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Skyview Question

DonFromTX

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I was just wondering, how many of us are coasting on buiding,waiting for the arrival of Skyview on the order blank?
Vans did indicate to me that we who are ready and waiting, will be in the first batches to go out.
 
My kit number is 412, started August 2010. I have received and completed every kit x/c avionics. The plane is also painted!
 
My No is 545 and I'm ready for avionics... Might send out for paint while waiting but the paint shop is only 3 blocks away and will have it done in 3 days in their shop... Decisions decisions... :cool::cool:
 
Brings back a LOT of memories. We, early builders ordered the wing kit, finished the wing kit and were on the edge for the next kit. Happy were we when the next kit was announced and we were able to get our order in for that next kit within 1 hour of the announcement.

VERY Neat, HAPPY things have NOT changed!! I was sitting at the mailbox for many a day.
 
MartySantic said:
Brings back a LOT of memories. We, early builders ordered the wing kit, finished the wing kit and were on the edge for the next kit. Happy were we when the next kit was announced and we were able to get our order in for that next kit within 1 hour of the announcement.



VERY Neat, HAPPY things have NOT changed!! I was sitting at the mailbox for many a day.
Click to expand...

Those were the days! Several of us has a "pac" that when you heard of a kit being available you had to call the others AFTER you ordered your own kit. I can remember being in the weirdest situations like in a meeting or on vaction and I would leave my phone on vibrate. If Marty or John called I would excuse myself to find out if the kit was available! LOL Those were fun times.

The gals at Vans taking the orders were fun also. They were very helpful in getting kits out right away to those waiting for them.
 
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Not a HAPPY RV 12 BUILDER

:(I was ready for avionic kit Dec.last year engine kit came in January painted plane installed servos for auto pilot . got all kinds of dates or not too far in the fusture will be very soon and all different miss leading information from Vans I am very disapointed with the way this was handled They at vans had more information then they would share THEY JUST DIDN,T CARE THEY HAD YOU AND YOU WERE STUCK. May be they were just too busy and let the RV12 sit. I have a lot of money invested with Vans they should of taken better care of there existing customers. Would I or you speek highly of the way vans kept us informed They said Early Fall Well Its TIME.
 
Waiting

I received my first kit last fall and was finished in April this year, paint and all. Still waiting after spending on $60K (more for Skyview) on usless .....:(
 
Of course we all have the option of just ordering a Skyview from any of the sellers and would have it in a few days time. I went to Oshkosh with the full intent of returning with a Skyview in my possession.
I decided to wait, since I am so impressed with the Skyview installation stuff that Vans has on tap for us after visiting their booth, and would need to make my own panel replacement and a lot of interconnect work as well.
I am not actually held up by the delay very much, I still have lots to keep busy with until I can get it. I dont think painting is in order for me until the avionics are installed.
 
A builder who does not want to wait could order the SkyView and Avionics from some other company. But then their RV-12 would not qualify to be registered as E-LSA. And the builder would have to be comfortable installing avionics. It would also take a lot longer to design the panel and install everything. At this late in the game, it might be quicker to just wait for Van's to start selling the SkyView package, assuming that it will be soon.
Joe Gores
 
Unlike many Joe, I don't value the ELSA thing very highly. Out of 7437 beautiful flying RV's, 7317 are doing quite well as EAB without even a hint of ELSA. I attach more value to how well it is constructed, attetion to detail, etc than some letters.
Quite like lightning, I usually take the path of least resistance.:)
By the way, this is my model for the nose of my RV12, with little eyeballs suspended in the top holes, and lipstick and teeth in the bottom. Like it?
2ia683l.jpg
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ELSA

In the beginning, it wasn't so much the value of the ELSA as it was the question as to whether it would qualify 51%. Until Van did his EAB,(can you imagine the DAR that would tell him he flunked!), the rest of us were frightened that we might end up with a lawn ornament. Since you can make all the changes you want after an ELSA registration, the choice has certainly been made easier for those beginning now
 
Memories

Larry and Marty, if you would like to relive some good memories, we are about to fit the upper and lower cowl to the airframe, I bet you have fond memories of that job, Ohio is not that far away, the fall is beautiful here in southern Ohio, just in case your in the area your invited:) Don and Kyle Lewis
 
By the way, this is my model for the nose of my RV12, with little eyeballs suspended in the top holes, and lipstick and teeth in the bottom. Like it?
Click to expand...
I like it. It looks ready to bite anything that gets in its way. :D
Joe Gores
 
Hmmm - I guess we are now hearing from the RV-12 equivalent of "Bauxite Miners!" "Why, in the olden days, we had to WAIT until LOTS of kits were ready - and we LIKED it!"

