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Updated wing delivery?

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Flybytimmy

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Is anyone seeing an updated wing kit delivery date in the portal? Mine hasn't been updated since 2/24 despite the email sent out last week saying the dates should have been updated earlier this week. Still showing 6/12 for kit 188.
 
Nope. My guess is the "last updated Feb 24" is applicable to the whole database, not just our individual entries. My assumption is that Van's is just as interested in getting good, meaningful data out to us as we are to get it. The lack of "update early next week" implies that they don't yet have the new information to share with us.

I'm OK with them taking their time to do it right. Frustrating? Yeah, kind of. But in the long run, I'm betting that gives them time to fine tune the parts discrepancies discussed in other threads, build complete shipments and catch their breath.
 
Mine (#162) was updated just this morning at 9am, so you might want to check again.
As expected, moved out a month from 6/10 to 5/19. Hopefully I can get a full kit without backorders! I'm willing to wait for good results.
 
Looks like the update occurred just a couple hours after my question went out. My new date is now June 4 when it was June 12 when ordered. Me likey.
 
flymore said:
Just checked and my shipping date slipped another 10 days to 4/30. #118
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And for some unknown reason kit #125 was delivered yesterday. Sure would like to understand that.

My Journey Begins - Kit # 125

Picked up my Kit number 125 today from ABF trucking in Taylor (Detroit) Michigan. Crating was exceptional. Survived the long journey from Van's. Just started the inventory process. Numbering system is taking a bit of getting use to. I liked the -L & -R for left and right that was used on the...
vansairforce.net
 
Anybody know the current status of wing kit shipments? If they solved the supply issue for spars and are now shipping full kits with new back ordered parts? Haven't seen where they solved that issue but received the email today for an April 30th shipping date. The nice lady in accounting today didn't know the answer and it's going to call me back tomorrow but I just wondered if anybody here had any knowledge of status.
 
I received the missing forward spars and the mid flap brackets today. That accounts for every piece in the wing kit. I have run into a few instances where the parts supplied were mis marked. For instance the part was marked as a -001 but it was really -002. So far (3 times) I took a detailed picture and sent a note to Vans, the parts have shipped within a few days.

Mine is kit 64, the main wing shipment was received on 2/13 in Michigan.
 
Portal still shows 4/30. No email. I emailed them and called to say I wanted whatever they have asap.
 
raabs said:
Any idea if that is a kit without spars and backorders or a complete kit?
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I'm hearing spars and a few other parts scheduled to ship 6/1. We'll see... If that holds then I'll get the tail kit and spars at the same time. It's about to get real around here. Incoming!!
 
Received email a few min ago 7pm 5/2 that my wing kit parts are being produced. Target ship date 4/22/26. Sigh..

Received email 4 days ago requesting final payment for the Engine scheduled for 4/30 shipping. Amount was same as balance in wing kit. Haven't ordered an engine. Sigh...

As a business owner for a long time.., this is sumple101 operating stuff to get right. Hard to fathom how they get so consistently turned upside down. Need somebody in there managing process.
 
if it's any consolation (probably not) I received a note saying "your wing kit payment did not process due to an internal systems issue. Please follow this link and select empennage."

I did that - and then the next day, received a note thanking me for full payment on a tail kit - and no mention of a wing kit. I called them, and now "accounting is investigating."

As a 2nd time builder, I'm shocked they continue to be so disorganized on the business end of things...
 
#137 - - 5/6 (on the portal updated 5/2) has passed and no call or email. Has anyone heard any recent information on spars and deliveries? I have not called or emailed Vans as I expect they don't respond to squeaky wheels. 🤞
 
BillL said:
#137 - - 5/6 (on the portal updated 5/2) has passed and no call or email. Has anyone heard any recent information on spars and deliveries? I have not called or emailed Vans as I expect they don't respond to squeaky wheels. 🤞
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#121, 5/1 updated 3/26. I inquired a few days ago and received the following response—

Leticia Arevalo (Van's Aircraft)
May 6, 2026, 9:43 AM PDT
Keith,

Apologies, the date has not changed because we do not have an ETA for the spars. Once we do have those dates we will update your ship date and it will show on your portal.

So it sounds like some kit statuses were updated, but others weren’t. While the response from Van’s to me was prompt and pleasant, it wasn’t exactly helpful.
 
