Maybe the wrong question ??
If you ask how many are completed by the orginal builder, it might be 10% but if you just ask about completions, I would say that on any of the VANS quickbuilds it would approach 90 to 100%
over time.
These are not the kits of old. Almost anyone can complete one but even better almost anyone can buy a partially completed kit and finish it. That simply wasn't true of old kits where all the parts were hand made from three sheets of hand drawn plans and the quality of the pile of parts was always suspect.
Think about the math here! Assuming you get past the tail stage, you have about 25k in the airframe at a minimum. Another 10-20k in an engine and then add the avionics. So the deal is that no matter how badly burned out you get, the kit itself has lots of value to others at almost any stage of completion. Most folks will not let 25-60k sit around once they burn out, run out of money, or lose interest in the project. Once you have that much into one, the only way to get it back is to sell the kit to someone who will complete it or complete it yourself and sell it. It is much more salealbe at full value as a flying airplane.
The reason old kits didn't complete is because it did take a very special person to complete one from scratch with no help. There are few folks like that around and there is VERY limited market for something built with hand made parts, no plans, questionable quality control. That just isn't the case with a VANS Kit. There is a ready market at some price for every uncompleted kit. There is a buyer interested in completing the kit because they can either buy it right and keep it or buy it right ...build it.... and make a little profit on the deal.
Quality control plays a big part in keeping partially completed kits saleable. Since the spars, and all other critical componets can be inspected (not like glass), repaired, and renewed....there is no real concern about the structual integrity of a partially completed airframe as long as you can see it and/or repair it.
I would contend that because of the large initial investment (once past the tail kit), that virtually all VANS kits will complete at sometime with someone but maybe only 30-40% with the ogrinal owner.
The VANS kit broke the mold in more ways than one! If I had to have money tied up in an uncompleted kit .... this would be the one I want! Oh,... that's right, I already have one
and it got completed by a first time builder in only 7 years, 6 months, two days and a couple of hours time.
Bill S
Got the Grin
7a