On the cowl, do a side view with P-40 shark teeth!
 
Oh yeah, for sure! More teeth will make it more feared!
Bill_H said:
Hmmm - I guess we are now hearing from the RV-12 equivalent of "Bauxite Miners!" "Why, in the olden days, we had to WAIT until LOTS of kits were ready - and we LIKED it!"

On the cowl, do a side view with P-40 shark teeth!
Click to expand...
 
Wish I Was Waiting

Building on Kit #120221 was begun in May '09, and I'm still working on it. All kits have been purchased except avionics, but there's an awful lot of work to be done before I can claim to be "Waiting For Skyview".

I really don't understand why this project is taking me so much longer than everyone else. Could it be the interruptions created by family and friends? Could it be that I became obsessed with sanding all of the edges of every single piece of aluminum until there were no shear marks or sharp edges anywhere? Could it be that i just work slowly? I dunno, but there is one thing I do know for certain. If I did this for a living and was paid by the plane, I'd starve.

Status:
Empennage - Complete and assembled on fuselage, except for fiberglass bullet cover over anti-servo assembly.
Wings - Complete except for stall switch and wiring.
Fuselage - Complete
Finishing - Complete except for installing fuel tank (pressure tested last weekend - 3 minor leakers), aying up fiberglass on canopy, and filling/bleeding brake lines.
Powerplant - Fiberglass shroud has been installed, engine re-assembled, Engine has been mounted to firewall. Nothing more done - yet.
 
There are so many variables, I would caution you against comparing times to completion. I am waiting for engine and avionics, just started in Feb 2011. My kids are all grown, I am working in my own air conditioned garage attached to the house, and can put in all sort of enjoyable time with my project. My progress is fast compared to some, slow compared to others. I refuse to keep track of my time, it is what it is, and I am enjoying the heck out of the building.

.
Catbird said:
Building on Kit #120221 was begun in May '09, and I'm still working on it. All kits have been purchased except avionics, but there's an awful lot of work to be done before I can claim to be "Waiting For Skyview".

I really don't understand why this project is taking me so much longer than everyone else. Could it be the interruptions created by family and friends? Could it be that I became obsessed with sanding all of the edges of every single piece of aluminum until there were no shear marks or sharp edges anywhere? Could it be that i just work slowly? I dunno, but there is one thing I do know for certain. If I did this for a living and was paid by the plane, I'd starve.

Status:
Empennage - Complete and assembled on fuselage, except for fiberglass bullet cover over anti-servo assembly.
Wings - Complete except for stall switch and wiring.
Fuselage - Complete
Finishing - Complete except for installing fuel tank (pressure tested last weekend - 3 minor leakers), aying up fiberglass on canopy, and filling/bleeding brake lines.
Powerplant - Fiberglass shroud has been installed, engine re-assembled, Engine has been mounted to firewall. Nothing more done - yet.
Click to expand...
 
I was surprised at the responses to this query, somehow I thought I would be competing with many others for the first Skyview package, apparently there is not so many of us afterall. Still don't make the wait for Vans to be any easier.
 
Should be close to release now

Kit 0395 started June 2010. Currently in the middle of Finishing Kit. I slowed down my work lately to leave time for Van's to release the new Avionics kit AND for some of you guys to test it (nothing like real builders to validate a kit ;)). I expected 1st flight to take place December 17 which would have placed me just 108 years behind Wilbur and Orville but this will not happen before Spring now. Well, I can always blame the Skyview :D
 
Build time

DonFromTX said:
I am waiting for engine and avionics, just started in Feb 2011. My kids are all grown, I am working in my own air conditioned garage attached to the house, and can put in all sort of enjoyable time with my project.
Click to expand...

Retirement sure has its benefits, Don, and I've noticed that there are a lot of you lucky guys out there. I don't know if it's typical of all the RV's, but there are so many retirees building an RV-12, that I sometimes think of it as a `gentlemen's aeroplane'. (OK, `airplane' if you prefer, but `aeroplane' has such a nice olde world feel to it).

