Ordering an RV10 soon - timeframe advise needed

Hi Guys

I will soon be ordering an RV10 kit, and have started to plan my build (timeframe, to be able to order the relevant kits on time).. so I have a few questions about the time needed to finish the kits from Vans (assuming no major/time consuming mods)?

I would like to know how long the following kits take to complete, in terms of build hours.. I am curious because I will be ordering the QB wings and QB Fuse (maybe separately), and the wait time on those requires me to plan out in advance so they are recd 'around' the time they will be put in use - I do not want to order and store them due to space and financial constraints...


Empennage kit w/ tailcone - I have read between 25-300 hrs?
QB wings - time reqd to complete?
QB Fuse - time reqd to complete?
Finishing Kit - ?


Thanks!

You are asking questions that don't have a correct answer. The answer varies from builder to builder impacted by dozen of variables. Since we don't understand were you fall within these variables, it's impossible to give a good response.

My recommendation is to read the various RV-10 builder blogs and the RV-10s on mykitlog.com to perform some basic research. All my times are on mykitlog.com/rleffler.

• I did a normal build - longer time
• I was a first time builder - longer time
• I installed many mods - longer time
• I moved to the airport for the last two years of the build - longer time

I spent 3,200 hours over a six year period, but I had to deal with getting RIF'd in the middle, as well as a couple surgical procedures to slow things down a bit.

With that said, if you want minimal interruption to your build schedule, then I would order the first three kits at the same time. You will be able to complete the empennage well before any of the QB kits arrive. There's not a whole lot to do on the wings. The major component is the bottom skins. You should be able to knock the wings off in 100 or so hours. I've heard leads times of 4-6 months on the QB kits. Van's just released a statement stating that with their retooling, there is a temporary slow down of kit availability.

Since you mentioned financial implications, I suspect that may be the real driver of your build schedule and you just have to accept the delivery delays to accommodate your budget.

Like Bob said, it's a hard thing to answer.

What I did was started working on the empenage and got a feeling for how many hours per month I was able to realistically put in. I looked at a couple of builders sites to see how many hours they put in on each component of the empenage and compared to my times. That gave me a relative idea of what it would take me.
Then I kept in contact with Vans every so often to see what current lead times were. I then ordered my QB kits such that it would arrive around the time I was done with the tailcone.

I came close, but still had some time to spare, so I worked on all the fiberglass pieces, which some put off until later, as well as some of the emp attach items while I was waiting.

I actually separated my QB wing and Fuse orders by a few months to help spread costs out a little and also becuase I knew I'd need to spend approx 100 hours on the wings.
So I didnt' need the fuse right away.

Bob, do you have a link to this statement? I can?t find anything in relation to the RV-10. Just the delay in the RV-3 and 4. We ordered our quick build fuselage in October and were was a 6 month lead time then. Has this since grown?
Todd

rleffler said:

Van's just released a statement stating that with their retooling, there is a temporary slow down of kit availability.

Click to expand...

They posted on their Facebook page. Also you can double check the “lead times” page on their webpage.
I started keeping track of hours but stopped as it was taking away from the enjoyment of the build. Don’t get too wrapped up with the timelines too much. It will take as long as it takes. If you are under a timeline pressure maybe buy a flying plane?

Also take a look at this spreadsheet created by Brian and Brandi that can help understand time /budget.
They did a great job on it. (Some costs have changed - go figure things got more expensive)
https://www.n42bu.com/post/2012/02/07/RV-10-Cost-Planner.aspx

QB Order

I ordered my QB wing and fuselage kit the week before Christmas and was given an estimated delivery of May 29, but could slide into June... so six months currently. My original thought was that I'd start building the tail and then order the QB in January thinking it would take me 6 months to build the empennage. However, I now wish I had ordered the QB kit at the same time as the empennage. It's gone fairly quick and easy build so far. I have about 100 hours into the tail and am now in the middle of section 9. I imagine I'll have some free time to straighten up the shop while I wait on the QB.

Huzi,

If you are spending much time in the Houston area, suggest you try to make it to one of the EAA 302 monthly meetings in Conroe. We have a very active group of builders, with at least 3 of us currently building RV-10s, plus a number of other aircraft in-progress and a lot of Van's aircraft that are flying, including at least 2 flying RV-10s. We meet on the second Saturday of the month. Directions and info at https://eaa302.org/

If you would like to communicate one-on-one or visit my shop for a look at my RV-10 project, let me know by email at dmacdon at PacBell dot net

Cheers

Another thing to consider is how often you will be working on the kit. for me 20 hours in a week was significantly more productive than 20 hours in a month; even though it's the same amount of shop time. It just takes time to get back up to speed each day. so as you're comparing to other people's hours for your time estimate make sure you take into account the calendar time too.

If you don't want any wait after the tail, I would agree with Ron to order the QB at the same time. However, it sounds like this is your first build so you may want to get started on the tailcone to make sure you enjoy building before writing the large check on the QB.

Just a thought. May want to order before a possible 2019 price increase. Additionally, ordering numerous kits (ie QB fuselage, Wings, and finishing kit) simultaneously, it may reduce shipping costs.