My First RV! Also my first aircraft.

[Snowflake]

Airlines have weight and size limits on luggage. Tell your partner the same. Large and heavy suitcases do not mix well when loading and unloading a RV. Duffles also beat hard suitcases for RV travel.

Sure... Tell your partner that either their luggage has to lose weight... or they do.

I predict you won't have to wory about baggage anymore.

 

[Amadeus]

Sure... Tell your partner that either their luggage has to lose weight... or they do.

I predict you won't have to wory about baggage anymore.

I weigh 205 and my wife weighs 95. However she packs for a three day trip as if she is going around the world in 80 days. My combined weight with luggage is 225 and so is hers.

 

[MacCool]

I felt at the time the the -9 was the best of all worlds to fulfill my mission. Even rode in MacCool's (Thank you sir), and really liked the plane. My only con with it, was being short in stature, I felt like I was sitting in a hole. Granted, easily fixed with added cushions, so basically not a factor. Totally set on either building or buying a flying 9.
Fast forward a couple of years and having sold another plane, I took the wife along to make sure she was going to be content in the 9. Well, she wasn't overly enthusiastic about the overall feel inside. Looked at and sat in an RV-8 and she loved it! Well, I ended up buying an RV-8!! I would definitely recommend you and your partner sit in one for a bit and see if it 'fits' you. Personally, I like to just sit for more than a few minutes. This allows for your body to adjust to any miscomfort or minor things that may be of concern. These things aren't Cirrus level interiors, although they can be made pretty comfy with lots of aviation units spent on it.

Heh! Will, you're not shorter than I am .

The -9A works fine for me....my mission being 80% local flying and 2-4 big XC/year. I've never paid much attention to range. The airplane will do 4 hours easily enough but my bladder won't and it's damn hard to pee in an airplane with a stick, even if you're alone. If the wife is riding shotgun...well, OP is going to be making at least one or two stops on that 400 mile trip to Austin. As to luggage...my airplane is heavier than most -9A's, leaving me only about 65 lbs for baggage. Three big suitcases...that's a lot in terms of both weight and volume, and getting them into the airplane if slider canopy would be really hard without a Flyboys canopy extension. Rotax...? I like the engine but around here there isn't anybody around here with sufficient expertise to work on it. That's an important consideration.

I'm guessing that a -9A is the airplane that OP is looking for. Doesn't match perfectly but I'm not sure that all of his expectations are practical.

 

[JonJay]

It doesn’t matter if we are going for a couple days or a couple weeks, we will have 100# of baggage. My wife will guarantee that.

 

[Dean Pichon]

Lots of good advice in the previous posts. The one suggestion I will offer, is that you start the hunt for a place to keep it as soon as you make the decision to buy or build something. Finding and securing hanger space can easily be the longest and most expensive (or lucrative) part of the ownership experience. I started my -4 in my (late) 20's. It took me 10 years to first flight. I worked on it a least a little bit every day, but never at the expense of enjoying other things. This summer, it will turn 25 years old. It still flies like its new.

Good luck,

 

[meloosifah]

I think the responses about cover it. My two cents: an RV14 is going to be well past $200k when you're done but will be faster to build than an RV9 and have higher return on investment. The RV12 will be the fastest to build but I think that by the time you are done, the new MOSAIC rules will have eroded the value on the RV12 to the point that it is not worth the money you have in it. The RV9 will take the longest but be the best balance of cost and returns, in my humble opinion. Especially if you buy a low time used engine for it. O-320's are still available reasonably priced. Two more cents, since you paid for them: an RV12 is much lighter wing loading and therefore is less enjoyable on bumpy days and will also be less comfortable to fly and have less capacity for luggage. If you are serious about the luggage issue, the RV12 is not really an option for you. Also - having started building and then having 5 additional kids since the start - and changing model choice in the midst of that - you really might consider buying a mostly complete kit (there are several for sale right now) regardless of the model, because time may quickly become your enemy. There is a reason that most of the builders are on the back end of a family and career. This is not to say a young fellow can't succeed, rather that you may have a lot more distractions come your way that a more seasoned individual. I know of a -7, -8, -9, -12 and -10 all with a year or two worth of work already completed for sale for less than the price of the parts. Any Vans Aircraft will suit your mission with compromises - they were all designed to be the jack-of-all-trades type of aircraft. Final thought: there is almost no way that you can buy a kit from Vans and a new engine/prop combo and a glass panel (of any type) for less than you can buy a flying plane. A couple of years ago, yes. Today, not even close. I built an -8 on a severe budget and was money ahead (discounting my time) but on my -7 I could have easily bought the same plane for $20k less. And I am still trying to be frugal. The engines and props and kit costs have all increased so much that the only models that might return your investment today are the -14 and -10.

