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Relative time to complete each kit?

OK, this is one of those questions that may be impossible to answer. There are six major kits in the RV-12. How long does it take to complete each kit relative to the others?

I ask because Hognose and I are now deep into the wing kit assembly. We built the empennage in about seven months (March-October) and spent most of the last three months prepping wing parts, and anticipate finishing the wings by the end of March, which is about when the fuse kit should arrive.

Slow builders? You betcha! We have a lot of distractions, e.g. my kids, my work, his crazy ex-girlfriend (don't ask) and trips to visit our dad in Florida.

But, I'm hoping to be ready for test flying a year from June. So my hoped-for schedule is empennage, 7 months; wings, 5 months; fuse, 5 months (April-August); finish, 4 months; avionics, 3 months; engine, 3 months.

What do you think?
 
Everyone's going to be different but for me:
134 hrs: Empennage
135 hrs: Wing
262 hrs: Fuselage
256 hrs: Finish
068 hrs: Avionics
091 hrs: Powerplant
063 hrs: Lighting & Wheel Fairings
064 hrs: Other stuff (Final assemb & Insp prep, incorp SBs released during construction, etc.)

You'll have to put your own spin on these and convert to calendar time based on your schedule. I spent a lot of time waiting for kits but averaged 5 hrs a day when I had material to work with.
 
Last edited:
Airworthiness Certificate at 1,328 build hours

Reviewed these stats for a talk a few months ago. I was a first time builder and primed virtually every part before assembly. Estimating your own time really depends on how many hours a week you can dedicate to the project. For me,

Avg. 46 build hours/month at home (excluding coldest winter months when everything was stopped)

Avg. 28 build hours/month after move to airport
(Message - do as much at home as you can before moving to the airport)

Tail Kit 129h
Wings 238h
Fuse 253h
Finish 348h
Avionics 26h
Engine 182h
Misc. 142h
Web surfing, reading old VAF posts, looking for tools .... 3,567h.....:p
 
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