Decision time

Hello all,
Seeking a little advice. In trying to identify our "mission", I believe these items take precedence in this order:

1. Economical
2. A way to build flight time (76 hours TT on pilot)
3. Short (~3 hour, speed dependent) cross-countries occasionally / Trainer for the kids
4. Resale value

With these factors in mind, I believe I'll know the answer to the question of "which RV is right for me?" But just wanting to read some banter on pros and cons.

Thanks,
Eric

Used RV-6 or -6A. A great value if you can find the right one.

Eric B said:

Hello all,
Seeking a little advice. In trying to identify our "mission", I believe these items take precedence in this order:

1. Economical
2. A way to build flight time (76 hours TT on pilot)
3. Short (~3 hour, speed dependent) cross-countries occasionally / Trainer for the kids
4. Resale value

With these factors in mind, I believe I'll know the answer to the question of "which RV is right for me?" But just wanting to read some banter on pros and cons.

Thanks,
Eric

Click to expand...

RV6, 7, 9 or even 12.

12 is much slower - but still decent cross country. and economical.

Just flew my 9 to miles city montana and back (vancouver, wa). I consistently get about 6.3 gallons per hour and fly about 165 mph ground speed.

6 and 7 if you are considering aerobatics

9 if for cross country and no aerobatics.

my take

if you want to fly now, cant beat a RV12.
If you plan to be in it for the long haul, and don't see any medical issues in the next few years, I would keep flying club planes, rental or even a used Cessna 150 to build time, while you build a RV7, 9 or 14.

By building while flying, you will have enough hours to be fully comfortable in the faster ships, and will stay motivated by continuing to fly and build time ( maybe even IFR rating??). I figured $150 to $200 / month for non-owner flying.

Don't build. That's going to take you hundreds if not thousands of work hours, minimum.

Avoid RV's if you need economy. Economy has three parts: initial cost, the annual fixed cost of insurance, storage, etc., and the service cost of the fuel, oul and that sort of thing. They are all important.

Get a 2-seat certified airplane. They start in the mid-teens and you can fly it from day one.

At some point when you have more flight time, reassess what your needs are then. If at that point you want to build an RV, then by all means do it.

My advice, worth every cent.

Dave
RV-3B skinning the fuselage
Cessna 180 flying

When you say build time, presumably that's towards an aviation job. How much do you care about instrument time? In my book, the long wing RVs are much better for IFR than the short wings, but as somebody else pointed out, spam cans can be mighty attractive -- and IFR is one of those cases where an old C172 will be lots better than an RV.

If you are looking for a modern aircraft that can be used as a "trainer for the kids", I would seriously consider the RV-12 or new RV-12iS. With a 120 kt cruise speed, it should be acceptable for shorter (~3 hr) cross countries, it is economical, and the S-LSA version is used by some flight schools. The E-SLA version is the same aircraft, just home built.

Best of luck with your decision.

Award Winning RV-6

I have just what you need:

Built by Mel & Ann Asberry, 1989-1993.
1126 hrs. TT, Empty weight 1040 lbs., Day/Night VFR.
Lycoming O-320-E3D, 9.5:1 compression, Roller rocker arms, (Aprox 172 hp).
850 SMOH, Dual impulse mags, Service bulletins complied with. Feb 2018 Annual.
Catto 3-bld w/NLE (Latest Config) & Screwless Spinner, 2 spare props, Catto 3-bld (climb), Sensenich Wood.
Hotel/Whiskey Extended Range Fuel Tanks (47 gals total fuel).
GRT Sport EX EFIS w/Safe-Fly 2020 GPS (new).
Garmin GNC 300XL com(1)/gps, Xcom com(2), Trig TT22 transponder. ADS-B out compliant.
Electronics International engine analyzer (UBG-16), fuel flow/pressure, dual fuel level.
TruTrak Vizion 380 2 axis autopilot.
Dual Brakes. Manual Flaps and Trim. Nice canopy cover that covers cabin vents.
Awards include:
“Best All Metal” S&F, “Outstanding Homebuilt” S&F. “Grand Champion” All American Sport Aviation Fly-In. “Mechanical Excellence Award” EAA 168. and More.
Serious inquires only please.

Ann & I no longer do cross countries and I don't want this airplane to "sit".
$65,000 or make me a reasonable offer.

972-784-7544

I think a -9 would fit your mission well. 155 kts true on 7.5 gph, stall speed of 39 kts, a super docile but responsive airplane. You mention resale value, which should remain quite high on an RV. An older certified aircraft would be much cheaper to purchase inititially but could have significantly higher annual inspection and maintenance costs, and might be harder to unload when it's time to sell.

Mel's plane looks pretty good too!

