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Quick build fuse, worth it?

Dbro172

Dbro172

Well Known Member
Looking for some opinions/posititions here. I'll be finishing up my SB wings in the next month or so.... Likewise, my wife is due with our first baby in a month or so. My wings only took a few months but that included many 12 hour day weekends.

So, in the interest of keeping this project moving along, is the $5k for a QB fuse worth it? Or, how many hours would it take to get an SB to the point of a QB. Could I take a week off work and get some substantial progress on the SB? I like the fact that the QB comes pre-primed:). I have trepidations about comparing the plans against the QB to see exactly which steps are complete... Wish the QB came with its "own" set of plans.

Again, looking for thoughts n opinions here to help me get off the fence...

Thanks in advance,
 
IMHO, it is worth it. The rivet work and general workmanship was excellent, and it let me move on to the hard stuff ... like, putting all the "acoutrements" in that fuselage. OTOH, if one is really pressed for cash, and they don't mind spending another 6 months or more on the project, then one might go slo-build.
 
If you have the time I say it is not worth it. I was like you and for 3 weeks I was able to put in 8-12 hour days and had the fuse to a quickbuikd stage in right at a month. ABSOLUTLY nothing against the quickbuilds but I like knowing that I have built every piece of my 7, that's on this plane at least things will probably change on the next one.

If you check out my log in the signature you can see the dates,times and progress of the fuse.

-David
 
Thanks,

Rupester said:
IMHO, it is worth it. The rivet work and general workmanship was excellent, and it let me move on to the hard stuff ... like, putting all the "acoutrements" in that fuselage. OTOH, if one is really pressed for cash, and they don't mind spending another 6 months or more on the project, then one might go slo-build.
Click to expand...

Thanks Terry, for sharing your perspective.:)
 
Flyguytki said:
If you have the time I say it is not worth it. I was like you and for 3 weeks I was able to put in 8-12 hour days and had the fuse to a quickbuikd stage in right at a month. ABSOLUTLY nothing against the quickbuilds but I like knowing that I have built every piece of my 7, that's on this plane at least things will probably change on the next one.

If you check out my log in the signature you can see the dates,times and progress of the fuse.

-David
Click to expand...

David, just to clarify, my 12 hour days were weekends only. We're yours? Or did it take a solid three weeks straight to QB status?

I definately feel a good portion of knowledge will be lost in not constructing a SB fuse, but may be the sacrifice I decide to make to keep things moving, with the newborn and all... Id like to be flying in a couple years.
 
Dbro172 said:
David, just to clarify, my 12 hour days were weekends only. We're yours? Or did it take a solid three weeks straight to QB status?

I definately feel a good portion of knowledge will be lost in not constructing a SB fuse, but may be the sacrifice I decide to make to keep things moving, with the newborn and all... Id like to be flying in a couple years.
Click to expand...

Nope I had a solid 3 weeks to work on it. It was a PCS move that worked out great and gave me a few weeks off.

The previous poster is correct tho, the rivet work is excellent on the quickbuilds but make sure you look at everything I have seen numerous errors on a few quickbuilds.

I say you did slow build wings stick with it and do the same with the fuse.

-David
 
QB Vs Standard Bld

I've dropped $5K on airplane parts and got way less for the money. I think the QB gives you a huge head start. There is PLENTY of building to do, so it really isn't necessary to feel like you got "cheated" out of something. I'd do it again in a heart beat. Another local -9A builder and I were building along at the same time and together we put together a pretty comprehensive plans exception document which melds the QB and the plans. Send me a PM and I'll email it to you.
 
In reality, only you can answer the "is it worth it" question.

How much do you value your time?

Is it worth the expense to fly quicker?

Do you have the extra money available?

In my case, it was strictly a budget issue. No cash for a quick build if I wanted to complete the project this decade.

The RV-10 wings were probably one of the easier kits to complete. It was also the most boring. Quite a bit of repetition with each rib and the hundreds of rivets on the skin. Some value not having to do the tanks. Unfortunately, quick builds don't appear to have an advantage when it comes to tank blisters.

All of us will answer those questions differently. The only correct answers are yours.

Bob
 
Ask this:

Do you enjoy building or would you really rather be flying sooner? That was the question we asked and so the QB became a reality...built and flown in under two years.

As has been mentioned, the workmanship is incredibly good as well.

Best,
 
YES - QB fuse

I was SB wings, QB fuse. For me, some builder's lag was setting in. While it is an illusion, the QB fuse - about ready for wiring and instrumentation and an engine - was a big motivational boost. It almost immediately changes the project from aluminum origami into an identifiable aircraft - even to the naysayers trying to bring you down. There is still plenty of building to do - I doubt you'll feel cheated in your building experience by going with the QB.

Also, it depends on how much reliable help you have. I had/have NONE. It looks like the fuse, moreso than the wings, needs a good riveting buddy.