Retirement for me is still a few years away, so I've only managed 420 hours in just over 12 months, which averages out at just over an hour a day. But as you say, who's counting! :D
 
The Army in its wisdom notified me back in 1976 that I had reached my peak and they did not need old soldiers - so leave! I did, and now I am about to get this retirement stuff down pat.
I thought when I started my RV12 that surely I was the oldest builder on record, all my friends told me so too, and I actually felt guilty. What I found was that at 73 MANY builders are as old or older than I. I agree, it must be a "gentlemens aircraft". The accident rate for RV12's is about to soar when we get em built I fear!:D
rgmwa said:
Retirement sure has its benefits, Don, and I've noticed that there are a lot of you lucky guys out there. I don't know if it's typical of all the RV's, but there are so many retirees building an RV-12, that I sometimes think of it as a `gentlemen's aeroplane'. (OK, `airplane' if you prefer, but `aeroplane' has such a nice olde world feel to it).

Retirement for me is still a few years away, so I've only managed 420 hours in just over 12 months, which averages out at just over an hour a day. But as you say, who's counting! :D
Click to expand...
 
A bit off-topic I know, but Don and Robert, I retire on January 11 next year. Just a few more months. I've only managed 240 hours in the year since my first kit arrived in September 2010, but am soooo looking forward to being a full time RV builder, though the Honey-do list has already started to be compiled and is rapidly growing.
 
Hi all,

I' m a 62 year old retired guy. Ok, I work a little part time to pay for my new toy. I started in November of last year and just ordered the finishing kit. Fuselage and tailcone are joined and mounted on a rotisserie.

I have mixed emotions about wanting to finish and go flying and just really enjoying the building process. Hope a few of you guys test out the avionics kit before I get to it.

This is the perfect ?Old guy? airplane, lots of room, lots of useful load and no medical.
 
old guy

This may be an old guys (aeroplane) but getting out of the sucker is not for us old guys. I'm 75.5 years and getting out of the 12 is tough. Nothing to pull yourself up with like my 9-A but I'm getting better at it.
Gravity helps you get in but it works against you when you want out.
Still a great little ship.
 
Older guy extraction

Try getting out of your Schempp-Hirth Discus 2-T sailplane with a parachute on after flying around Central Texas for 4+ hours in 100+F weather and you will find a whole new meaning to " how do I get out of this sucker ?". Since July 1 we have had fantastic soaring conditions in the DFW area with 200-400 mile flights and altitudes to 10,000 + msl. We have 5 inch cracks in our grass runway so you really want to land on our paved runway when you return to Texas Soaring Association (TSA) gliderport.

Bob Kibby N722BK, N712BK(RV-12)
 
Does anybody have a clue about the planning for Skyview yet?
VAN's is unclear and is not keen to deliver the FlightDek anymore, so we are stuck.

Jack
Netherlands

RV12 kit #120519
Epannage + wings ready
Fuselage half way
 
Youngest Builder?

I am 55 and this thread has me wondering if I am the youngest builder? Where are we at with this?
 
Why, in my younger days, I used two pneumatic rivet pullers, one in each hand--had to spit the rivets out of my mouth and into the holes just to keep pace with my hair-triggered rivet pullers...pulled the clecoes out with my toe-mounted cleco plyers....
 
As I was doing my daily check of Vans Facebook page looking for Skyview release announcement, I was wondering just how many others are doing the same daily drill. Waiting is murder!
 
DonFromTX said:
As I was doing my daily check of Vans Facebook page looking for Skyview release announcement, I was wondering just how many others are doing the same daily drill. Waiting is murder!
Click to expand...

Oh, you get used to it after a year or so, cheer up we probably do not have more than a year yet to wait.

Best regards,
Vern
 
A few more weeks, Don!

DonFromTX said:
As I was doing my daily check of Vans Facebook page looking for Skyview release announcement, I was wondering just how many others are doing the same daily drill. Waiting is murder!
Click to expand...

Called builder support yesterday on another matter but could not resist asking about the Skyview status, was told that end of October is now more likely. Now I feel less guilty to slow down my build!;)
 
At least we can say "this month" to make us feel better. I have not asked for some time now. Last time I called, I offered to send them the money now to get on the front of the shipping list, they declined my offer.
 
