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How long did it take you to complete your RV-10 Empennage?

Palamedes

Palamedes

Well Known Member
I'm wondering how long it took you guys to finish your empennage?

I'm 135 hours into mine and working on the elevators. I started Feb. 14th Valentines day cause this plane will be my sweetheart (or because that just happened to be the day the kit arrived, you decide :rolleyes: ) and am roughly halfway through. I average a little over an hour a night.

I did the calculations and that says I wont be done with my plane until 2020.. eesh.. I sorta wish I hadn't done the calculation..haha
 
You have the answer

I think you answered your own question. It has to do with the amount of time you can devote to working on it. One hour and as you said 2020. Four hours and it gets done sooner.

Not to rain on your parade but having built a few planes I figure that when you have the airframe done you are about half done as the engine,avionics upholstery and paint take about the same amount of work hours as the airframe

Sorry if this is bad news to you.

Gary
 
I must be doing the slow, slow quick-build. I started in mid-October and am just finished up the elevators. Should be pro-sealing this weekend and riveting the trailing edge when we return from a Mexico vacation.

I think I take way too long deburring. Cleaning, scuffing, cleaning, priming takes some time too.

It's amazing how little time is spent drilling and riveting versus prep'ing!
 
312 hr

Took me 312 hrs and about 5 months for empennage.

2200 hr not including paint (500 more for the paint....) for the entire slow build RV-10. Including interior (mainly aerosport), and avionics (Approch fast-stack)
Averaged 2 hr a day first year, 2.4 hr a day second, and almost 3 a day third year (included 2 weeks vacation putting in 10+hr days each day)
 
Mine took 379 hours. After that I completely stopped tracking hours but estimate I spent well over 2000 hours spread over 8 1/2 years to get from placing the first order to first flight.
 
Check out the RV-10s listed on mykitlog.com. The hours are listed if the builder recorded them. I know mine are there.
 
In the beginning, I was concerned by how long each task took, and kept track of my shop hours. What I learned was that I spent more time on the empennage than most of the published figures. My response was to stop keeping track of hours. Gradually, I changed my attitude too. I decided to enjoy the process, and focus on the quality of the work, rather than worry about the finish line. That approach really worked for me.....6.5 year build, but it was a great time.
 
One day at a time

Since I started my build I've tried to keep an accurate account of hours spent. As you can see I am faaaar slower than most builders. However determination is what get airplanes built. Keep at it and one day you will fly it.
 
I'll ditto what Andy said. I was driving myself mad keeping track of hours, and I asked a very similar question to yours. It may have been Andy who helped me see the light (I couldn't find my original post). Once I stopped tracking the hours, I found the build a lot more enjoyable. My goal is still first flight by the time I'm 50, but it's not as if I'm going to throw all our work out the window if that goal isn't met. We'll just keep building until it's done.

OK, until it's flyable. (Because it's never really 'done,' right?:D)
 
You guys will not want to hear this, but we went from flat pack box on the 12th Jun 2008 to tail cone and tail feathers done by 7th of September 2008.

There was always two people working on it at any time, and I went to work each weekday, but the difference was having a guru teacher to work with.

Call that quick??.the teacher can build a -10 in about 9 months himself :eek:

It is amazing how quickly you can eliminate unproductive time when you have done a task a few times before.
 
emp: 367.5 hours (not including glass work or attaching HS/VS to the tailcone).

Wings: 579.6 (not including glass work).

Fuse: 579.5 and counting.

None of this includes VAF time, of course. ..... I don't even want to know what that would add up to.
 
We know who to blame?..

None of this includes VAF time, of course. ..... I don't even want to know what that would add up to.
Click to expand...

I think you have nailed the reason so many take so long. Too much time on VAF. :)
 
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