RV builders seem to be rather resourceful guys and in your case, if it comes down to remodeling jobs or building decks and fences...whatever puts bread on the table.

Hope springs eternal,

 

[Fearless]

Hang in there Joe. I've had many thoughts in the last two years on why did I start my project because I really don't have the funds to continue building. My wife did allow me to get the finishing kit last summer but I still owe my brother 2/3'ds of the money I borrowed from him to acquire the kit from someone else in the first place. The engine core I bought had a bad set of cases so a replacement set of cases was an expense I didn't count on. I haven't flown in over two years because I can't afford to fly and build at the same time. My daughter is a junior in high school so next year I will need to start paying college tuition unless we luck out with a scholarship or grant. So at this point we are paying off the finishing kit on a home equity account. Once that is paid down I hope to pay my brother another 1/3'd of the money I owe him. I am making my last installment payment on my engine cases in another week and hope I can start acquiring parts to put my engine back together later this year. Once my daughter starts college I figure the plane will just sit in the garage for four years. The money my wife and I have lost on our IRA's and 401ks in the last two years would almost buy a flying 9A. I use to question why it took someone ten years or longer to build a kit plane and now I know. I know its frustrating to have to go into a holding pattern but you got this far so hang tough the kit isn't costing anything to sit - unless you are renting space to build in.

 

[aarvig]

I think this is a big club.

Yeah, the economy sucks. I've lost enough of my retirement assets to build a nice RV-7A with IFR glass panel. Just like everyone else my home value has shrunk enough to buy a flying RV-9. My business is flat. Not growing but not losing a whole lot either. (I thank God everyday for that). I could start the project and finish the tail and fuselage but with the economy I am not so sure I want to do that right now especially with three little mouths to feed. I had hoped my business would be doing double to triple what I am doing now but what can I say. I have only been in business for 5 years so I haven't reached that "top-of-the-world" feeling yet. But, I do have my business, my house, a wonderful family and I could start on the tail and fuselage which would keep me busy for at least 2-3 years with my available free time. I gotta count my blessings.
What goes up must come down. What goes down eventually comes back up. We just don't think about all the good things when things are good. When it's bad we all think about it. Joe, I feel for you with your business. I have a friend who was a developer. Had to sell his Piper Meridian and unload his 1.4M house to live in one at 275K. Big changes. He cried when he told me the story. Times are tough but lets all keep our chin up. Inevitably, things will get better.
By the way, NICE JOB on that fuselage! It seems you have excellent building skills. What did you use to prime and paint the interior?

 

[Paul 5r4]

Hard(er) times!

My Friends,

Indeed we are having a harder go of it. I too had those same dreams... semi-retire and point the nose towards blue sky. I am an RN and so far am able to work. The hospital I work in did cut our hours by almost 20% a year or so back That's 20% less income! Needless to say that was my RV building money. Now, in addition to working my regular RN job here, I am traveling almost 200 miles to pick up some extra hours to get money for the bigger ticket items. Like some of the previous posts mentioned, pilots/RVers are a resourseful bunch of folks... somehow we find ways to leave the planet for a few brief minutes then looking down, it helps put it all back in perspective... at least for awhile.

God bless all
Paul Gray
RV 7A QB
Foley, Alabama
Tail done, Wings done, Fuse... in progress.

 

[rv72004]

Hard times have hit most of us, myself included. Just remember there are others a lot worse off. I know of a developer with no work since November. He lost his 22 year old daughter in a car accident last week. I couldnt imagine how he feels.
Be positive and thankful for what you got.

 

[jimbo]

Try to get a loan from a Merrill Lynch bonus guy

Have you considered this Wall Street/economy downturn was a government plot to keep us baby boomers from retiring and keep us paying into the system (Soc Sec, Medicaid, Fed-state-local taxes) ?

Jim
RV9A Wings

 

[Robert M]

Coviper - I have a similar situation going on at my aircraft factory as well. My company "furloughed" me until further notice at the first of March! A month later they offered me a job back at reduced hours and half my salary. I accepted, (got do what we gotta do).

My -9 fuselage is not far from where yours is in the build process. I have recently rolled it over. I have a lot of work I can do before I get to where you are but the finishing kit and the engine are no longer months away but now years away. I have no doubt that I will finish and fly this plane, the economy will turn around - someday.

Since my finacial situation has changed so dramatically, I have now dismissed the idea of a Dynon-180 for now and will go with a barebones day VFR panel. There are many other things that I have re-thought and the cost reduction for finishing the plane has dropped by $10,000. Originally I thought I needed that stuff.

Let's all keep our chins up - remember, every day above ground is a goos day.