Build fuse before wings?

Build fuse before wings?

I would like to move to the fuselage after my empennage is complete.

My logic is that I can work on wings when im in down time sourcing parts for finishing/panel/motor.

Are there any disadvantages to this approach such as skill level or fitting?

I believe space will be one disadvantage, trying to find other issues/opinions before I execute the decision.

Thanks- Bill

Space, the biggest challenge.

I did the wings first.

A) They are easier to build. (good practice if you need it)

B) They store easily in a smaller space.

C) They are easy to wrap and keep clean.

I am just this week painting my last airframe component, the right wing.
I will then store all of it in a small area on a stand. Once I am done with I can start the fuselage and start making motor noises. Bppppppppppppppp.........

Bill,
I would suggest that you build the wings first. With only the empennage for experience, starting on the fuselage might be biting off more than you can chew. I would also suggest that you build your flaps and ailerons first. You just finished building 3 control surfaces.
Stick with the control surface theme, while the experience is still fresh.
Charlie Kuss

wings First

I asked Van's about this on my 9, and they told me I had to do the wings first because the center section comes with the wings. Sure enough the center section was in the wing crate..

you can't build the fuse without the center section

I would start with the wings. What I'm finding on the RV-10 is that there are many assumptions not documented in the fuselage plans, whereas the wing plans are more verbose. So if this is your first kit, I would follow the standard build order.

mquam99 said:

I asked Van's about this on my 9, and they told me I had to do the wings first because the center section comes with the wings. Sure enough the center section was in the wing crate..

you can't build the fuse without the center section

Click to expand...

This may have been true at one point, but the center section was shipped with my fuselage (RV-7). The center section and the wing spars are no longer "match-drilled" at the factory, as the CNC machining makes this no longer necessary.

Thanks!

It is my first build, so wings it is.

Clarification on center section

Jerry Carter said:

This may have been true at one point, but the center section was shipped with my fuselage (RV-7). The center section and the wing spars are no longer "match-drilled" at the factory, as the CNC machining makes this no longer necessary.

Click to expand...

Looking back at this post, I would like to rephrase this, as it seems like I was telling Mike he was wrong, and I did not mean it that way (sorry, Mike). What I meant to say was that if you buy your fuselage and wing kits separately, as I did with a slow build fuse and a quick build wing kit, Vans will ship your center section with the fuselage kit. In my case, I started with the fuselage because I wanted to do the slow build version and the QB wing would take longer to get. As it turned out, Vans called me a few weeks after I started my fuselage and told me they had QB wings ready to ship to me. When I asked them about the matchup of the center section and the spar, they said "don't worry, they will fit." I actually ended up with the wings someone else had ordered and changed their mind or delayed ordering them.

I did fuse first

I wanted to go quickbuild with the wings or with the fuse but not both, didn't have the money. So I built my slow build fuse after my tail, just skipped the wings. I bought my Finishing kit, FWF kit, hung the engine, Wiring, everything and I still hadn't bought my wings. I didn't really have a good place to store them so I didn't get them until now, I am building in a one car garage. They are going to be the last thing that I finish up, then take them to the airport, put um on, and I will be getting pretty close by then. After completing the fuse and looking back, I am sure that building the wings would have helped with developing skills and knowledge, but it can be done.

Randy
8A Finishing, FWF
Painting, Baffles, .......................