You should consider getting the finishing kit at the same time as the fuse if you can swing it. Without, there are some continuity issues or decisions you will get to revisit later when you get into finishing.
 
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Totally worth it to me. I just purchased one and it arrived August 9th. I'm not an old man but not a spring chick either. Some issues with my shoulders have caused me to slow down a lot because I needed a second person to help in cases where riveting caused a reaching stretch. I would not worry about figuring out where the quick build is done and what you have to do. Just read through the manual at page 1 of the fuselage build and walk through it. It doesn't take that much time to start identifying parts and seeing what is or is not done. So for you instead of spending 12 hours on the weekends, spend 6 and the rest with your new to be family member. YMMV.:)
 
Estimated Labor Value at About $8.00 Per Hour

I finished my standard build in 22 months in early '04. Based on cost difference between standard and quick build then, my "contribution" was worth about $8/hr. On the other hand, back then I had more time than cash. I pretty much had my fill of riveting after the first 5,000. Today, I'd do a full quick build. Keep in mind that at today's prices in the used marketplace, your labor value is near nill.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
 
pierre smith said:
Do you enjoy building or would you really rather be flying sooner? That was the question we asked and so the QB became a reality...built and flown in under two years.

As has been mentioned, the workmanship is incredibly good as well.

Best,
Click to expand...


I do really enjoy building, but would rather be flying. As others have said i dont think i'll feel cheated on build time but i may regret not intimately knowing each rivet in the fuse. I can get over that. ;)

Rick: Thanks for the tip on the finishing kit... not what my wallet wanted to here, but good to know none the less.

Also, i do not have a build partner, and I do have short arms :) That is something i hadnt considered.

Good to hear the comments about the quality workmanship in the QB's too.

Thanks everyone so far for your perspectives.
 
Quick build

Another local quick builder 9a fuse had some
serious issues with his. The Longerons where
not formed properly so he had some problems
fitting his sub panel and panel on a slider model.
The holes where drilled in the Longerons so no changing
that. End result, much customizing of parts ensued.

I think like anything there is a percentage
that falls through the cracks. Seems most are happy.

I slow built mine. Put the 5k into the panel. The process
although time consuming is rewarding. If your like most
and can only work part time, say 4-6 months. Less if really organized
and focused.
 
If you are making good progress, NO.

Unlike the extensive repetition of the wings, there are lots of interesting and fun build activities on the fuselage... unless you are desperate to shave off the build time the quick build is not worth it.
 
I estimate the QuickBuild Fuse would have saved a year out of my five year build. But I enjoyed building the fuse. It was fascinating to see it gradually turn from nothing but aluminum sheet and angle and bulkhead pieces into an airplane fuse. As others have said, it all depends on how much you like building and how fast you want to get into the air. For me, I enjoyed the building and used the $5K for other things.
 
Just another datapoint

I won't offer my preference since it is a decision on time vs money that only you can make...however, my build log shows about 460 manhours from first deburring until about the QB stage. That includes alumiprep, alodine, prime all ribs and I did nearly all the riveting myself (long arms) except about 16 hours with my 14-yo daughter.

Wouldn't you need to send in your spar center section and then wait to get it returned as a QB??

Good luck!
 
Center Spar is interchangeable

AF_Alan said:
Wouldn't you need to send in your spar center section and then wait to get it returned as a QB??

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Luckily, According to Vans, the center spars are now interchangeable. If you decide to go QB fuse after SB wings, you can simply return your center spar section that came with the wing kit. You do not necessarily need to wait for that exact center section to have a fuse built around it. Vans will send you the next available QB fuse. I think they mentioned that the extra center section would eventually be sent to the QB factory to be incorporated in a future build.

This did not used to be the case... something to do with mfg. processes and tolerances now are tight enough to where the center sections are interchangeable.

I will however have a couple spare longerons, not worthy of shipping back...
 
Fus

Just finished the slow build fuselage (8) ,very straight forward , had it to quickbuild stage in about 265 hrs . Was able to paint int. before assembly , my slow build wings will be here soon. I guess it depends how much time vs money you want to invest. For me I have time.
 
I went QB Wings and Fuselage. I'll do slow build next time...

If you want to polish instead of paint, go Slow Build. My fuselage and wings had misc scratches in the finish. Ditto on the interior.

Lots of holes weren't deburred and many rivets weren't set as nicely as I'd like. Had some gaps between riveted parts too.

Also, a few mistakes. Rivets squeezed before they were supposed to be, dimples done where they shouldn't have been until the builder chose Nosewheel vs Taildragger, etc.

However, even with some rework, it obviously saves a lot of time.
 
If you not in a hurry, use the $5,000 on your Finishing kit. Given the usual lead times on getting it, you will need to order not long after starting you fuse.

Getting the fuselage to QB stage can happen quickly. It's the canopy, FW forward, engine install, electrical, cowling, etc that will slow you down.
 
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