I have wanted to build my own airplane for over 30 years & finally feel like the timing is right. I'd like to pull the trigger soon to buy a 10 QB kit & try to complete the Emp during the upcoming winter months, but I still have concerns about my abilities & would like your honest (gentle, but honest) feedback plz about whether you think someone in my situation can build a quality RV 10.
My doubts as to whether I can gain the skills & follow the instructions well enough to build a quality plane of this scope stem from 2 things primarily:
1) throughout my life, I have never been mechanically or handyman inclined. I'm not like many men I know who are always fixing or building things, have lots of tools, etc. That said, when I think back on my past experiences with building/fixing stuff, I believe those projects that have not gone well were more the cause of a lack of interest on my part than a lack of skills or inability to learn the skills (and get the right tools) necessary to do the job well. For those few projects (woodworking & metalworking in school, building a custom-designed maple armoire, finishing my basement, etc) where I cared about what I was doing, I got the right tools, mentors, knowledge, skills, & took the necessary care and patience to do it right & do it well. Still, I've usually avoided fixer/handyman types of activities whenever possible - preferring to hire someone else & spend my work hours in my line of expertise (online marketing) instead
2) During the last several months, as I've read in this and on other forums, and last Saturday as I talked with my local EAA chapter members (Salt Lake City area), and as I've called around to talk to RV owners (sellers & local Utah owner/builders of RVs) ... I've noticed that a very large percentage of RV builders are engineers of some sort, or they work in some field related to aviation or construction and almost all of them describe themselves as the handyman type when asked, etc. I'd guess that nearly 85% or more RV builders I've spoken with fit this description - which scares me. Reading Vans website, they tout how their kits are so easy that even 'regular people' can do it (and many have, apparently). but I seem to never find these regular people ... just those with near-perfect credentials to easily pivot over to a "I should build my own plane" project.
I'm 50 years old, healthy, I have a ton of time on my hands (semi-retired), have an empty 2 car garage I can use exclusively for this, and I feel nearly obsessed with wanting to build my own RV 10. Covid gave me even more time (killing my domestic and intl travel habit & decreasing my hours needed to run my business) & as I age, my body won't take the abuse it could take just a few years ago playing ice hockey, sand volleyball, surfing, skiing moguls, playing soccer & flag football, wakeboarding, etc ... so that's a ton more time I have on my hands these days (too much of which has been spent watching TV & researching planes to buy/build etc). I'm single & have 5 kids but only 2 are minors & they're only w/me about 33% of the time & they're old enough to be pretty self sufficient (and even good helpers ... and they seem, for now at least, excited to help on the build of the 10).
I'm a new PPL (will take my check ride in 2-3 weeks ... all rqmts are finished except my XC night flight), and I now share a Cherokee 140 with a friend. As much as I'd love to do my IFR training in an RV10 asap, I'd rather have a project to enjoy and keep me busy when not flying, and while I build it the next few years, keep flying my cherokee often to build hours, slowly learn how to XC with it, maybe even begin IFR training in it, and be able to build the EXACT 10 I want the way I want it.
But it overwhelms me when I read ppl in this RV10 forum talk about specific problems with their build or other similar posts in the general forum b/c the way they talk is so foreign to me it might as well be in a different language. Its intimidating to see how many builders here have so many times during their build where the instructions from Vans aren't clear. If that happens often even to all the mechanically/construction/engineering-inclined handyman-types here.... then it seems like I'm in way over my head here. I've thought about taking a couple of the classes at Synergy before starting, and buying the complete Tools package from PlaneTools, as well as working with a few local RV (and RV10) builders near me as mentors.
Still (and plz be honest here), should someone who is generally not very handy, not the type of guy who just seems to know how to fix or make stuff with his hands, someone who owns almost no tools, but someone who is 100% motivated & committed to learn & be mentored & coached & video-tutorial'ed lol and who has plenty of time and is super excited to get started & finally fulfill a (near) life-long desire ... do you guys think this is something I can do?
