Van's RV Building

Yes. There’s a number of us, representing most if not all of the models. In my case it's an RV-10.
 
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6A builder here from back in the Stone Age, pre/match drilled era.
 
Welcome to the club.

RV9a builder here. First flight December 2008. Have over 1000 hrs flying (VFR/IFR) all over USA and Canada.
 
Nice! I'm in good company.
Build is going great so far. I was banging a few rivets just tonight. Taking the last few steps slow while I await the next kit.
Here's my log in case anyone's interested.
EAA Builders Log Site
 
That's promising!

How long did it take you guys to complete your builds?
 
Ray Jr said:
That's promising!

How long did it take you guys to complete your builds?
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9 years for us, slow build all the way. Definitely above the average for an RV-10, but life can get in the way. I had small kids when I started and the pact with my wife was I would be there for their school stuff, sports, vacations, etc. It adds up. Plus I had 2 deployments (Iraq and Afghanistan) and other things both work and non-work related that contributed to a protracted build. The good news is it was all worth it in the end.
 
Ray Jr, if you are not already there, you need to also check out vansairforce.net. You'll find tons of RV builders there that will give you all the support you need.
 
Dad and I did a -7A and a -10. -7A was full slow-build and took about 2.5 years. -10 did QB wings and took about 2.5-3 years. I was in college during the -7A build, so dad would build small components after work each day, then on the weekends I came home, we would take the small components and make them into bigger pieces. -10 was similar, but me working full time not nearby, I have less sweat equity in the -10.

The biggest thing we noticed during the builds is that working on something even just a little bit every day drastically reduced our timelines. Dad would come home and head to the basement and even if he only had 10-15 minutes, that was 10-15 minutes closer to being finished.
 
9 years for my 6A. Four kids, built a house, built an office. Busy time. On year 10 for my Hatz build. Either I really enjoy building airplanes, or I have a real addiction problem….
 
12 joyous years for my RV-9. Also worked remote (away from the project) for two years, got married, and moved twice during the build, so I was slightly busy.
 
Marshall Alexander said:
RV9A, here, test flew March 1, 2021. 28.5 tt so far.
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keen9 said:
12 joyous years for my RV-9. Also worked remote (away from the project) for two years, got married, and moved twice during the build, so I was slightly busy.
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Seems like the RV-9/9A is a fantastic aircraft, though under appreciated by many in favor of the RV-7/7A or now RV-14A. The greater stability and smaller engine to fly equivalent speed seems more attractive. Dare I suggest less sexy yet more usable?

Would like to hear more RV-9A owner insights.
 
NordicDave said:
Seems like the RV-9/9A is a fantastic aircraft, though under appreciated by many in favor of the RV-7/7A or now RV-14A. The greater stability and smaller engine to fly equivalent speed seems more attractive. Dare I suggest less sexy yet more usable?

Would like to hear more RV-9A owner insights.
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The -7 is basically and aerobatic -9. The -7 is also designed to accept a bit more horsepower.
 
Marshall Alexander said:
The -7 is basically and aerobatic -9. The -7 is also designed to accept a bit more horsepower.
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That’s my understanding as well. Perhaps the question is Better posed as: Why does the RV-9A have less appeal then the 7A? I know a few guys who built and own RV-7A’s and they maybe performed 1 or 2 loops in the thing. Understand the appeal of aerobatics, but few I know actually regularity if ever perform acrobatics in their 7A.

Seems like the improved stability and less fuel consumption for similar cruise performance would be a bigger draw than aerobatics.
 
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NordicDave said:
That’s my understanding as well. Perhaps the question is Better posed as: Why does the RV-9A have less appeal then the 7A? I know a few guys who built and own RV-7A’s and they maybe performed 1 or 2 loops in the thing. Understand the appeal of aerobatics, but few I know actually regularity if ever perform acrobatics in their 7A.

Seems like the improved stability and less fuel consumption for similar cruise performance would be a bigger draw than aerobatics.
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Well, the -7 is supposedly a few (like 4 or5) kts faster, and holds 2 or 4 more gallons of fuel. I had a friend that finished his -7A in my hangar and my brother finished his -9A in my hangar as well. They both stayed in my hangar and I flew them both. The -7A had a c/s prop on it, the -9A did not. I feel like the -7 landed easier than the -9, or at least I did a better job with it.
 
NordicDave said:
That’s my understanding as well. Perhaps the question is Better posed as: Why does the RV-9A have less appeal then the 7A? I know a few guys who built and own RV-7A’s and they maybe performed 1 or 2 loops in the thing. Understand the appeal of aerobatics, but few I know actually regularity if ever perform acrobatics in their 7A.

