Quoted me $112,000 for what I wanted
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Thoughts on the small number of RV14 & RV14A currently on the market
- Thread starter Daynasdad
- Start date
That is eye-watering
Let's call it what it is: appalling price gouging by a single parts source. None of the 3rd party engine builders can do better because cylinders, cranks, and cases are all in limited supply and being sold for the maximum price. It cost me about 55k just to overhaul an angle valve 360. That's unacceptably high.
Legacy engine manufacturers are trying their hardest to kill GA and I'm tired of pretending they aren't.
If some enterprising AP who can build a firewall forward kit that can use the Continental engine for the RV, I am sure there will be a lot of takers. There are a lot of Continental engines being used in the GA fleet. The prices for a used and rebuildable Continental engine isn't as sky high as Lycoming. The high price of the Lycoming is the major reason why I am not going to build the RV15 in its current form. I don't mind using Continental engine but I always flew behind a Lycoming and I don't have the skills to engineer the FF.
My take on this is a little different.
The “financial economy” in most developed nations has had the best 5years in generations if not all time. If you are in the top 20% of the population that is exposed to this then the nominal growth rates you are experiencing well and truly make up for the rampant inflation that is evident across all parts of the economy.
That’s why GA like cirrus (+40% yoy revenue growth in 2025) and Gulfstream (+25% yoy rev and +44% npat) are killing it. In short. If you were wealthy before 2020 you are a LOT wealthier now. If you are a salaried employee however and your wages have been stagnant this time then you’re standard of living has declined remarkably in the same period.
This is and will continue to create great societal challenges for countries to deal with.
At the margin it is messing with our little aviation ecosystem because whereas home builders typically fell into the latter category, we now have more of the former crossing over largely because of the inability of the certified world keep up with demand. Parts suppliers (lycoming/garmin etc) are pricing to the former.
The “financial economy” in most developed nations has had the best 5years in generations if not all time. If you are in the top 20% of the population that is exposed to this then the nominal growth rates you are experiencing well and truly make up for the rampant inflation that is evident across all parts of the economy.
That’s why GA like cirrus (+40% yoy revenue growth in 2025) and Gulfstream (+25% yoy rev and +44% npat) are killing it. In short. If you were wealthy before 2020 you are a LOT wealthier now. If you are a salaried employee however and your wages have been stagnant this time then you’re standard of living has declined remarkably in the same period.
This is and will continue to create great societal challenges for countries to deal with.
At the margin it is messing with our little aviation ecosystem because whereas home builders typically fell into the latter category, we now have more of the former crossing over largely because of the inability of the certified world keep up with demand. Parts suppliers (lycoming/garmin etc) are pricing to the former.
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Largely true statements.
And yet the -7 is close to twice the price of a -6 and they have very similar performance and capabilities. Seems like most people want the latest and greatest.
I get reminded of that as I drive by the apartment complexes on the way to the airport. Most of the cars in the lot are worth more and newer than my cars.
How Much Is This Kit Airplane Really Going To Cost? - AvBrief.com
It’s not just the kit—a detailed look at the financial reality of building an experimental aircraft.
avbrief.com
This may shed some light on the true cost of building a kit airplane.
From today's Experimental Aviator. Summarizes one individual's costs to build his -14A--which he painted himself. Dates from 2017-2022, so a LOT of cost increases since then, as noted in several posts above. Granted, not all of the costs summarized are directly related to the cost of producing a flying airplane, e.g. his hangar and tug purchases which wouldn't be part of an aircraft sale per se.
avbrief.com
How Much Is This Kit Airplane Really Going To Cost? - AvBrief.com
It’s not just the kit—a detailed look at the financial reality of building an experimental aircraft.
avbrief.com
Or because they think the -7 is supported by Vans because kits are still on the market not realizing Van still supports the -6.
