What Did You Enjoy During Your Build

[TCABM]

Builders build and flyers buy, I get that. I enjoy learning and tend towards doing it right the first time vs doing it twice. That makes me wonder if I’ll actually enjoy learning during the build process.

For you builders out there, what did you enjoy along the way. Not the initial excitement, not the reward at the end; the part that connected those two stages.

 

[tsts4]

Yes and no. So my experience is probably atypical, but here you go anyway. My build took 9 years for a variety of reasons. Years 1-4 were more or less exciting. Years 5 & 6 were meh. Years 7 - 9 just plain sucked until my AWC inspection. Those last few years basically felt like a second job with no pay and I really started to hate it. So much so if I hadn’t had so much invested, I’d have quit. Of course now that I’ve been flying for 7 years, I can look back with pride and say it was worth it, but I’m not sure I’d do it again. There’s a reason why the mantra is if you want to build, build, if want fly, buy.

 

[Lndwarrior]

Warning - my experience was rather negative due to a great extent of the physical problems I have.

Positives-
- when something I did actually fit together or worked. This rarely seemed to happen the first time I did anything. The sense of accomplishment can make you feel good.
- I liked the never-ending learning. You think you have an idea about something and then you dig into the various subjects (metal, wiring, tool techniques, acrylics, pipe and tunes and fittings from hell. The real understanding of the not so simple "screw or bolt". ). The never-ending learning is kinda of cool.
- getting help online. Learned that there are so many people out there willing to help you.
- Hearing the radio for the first time!
- watching the test pilot take off for the first time. I screamed like a little girl ( no offense to little girls).
- sitting in the bare fuse and making airplane noises.
- Watching my wife and daughter rivet the baggage doors together. I have such a great photo of that!
- That first flight. Terrified, exhilarated, overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

 

[TCABM]

…There’s a reason why the mantra is if you want to build, build, if want fly, buy.

That’s what I want to get to the bottom of. Is it some masochism or not appreciating deferred gratification.

 

[TCABM]

…- I liked the never-ending learning.

Q: Do you feel what you needed to learn was a hindrance to completing the project? Context: did you resent the learning at any point?

 

[wilkersk]

...For you builders out there, what did you enjoy along the way...

Any step in the build process that did not involve throwing tools, buying new parts for a "do-over", or having to wait for tech support to get back to me with a solution to some problem I couldn't figure out myself.

A lot a the built was simple, straight forward, and I had the tools and skills to complete, no problem. But, there were a few things that had me questioning my sanity for ever having committed myself to such a large, expensive project.

 

[TCABM]

I’ll share a story from ~21 years ago. We were flying over AFG and taking MGRS target grid coords and inputting them to the ships’s display system. The target locations didn’t always make sense so plotted them manually as well and eventually learned the coord conversion system treated MGRS and UTM the same, even though they weren’t.

Tough, frustrating lesson to learn. Is that what building is like?

 

[Lndwarrior]

Q: Do you feel what you needed to learn was a hindrance to completing the project? Context: did you resent the learning at any point?

I got tired of learning towards the end. My brain seemed to be in information overload for long periods of time. Again, though, I was dealing with physical issues that made everything harder. I'm not really a good source for a healthy person's experience.

 

[Lndwarrior]

Any step in the build process that did not involve throwing tools, buying new parts for a "do-over", or having to wait for tech support to get back to me with a solution to some problem I couldn't figure out myself.

A lot a the built was simple, straight forward, and I had the tools and skills to complete, no problem. But, there were a few things that had me questioning my sanity for ever having committed myself to such a large, expensive project.

I would have said the same thing as well.

 

[TomRV4]

…There’s a reason why the mantra is if you want to build, build, if want fly, buy.

The mantra isn’t exactly accurate in my case. My first build was specifically because I wanted to fly a fun plane, and not have to spend money renting. 172’s just weren’t doing it for me. So I built an RV-4 for those reasons. Fun and cheap to fly and even cheaper to maintain. Plus it was there whenever I wanted to fly. Sold my motorcycle and fishing boat to afford to build the plane. The kicker for me was that I ended up enjoying the whole building process. Sure it gets tedious at times, but looking at the build process in small, attainable goals (as opposed to being overwhelmed by the build as a whole) worked great for me.

My second and third homebuilts were to fill gaps. My Rans Courier is a great back country plane, and my RV-10 hauls my wife, standard poodle and me around the country very comfortably. And with both of those, I really enjoyed the building process knowing that the end result would be fun planes to fly, and very reasonable to maintain. (Example being the Cirrus we owned while finishing the -10. The annuals for the SR22 TN averaged 10K per year. The RV-10 condition inspection I do is the cost of an oil change and miscellaneous parts)

Tom

 

[Daleandee]

I learned even more about looking forward and thinking ahead. In the beginning you can make or assemble the easy parts but at some point you have to come to grips with the assembly process. Not working yourself into a corner becomes a real strategy.

