Who has built both an 8 and is working on a 14?

I can't believe it has been a year since I started tooling up. I am coming out of a long nearly 3 months of not working on my project for a NUMBER of reasons. My desire to build an RV-8 has been there since 2008. That is when I ordered a set of preview plans and a practice kit and then proceeded to do NOTHING with those until this year, again for a NUMBER of reasons.

Here is a short list of the reasons I want/wanted to build an RV-8
-I will never be able to afford a P-51 but it looks good in a warbird scheme
-That is about all I have

So far my oldest son has been a well of quotes during this process. I laugh and cringe at the things he says, because all he really knows is what I have told him. It is like a mini-mirror. To date I think the number one quote is this:

Dad, when you said we were going to build an airplane, I thought it was going to be like putting together Legos out of the box.

I have followed for YEARS the discussions about the 51% rule. I OFTEN quote to myself and others that the FARs allow for us to build and fly Experimental aircraft for the purpose of entertainment and recreation. I chose to buy a slow build kit for this reason, and will continue down that path as long as I am building.

My wife and I both ride Harley's. We started on Sportsters, she outgrew her 883 quickly and we added a Heritage Softail, then we took a trip up to South Dakota with me on a rented Ultra and wound up buying an Ultra for me. We have proved that experience is expensive, but you have to go use something to know how it performs for your mission. At times I think I wish the sales guys would have said, you are going to get a bigger bike anyway, save the sales tax and just buy bigger, but I know it took those first months of local riding to get back into it and then desire to move on.

Like a punch out of nowhere, my son and I sat in the Rv-14 at Oshkosh this year. I have been filled with doubt ever since that the RV-8 is the "right" airplane. Both my son and my wife have been in the back of a Citabria and on the back of the Ultra, so I have asked them as many different ways as I can what their thoughts are about being behind/in tandem vs. sitting side by side. You see where this is going right?

There have been parallel thoughts in my head:

-Build an RV-8 for me and then an RV-14 and join the repeat offender club
or
-Is the RV-14 just the right plane anyway, give up on the RV-8

So the question(s) are these

-If you have built an RV-8 and are currently working on a 14, is the 14 an easier to build? I have to assume that the added price of the kits is in "closer to completed" status. Is it faster to build? Are the plans more complete? Is it only faster because you have the experience from building already and that is making it easier?

-Being in my mid 40s and with near teen kids, the mission of any finished plane may very well be chasing around grand kids. Had I started an RV-8 back in 2008, the mission may very well be to currently go buzz around over the lake. Since there aren't but 2? flying 14s, this may be a better question for the 7 and 6 guys....

Lots there. I hope and assume there there are a few on here who have had a similar struggle.

Thanks in advance.

Much faster!

I'm building an 8, currently mid fuselage, and I've helped a friend who is building a 14 and just ordered his finish kit.

In my opinion the plans, processes, parts, etc for the 14 make the build go soooooo much faster esp for a novice. For example when his tail section was done it's ready with all wires, molex connectors, and everything else ready to rivet to the fuselage and plug electrical together. Almost every wire, electrical connection, fuel line, etc is planned out and installed as you build. In contrast in my 8 I'm effectively building the airframe(lots more match drilling and parts fab work) and then running the avionics, fuel, etc myself. Van's has suggestions and guidance but nothing like the 14.

I want an 8 so I'll keep at it, but I would guess that I could stop now and finish a 14 starting from scratch before I could finish the 8 from it's current state.

At the end of the day build the plane YOU want.

That's just my opinion, I'm sure others have more perspective.

mill2978 said:

At the end of the day build the plane YOU want.

That's just my opinion, I'm sure others have more perspective.

Click to expand...

Terry,
Others may offer more/different perspectives, but Aaron's already nailed it...

"Build the airplane you WANT, not the airplanes OTHERS tell you to build."

Hands down the best advice you can get.

... that is the question

Hallo, I built my 8 not MD, another 8 MD with a friend and I'm involved as Tech Counselor in a 14.

First of all think to your flying mission ! If you choosed an 8 probably you're a 'sporty pilot', the 14 is another machine.

If you want THAT airplane there are minor differences into the easy of building despite 14 is a last century engineered project.

Finally, you like 8 ? go for it, you are on the right way.

You need a Bump ? Take a look to my website, could help