Seems like the improved stability and less fuel consumption for similar cruise performance would be a bigger draw than aerobatics.
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Adventure, or the possibility of it. Same reason the guy in your neighborhood owns a Porsche 911S. He only uses it to commute 3 miles to his dental practice, but he *COULD* run it in the 24 hour race at Daytona.
 
I’ve heard Van’s maybe near to announcing a model perhaps the RV-15A? Lots of speculation it could be a high wing. I like high wings for the simple reason of flying while sitting in the shade and easier entry/exit.

Given QB kits have a year lead time, I may just wait to see what they announce or eventually just spend teh extra $50K and get the RV-14A.

I like the economics of the 9A though. I’ve heard a number of builders have installed an IO360 and just pull back power to stay in the green arc. I heard Van’s looked added 915is Turbo to the 9A but an into CG issues with the lighter engine. Too bad as I would have ordered one already.
 
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NordicDave said:
That’s my understanding as well. Perhaps the question is Better posed as: Why does the RV-9A have less appeal then the 7A? I know a few guys who built and own RV-7A’s and they maybe performed 1 or 2 loops in the thing. Understand the appeal of aerobatics, but few I know actually regularity if ever perform acrobatics in their 7A.

Seems like the improved stability and less fuel consumption for similar cruise performance would be a bigger draw than aerobatics.
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very simple, that rectangular horizonal is just plain ugly..........
 
e1e5e7757e356fa9ef10b991d215634a.jpg

I love my 9a and wouldn’t trade it for anything else. The 9 has a few speed and efficiency advantages over the 7 once you get up in altitude. We usually fly 155 knots on 6.5 gph above 10k. And have cruised at 15k with even better results. My 9 is fully IFR equipped, has an io-360, and a fixed pitch prop. It holds 54 gallons of gas (it has glassed in 9 gallon tip tanks) and is a monster on a cross country trip. Oh ya. It also stalls at 44 knots at full weight. Glide is much better than a 7 as well.


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kyleb said:
That's an RV-6A, my man. It doesn't have a rectangular shaped horizontal.

But the RV-10 does, and those sell for $100k more than anything else in Van's fleet. So people must not be too bothered by it.
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oops. Wrong pic. Still a matter of opinion :)
 
Peter Anderson said:
I love my 9a and wouldn’t trade it for anything else. The 9 has a few speed and efficiency advantages over the 7 once you get up in altitude. We usually fly 155 knots on 6.5 gph above 10k. And have cruised at 15k with even better results. My 9 is fully IFR equipped, has an io-360, and a fixed pitch prop. It holds 54 gallons of gas (it has glassed in 9 gallon tip tanks) and is a monster on a cross country trip. Oh ya. It also stalls at 44 knots at full weight. Glide is much better than a 7 as well.


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beautiful pic!
 
RV-10 are now going for $300K Wow. They are the "it" plane right now.
But guess my RV6 will have to do . .
 
Joe Pilot said:
RV-10 are now going for $300K Wow. They are the "it" plane right now.
But guess my RV6 will have to do . .
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I’ve seen those asking prices; not sure they’re selling prices though.
 
TCABM said:
I’ve seen those asking prices; not sure they’re selling prices though.
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Those are selling prices. I builder I know sold his 10 during OSH. He was asking for $350K and sold it for $340K. I was gobsmacked when I heard the news--both from the price and the fact he was selling -- he was just a handful of hours past his Phase 1.

I purchased a boat this year and can tell you this lunacy is not confined to just airplanes, as anyone who has either bought or sold a boat or real estate over the past year can attest.
 
tsts4 said:
Those are selling prices. I builder I know sold his 10 during OSH. He was asking for $350K and sold it for $340K. I was gobsmacked when I heard the news--both from the price and the fact he was selling -- he was just a handful of hours past his Phase 1.

I purchased a boat this year and can tell you this lunacy is not confined to just airplanes, as anyone who has either bought or sold a boat or real estate over the past year can attest.
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Wow then. I’ve only been hearing of mid-$200s or so being the high end. I know about a lo of the other toy segments and certified having gone crazy, didn’t think it hit EAB that hard yet.

A new -10 gets you close to new SR22 performance at half the capital cost or less at those prices. Still a value, but one day the free money will run out.
 
I can see a newly built RV selling for $150-ish. The cost of the kit, engine, avionics and some profit would put you in that range.

The $200k+ prices are for people with more money than time. You could most likely hire a shop to build the kit for less than $200k.

I would think that once the RVs get start showing up with BRS used Cirrus's are going to start to sit as an RV-12 will easily fill the role of an SR20

Anyone know if RV ever considered certifying?
 
