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How are RV10's getting done so quick

RV7Guy

Well Known Member
Okay, I finally gotta ask. How are these getting in the air so quickly? Is it the kit is that much superior to others in the line?

I realize that many have much more time than others but the 10 looks more complex in many ways than the others and as such should take longer.

What am I missing? Man I feel so inadequate!!!!!

Darwin N. Barrie
P19
Nearly completed 7
 
I bet many of the early 10 completions are 'repeat offenders.' For the first few, I suspect they are built by retired repeat offenders who really pushed themselves to have one of the first 10s.

Hopefully my 7A will be flying in three weeks. Hopefully I'll be a repeat offender someday.

Kevin
 
The plans are much better. The pictures are on the same page as the instructions, you can follow it step by step with the drawings right there. If you've not seen what the plans look like, several of the builders who have websites (Mike Howe comes to mind http://www.etigerrr.com/RV10HomePage.htm) have posted pictures of the plans. Having seen the plans for some of the other RV models, I think this is a significant contributor to being able to work fast.

PJ
40032
 
Seen the plans

I looked over the plans at Dan Checkoway's place a couple of weeks ago. They are definitely the way to go. My 7 plans are dog eared from going back and forth so many times. I know they won't but it would be nice if they would go back and do that for all of the kits. With the computer age we live in it sure doesn't seem as if it would be too tough.

Something I'd like to see Van's instituted is inventorying the parts by component. For example the canopy. Every nut, bolt and rivet needed to complete that piece is packaged. No more inventory sheet with 25 AN3-10's. This would be soooo much easier. Always seems I have one less bolt than needed.

Darwin N. Barrie
P19
Tired of wiring!!
 
I finished my 6A QB (bit of a misnomer) in 4 years and 1600 hrs, to build the airframe. The plans and manual were terrible. Bad drafting, multiple dimensions for the same parts, many mistakes and omissions in the manual. I spent as much time thinking and try to figure out what I was supposed to do as I did actually building.

I'm working on a -10 now. The parts generally fit very nicely, there are no plans to speak of, just a manual with really nice drawings and excellent instructions, step by step. Pretty hard to go wrong and it is a pleasure to work on this one compared to the 6A where lots of teeth gritting went on. I'm really impressed with what Van's has done on the -10. In 3 weeks of some evenings, I have the fin, rudder and half the elevators completed. It goes together very quickly.

Of course I've built one before and that helps a lot. This is an awesome deal for what is being charged. Can't wait to fly it.
 
Time

It takes 1000 to 1200 hours to build a RV 6,7,8,9, QB. That is me with some experience.
I think Mikes RV 10 we are building will take about 1560 hours.
Do the math.

1560 hours divide 8 hours per day = 195 days
Mike has a job flying airliners so we do not work every day, we are into our second year of construction.

I completed a RV8 QB with a full time owner here in 94 days. He had the tail done before he came here.

Completed Another RV8a QB in 54 days. His tail and some wing work were done prior to him coming here.

RV 8 QB = 1200 hours divide 16 hrs = 75 days. It took us 94 because we had to, order, wait on, radios and the many things that do not come with the kit.
My first RV 6 Standard Kit took me, a newbie, 18 months. I had a full time job but I worked on it every minute I was not at work. I had never held a Cleco before I started that kit. I spent about 2000 hours on it.

The RV 10s that you see flying are simply the ones that the owners have been working on. Nothing magic, just get after it.
 
Last edited:
Jaypratt said:
It takes 1000 to 1200 hours to build a RV 6,7,8,9, QB. That is me with some experience.

{SNIP}

I am distressed to here of these long build times. I think that it takes people so long only because they are not really working on it.
Just to add to this ...

And when you MODIFY/CUSTOMIZE, multiply times 4 or 6 or .... :)

And when you are flying (especially another RV)

And when life's unexpectancies occur

etc.

I am *still* working on a 6aQB (one of the first ones) after almost 10 years for ALL of the above reasons.

James
... and oh, when you spend too much time on the computer instead of building :)
 
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