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Buying everything at once need advice and input

kevinsky18

kevinsky18

Well Known Member
I?m getting very close to ordering my kit. When I do I plan on ordering the whole kit at once. The engine and avionics I?ll order later but everything else I want to pick up all in one go. Although I do have a good idea of the engine, prop and avionics that I will use so that should help with the rest of the decision making.

I?ve been doing a fair bit of research online and gone through the Vans catalogue for ideas. However, I?m not sure on which stuff is already included in the kits ect, especially when it comes to the wiring, interior and such.

Below is a long list with a number of my notations. I know it?s a long read but if people could take the time to go through things and give me feedback it would be much appreciated.

Mission: Mostly Day/night VFR with occasional very light IFR

Airframe:
Vans RV-8 (Tail Dragger)Quick Build $27,105
Tip Up Canopy
Electric Trim Both Elevator $260 and Aileron $280
Air Adjustable pilot Pedals

*Rear pedals $115 and power controls (not sure if rear power controls are an official vans option)

Doug Bell Tail Wheel $185
RV-8 Grove Airfoiled Gear $1,809
No Flop tubes in fuel tanks
Show Planes Cowl $1150

*Sam James Plenums $425 (Not sure if show planes has their own or if this will work with the show planes cowl)

*Sam James Wheel Pants $225 (Not sure how well these fit with the Grove Gear)

Massey Aircraft Hot Tips $550
Tracy Saylor's Hot Tips Light
Terry Jantzi Steering Link $130

*Terry Jantzi Sealed Bearing Tail Wheel $55 (Not sure if Doug bell uses a similar tire if he does I can scratch this)

Aircraft Spruce A-600 Brake Reservoirs - to replace leaky vans system $30
Fighter Stick Grip - Infinity Aerospace $175
DJM Throatle Quadrant - Upgrade through Vans

*Andair Fuel Vale 3 way - Upgrade through Vans I would ideally like a left, right, both and Aux selection. Not sure if Andair makes such an option.

Engine:
AeroSport IO-360-M2 (Parallel-Valve) ECI components $24000
Horizontal Facing Induction, Fixed pitch option with hollow crank for easy conversion to constant speed
AeroSport uses Precision fuel injection and prefers it due to use friendliness and customer service. No return fuel line required.

*10:1 piston $300. 11:1 is max but Aprox 500TBO AeroSport is leery of anything over 9.2

Dual Electronic Ignition - Light Speed Plasma III with Direct Crank sensor $2000
Stewart Warner 8406R Oil Cooler $531

Carbon Fiber Plenum (see above)

Exhaust:
*Vetterman 4-1pipe exhaust $700 not sure if this is included in the FWF kit

Prop:

*3 Blade Catto - Designed for max cruise Due to harmonics associated with the Electronic Ignition I need a wood or composite prop. Not sure if this is true if i go with a constant speed set up.

Avionics:
Internal Antennas wherever possible
Garmin 496 GPS
Garmin GPS panel Mount $95 Vans
Dynon FlightDEK-D180 $3200
Garmin SL-30 nav/com $3637 (not sure if I need an audio panel for this setup)
Garmin GTX-327 Transponder $1785 Vans

Misc
A lot of this stuff I don?t know if it already comes with any of the kits.

Mounted battery Harness Kit $310
Master relay ES-24115 $17 (starter solendiod)
Electric Flap Control Circuit Board $48 (to ease installation into grip)
*Foam Seat Cushions $295 Vans no covering (Suggestions for covering?)
5 point seat belts. $140 x 2 sets = $280
Canopy Cover Light weight $185 Normal weight $335
Non-Skid wing walk $18.95
Tie Down Rings $8.50 / set
Electric Primer $130
Decals and stainless steel data plate $15
Fire EX A600 Extinguisher $98.00
Switches, breakers, busbars????
Additional lighting for IFR flight?


Total of items with prices $70,326.50 Guess real cost around $75000 not including paint.
 
Last edited:
Hi Kevin,

You've obviously been putting a bunch of thought into the preparation for this step. I'm sure you'll get other feedback... for what it's worth, here is my contribution.

If you're going with an RV-8, you can't have a tip up. The 8 is only available as a slider.

Some of the stuff you mention is available from Van's, and some may not be (i.e. Doug Bell tailwheel), so your idea of a one stop shop may not be totally feasible.

You list a lot of stuff that you're not going to need for some time, and it will be collecting dust and tying up cash in the meantime. Not only that, but I will bet you dollars to doughnuts that your opinions as to what is "best" for you will evolve as you are building (i.e. the desire for a fuel valve with "aux" I find perplexing, as there is no aux fuel tank on the 8). You may find yourself wanting to sell off inventory and go with something different down the road. Some stuff you need to decide relatively soon (electric trim, brake reservoirs, rudder pedals, and one you didn't mention, fuel float senders) and others are a long way off (cowl and plenum, wheel pants, engine, instruments, seat belts, seat cushions, etc.)

It is good to have the list, but if you're like the vast majority of us, the airframe kit with a few early choice options will keep you busy for months, if not years, and you're decision making process will help you finalize some of the other options. Also, if you're like most of us, you'll be putting in occasional orders to Van's to replace your "learning experience" parts, so there will be ample opportunity to add on to an order as you find you need things. Of course... you did have that earlier post asking what the record build time is, so if you're shooting for that it changes everything. :eek:

Just some thoughts... for what it's worth.
:)
 
The "both" mode --- using a simple fuel system selector, is not an easy option with a low wing. It would allow fuel to easily transfer from one wing tank to another.

If the fuel level of one tank runs low, it opens the fuel line to air, and stops fuel delivery to the fuel pump altogether.

