"On June 29th, 2016, the FAA National Kit Evaluation Team officially approved the construction of the RV-14 and RV-14A kit airplanes as compliant to the experimental aircraft kit "51% Rule."
Here at Van's Aircraft, 49% goes a long way.
We laid out every component of the RV-14, from Quickbuild to slow build, from taildragger to tri-gear, from spinner to tail light, with an philosophy that says 'anybody can do this', and invited the FAA to come take a look.
- Longerons, ribs and all other structural components are supplied pre-bent and with pre-punched holes.
- Van's matched hole technology, now with holes punched to final size, ensures that every hole in the skins will line up for easy clecoing and riveting to the understructure. There is no need for jigs.
- All weldments come pre-assembled and powdercoated.
- The canopy is pre-trimmed to fit to a painstakingly engineered, matched hole aluminum frame.
- EFIS choice is up to the builder, but common wiring harnesses are available for installation at every phase of the build, saving hundreds of hours worth of electrical design work.
- The RV-14 Powerplant kit supplies all components necessary to install an IO-390 or IO-360 Lycoming engine.
- Cowl baffles come pre-trimmed to fit inside the cowling, with pre-cut matching baffle seals.
Even with all those improvements, the FAA agrees that the RV-14 kit still meets the 51% rule requirements! For the remaining 51%, Van's was determined to provide an airplane kit that anyone could build - From beginner to expert.
Optional Quick Build kits for the Wing and Fuselage further simplify the building process. These major airframe components save hundreds of hours of build time. Quickbuilders will still complete the Empennage, Finish Kit and Firewall Forward kits, but there is even more help available.
Processes that were once taken for granted as part of the 'tribal knowledge' of kitplane construction have been thoroughly documented. Assembly instructions come with a vast array of exquisitely illustrated images that clearly and concisely illustrate and explain every step of the assembly process.
Additional tools, such as supplemental instructional videos, interactive photos documenting the entirety of the firewall forward area, the experienced personnel manning the Van's tech support hotline, and the thousands of builders and pilots active every day on the VansAirForce.com forums round out the experience.
Building your RV-14 is a journey - and look, you're halfway there already!"
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