How much space isn't comfortable space?

[Phil]

I was looking hard at the -7 or -9, but my wife made the comment "We're gonna have kids sometime soon. Why don't you just build the -10".

I almost pulled the trigger on the first Vans order last Friday, then I got cold feet. I'm not so sure I have enough room to build the -10. I'm hoping to build the entire plane but not install the wings or VS until it's moved to the field for the very final assembly steps.

The -10 is a big plane. Leaving out all of the extreme cases of "I built it in my 1 car garage, or I built it in my bathroom"; is it unreasonable to think that my 2 car garage isn't going to be large enough to comfortably build it?

How far do you think I can go before having to move out?

Thanks,
Phil



Garage Door Opening:

16ft Wide
82 Inches High​

Garage Dimensions:

20.5 Deep
20 Wide
100 Inches High​

 

[Coinneach]

Very simplistically, the slant depth (from one corner to the opposite, e.g. right rear to left front) of your garage is about 28'. The -10's overall length is 24.5'. If you don't hang the engine until you get to the airport, it should be doable.

 

[TSwezey]

You should be able to do a significant amount of building in that size garage. It will probably be tight if you are going to do the FWF installation in there though.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

Something I've always wondered about the -10 is if you are space challenged, why not attach the tailcone after you have completed the other 95% of the airplane? This would give you a substantially smaller project to walk around and would also require less shop space.

Does the installation of the cabin top prevent this approach?

 

[doctornigel]

1) You married the right woman

2) I'm building in a two car garage, but mine is considerably deeper. Your problem with space will be once you have to hang the engine. Are you going to hanger your baby? How far is the airport from your house? If the answer is yes and very close then you can move it once you need to start on the firewall forward.

 

[Jamie]

My garage is the same depth as yours, just a few inches wider. I built my -7A in there. The -10 is four feet, one inch longer than the -7A. The only issue I can see is after hanging the engine. If you can find somewhere else to put your wings, you could easily turn the fuselage diagonally in your garage and you would have enough room. That would be the route I would take.

 

[PJSeipel]

Something I've always wondered about the -10 is if you are space challenged, why not attach the tailcone after you have completed the other 95% of the airplane? This would give you a substantially smaller project to walk around and would also require less shop space.

Does the installation of the cabin top prevent this approach?

Yes. You don't want to put the cabin top on until the tailcone is attached.

I built my -10 fuse in a very comfortable 2 car garage in Norfolk. Had plenty of room to hang the engine and everything. Unfortunately, the Marine Corps saw fit to move me to Quantico where the garages are much smaller. I'm now building in a very small 2 car garage. It has 2 doors, and isn't wide enough for the gear to fit, so I had to put the plane on wheel dollies and I have to slide it in and out at an angle.

Except for the fact that the ceiling is so low I can't open the doors inside, it's working out fairly well. I'd say go for the -10. You won't regret it.

PJ Seipel
RV-10 #40032

 

[Rick S.]

I built mine in a 24 X 24 garage. Now that the engine is hung, the fuselage fits minus the cowl but if I pull it out and roll it in at an angle it makes it. I moved the wings and Emp. to the hangar after completion. You can do it no problem with some creative practices. My benches are on wheels so I can move them around and that includes the grinder/drill press/band saw combination bench. My main clearance issue was not fore and aft but having the ceiling high enough to open the doors fully when on the landing gear. My garage has an 8-6 high ceiling. So I hook up the tow bar and roll it out to work on it if I have to open the doors. The doors are off most of the time after finishing them, which is another story in it's self.

 

[Hostage46]

Come in off the ledge..

...I was looking hard at the -7 or -9, but my wife threw a wrench in my plan and suggested the "We're gonna have kids sometime soon. Why don't you just build the -10"...

Ya know Phil, we had that same conversation around my house, and we already have 3 kids! Thank goodness for our beloved Doug Reeves for talking me off that "OK I'll just build the -10" ledge.

The -10 is a fantastic airplane, and maybe someday I'll own one but, if I can paraphrase a bit;

-It fly's nothing like the other RV-s
-Nobody will fly form with you
-You can't do Acro
-COST fixed and variable are much higher

And finally in the words of the great Danny King, "build what YOU want, let them build their own airplane!"

Whatever you build I'm sure it will be a great journey, I just had to chime in having gone through this myself recently.

Dan....

 

[Phil]

The -10 is definately the right plane for me. It fits the way I fly and the reason I fly. (Cross Country, to go someplace new, and be able to carry luggage/people/X-mas gifts )

So Acro or handling like other RV's isn't real high up on my list.

My primary concern is (like everyone else) financial and space. While I can't see how I am going to pay for the whole thing up front, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that I won't be able to find the money over a period of years.

So I'm down primarily to a space issue. But the sooner I have to move out of the garage, the sooner the completion obstacles increase (time & money).

From the point when you start FWF, how many hours did it take to complete, hang the wings, and get the plane ready?

Phil

 

[RV10Rob]

Something I've always wondered about the -10 is if you are space challenged, why not attach the tailcone after you have completed the other 95% of the airplane? This would give you a substantially smaller project to walk around and would also require less shop space.

Does the installation of the cabin top prevent this approach?

Yes. You don't want to put the cabin top on until the tailcone is attached.

Interesting... I was planning on doing this. Is there any reason you couldn't temporarily attach the tailcone, do all the fuselage work (including cabin top), then remove the tailcone and do the FWF work?

Thanks...

-Rob

 

[kentb]

I talked to a friend who did a RV10 at home.

I helped him some with his plane. His garage was 24 deep. If you angle across both sides of your garage you could get it all together even with the engine mounted. You will need to leave the vertical and horizontal off when you have the engine on, but after they have been mounted you don't need then until final assembly.
We needed to put the plane outside to do the wing mounting, but that only took one day and then they were removed and stored until final assembly.

He didn't do it this way, but said that you could leave the tail cone off until the end of construction. I think that it should be attached before the wings are fit to make sure all the angles are accurate.

Good luck.

Kent

 

[ScottSchmidt]

Hey Phil, I'll do formation with you anytime. I don't know why anyone wouldn't do it with an RV-10. Have you seen the front cover of the accessories catalog? The RV-10 handles better than the AT-6 and have you seen the Aeroshell team. Pretty tight! Sure you are restricted by the number of g's, but for the average person it is still a blast.

As far as fun, I took a guy up in my RV-10 a month or so ago and I'll never forget his response after we landed. "Before that flight I would have killed for an F-16 ride, now I'm going to have think very hard about it if I ever get the offer". The -10 is an awesome plane. You made a great choice. 2 g's to the average guy feels like 10.

As for space, you should be fine. With the rudder off and prop off it seems like the dimention was either right at 22' or just under. Can anyone get that dimension? If you angle it there should be no issues in getting the FWF kit completed.

Good luck with whatever kit you decide on. If you are unsure, make sure you get a ride in an RV-10 and a -7 or -8. They are all awesome planes.

 

[RV10Rob]

He didn't do it this way, but said that you could leave the tail cone off until the end of construction. I think that it should be attached before the wings are fit to make sure all the angles are accurate.

Exactly what I wanted to hear... thanks!

-Rob