I'm contemplating starting a -4 or -8, and I'm curious as to how much of the build I could do in a basement. I don't have directly outside access (other than through a window), and going upstairs requires 2 90* turns (top and bottom of stairs). Any chance I could do any substantial part of the work down there so as to save 1/2 of my garage?
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Building in a basement?
- Thread starter Bradg33
- Start date
Basement
I'm building my -8 in the basement. It is a great work space as it is climate controlled. I do have a straight shot up the stairs so I completed the wings in the basement and have started the fuse. Even if final assembly is in the garage you will be able to build the tail and do most of the prep work in the basement. Preparing the parts is about 70% of the work.
And the best part...........when you tell people you are building a plane in the basement they all ask how you are going to get it out. Just give them a dazed look like you have never really thought about it
I'm building my -8 in the basement. It is a great work space as it is climate controlled. I do have a straight shot up the stairs so I completed the wings in the basement and have started the fuse. Even if final assembly is in the garage you will be able to build the tail and do most of the prep work in the basement. Preparing the parts is about 70% of the work.
And the best part...........when you tell people you are building a plane in the basement they all ask how you are going to get it out. Just give them a dazed look like you have never really thought about it
pierre smith
Well Known Member
Others before you have built in basements to completion and when the time came to move the airplane to the airport, they knocked out the wall and had builders standing by to lay the blocks that day.
Best,
Best,
Others before you have built in basements to completion and when the time came to move the airplane to the airport, they knocked out the wall and had builders standing by to lay the blocks that day.
Best,
My wife would literally murder me if that was my plan...
humptybump
Well Known Member
Vlad started his 9A in a New York apartment. Yo can definitely get started in the basement
Worth the risk
But, if you survive, you could do anything you want
Pierre gave you good advice.
But, if you survive, you could do anything you want
Pierre gave you good advice.
Dean Pichon
Well Known Member
I built the fuselage of my -4 in a small basement, hung the engine and prop, and did most of the wiring. I cut a hole in the basement wall, installed a 4' wide steel door and moved everything to the airport.
I took me 9 years, 11 months to build my -4, but only the last 4 months were at an airport. Building in a basement is easy. By the time you have built the fuselage, cutting a hole in wall is a very minor inconvenience.
Good luck,
N941WR
Legacy Member
I built my -9 in my basement, even assembled it down there.
The egress was a bit tricky but after enlarging the 32" door to 64" all was fine.
Use this as an excuse to add an outside staircase and build that early, so it will be easier getting parts in and out. Just don't make the stairs so steep you can't get the fuselage out.
The egress was a bit tricky but after enlarging the 32" door to 64" all was fine.
Use this as an excuse to add an outside staircase and build that early, so it will be easier getting parts in and out. Just don't make the stairs so steep you can't get the fuselage out.
Frank Smidler
Well Known Member
Basement RV-6
This is a link to pictures of my airplane being removed from the basement. I was able to get the wings up the stairs and too the hanger months earlier. The fuselage took a backhoe and cutting a 4 x 4 ft opening in the wall. It's amazing how your airplane friends will band together and help out. It only took a few hours and I ended up with a nice egress window to the basement.
https://picasaweb.google.com/FSmidler/071103N96FSBasementExtraction
This is a link to pictures of my airplane being removed from the basement. I was able to get the wings up the stairs and too the hanger months earlier. The fuselage took a backhoe and cutting a 4 x 4 ft opening in the wall. It's amazing how your airplane friends will band together and help out. It only took a few hours and I ended up with a nice egress window to the basement.
https://picasaweb.google.com/FSmidler/071103N96FSBasementExtraction
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I actually have a 47"x47" egress window in my basement already. Its already got a well similar to yours in place. I might be able to angle a 12x4 wing out of it the way it is, but even if not it wouldn't be that tough to just dig up that small part of the yard when the time came.
Of course, I'm looking at a partially completed kit, so I don't know if I could get the wings down there without a substantial amount of work.
Its been a while on this one... I did an -8 in the basement of a 100yr old Victorian in downtown DC. It had a stone foundation that was about six feet underground and a narrow, steep, set of a stairs to the outside. Before I even began building, I contacted an architect who built a scale model of the house with the airplane parts (fuse & wings) to demonstrate how it was going to emerge. We even needed the help of a structural engineer to determine whether the work was going to need a load bearing beam.
As far as the wife, we did have SOME water damage at the base of the foundation, and its REALLY important to get that dealt with because a big mold ball might form and attack us in our sleep....and btw, we get the plane out...but that water damage gets FIXED!!