Eric B said:

H...3. Short (~3 hour, speed dependent) cross-countries occasionally / Trainer for the kids

…

Thanks,
Eric

Click to expand...

That "Trainer for the kids" thing knocks out all the RV's in my mind.

While the -9 has great low and high speed flight characteristics, having just replaced a cracked engine mount, patched and repainted a cracked gear leg fairing, and had a bent gear leg straightened, I can't recommend it for initial training.

Cross Country?

You didn't mention how many seats for cross country.
That's a big deal. I agree with others.
Buy a used spam can. 172 is a great trainer and can haul more than two cross country.

Eric B said:

Hello all,
Seeking a little advice. In trying to identify our "mission", I believe these items take precedence in this order:

1. Economical
2. A way to build flight time (76 hours TT on pilot)
3. Short (~3 hour, speed dependent) cross-countries occasionally / Trainer for the kids
4. Resale value

With these factors in mind, I believe I'll know the answer to the question of "which RV is right for me?" But just wanting to read some banter on pros and cons.

Thanks,
Eric

Click to expand...

You don't mention whether you want to build or buy.

Based on #1 and #2 I would think a RV12 would fill the nitch. Why buy a fast plane, like one of the other RV's if you want to build time. Of course you could throttle back and just putt along in one of the other RV's........................yeah right! LOL

David Paule said:

Don't build. That's going to take you hundreds if not thousands of work hours, minimum.

Avoid RV's if you need economy. Economy has three parts: initial cost, the annual fixed cost of insurance, storage, etc., and the service cost of the fuel, oul and that sort of thing. They are all important.

Get a 2-seat certified airplane. They start in the mid-teens and you can fly it from day one.

At some point when you have more flight time, reassess what your needs are then. If at that point you want to build an RV, then by all means do it.

My advice, worth every cent.

Dave
RV-3B skinning the fuselage
Cessna 180 flying

Click to expand...

I'd submit that you ignored the most significant factor for economy: maintenance costs (including compliance with ADs). Any mid-$teens certified a/c is quite likely to cost more in required maintenance over 5 years than the purchase price. I learned to fly in a Luscombe (great teacher), and its last annual prior to me selling my 1/3 share cost almost as much as I originally paid for my share. Maintenance can easily exceed all the direct operating costs. Whenever someone asks me why I fly a homebuilt, I tell them that if I had to own a certified a/c, I'd own a boat.

Charlie

I bought my RV-6A while I was still training for my PPL. I took 10hrs of
transition training and haven't looked back. Great plane for cross country and
fairly economical to own and fly. Flew to Birmingham, Al and back to S17 on
less than 20gals of 100LL. My wife has gotten comfortable in the airplane and
now wants to get her PPL. Guess she finally got tired of "riding". As far as a
trainer, with the right CFI it should not be an issue in my book. You should
really take a look at Mel's RV-6. That sounds like a bargain.

I agree with Bill R.

While the kids could learn in an RV you may not be able to find insurance. for them.

I find it hard to believe you can find a "mid-teens" anything that is going to serve your purpose and not going to involve a substantial amount of time and money to be a reliable airworthy training machine.

I see the OP has posted a second thread, indicating he is thinking of building, and asking about a -10 and a -12.
Building. For the record, I built a -10, and loved doing it. But it?s not for everyone. You should build only if you enjoy the process. If it feels like work, you will quickly tire of it. And, make sure your spouse is on board. We?re talking thousands of hours away from home life. Some projects unfortunately end in divorce. But I also know of successful builds by people who were married, had kids, worked full time. For myself, I waited until the kid was out on his own, and I was retired. Everyone is different.
RV-10. I am guessing you are thinking about family trips. Some here will say no one will fly with them, so 2 seats are already one too many. Others say family vacations in their -10 are something they will cherish forever. For myself, I?m constantly surprised at how many people are happy to fly with us, and we?ve made any number of trips at near gross weight (4 adults +bags).
You and a -10. At 70 hours insurance will be ultra expensive. You want to aim to have 300 or so when the -10 is finished. An instrument rating is a plus. And the first year insurance will still be expensive.So you need to keep flying while building. More money.

If you want lower total cost of ownership (not just considering acquisition costs, but also the cost to operate/fix/maintain over time) and want an RV that's truly suitable and works very well for training as well as general fun use, the RV-12 is hard to beat. Great useful load in the LSA class, and can be built or bought for a truly reasonable price. For building, just order and get started. Plan 800-1000 hours of build time of you stay focused and on-task. For buying, consider the SLSA aircraft built by the factory (which is usable for commercial training environments), or for personal aircraft to be used for your own training take a look at one of the RV-12s that are often for sale, built by the many teen-builder programs. Some great deals to be had for very well-built airplanes, ready to fly.