I finished Phase 1 on my RV-14 the week before Airventure this year. It took 38 calendar months from inventorying the empennage kit to the first flight. The RV-4 and RV-6 builders will come to my house and kill me in my sleep if I say I got the "slow build" kit. The RV-14 was a joy to build and a joy to learn how to build. It's also a joy to fly. I took my A&P friend who taught me how to rivet (and logged a number of hours on the build) up as my first passenger this past weekend, and he was blown away by the view out the canopy as well as the responsiveness.

I would suggest ordering the fuselage kit and finishing kit sooner rather than later. I did the wings after the plane was on its landing gear. They went quickly. The canopy was the slowest part of the build. (Note for other kit builders: The RV-14 uses a longeron system that fits into the fuselage crate, so you do not need to order the wing kit to get the longerons.)

I wired my own panel to save time, but in hindsight I wish I had ordered the wiring harness along with the panel cutout from SteinAir, because the lead time vs. workmanship equation would be better that way than doing it myself. If you order now, you'll have it when you need it. Same with an interior. I will have a year of flying with an improvised temporary interior because I put that off too long.
 
pfarber said:
I can see a newly built RV selling for $150-ish. The cost of the kit, engine, avionics and some profit would put you in that range.

The $200k+ prices are for people with more money than time. You could most likely hire a shop to build the kit for less than $200k.

I would think that once the RVs get start showing up with BRS used Cirrus's are going to start to sit as an RV-12 will easily fill the role of an SR20

Anyone know if RV ever considered certifying?
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Depends on the model. You can’t build an average Rv-10 or rv-14 for $150k with zero profit. A nicely featured one is $200k in parts.
 
pfarber said:
I can see a newly built RV selling for $150-ish. The cost of the kit, engine, avionics and some profit would put you in that range.
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I guess you haven’t been following aircraft prices in general and RV’s specifically. You do realize there are 9 RV models available on the used market and 10’s command a premium significantly higher that the sum of their parts and components

pfarber said:
Anyone know if RV ever considered certifying?
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Can’t say definitely, but pretty sure the answer to that is no. Since the introduction of the 3, 4, & 6, they have enjoyed unparalleled success. Today they are the benchmark. So it would also seem unlikely moving forward since they are about to launch the high wing RV-15 next year. Also they have kit order backlogs out the ying yang— there’s simply no incentive for them to exit the E-AB kit world.
 
tsts4 said:
I guess you haven’t been following aircraft prices in general and RV’s specifically. You do realize there are 9 RV models available on the used market and 10’s command a premium significantly higher that the sum of their parts and components



Can’t say definitely, but pretty sure the answer to that is no. Since the introduction of the 3, 4, & 6, they have enjoyed unparalleled success. Today they are the benchmark. So it would also seem unlikely moving forward since they are about to launch the high wing RV-15 next year. Also they have kit order backlogs out the ying yang— there’s simply no incentive for them to exit the E-AB kit world.
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Meh, you can ask for whatever you like, but I see 2021 RV-12 for sale for sub $100k 2 2012 RV-12s sub $80k with some sort of glass.
 
pfarber said:
Meh, you can ask for whatever you like, but I see 2021 RV-12 for sale for sub $100k 2 2012 RV-12s sub $80k with some sort of glass.
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You're talking RV-12, the least expensive RV-- we're talking RV-10, the most expensive. Huge difference. Would you expect a C-150 to sell for the same amount as a T206? You can deny it all you want but the market has set the price for nice RV-10's starting in the mid $200K range and the fact is that's what they are selling for. It is what it is.
 
9A is my target. Unfortunately, my wife has this silly idea that cars belong in a 2 car garage.

Hmmm, she just sold hers and we're trying this with 1 car....that means an empty space. The parts and work in process can be stored in half a 2 car garage, right? I can back the car out to have the whole space for work and move it back after?
 
bflynn said:
9A is my target. Unfortunately, my wife has this silly idea that cars belong in a 2 car garage.

Hmmm, she just sold hers and we're trying this with 1 car....that means an empty space. The parts and work in process can be stored in half a 2 car garage, right? I can back the car out to have the whole space for work and move it back after?
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It would be tight. I’d probably rent a storage unit for the stuff you aren’t actively working on.
 
I was thinking of building a 10 with my dad. But now thinking of a 14. His Cherokee Six is a forever plane. So do we/I need the 4 seats? Or do we go 14 and get there faster with a slightly cheaper build. With what 10 prices are going for he's thinking of retiring and building one just to sell every few years. Heck, we've got the space. Maybe we should do both at once.
 
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