(PS - seems worst case scenario is that I have to sell the Emp and my tools if it doesn't work out)
Thoughts? Is this something a 'normal' guy like me can do? (thx in advance for the feedback)
My doubts as to whether I can gain the skills & follow the instructions well enough to build a quality plane of this scope stem from 2 things primarily:
1) throughout my life, I have never been mechanically or handyman inclined. I'm not like many men I know who are always fixing or building things, have lots of tools, etc. That said, when I think back on my past experiences with building/fixing stuff, I believe those projects that have not gone well were more the cause of a lack of interest on my part than a lack of skills or inability to learn the skills (and get the right tools) necessary to do the job well. For those few projects (woodworking & metalworking in school, building a custom-designed maple armoire, finishing my basement, etc) where I cared about what I was doing, I got the right tools, mentors, knowledge, skills, & took the necessary care and patience to do it right & do it well. Still, I've usually avoided fixer/handyman types of activities whenever possible - preferring to hire someone else & spend my work hours in my line of expertise (online marketing) instead
2) During the last several months, as I've read in this and on other forums, and last Saturday as I talked with my local EAA chapter members (Salt Lake City area), and as I've called around to talk to RV owners (sellers & local Utah owner/builders of RVs) ... I've noticed that a very large percentage of RV builders are engineers of some sort, or they work in some field related to aviation or construction and almost all of them describe themselves as the handyman type when asked, etc. I'd guess that nearly 85% or more RV builders I've spoken with fit this description - which scares me. Reading Vans website, they tout how their kits are so easy that even 'regular people' can do it (and many have, apparently). but I seem to never find these regular people ... just those with near-perfect credentials to easily pivot over to a "I should build my own plane" project.
I'm 50 years old, healthy, I have a ton of time on my hands (semi-retired), have an empty 2 car garage I can use exclusively for this, and I feel nearly obsessed with wanting to build my own RV 10. Covid gave me even more time (killing my domestic and intl travel habit & decreasing my hours needed to run my business) & as I age, my body won't take the abuse it could take just a few years ago playing ice hockey, sand volleyball, surfing, skiing moguls, playing soccer & flag football, wakeboarding, etc ... so that's a ton more time I have on my hands these days (too much of which has been spent watching TV & researching planes to buy/build etc). I'm single & have 5 kids but only 2 are minors & they're only w/me about 33% of the time & they're old enough to be pretty self sufficient (and even good helpers ... and they seem, for now at least, excited to help on the build of the 10).
I'm a new PPL (will take my check ride in 2-3 weeks ... all rqmts are finished except my XC night flight), and I now share a Cherokee 140 with a friend. As much as I'd love to do my IFR training in an RV10 asap, I'd rather have a project to enjoy and keep me busy when not flying, and while I build it the next few years, keep flying my cherokee often to build hours, slowly learn how to XC with it, maybe even begin IFR training in it, and be able to build the EXACT 10 I want the way I want it.
But it overwhelms me when I read ppl in this RV10 forum talk about specific problems with their build or other similar posts in the general forum b/c the way they talk is so foreign to me it might as well be in a different language. Its intimidating to see how many builders here have so many times during their build where the instructions from Vans aren't clear. If that happens often even to all the mechanically/construction/engineering-inclined handyman-types here.... then it seems like I'm in way over my head here. I've thought about taking a couple of the classes at Synergy before starting, and buying the complete Tools package from PlaneTools, as well as working with a few local RV (and RV10) builders near me as mentors.
Still (and plz be honest here), should someone who is generally not very handy, not the type of guy who just seems to know how to fix or make stuff with his hands, someone who owns almost no tools, but someone who is 100% motivated & committed to learn & be mentored & coached & video-tutorial'ed lol and who has plenty of time and is super excited to get started & finally fulfill a (near) life-long desire ... do you guys think this is something I can do?
(PS - seems worst case scenario is that I have to sell the Emp and my tools if it doesn't work out)
Thoughts? Is this something a 'normal' guy like me can do? (thx in advance for the feedback)