It is early fall, Vans promised it in early fall, must be coming any day now, right?
Don't get your wire cutters and terminal crimpers out just yet. I decided that if I could just get the panels with cutouts, I could do a lot while waiting for the avionics. I asked Vans to let me just have the panel pieces, and they said the panel is not yet finalized, there may be changes coming yet!
More and more just buying a skyview from one of the dealers that have it in stock and installing it is a more sensible option. Apparently it is not a very high ranking project at Vans, even though they have discontinued the old avionics kit.
 
Waiting on Skyview

Started Nov, 2010. Now painting and like most of you waiting on the avionics package. Can't imagine why so long, but am reminded of how complete and accurate the kit and plans are. Hav'n:confused:t lost more than a month so far.

Doug Dahl 9A, 12 (120212)
 
I am "working around" the engine and avionics issues, am finding lots of work to be done independently of those items. Makes a little more work, but still not too bad yet.l
 
Skyvitew

Spoke to Vans yesterday as the Finish wiring sub kit was backordered for our RV-12. They are still in the process of assembling the kits. THe D180 is no longer available. They advised of a probable November 2011 delivery.
 
That is encouraging! When so much time lapses without even a hint of progress, it does make one wonder if they might have just quit on the whole project without even telling us!:mad:
 
First Post

Hello to all,

I am builder# 120509 and, for whatever reason, this if my first post. Empennage and wing kits are complete, and I received the fuselage kit last week.

Building this airplane is the greatest thing I can imagine, and this website has been a phenomenal help, to say the least.

Anyway, the whole point of my post:

http://vansaircraft.com/pdf/order_forms/RV-12/RV-12-avionics.pdf

On Thursday 10-20-2011 the avionics order page showed the following:

We are not currently accepting orders for the RV-12 AVIONICS KIT.
Our engineers are finishing up an upgrade to the standard avionics
package that incorporates Dynon Skyview.
We will begin accepting orders again shortly.
Thanks for your patience!

I know I am a long way from the avionics package, but nonetheless, I am still excited about it.

Thanks to all of you for your postings,

Richard
 
1974av8r said:
Hello to all,

On Thursday 10-20-2011 the avionics order page showed the following:

We are not currently accepting orders for the RV-12 AVIONICS KIT.
Our engineers are finishing up an upgrade to the standard avionics
package that incorporates Dynon Skyview.
We will begin accepting orders again shortly.
Thanks for your patience!


Thanks to all of you for your postings,

Richard
Click to expand...

Hi Richard,

The part that you did not get is that I was told "shortly" in November of 2010 so at Van's it has no meaning or at least not a good one.

Best regards,
Vern
 
Avionics Kit

I know how frustrating that it can be for a builder who has completed his plane and is waiting for the avionics kit. I can also look at the situation from Van's point of view. They are in business to make money. The more merchandise they sell, the more money they make. It is advantageous for them to start selling the avionics package as soon as possible. But if they sell the kit before all of the bugs are worked out, just think of all of the unhappy customers there will be and all of the negative comments that will be posted here. Some builders have the skills to install the avionics in a fraction of the time that it is taking Van's to develop the kit. But there are other builders who know absolutely nothing about electricity. The kit has to be foolproof so that anyone, regardless of their skills, can install the avionics.
Based on Scott's comments here: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=588197&postcount=6
I predict that the avionics kit will be available before the end of November. Even if it is not, I am sure that Van's Aircraft is working hard to get it ready as soon as possible. Van is not paying employees to sit around not doing anything. If you were working hard, you would not like it if your boss told you to hurry up. Have patience. Of course this easy for me to say. My plane is flying with the D-180. :D
Joe Gores
 
But Joe, with a kit this perfect in every way, we have to be sure to gripe about anything we can find to gripe about, after all that is the American way! :D
 
Waiting on Skyview Intergration

120455:Received my Finishing Kit last month(09/11) minus sub-kit #5(airframe wire bundle). Emailed Van's. Their reply was "we have no idea when Skyview integration will be complete". I also asked about if I order the Rotax, can I get an extention of the warranty while it sits on the firewall as a counterweight? Vans said to contact the engine distributor (Lockwood, Leaf..etc) to request an extention of the warranty. I will do what I can until Section 31 of the build is released.
 
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