Build sequence

Hi everyone. I'm just starting an RV-12 build. The empennage kit is mostly finished and waiting for my wing kit. I was just wondering how discrete, if that's the right word, the rest of the kits are. The empennage kit, or example, was almost totally complete and not dependent on any other kit (except for the tailcone fairings). Is that generally true? I was planning on doing the wing kit next and was going to order the fuselage kit timed to arrive sometime around when I expect to finish the wings. Then the finishing kit when I expect to finish the fuse then the avionics then the engine sequentially in that order. Does that make sense or would it be better to group the finishing kit with the fuselage or engine because of a more convenient order of build?

I've looked at quite a number of builder's kitlogs but, without being able to see actual kit instructions & contents, it's hard to tell whether they're being built sequentially by kit or whether there's a temporary pause in one kit to complete something in another because it's more convenient to do it that way. It looks there might be some advantage to getting the fuse & finishing kits together but not sure. I have seen a number of posts about delaying attaching the tailcone and rear window skins, I guess at least until after drilling the flaperon actuating arms, but not much other than that.

My only motivation for trying to sequence the kits is storage space for unused kits while working on earlier ones but I'll figure out something if that makes more sense.

Thanks

The wings go together quickly. Order the next sub kit soon. Shipping costs will be less if two or more sub kits are ordered at a time. After finishing the tail and wings, you will think that the fuselage will be built quickly too. But there are so many parts that it will take much longer than expected.
Joe Gores

tomkk said:

Hi everyone. I'm just starting an RV-12 build. The empennage kit is mostly finished and waiting for my wing kit. I was just wondering how discrete, if that's the right word, the rest of the kits are. The empennage kit, or example, was almost totally complete and not dependent on any other kit (except for the tailcone fairings). Is that generally true? I was planning on doing the wing kit next and was going to order the fuselage kit timed to arrive sometime around when I expect to finish the wings. Then the finishing kit when I expect to finish the fuse then the avionics then the engine sequentially in that order. Does that make sense or would it be better to group the finishing kit with the fuselage or engine because of a more convenient order of build?

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My only motivation for trying to sequence the kits is storage space for unused kits while working on earlier ones but I'll figure out something if that makes more sense.

Thanks

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I followed the order implicit in the VANs order form without any problem. One detail that may be important in favor of following this order: two EAA tables in end to end configuration are useful for the wings while for the fuselage only one is needed but it is too high per the EAA plans (especially when you work with the fuselage on its side). So I just took about one foot off the legs of one table. Not wise to do that before the wings are done.
If your workshop is no more than 1 car garage size (as in my case) get the wings out of the way asap, bad things can happen in a workshop! Empennage was fitted temporarily in workshop (vertical stab, rudder and stabilator fitting) and removed until airport hangar, saved a lot of space and trouble when working around the plane for avionics and Firewall forward. You may need to roll the fuselage in and out of workshop to fit the wings, also much easier without empennage. Same for ferrying the plane to paint shop and fitting in paint booth.
Just my 2 builder's cents, good luck and welcome to the club!

It's true the fuse does take a little longer to complete. I ordered everything but the engine and avionics together. The crate for the finish kit makes a nice stand for the fuse assembly!

I've held off doing somethings on fuse, until I can at least get the wiring done (which is in the finish kit). i.e. - I'm not installing the tailcone until later in the build. The roll bar, upper fuse will wait until the wiring. Some folks don't even put on the side skins until the wiring and fuel lines are run.

Then again there's some big options coming in the panel; like dual screen Skyview touch screens or dual Garmin GX-3's touch screens. I'm sure that will change the wiring. So I'm sort of in hold mode for wiring. Once you get closer to the end things depend on other things being done. I still haven't finished the seats so I can work on that. I still have the fuel lines to run and a couple of SB's on the fuel tank. but other than that I'm waiting for things to shake out.

Bob

Thanks. Bob mentioned the wiring was in the finish kit. Aren't the wiring harnesses dependent on some of the avionics options?

I would think so. I know that when the switch was made from the Dynon D-180 to the Skyviews there was a change in the wiring. However, I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn and am only guessing.

Bob

I bought all the kits at once, and I think it made the cockpit build easier from an access standpoint - especially in the area under the avionics bay and the AP servo installation. Some of the finishing kit and avionics parts are easier to install before completing the fuselage kit. Having said that, plenty of builders seem to have done just fine building in the plan sequence.

Wing kit and Fuselage kit should be ordered together. The wings go together ridiculously fast, even with the optional light kit.
The Fuselage then will take a while, if just for the overwhelming amount of nutplate installations. The Finish kit has all the fiberglass parts and the canopy as well as the wiring harnesses. That one took me the longest to complete, maybe because I was not a buff in dealing with fiberglass and doing my own lay-ups, so the learning (anxiety) curve was higher - for me at least.
The Avionics go in very fast again and if you're lucky it might even all work on the first try. Definitely aim to do the installation and test it before putting the fuselage on its legs as trouble-shooting as well as the installation itself are a lot easier with the fuselage on its side. Hold off on trimming the cowl until you installed the engine. I don't think it makes sense to guess about the alignment to the spinner back plate until it is actually in place.

One more question about this. I'd rather hold off with the avionics kit as long as is reasonable so I can see if they roll out any new options but I can see it might be advantageous to have it sometime during the fuselage/finish kit build, for the autopilot servo install if nothing else.

When is a good time to have the avionic kit on hand to make the installation as convenient as possible?

Order empennage, wings, and fuse at the same time. Emp and wings finish FAST. Order Finish kit as well if you can accommodate that. You will want to have the finish kit available when the fuse kit is done, not wait several weeks.

Many of us (those "waiting for Skyview") got the avionics kit last, even after the engine. That is not a problem. All of the wiring goes up into the panel waiting to get plugged in. Changing your mind on the avionics will not affect all the wiring you install in the fuse and tail and wings.

You want to have the engine hung before you fit the upper and lower cowl, even though they come in an earlier section.

Read a really good build blog and you will see the issues well ahead. There are a hunch. One of the best is schmetterlingaviation.com. Read lots of the much earlier posts in this RV12 forum. They cover building each section. That area has been covered so thoroughly that there are not a lot of new posts about things like building the wings or fuse.

Thanks, pretty much what I figured. What raised the question in my mind was realizing the autopilot servos were part of the avionics kit, although the wiring & mounting hardware is in the fuselage kit. I guess getting the servos in later isn't a problem?

tomkk said:

Thanks, pretty much what I figured. What raised the question in my mind was realizing the autopilot servos were part of the avionics kit, although the wiring & mounting hardware is in the fuselage kit. I guess getting the servos in later isn't a problem?

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It can be done as written, but getting the roll servo in seems like it would have been far easier done before the tail cone was joined with the rest of the fuselage. I've done two the official way and enjoyed neither. Note that the servos are an optional purchase - you can buy them as early as you want. Doing so could potentially lock you into the Skyview rather than the Garmin, but since I'm a pretty big fan of Dynon and not so fond of Garmin, I personally don't see that as a problem.

Dgamble said:

Doing so could potentially lock you into the Skyview rather than the Garmin, but since I'm a pretty big fan of Dynon and not so fond of Garmin, I personally don't see that as a problem.

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Second that!

I bought everything at once. It gave me the option of changing the order of build which I found particularly useful in the cockpit area.