Just my opinions and they are worth exactly what you paid for them.

 

[meloosifah]

Ok - one last thought - if you do decide to buy a used kit, don't just buy a built empennage. You will not really save yourself any time. I did that years ago and then proceeded to waste enough parts on the wing to negate the benefit of buying the tail at a discount. The empennage is where you learn to build. I would build a control surface or part of the tail, regardless. Cheaper parts to learn on than the wings and fuselage.

 

[rockyfatcat]

My .02 cents. I just talked with a guy who just got his AWC after 12 years of building his -7. He is now flying without paint.

I have 25+ years as an aircraft mechanic. The idea of starting with a stack of sheetmetal and installing every rivet, nut, bolt, wire, and switch, isn’t for me. I applaud anyone who has the determination and actually completes a kit from start to finish.

I personally bought a previously flying project with AWC that needed work within my skillset. That being said. I have easily spent 2 years and as much $ as I bought it for. But this is going from day VRF only to full IFR.

Just as a big picture look at a project this size. You might want to keep your options open and an eyeball on the classifieds for a partially built kit. There are people who for whatever reason decided to sell prior to completion.

The price tag on these projects can be quite reasonable and include some of the more expensive bits like an engine.

Now with Mosaic, the repairman's certificate issued to a builder isn’t as big a selling point as it used to be.

If you really want to make your own, you can save some money and get a head start by a year or so, by buying a partially built project.

2022 RV-9A For Sale $135k

POC to discuss the aircraft: Fred at 512-EightSevenEight-9651 Text or leave a voicemail (I don't always answer unknown numbers) and I'll get back to you promptly. Email: Frederic.Magare “at” gmail.com For Sale: 2022 RV-9A, Slider Canopy, Standard Build Tail#: N469MT S/N: 91380 Asking price...

vansairforce.net

 

[lucas2696]

I have never seen mpg or cruise that high with an o-320, maybe you're thinking rv-9

I get 23-25mpg pretty easily in mine running LoP. 185mph TAS at 2500RPM, full throttle burning about 7-8gph.

 

[jrs14855]

There’s no one size fits all in aviation. All the Vans machines have their pluses and minuses, the ‘A’ models have additional minuses as well.
The one thing that’s common across the board is that they are pussycat to fly despite the boogeyman tag that often gets trotted out amongst the pussies The 12 is cute, basic, limited but useable. The 9 is a “Cherokee” type of plane, simple to fly, the 14 was Vans answer to those that like their KFC too much

Don't forget the cake and ice cream!!

 

[Webb]

If you buy a partially completed plane, make DAMN sure the work is quality. I bought one and had to tear the fuselage apart and rebuild it. Cost me about six months of extra time. Greg Hughes called me asking if I was trying to bypass the kit and when I sent him pictures of the issues, he instructed the sales staff to sell me the replacement parts. And I’m retired so the fuselage was my job. Not retired would be a year plus.

As I read the previous post, I would buy a decent flier like a 6, 7, or 9. A 14 will cost you DOUBLE of the others. One of those will put you in a pilot’s seat and when you decide on what you really want, you can sell it for about what you paid and get what you really want.

You could buy a current flier and build what you want and then sell the flier that filled in when you are done. Building always takes longer than you think. At 23 I’m assuming your are probably working so be willing to give up spare time to build if you choose.

Clint Eastwood asked the question “do you feel lucky?” I ask the question are you a flier or a builder?

Lots of choices. Good luck and blue skies on whatever you decide.

 

[Notso]

I think the 9A with the 320 Lycoming. Pick it up on the used market. Get a prebuy from someone that knows these planes.

I have a 6A, I think they are great, and, relative to other models a good buy. But, I don't think it is a fit for your mission. As soon as you said 'baggage for 3' it was a no go.

+1 for buying a used 9A. At 23, the LAST thing I would want is to be a slave to building a plane for the next 4-5 years and not getting to fly it. Honestly, a 9A fits your mission description the best. Pick one up, fly the crap out of it, get a lot of experience going XC, build some flight time and see if you really like it. Then if you're still set on doing it, go build one. I'm betting if you do eventually build, you'll go for a -14. But this early in your flying career - before the joy and love of flying is REALLY ingrained - the last thing you want is to feel like this is just a job and I've gotta go slave away in the garage/hangar after work and all weekend. There's a LOT of stuff I'd rather be doing at 23 than being stuck doing sheet metal for hours by myself.