Hey guys, this is my first post! I?ve been following VAF on and off for a couple years now. I thought it was finally time to get a login and get my feet wet. I thought I would kick this off by asking for your expert opinions on my thought process regarding my mission.
First off, my mission includes a completed plane? With that said, the RV10 is not an option right now at +130k to build considering my wife and I just bought a home (they are not cheap in SoCal- I could have had a nice 10 with the down payment), we just had our first child (daughter- 5 months), and my wife is now a stay at home mom. I guess that my daughter may be 5 or 6 when the project is completed and I beleive I may have another child within 3 years. I?m leaning towards a 7 with small jump seats in the cargo area (aft facing with leg cutouts in the tail cone separator). My Mission mostly includes vacation flights to visit family about 650 miles away and the occasional $100 burger run. I know that luggage will be an issue, but I think we can manage as relatives have a washer/dryer and there is a local Walmart
. As stated, since the budget is of concern, the fuel burn of a 360 sounds appealing verses that of a 540. Do you guys see my dilemma? Am I going to regret the 7 and hate it as it will limit my mission?s needs? Will I want the 10 (yes, I?m sure?)? If I were to build the 10, the build time could be doubled strictly do to budget limitations. I was thinking I could sale the 7 when the kids were too big for the rear jump seat and upgrade at that time. Any input as to these concerns would be appreciated. I?m sure builders have kicked these thoughts around in the past.
Also, I know some of you guys may state that it is ?cheap and easy to buy a plane and fly now,? but this is not part of my mission. I WANT to build. I want the satisfaction of saying ?I built that? and I enjoy building things. It will also help me spread the costs of the project as I will not finance a ?toy.?
Currently, I?m in the dreaming stage (I don?t even have a PPL yet) and don?t plan on starting a project for a while. However, I still would like to get involved in the local EAA and check out some projects. Is there anyone in the Los Angeles, CA- Southbay area that would like to show off their project? This could easily push me past the dreaming stage.
Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot going through my head?
I see that this is a long thread, and your question is probably answered by now, many times. Anyway, my take in this is (for what it's worth): Building and flying are two different things altogether.
Flying is also different things, as is
building
Work and life will
seriously interfere with your building, particularly when you are a family father with kids. It will also interfere with your flying, but not nearly as much as your building. You can always find time for a short trip every now and then, but to find time for consistent building (at least 2-3 hours every day for 5 days a week over 4-6 years) will be impossible for periods of several months, even years as a normally devoted family father who also have a responsible/demanding job. Consequently a complex RV is out of reach time vise if you intend to fly it within the next 10-20 years. I know that some are able to combine all this, but those are far far apart. Usually they are professional pilots with favorable working hours and lots of continuous flying experience (obviously).
There are several ways to solve this problem. The "obvious" solution is to get a finished plane to fly which may very well be an RV, and start building
something that you have a reasonable chance of finishing without having to be in the shop every minute of your spare time. IMO a complex RV is not that something. That something could be an RV-12 or some other similar easy going kit; Sonex, Carbon Cub (if you have the money), or maybe even a simpler design like some ultralight. Then when your kids, and the kids of your
second wife
are starting to leave for colleges/work, then you will see you have much more time for your hobby as an amateur aircraft builder. By that time you will also have gained lots of experience regarding building and flying, and will have no problem building more complex airplanes.
I found this out the hard way. I started with an RV-4 kit and limited flying experience. Then I had to get tail wheel experience. This lead to lots of Cub flying, which is very fun, and also to fly as a glider tug pilot in a Piper Pawnee, which is extremely fun. Nothing can really beat the feeling of flying a single seater with a large engine up front
Now I get all the flying I have time for in the Cub/Pawnee, and is also looking into glider rating. The glider pilots are very nice people and the gliders are just too sleek and slender and beautiful and aerodynamically perfect to resist. But, the RV-4 became too much for me to build (7 years and counting, only 10-15% finished). So I got a Onex kit with the CNC machined parts last autumn, and in a couple of months now I am already 25% finished, after I have build myself a completely new shop when refurbishing the whole house. Within a year I will have my own airplane flying and can start with the RV-4 again. By then, 4 kids will be grown up, only 2 left
and I will have the money and time and experience to finish it and to fly it with no problems what so ever within a 4-5 years time frame, if I so chose. Maybe I will go another route and build a motorglider, I don't know just yet and I am in no hurry with that decision, the Onex is priority 1 now.
I think the RVs are the best kits available. Superb design and superb flying qualities. But the commitment to build and finish through with the building should not be underestimated, particularly not on the -4 and the -3, but I believe also on the newer kits except the -12. It is not a good feeling to have a -4 kit 15% finished for several years. There is no sense of accomplishment in that, quite the opposite. It is better to go for something (much) simpler that you know you
can finish, and "save" the RV dream until you are ready for that commitment.
