Hello World!!!

[macintron]

Hello everyone,
My name is Marcos Cintorn and as this is my first time posting to the VAF forums I would like to introduce myself.
About me:
I am 26 year old RV builder hopeful who has had his eyes on building an RV for the better part of 8 years now. Currently I live in the Portland, Oregon area working in the IT field. I have been flying for about 5 years now as a SEL PPL. My experience with RV?s has been pretty hands on. I helped a friend of mine complete his 7A a few years back and have a few hours doing X/C camping and acrobatics in it.
With that in mind?.
Having finally convinced my wife that we should build an RV now the debate comes in, which model should we build? Perhaps I should mention how I managed to convince her. For the last six years or so I have been reminding her that we are building an RV, also having her read trip write ups from other RV flyers certainly helped in selling the travel machine to her!!! We are still about a year out before we order the empennage kit. But now is the time to build the shop.
So which one? 10 or 7A?
Believe me I fully understand that those two models are like comparing apples and pineapples but the question still stand. We may have kids in the future thus why the 10. Also the 10 will allow us to bring other people along for a camping trip like we have been doing with a spam can. The 7A is much much less expensive to build and operate and it is aerobatic capable. Having a fair bit of experience with the 7A my questions will be around the 10.

What are the operating costs like for the 10? (insurance, annuals, unscheduled maint etc?. )
Not really going to open the debate about the engine here, there is plenty of debate on different posts but?.. if we go with a 10 has anyone heard of a IO-540 that can run mogas? I have an idea of why it can?t but not sure if there is one that can.
How does the 10 handle with soft fields? Not talking about the ones you need tundra tires...
Lastly is anyone going to the EAA chapter 105 (http://eaa105.org/) fly in tomorrow?? I am always interested in meeting others who have gone through the build process.

 

[Mike S]

Welcome to VAF!!!!

Hello everyone,
My name is Marcos Cintorn and as this is my first time posting to the VAF forums

Marcos, welcome aboard, good to have you here.

You are only a short distance from the factory, have you been there, and discussed things with them yet??

I have a ten, only a few months into the flying, so I do not have good figures for you as to the yearly costs.

The ten is going to cost more $$$ just due to fuel if nothing else.

Pierre Smith, also on these forums would be a good person to talk to about the ten vs. seven issue, so would Tom Lewis. Both of them have recently gotten a ten, and previously had a six, or seven. Also, Bob Brown, just a bit south of you at Independence airpark.

Speaking of Independence, are you aware of the yearly gathering there called the "Homecoming" ??? Good place to gather info.

Good luck with the decision

 

[Jamie]

Marcos:

Your story sounds so familiar. I'm a programmer (thus I got the "Hello, World" reference) and I started building when I was about 26 and did the first flight at 30. Our son was born shortly before completion of the RV. At times I really wish I would have built the -10. Sure, it would be more expensive, but now I have two kids and there is almost zero time to build.

 

[RV10Rob]

Marcos, we started our -10 when I was 27 and had the first flight this year (age 31). I'll at the fly-in tomorrow if the weather is good, which looks doubtful now. 53 hours now and keeps getting better.

-Rob

 

[pierre smith]

Welcome Marcos.

While I miss my -6A, I'm loving the -10. I took my wife on a bunch of trips in the -6A but always had to take her sons separately or not at all. Same thing with my son and daughter-in-law.

I just took quick trip to the coast and back today and fall more and more in love with this airplane and so does the wife.

After we matched the injectors, I can run LOP at 11 1/2 GPH and 188 MPH TAS or run 202 MPH TAS and 15 GPH....your choice.

Running LOP also yields a 5 hour+ endurance and almost a 1,000 mile range.

I've never regretted my decision to go for the -10. I have friends with 2 seaters that I can take for a spin and roll around and loop occasionally and swap airplanes, for that matter.

Of all the Van's airplanes, the -10 is hands down the very easiest to fly! If you can fly a Cessna 182, you can fly a -10.

Best,

 

[macintron]

Thanks everyone for the replies! This community is more active than I had originally thought.

Mike:Thanks for the welcome. The cost of the fuel is the reason I was wondering if anyone knew of a IO-540 that could run MOGAS.

Jamie: That is the exact reason I think I should go for the 10. However I am trying to justify the cost/utility of the 10 comparatively to the 7A.

Rob: What's your tail #? If the WX is as bad as the forecast says I don't think I will do the drive either. I wish I had done my BFR last week so I could just fly-in....

Pierre: Those sound like pretty good numbers. I always try to run LOP but is hard to actually get a true LOP without having CHT gauges for each cylinder. That said do you have such readings in the cockpit? Also what engine do you have?

Also the 7 is a very responsive airplane. How does that compare to the 10?

 

[pierre smith]

Hi Marcos

The -10 is a slug in response, compared to the two-seaters!

Then again, it's mission is to be a fast and very comfortable four seater, not to do whoop-de-doos It responds and feels very much like a Skyhawk. I was very surprised at the outstanding visibility...better than the side-by-sides.

I have a Dynon 120 and D-100 so I have all 6 CHT's and EGT's for my IO-540 Aerosport engine. I suppose you could run mogas because it's an 8.5:1 compression engine, same as an IO-360.
Best,

 

[Spindrift]

Welcome Marcos

Welcome to the RV world. Today's fly-in was definitely disappointing from a weather standpoint, but it still qualified since one RV did actually fly in... IFR to mins. A good time was had by those who did the drive, so there was lots of good hanger flying.

As to your question, I'm not the best qualified to answer, but I went with the 2 seater, and now, several years later, we never ended up having kids (I'm 41 now) so I think we'll be fine. I also ended up selling my -7A project after 4 years because work obligations made progress too slow, and I bought a flying -7.

EAA 105 is a great group of people. Definitely join and participate as much as possible! The July meeting is at the NW Regional fly-in at Arlington, WA, and is more of a bbq/party than meeting, but lots of fun. You'll find people very approachable and happy to share their experience. For example, Stan VanGrunsven (not sure the exact relationship, but definitely related to the Man), shared a bunch of great Young Eagles flying stories with me today while we hung out in the hanger out of the rain.

 

[macintron]

Hi Spindrift,

Yeah it was very disappointing that the weather turned out IFR for most of the day. I figured I would have another chance in the future instead of standing in the rain. Though hanger flying would have been just as fun.

As for the Arlington fly-in, we'll see if my better half wants to go this year. We have flown in to that event about 4 times now. If not I will have to invite myself to Homecoming

Either way it is great to virually meet everybody.