The other part is not making mistakes that cost a bunch to repair. I once had that kind of an event as I was trusting a part that someone else had assembled without checking their setup before I attempted to install it on the part I had assembled. Other builders that looked at the error that occurred suggested a few "workarounds" to the problem that developed but at the end of the day I made the decision to scrap those parts and replace all of them. It cost a bit to do that but the lessons learned were worth it. I wanted a plane that I knew was correctly built.

All of that to say the best part of the build is the learning ... all aspects of it. Building is quite addictive!

 

[donjohnston]

Designing and installing the electrical system. Then again, I spent a lot of time in my past chasing electrons. Also designing an improved door latching system.

You didn't ask, but things I didn't like: Bad manual. Probably doubled the build time. And sanding. I wasn't a fan of sanding before. Probably not an issue on a metal plane.

 

[Stewartb]

I’ve enjoyed building two Cubs. The first eas certificated so I had to follow the rules. The second is experimental and it’s been way more fun since I can utilize non-standard parts and improve on standard systems. I really enjoyed building both but I should qualify I had my Cessna to fly. Now with two fliers in the hangar I dream about another project. Building is addictive.

 

[painless]

I’ve had building experience with both a kit, RV6A, and plans built, Hatz Classic. In comparing the two, I feel like I assembled the RV, but I built the Hatz. Emphasis on I BUILT.

Building the RV was fun and as has been mentioned a learning experience. The tutelage that is available on line really helped smooth out the bumps along the way. Much of the build was just following along with the manual (which was a tad sparse in those days) and employing what I found in various forums.

The Hatz has been a totally different beast and I can categorically say a total blast to build. The amount of learning experience is exponentially higher than that for the RV, involving basically every building medium available for homebuilt airplanes. Aluminum, chrome moly tube, fabric, wood, composites all are involved. I’ve learned to TIG weld, make molds for composite parts, fabric cover. It’s amazing. The biggest challenge has been that there are no instructions. You work from a set of plans, that’s it. There lies the most satisfying aspect. The challenge of seeing a part that needs to be made, figuring out a jig or process of how to make that part, implementing that process, and having resultant success is the repetitive sequence of a string of little accomplishments. It’s often peppered with failures, but that is part of the learning process. The satisfaction seeing an airplane rise up off of a stack of plans is just indescribable.

At the end of the day, looking back just before I close the hangar door, I almost always pause and think to myself, holy crap, I built this thing.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

I don’t know if building / rebuilding custom cars is similar.

To your question of learning, even in the internet age, having someone local to show you the ropes or laugh/commiserate with your dilemmas or mistakes should be valuable. Second pair of eyes on yours, their tools or actual plane, their experience.

I love engines and electrical. Hate body work. Paint is ok. Interior is fine when it all fits and looks decent; love sewing.

Always learning...always.

 

[Datadriver]

The good: solving various problems
The bad: thunderstorms over the metal hangar making it too loud to work
The ugly: Finishing the build only to discover the single source of training approved for liability insurance(the kit factory) is not currently training

 

[kmacht]

What did I enjoy while scratch building my Sonex? ALL of it. I wouldn’t have done anything different. Each day I worked on it presented some sort of new challenge to solve. Even mundane tasks like deburing thousands of holes became a challenge to try different methods or invent my own until I found the easiest way to do it. Even screwups became a challenge to solve. I screwed up cutting the sides of the fuselage too short and didn't realize it until after I had everything drilled. It turned into a challenge to see how many other smaller parts I could make out of the now scrapped sidewall. There were certainly frustrating or expensive moments in the build but they were all part of the experience.

The key is that I really enjoy designing and building things. Building was the goal of building the airplane. If flying was the goal or saving money was the goal of building an airplane I would have been far ahead to just have bought an already completed kit.

 

[TCABM]

I don’t know if building / rebuilding custom cars is similar.
…
Always learning...always.

I don’t either, but I’ve done a lot of that before and enjoy it. A lot of DIY construction/remodel projects, too.

 

[Racerx]

In a similar situation and when the current project is done. I'll be building a large shop and would like to build an RV. I'm burned out with the current project in turning a detached garage with small loft and crumbling foundation into a larger garage with a larger loft for a mancave/bar. Got siding, roof, plumbing, HVAC all done by myself. Almost done with electric and it's insulate and drywall. Im almost 2 years in. The burnout is real. At least with a plane in a shop I wouldn't have to worry about rain destroying the progress and could take some time to do something else

 

[kyleb]

Today, I enjoyed 6 or 7 hours of working in a 90+F hangar installing the gazillion screws that attach all of panels inside an RV-10. Oh, and re-arranging all of the crap in my hangar so I can re-orient the airplane and install the rudder and elevators tomorrow.

Yesterday, I spent 30 seconds and $200 snapping a brass stud off of the high pressure fuel pump. As God is my witness, I thought that stud was cad plated steel.

 

[TCABM]

Today, I enjoyed 6 or 7 hours of working in a 90+F hangar installing the gazillion screws that attach all of panels inside an RV-10. Oh, and re-arranging all of the crap in my hangar so I can re-orient the airplane and install the rudder and elevators tomorrow.

Yesterday, I spent 30 seconds and $200 snapping a brass stud off of the high pressure fuel pump. As God is my witness, I thought that stud was cad plated steel.

