Early purchase ?

I know for sure I will build an RV10. Just when is the exact question. I have a new baby boy on the way (here in 4 weeks) and work takes so much of my time. Since kit prices are always going to go up... Is there any downside to buying a kit now and storing it for a few years before I have the time to dedicate to building it? It would be stored in my garage. Probably for 3-5 years. In addition, I could have it all purchased and the kit cost would not be a factor as the build commences. Any thoughts

The small cost increase verses the corrosion under the plastic on the skins is not worth it. Buy when you are ready.

Invest the money in the interim. That will offset the difference hopefully.

I tend to agree. There are too many projects out there sitting in someone's garage, gathering dust and maybe a little corrosion. The kit cost isn't increasing that fast, probably with inflation more or less. Invest the $ in an "RV-10 Fund" and wait until you are ready would be my recommendation.

Getting started

I wouldn't buy a kit just to let it sit several years. That said, do you have any time to build? If so, buy the tail kit and just build when you can. For many of us it's about the journey, not the destination. Regardless of how much you accomplish in the next few years, you will be farther ahead than not starting for 3 or 4 years.

Just my $.02.

DaAV8R said:

I wouldn't buy a kit just to let it sit several years. That said, do you have any time to build? If so, buy the tail kit and just build when you can. For many of us it's about the journey, not the destination. Regardless of how much you accomplish in the next few years, you will be farther ahead than not starting for 3 or 4 years.

Just my $.02.

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Yep - Agree with that 100%. And from my experience; those new baby's take a lot of naps in there first year. Have your garage organized and sneak away to work on that tail kit while baby is sleeping and momma's doing her thing. Get one of those motorola wireless monitors. I bet you have that tail kit built before baby turns 1. Then you got that much behind you! Give er nuts'

why not start the tail?

Since you are certain on building a -10, you could buy the tail kit and have it be the worlds slowest RV-10 tail kit. If it took you four years, at least you have a project to work on if you want to.

We have our 3rd due in 2 weeks I find that with kiddo's around, you actually end up needing to be home more often, even if they are just napping. Great time to spend with your new hobby (that is 'til hungry baby wakes up)!!!!

Since you have time, get your shop set up. Buy the tools so you are ready to go. Then look for second hand kits as you go and build on them as you have the time, that way, instead of collecting dust and potentially corroding in their shop you are putting it to good use and you will save far more.

Tim

I agree with start small.

The corrosion argument doesn't really hold. Aluminium doesn't corrode like steel. It will "rust" immediately, but as I understand it, that oxide layer actually serves to protect the rest of the aluminium.

So if it sits in your garage for a couple years while you work on it when you have a chance it's not like its turning into a pile of rust.. instead its just patiently waiting for you to come out and give it loving when you have time.

I'm no expert here but I'd say every hour you can give it now, is an hour you don't have to spend later. It's already a very long term project, start it sooner than later.

Kit prices go up every year... but not as much as you could easily be making if you had the money invested in an ETF or something. If you have $45K sitting idle now, stick it in a brokerage account, manage it for 3-5 years and compare what it's worth to what new kits cost. I think you'll come out ahead, even after the IRS finishes trying to crush your dreams.

I would be a little concerned about letting un-started kits sit in the crates for years. Depending on your climate and the storage location, people have seen filiform corrosion under the blue plastic. Easily removed, but just one more thing for you to worry about.

You could very well also find a killer deal on a partially complete airframe or even un-started kits while your brand new kits (for which you paid full price) sit idle in the crates. If you're not in a hurry, you have the luxury of being able to shop around and watch the VAF classifieds.

So, I get where your thoughts are, but I'd suggest holding off. Get your shop set up (cleaned up, lights, heat, compressor, workbenches, tools). If you find you have the time and space, get your tail kit and get started. Who cares how long it takes? You can treat it like it a hobby craft project... it will just turn into an airplane some day.

Get Started!