A good example is the two straw & glass of water test. Suck water through both straws, and everything is just fine. Pull one straw from the water, and it all stops flowing! :D

L.Adamson
 
kevinsky18 said:
*Andair Fuel Vale 3 way - Upgrade through Vans I would ideally like a left, right, both and Aux selection. Not sure if Andair makes such an option.
Click to expand...
A both position will only work if you have a gravity feed fuel system (i.e. like a high wing Cessna, or a CJ-6 that has both wing tanks gravity feeding to a header tank). If you still think it will work with a suction fuel system, try devising a test with some clear plastic tubing going to a Y, with a piece of tubing from each end of the Y going into two glasses. If both glasses have water in them, you can suck on the other end of the Y, and get water. But if one glass is empty, all you will suck is air, even though the other glass still has water. If this were an RV, the engine would quit as soon as one tank was empty. You would then have to switch to the correct tank to get a restart. Not good.

As an aside, one advantage of purchasing kits as you need them is that Van is continually upgrading the kits. If you buy them all at once you don't get the upgrades that will happen between the purchase date and the date you actually need that kit.
 
That cowl requires 15" spinner.. check up on availability before ordering... may be in for a sticker shock too.. not sure though..
 
Vetterman exhaust, basic wiring harness, master relay and starter solenoid all come with the firewall forward kit for the forward induction IO-360.

Don't need (and shouldn't use) primer system with injected engine.

Pat
 
Buy the airframe kits and leave the rest until you need em. Technology improves, good deals appear, etc.
 
I don't want to be the one throwing a monkey wrench into your plans...but I if you add up the cost of the stuff you left off, and will need (prop, govener, dozen or more probes for the dynon, pitot, exterior paint job, GPS, backup steam gauges, strobes, wiring harnesses, shipping all this stuff, antennas, building tools, landing lights, etc) your going to blow through $100k without blinking. Personaly, if I was looking at $100k out of pocket to get a pile of parts that needs 1500 hours or more of labor to get flying, I would seriously be looking at already built and flying 8's. Something to think about unless your dead set on building.
 
You have to store it somewhere!

Your biggest problem will be the storage of all those parts & crates. I am in 1/2 of a two-car garage. I have 'cleaned up, tossed, and re-arranged' at least 3 times since I ordered and received my empennage kit. Right now the Fuse kit crate is sitting where I plan to eventually build/finish the Fuse. Fortunately, my work bench will be able to handle the bulk of the fuse build (I hope). I decided not to purchase the wing kit at this time and build the Fuse first. I will order QB wings when I order the finishing kit.
 
Everyone thanks for the feedback

Thanks for the clarification on the canopy. I don?t know how I got confused. Slider works for me so that?s not an issue.

Thanks for the clarification on the fuel selector not working in the both position. I do however want an Aux line as I plan on having a removable ferry tank for some very long X-Countries I plan on making. Sorry the mission statement should have included long X-countries to remote locations.

I thought I had seen primers on fuel injected engines before. Clearly I must have been mistaken, thanks for clearing that up.

Good to know the exhaust, basic wiring harness, master relay and start solenoid come with the firewall forward.

As for back up steam gauges there won?t be any. Yes a personal decision on my part and one I?ve given a lot of thought to and I?m comfortable with my decision.

I?m aware that my projected costs do not include tools and shop supplies.

Two things that I haven?t made up my mind on yet are constant speed prop and autopilot. I would be 100% committed to the Catto fixed pitch prop if I felt assured Craig could get me one on time but he seems so busy I?m worried that may not happen.

I know I would like Autopilot but . . .

As for ordering bits and pieces; that?s not going to happen. I?m ordering the full kit at once. I know I may change my mind on some things but I?ve been spending years thinking about building this plane and the better part of a year figuring out the details. I know that I will end up wishing I had made one choice instead of another on certain build aspects but that?s why I?m posting this today so that I can workout those decisions now to make those regrets minimal. Once I?ve decided then I will stick with my decisions unless it is a really compelling reason to deviate. As for new updates coming out from Vans, well my time frame is to have the airframe completely built is within a year or less. The engine and avionics in hung and installed within 14 months and ready for flight tests in a year and half. Yes I do have a very flexible work schedule (I get two full weeks / 14days off every month and a full six weeks of holidays on top of that), no wife, the kids are grown and I do have a decent line of credit. And I do have lots of options for storage.

Again thanks for the input I do know many of the items I won?t be able to buy through Vans but I need to know what options I want so I know what to tell Vans to take out of their kit.

Lingering questions are:

Does vans have a rear power control option for the RV-8. I?m a former flight instructor and would like to use my RV-8 to provide transition training to other RV-8 builders. I?ve seen some of the Mickey Mouse setups out there but I would like something that looks more professional.

Does the Sam James plenum fit with the Show Planes cowl? If not what other plenum option is there?

Will the Sam James Wheel pants work with the Grove Gear Legs?

Does Andair have a 3 way valve? Left, Right, Aux?

What interior options does Vans offer stock with the kit? i.e. seats, seat belts etc.

What other little items do I need to think about in terms of switches, breakers ect? Do you get a hand full of those when you order the finishing kit or are those items order separately.

I live up in Canada, it can often cost $100 to get a $50 item shipped to where I live so there is good incentive to order everything I need all at once so that I can reduce the amount of shipping and thus save money in the long run, even if I have a few parts sitting on the self.
 
2 cents

My two cents:

Go with the 9.2 to 1 pistons, and a constant speed prop. Your overall performance will be much better.

If you plan long cross countries, then get a good autopilot with altitude hold.

Contact Chuck Wilson @ Hotel Wiskey through Safe Air Inc. for their Aux tanks.

Plan on everything taking twice as long as your best estimate!
 
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