RV-10 QB build time for a repeat offender?

[Paul Eastham]

Hey everyone, my 9A is feeling a bit crowded recently. In particular, I'm worried it's going to hurt to not be able to go flying as a family as my daughter approaches the 2-year-old lap-rider cutoff. (And I don't think she'll tolerate being in a seat in the baggage area.)

Does anyone have a firsthand hours-to-build-a-quickbuild-10 tally for me? Given:
- You have built a 2-place RV before the 10
- No heavy mods on the 10
- Stock/new engine w/ FWF kit
- So-so fiberglass skills
- Nothing too fancy behind the panel

 

[RV10inOz]

Almost but not quite double the 6/7/9 I am told............ But I am not qualified to comment!

DB

 

[BlackRV7]

Paul, I'd recommend you get hold of Rick Gray. Probably the best person to answer your question.

 

[vic syracuse]

Here's what it's taken me over about 26 years:

RV-4 VERY slow build, came with bauxite if I rmember 1700 hours
RV-6 QB 1400 hours
RV-10 QB 1600 hours + 600 hours from wife (interior, sanding paint, etc)
Rv-7A QB 1200 hours

So, it does take a little longer, but I don't think it's quite double. The plans are wonderful (really an assembly manual that has step-by-step instructions with drawings and figures).

Good Luck.

Vic

 

[rv6rick]

Just looked at my spreadsheet for ya'....my RV10 took:

-1468 hrs which included 200 hrs for the final assy.
-This was done over a 10 month period.
-If you do the math it comes out to a little less than 37 hrs per week.
-This included a LOT of custom modifications and fiberglass finish work.

Finish Quality was acceptable to the Judges at Oshkosh .

If you build a basic panel RV10 per the plans (no mods) and you work on it routinely there is no reason you can't build it in 8 or 9 months. A couple of our local Ohio Valley RVators built one (easily) in about 6 months but they had 2 folks working on it.

I read Vic's post. Vic is an experienced builder and does nice work. His time to build was (somewhat) similar to mine (not sure about the additional hrs from his wife).....that should give you a pretty good base line.

The RV10 kit is wonderfully designed and the plans are simply awesome. The RV10 was the easiest kit that I have constucted to date....by a New York mile.

For comparison.....my F1 Rocket took me about 2400 hours.....this was 'after' building the RV10.

Basically...it takes however long it takes. I didn't 'rush' through the building of my RV10 and I don't recommend that anyone 'hurry' to get their project finished. We have a saying out here in Ohio Valley Rvators Land....'it is what it is' .

The other side of the coin....if you linger on it could take years to build an RV10 .

Hope this helps.

 

[Top_prop]

I'm a noob, and my only experience with working sheet metal was helping a local guy with his RV 7 one day...

The plans on the ten (I've completed the rudder and about to alumaprep/alodine/prime the VS) are very clear.

I've got about 60 hrs into my rudder/vert stab and I'm goin slow, making mistakes and taking my time thinking through them.

The plans looked equal to superior in detail and thoroughness to the little bit I got to look at the 7's plans


Nearly everything is prepunched and just needs deburring... the few exeptions are typcially simple cuts with the band saw or hand shears...

my only dig on the 10 is that van's didn't design in rudder trim... and I don't feel up to designing my own with my limited experience... I'd consider rudder trim a must on a Cross Country machine that the 10 is.

 

[nightflier]

1850 hours to build airframe, but my first RV. That included all fiberglass work to the finish stage, with a 3 CRT glass panel, and Garmin stack.