The adventure begins! Just gave my credit card number to someone at Van's for a Tail / Emp kit, and to a tool maker for a full set!
If anyone has any reason why this man and this plane kit should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace.
I chose the RV-10 because I need something that will clear the mountains in CO for family trips with MEAs of 16,500, can carry my wife and at least one kid, plus ski gear or the dog. I can't afford a Cirrus or Bonanza and I love to build stuff - I've built or remodeled major parts (incl water, electrical, HVAC) of three houses in the last 20 years and I'm hoping that this isn't too much of a stretch for my tool and construction skills.
My plan is:
- Quickbuild wings and fuselage - cutting a year or more off this schedule seems like a good spend of $15,000.
- iO540 Thunderbolt - 260 hp. Unless Bye comes out with a compatible electric system really, really soon.
- Dynon IFR capable glass cockpit with synthetic vision (I'm IFR and Multi-rated already)
- BRS parachute - there are very few places to land engine-out between my house and most of Colorado.
- Maybe or maybe not will do therm-x for the wings. Not sure if 85 pounds is worth it for some ice protection that falls short of FIKI. Probably better to avoid the ice altogether! I've heard about ice-resistant paint. Not sure if it is real thing yet.
If you see anything in the above that I'm missing - or anything I shouldn't do, please let me know before I get too far down the path. Will update here as I go.
If anyone has any reason why this man and this plane kit should not be together, speak now or forever hold your peace.
I chose the RV-10 because I need something that will clear the mountains in CO for family trips with MEAs of 16,500, can carry my wife and at least one kid, plus ski gear or the dog. I can't afford a Cirrus or Bonanza and I love to build stuff - I've built or remodeled major parts (incl water, electrical, HVAC) of three houses in the last 20 years and I'm hoping that this isn't too much of a stretch for my tool and construction skills.
My plan is:
- Quickbuild wings and fuselage - cutting a year or more off this schedule seems like a good spend of $15,000.
- iO540 Thunderbolt - 260 hp. Unless Bye comes out with a compatible electric system really, really soon.
- Dynon IFR capable glass cockpit with synthetic vision (I'm IFR and Multi-rated already)
- BRS parachute - there are very few places to land engine-out between my house and most of Colorado.
- Maybe or maybe not will do therm-x for the wings. Not sure if 85 pounds is worth it for some ice protection that falls short of FIKI. Probably better to avoid the ice altogether! I've heard about ice-resistant paint. Not sure if it is real thing yet.
If you see anything in the above that I'm missing - or anything I shouldn't do, please let me know before I get too far down the path. Will update here as I go.