N10KE said:
#121, 5/1 updated 3/26. I inquired a few days ago and received the following response—


Leticia Arevalo (Van's Aircraft)
May 6, 2026, 9:43 AM PDT
Keith,

Apologies, the date has not changed because we do not have an ETA for the spars. Once we do have those dates we will update your ship date and it will show on your portal.

So it sounds like some kit statuses were updated, but others weren’t. While the response from Van’s to me was prompt and pleasant, it wasn’t exactly helpful.
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Customer service pro training would be helpful for Vans kit sales people. This is the main responder for kitsales and the helpfulness aspect varies greatly. I imagine the production misses create a difficult situation thus even more need to invest in the front line communication training.

The people in charge of business process decisions (would love to know what their background is) should update all waiting kit portals with an "in production" or similar status so they don't become useless because they are never accurate.

Use it for what it is intended for -Improving Communication.

I wonder if Mr Richard VanGrunsven is aware of the communication gap. I'd sure be interested in the front line perception if I rescued the company.

Communicate, communicate, communicate.
 
I think one thing to be mindful of is that some of Van's employees are not airplane people. When we say a word like "spar" they see four letters naming a part but may not actually know what that part is, does, or looks like. While that may lead to some inadvertent misunderstandings it is unrealistic to expect Van's to be able to employ people who are fully verse in everything airplanes. Similarly they may not be able to answer every question we ask because they may not be experts in every process Van's conducts for every model of airplane and sub-kit they produce.
 
BillL said:
#137 - - 5/6 (on the portal updated 5/2) has passed and no call or email. Has anyone heard any recent information on spars and deliveries? I have not called or emailed Vans as I expect they don't respond to squeaky wheels. 🤞
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My experience with the lack of progress in getting my backordered parts is that “the squeaky wheel” is “getting the grease”. I have been told repeatedly over the past two months my backordered parts would be shipped at the end of the month (in March, then again in April). After both of those “end of the months” came and went I called again. I was told the parts I needed were in stock and the person on the phone did not know why I did not receive them. They shipped out the next day after my call.
 
Alphalpha said:
I think one thing to be mindful of is that some of Van's employees are not airplane people. When we say a word like "spar" they see four letters naming a part but may not actually know what that part is, does, or looks like. While that may lead to some inadvertent misunderstandings it is unrealistic to expect Van's to be able to employ people who are fully verse in everything airplanes. Similarly they may not be able to answer every question we ask because they may not be experts in every process Van's conducts for every model of airplane and sub-kit they produce.
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I'm going to try again and hope this doesn't get deleted this time.

I've read your post over a couple of times and still don't understand what you are suggesting. Asking for an updated shipping date from the kit sales manager doesn't seem to me to be an unreasonable request. "Speaking airplane" isn't a requirement in this case. Van's lost a lot of their experienced employees during and following the bankruptcy, but they do have folks on staff that "speak airplane".
 
N10KE said:
I'm going to try again and hope this doesn't get deleted this time.

I've read your post over a couple of times and still don't understand what you are suggesting. Asking for an updated shipping date from the kit sales manager doesn't seem to me to be an unreasonable request. "Speaking airplane" isn't a requirement in this case. Van's lost a lot of their experienced employees during and following the bankruptcy, but they do have folks on staff that "speak airplane".
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Well, I didn’t ask for anything, I am just suggesting that it is possible that the production, sales, technology and general business skills are varied widely depending on who I have delt with. Hopefully our struggles are helping them get better. But it doesn’t serve me, or them any good to publicly bash them versus privately providing constructive criticism. And I’m not saying you or anyone specifically has, but there are some posts I’ve seen that I wouldn’t have posted.
 
RV8-969PH said:
#150082 ship date 5/22…..I hope.
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Did Van’s recently update your shipping date? I’m #121 and still showing ship date of 5/1. I was told they couldn’t update the shipping dates due to not knowing when the spars would be available. Or did you accept a partial shipment and agree to pay the now required shipping charges when they ship the spars separately?
 
N10KE said:
Did Van’s recently update your shipping date? I’m #121 and still showing ship date of 5/1. I was told they couldn’t update the shipping dates due to not knowing when the spars would be available. Or did you accept a partial shipment and agree to pay the now required shipping charges when they ship the spars separately?
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I asked (#137) and my 5/6 ship date moved to 6/1. Our portal information should be updated soon. No one has asked about partial shipments, but having a well inspected box with
all the parts has value.
 
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