Q: when did you decide to move to a hangar or have you always been there?

I’ve done similar to the $200 stud breakage, I know the feeling.

 

[kyleb]

Q: when did you decide to move to a hangar or have you always been there?

I’ve done similar to the $200 stud breakage, I know the feeling.

I've stored pieces in the hangar for years. Wings, empennage, etc. I've been having large components painted as I finished 'em. The paint shop is based at my home field, so it is pretty convenient. The finished/painted parts cohabitated with my RV-6.

The fuselage came out of the paint shop a couple of months ago, which made it final assembly time.

 

[tsts4]

Q: when did you decide to move to a hangar or have you always been there?
.

I started in my basement, moved up to the garage once i outgrew the basement and finally to the hangar. My $.02 is don’t under any circumstances move to the hangar until you absolutely, positively must. I moved out prematurely and it ended up being one of my bigger mistakes as my productivity took a huge hit.

 

[Bill Watson]

I built and now fly an RV10. Some thoughts…

- I grew up with model airplanes and though I was always a flier vs a builder, I learned early on (1960s) that building was the best way to get what you wanted to fly. Best because it was building was personally satisfying. And flying what you built was even more so.

- I’ve owned 3 aircraft; 2 sailplanes and a Maule. The sailplanes were raced hard. The Maule was where I learned to do tailwheel and IFR but in the end, it was about transportation from our Airpark to places we wanted to go. We formed an idea of what my next aircraft needed to be and homebuilding seemed to be the best way to get it. When the RV10 came out it seemed to be the right design, the right kit, and the right plane for personal transport into retirement and beyond. After building a shop, the build began and my choices were all borne out. That in itself was very enjoyable.

- I was flying during my entire 5 year build. It was exciting running the numbers on each flight and imagining how much better it would be in the ‘10.

- I found that I could do each step of the build without skilled help but I did take full advantage of training opportunities; a week at school learning metal work while building the rudder, fin and elevator. A weekend school learning composite techniques from a pro. A week at Lycoming school. But in the end I was able to do everything including the panel and paint (which I swore would be farmed out).

- Previously i was frustrated by not having the confidence to work on my aircraft. Building gave me complete confidence to tackle any aspect of the build and up to this point, 10 years worth of maintenance. But. I won’t be overhauling any engines.

- A side benefit of the build is the confidence I now have in tackling almost any mechanical job, “If I can build a plane, I can build or fix anything else I care to tackle”.

- Once the dreaded composite work on the ‘10 was complete, I decided to design and build a composite O2 tank-holding center console. Can’t quite describe how proud I am of that piece of work.

- I’ve always said and still maintain that I only have one homebuilt plane in me. The ‘10 is my lifetime plane and nothing feels better than flying along among the clouds, looking out at the wings, listening to the roar, seeing the speed, watching the AP do it’s thing, and say, I built this thing and it is fantastic!


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[kyleb]

I started in my basement, moved up to the garage once i outgrew the basement and finally to the hangar. My $.02 is don’t under any circumstances move to the hangar until you absolutely, positively must. I moved out prematurely and it ended up being one of my bigger mistakes as my productivity took a huge hit.

Todd is absolutely right here. The only thing your hangar at the airport has is space. Your couch, bathroom, fridge, internet, spouse, and everything else is at home. Do everything you can at home - in the basement, garage, or workshop, before you take the project to the airport.

 

[TCABM]

Todd is absolutely right here. The only thing your hangar at the airport has is space. Your couch, bathroom, fridge, internet, spouse, and everything else is at home. Do everything you can at home - in the basement, garage, or workshop, before you take the project to the airport.

That’s the plan; I’ve got over 700 sq ft in the garage if I need it. I *think* we’re settling on SB fuselage and QB wings.

I like your idea of painting the finished assemblies as you go.

 

[TCABM]

Sooooo. Dryer pooped out last night. Disassembled, troubleshot, ID’d faulty sensor, got a new one, installed it, put it all back together.

The obligatory extra screws.

I have now disassembled & re-assembled multiple times and cannot find any open holes. Frustrating.

 

[Datadriver]

Today, I enjoyed 6 or 7 hours of working in a 90+F hangar installing the gazillion screws that attach all of panels inside an RV-10. Oh, and re-arranging all of the crap in my hangar so I can re-orient the airplane and install the rudder and elevators tomorrow.

Yesterday, I spent 30 seconds and $200 snapping a brass stud off of the high pressure fuel pump. As God is my witness, I thought that stud was cad plated steel.

 

[Bill Watson]

That’s the plan; I’ve got over 700 sq ft in the garage if I need it. I *think* we’re settling on SB fuselage and QB wings.

I like your idea of painting the finished assemblies as you go.

I did the QB wings and fuse but regretted not doing the SB fuse just because it was different than the empennage (the wing is just more of the same with fuel tank goop added).

If you have access to a quality paint shop setup, painting as you go might work. But without that, and particularly doing it adjacent to a residence, may not be ideal.

I painted the components separately which is much easier than painting an assembled aircraft. but I painted them all during the same period.


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[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]