Speaking as one who has two kids (daughter 3 1/2, son 11 months) and two projects (RV-10 and RV-3B), kids will DEFINITELY have an impact on your build time! That being said, I believe that if you have the money to simply purchase the entirety of an RV-10 kit, then "saving money over time by buying now" might not be your real concern. It may be that you're questioning whether or not you'll have time to build with a kid(s) in the picture, and wanting to "lock in" your build by having a kit in the garage. My suggestion is to have a long, honest talk about it with your wife. She will likely have a difficult cross to bear if and when you start on your project. I'm not saying you won't be around at all (that would quickly destroy your relationship with wifey and kiddie(s)), I'm saying that when you're busy working, your wife will be busy doing dishes, laundry, cleaning the kitchen, picking up toys, laundry and probably more laundry. You both don't yet know what's in store for you, regarding time management, but you can at least speculate on your specific roles and make sure that she's on board for her expected sacrifices, and you yours... You too will have times, when you watch the wife and kid(s) pull away to spend a beautiful day at the zoo, waterpark, whatever, while you get to debur/dimple thousands of holes, research proper edge distances, torques, etc. You friends will question your loyalty, since they don't see you as often. Etc, etc. Try to know what you're in for, then make the leap or not.

I knew a guy that built an RV-10 pretty quickly, spending all his time in the shop while his wife cared for their baby "TWINS!" When he finally had it built and wanted to fly places, the wife and kids had little desire to go with, as they were into other things and used to daddy being "busy." In the end, he sold the plane about a year after it was finished, to buy a boat. So, my $0.02 is to talk about it, make sure you're both okay with the sacrifice vs. payoff, and if so, then pull the darned trigger!

Advise

I think you got great advise already.
I agree, have a serious discussion with Mrs.
If the decision is to build, then start the shop and empennage. Every hour is one closer to finishing.
As one who built a stored empennage (stored in Austin, TX for 2 in his hangar then 3 in my garage) the skins form surface corrosion where vinyl lifts from the edges. It wasn't bad but gets worse left entreated.

Come up with mission statement

Mike covered this really well.
My thoughts.. I built the -10 in 4.5 years. I have two daughters (7-11yo), I worked and never missed a day with my children and never put the project first. I waited 7 years before I started building.
2 years before I started the -10, I made a mission statement I gave to my wife- it states why I wanted to build a plane, the financial obligations needed, the time I would spend on it and how it would benefit my family. In my case she bought the kit for me before I even thought we were ready. She gave up much, now I take her all over the country and do things we never thought we could. She knew what she was signing up for, she supported me throughout the project and never was angry as she knew what we agreed on
In a nutshell- make sure the desire to build is something you will be able to see to completion. Dont buy a 4 seater if no one in the family is interested in the idea due to not understanding why vacations and other obligations are being spent on the project.
Take this for whatever its worth... the plane can wait but your child shouldnt wait for dad to be there for them as a child, build your child in the ways it should go first, if you find there is time to spare start the project.

Thanks for all the great advice. My family is always first. My 4 yo daughter is my number one. With my little guy on the way I guess I am trying to recreate what I with my dad. We built a christen eagle (I still fly it) began when I was 4 and finished when I was 10. Guess I will take all the advice and wait till the time is right

Good plan

That is a great plan, however, you may find that if you are waiting for the "perfect" time, you will NEVER even start.

Building an airplane is kind of like having a kid. There is NEVER a perfect time for it, and if you do the math on what children cost to raise ahead of time, you might not start that either.

YES, family is first and foremost but if you think for a moment that the will be any "spare" time while raising them, you are mistaken. ALL of your time will be spent raising them. Get them involved and make it a family project! Then you get to build the plane, be with your family, and they get to learn lots of things that they otherwise would not.

That being said, I wish that I would have started building about 5 years earlier than I did. By the time my -10 is finished, I will be using it to visit the kids at college and wherever they end up. Would have been better to finish as they were starting high school so we could have enjoyed it as a family more.

Plan it out, talk about it with your significant other, and pull the trigger. The worst case scenario is that you decide it is not going to work, you list it here, and call it an education...

Building with little kids

I purchased my tail kit the first week the RV-10 was available at OSH in 2003. At the time, I had a newborn girl. Whenever she'd go down for a nap, I'd try to sneak in an hour in the shop. A couple years later, we were blessed with a baby boy. Between work, kids, and life in general, there'd be stretches of lots of building activity and then months of not touching it at all.

In the end, it took me 11 years to finish. In all that time, corrosion was never a problem (even for parts that had the blue plastic on them for years), and I live in a fairly humid location. Building a plane is all about momentum. If you can keep it going, just a little bit each day, you'll get there.

I concur with the recommendations, get your shop ready and go ahead with building the tail kit. After that, evaluate your progress and pace, and decide whether a QB kit is right for you. I wish I'd gone the QB route now. At the beginning, I thought that money would be the limiting factor and time would be a non-issue. I got that backwards.