Just some thoughts I would like to weigh in on after having watched this site and other forums over the course of the past week, and I don't mean to offend anyone.
I find the comments very callous regarding "if you can't afford the 32% increase then you can't afford an airplane." Given the lead times on kits many builders made the decision based upon a budget that could have been much different just a short time ago, given the rising costs of things in our everyday lives. There's a vast difference today in the spendable income of many builders. Some are just starting their aviation journey, and others are on their second/third/fourth build. I know when I first started our journey of fulfilling my childhood dream of one day building an airplane, I was working two jobs to make ends meet. Luckily, Van's didn't have complete kits for the RV-4 ready to go, so we were able to "meter" out the funds over the course of the build as the kits became available. Luckily, I stumbled upon a new O-320 for $3K, and at the time there was a company called RST (Tom Weir) that provided kit radios, so I could afford that.
Later on in life, I got between jobs (you don't know you are between jobs until you get the next job) and I sold our RV-10. That was a really tough decision. Later, we recovered, and the rest is history.
For those of you whom I see making statement that your dream is gone, I would encourage you to not think that way. Consider it just on pause for a bit. Get creative. All of us builders are "doers." Keep in mind that Vans had and will continue to have a steady stream of orders. There are builders that even today are making the decision to build an airplane and would love to have your kit earlier than having to wait a year or more for one. I am a perfect example---once I make a decision to do something I don't want to delay it. That being said, find a way to purchase the kit at the increased price and I bet you could immediately sell it. You may even be able to find that new builder who might help you with the price increase. Then, as life moves on, and your income or situation changes, you can get your dream back on track. Don't decide to write off the deposit. You will regret that long term. Some of you may find building partners that become friends for life. I've seen that happen more than once when financial circumstances changed for someone.
I'm not here to give financial advice, but I bothers me to the core when I hear that aviation dreamers are thinking about kaboshing that dream. To me, there is no better goal than to be an aircraft builder and an aviator. The memories and feelings of accomplishment that it will unleash is irreplaceable in any other endeavor. DaVinci said it best, and I don't need to requote it.
I just want to encourage you to not give up. Yes, it's a hard pill to swallow right now. I know. I've been there. As have many others. Find a way. A solution is there for everyone.
We all need Vans to come out of this a stronger and better company. I believe they will. It is going to take time, and not all of it will feel good to everyone. There are a lot of other companies that are being seriously affected by this, as many downstream orders for ancilliary items are being delayed or cancelled. Imagine what they are going through. Plus, it's a horrible time of the year for everyone to be going through this.
For those of you who are in a place to weather an unexpected increase, that's wonderful. Try to not be so hard on those who aren't in the same place.
Together, we will get through this. It's just going to be different that any of us ever thought, but hopefully one day in the not-too-distant future we will look back and be thankful for the lessons learned and the decisions we made during the bumpy times.
Vic