One perspective
I finished my 7 slow build and am considering a 10 quick build so this thread is very interesting.
How is the fuel tank quality?
How is the flush rivet quality?
Did you cut holes for Duct Works landing lights?
What kind of fuel level indicator? Capacitance? BNC connector?
Are flop tubes an option?
Are AN fittings for fuel, vent and return lines well positioned?
Thanks for any info that is helpful in making decision to buy quick build wings or not.
I slow built my RV-10 fuselage and wings, but I did them with the assistance of Synergy Air (fuselage in Eugene, wings in Newnan). We compared the end result with several quick built fuselages and wings that were there.
Can’t speak to tank quality. Plenty of threads on VAF about QB tanks.
Overall construction quality of the QB’s is generally good. I believe we did better. Keep in mind I had highly skilled assistance and all riveting was done with two people. Quality was our foremost consideration and we did not rush.
Originally cut holes for Duckworks, then realized that the
Van’s RV-14 landing light kit works also for the 10. I kept the Duckworks mounting brackets in the wings (with Baja Designs Squadron Pros) and used the larger RV-10/14 lenses. You could buy the Sunspot light kit from Van's and not do Duckworks at all. Mine is a hybrid.
I bought Princeton capacitance probes pre-bent for the RV-10 tanks. We also fitted the stock Stewart Warner float probes to each tank as a backup if the capacitance probes don’t work well. They are on a shelf just in case. The capacitance probes have three wires vs. one for the floats.
Flop tubes are not an option with QB tanks. The RV-10 is not aerobatic so I don’t understand why you would want them.
There is no return fitting on an RV-10 fuel tank, but the inboard tank rib (T-1003B) is essentially the same part on the RV-14 - which does have a return line. Since we slow built the tanks, I simply bought two extra VA-141 fuel flanges and installed them on the upper part of the tank rib in the same location as is on the RV-14. Needed the return line for electronic fuel injection. There are options out there that exist to have the same functionality with a QB tank, but this worked well for our SB tanks.
The cost to quick build the wings and fuselage at Synergy was considerably higher than if I had bought them from Van’s. I did it to allow some additional customization, have better control over the quality but primarily as a skill builder for me. Other than a few folks who didn't want to wait (lead times on early RV-14 QB kits were very long), most builders at Synergy opt for QB kits. We took 3 1/2 weeks on the fuselage and 3 weeks on the wings to build them to QB status. Working by yourself I expect would be much longer.
I was more time and quality focused than cost. Hope this helps.