Here's a video of the day we took it out. I made this for a talk I used to give to other surgeons to show how our manual skills are useful in lots of different arenas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQI-nE946mc
Heres the finale video..Hope this inspires you..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apFG9yqaySc&feature=g-upl
Theres another video of the first flight on youtube somewhere...
Hope this helps.
Jon
As far as the wife, we did have SOME water damage at the base of the foundation, and its REALLY important to get that dealt with because a big mold ball might form and attack us in our sleep....and btw, we get the plane out...but that water damage gets FIXED!!
Here's a video of the day we took it out. I made this for a talk I used to give to other surgeons to show how our manual skills are useful in lots of different arenas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQI-nE946mc
Heres the finale video..Hope this inspires you..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apFG9yqaySc&feature=g-upl
Theres another video of the first flight on youtube somewhere...
Hope this helps.
Jon
If you have a 47" x 47" window, you should have no trouble getting your completed wings and fuse through the window. I built my 7 in the basement and got the pieces out with a window smaller than yours 42" x 48". Fuse only had a half-inch to spare horizontally but it slipped out just the same! Building the plane in the basement was a big factor in my completing the project: cool in the summer, warm in the winter, wife always knew where I was, one minute transit time to the project ....
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Av8torTom
Well Known Member
dicel87
Well Known Member
I smell a plan in the works!
Skykingbob
Well Known Member
AWESOME!
Hey folks....some awesome posts, photos & videos!!!
Hey folks....some awesome posts, photos & videos!!!
I'm contemplating a 4 or an 8. What about the wings?
Skykingbob
Well Known Member
Wings fit through diagonally easily; not even close!
They are required!!!
Just purchased the tail kit today? Congrats! I need to get my wife on-board, which I hope will occur at Oshkosh in less than 2 weeks.
Skykingbob
Well Known Member
Vans site
Brad,
I got a emp kit from a gentleman in TX. RV8 with manual trim (what I wanted). Got the tools on ebay. I am trying to decide whether to build in the basement or build a metal pole building that I need anyway.....need to talk to wife more! My basement has french doors 6' wide....so that wouldn't be a problem.
If you look at the RV8 page under the spec tab....it has some very basic dimentions but it may give you an idea. I decided on the 8 myself...while I fly my wife can knit or ???? plus if I dont want to rub shoulders with someone else with side by side!
Going to OSH huh? Lucky....I plan to go and take my older brother when RV8 gets complete...part of my bucket list!
Yol Bolson My Friend!
Brad,
I got a emp kit from a gentleman in TX. RV8 with manual trim (what I wanted). Got the tools on ebay. I am trying to decide whether to build in the basement or build a metal pole building that I need anyway.....need to talk to wife more! My basement has french doors 6' wide....so that wouldn't be a problem.
If you look at the RV8 page under the spec tab....it has some very basic dimentions but it may give you an idea. I decided on the 8 myself...while I fly my wife can knit or ???? plus if I dont want to rub shoulders with someone else with side by side!
Going to OSH huh? Lucky....I plan to go and take my older brother when RV8 gets complete...part of my bucket list!
Yol Bolson My Friend!
Skykingbob
Well Known Member
Labor
Brad....I am sure you are aware that the 4 is quite a bit more labor intensive than the 8....no prebuilt spars, no match drilled holes, no quickbuild kits if you want to have the wings or fuse done to move it along......not that it is a bad thing....but for me...it would increase build time too much for my desire.
Thats the part of why I want to build the pole barn.....I worked as a toolmaker and use to have my own machine shop....I want to buy a lathe and mill to have even though the project wouldn't require it. If your uncle's machine shop is typical....then you better plan on buying some tools
Brad....I am sure you are aware that the 4 is quite a bit more labor intensive than the 8....no prebuilt spars, no match drilled holes, no quickbuild kits if you want to have the wings or fuse done to move it along......not that it is a bad thing....but for me...it would increase build time too much for my desire.
Thats the part of why I want to build the pole barn.....I worked as a toolmaker and use to have my own machine shop....I want to buy a lathe and mill to have even though the project wouldn't require it. If your uncle's machine shop is typical....then you better plan on buying some tools
Skykingbob
Well Known Member
Any bad experiences?
Other than having to bust out walls etc....has anyone had bad experience such as fumes getting into house.....fires due to furnace...etc??? Anything that you would discourage you from building in the basement.....for example, spouse making you do all the laundry cuz you are down stairs anyway?
Other than having to bust out walls etc....has anyone had bad experience such as fumes getting into house.....fires due to furnace...etc??? Anything that you would discourage you from building in the basement.....for example, spouse making you do all the laundry cuz you are down stairs anyway?
