LettersFromFlyoverCountry
Well Known Member
People had opined that they wanted to hear my opinions (whaaat?) once I started the RV-12 and how it compares to the RV-7 project. I suspect very much my initial thoughts would mirror those of RV-6 owners v the 7 and 9 "crowd" when the prepunched kits came out.
Anyway, a few main thoughts.
1. I'm not building (at least not yet), I'm assembling. Because I'm building as an E-LSA, I have to do things exactly the way I'm told. These kits are incredible. There's (at least so far) nothing much to do but take the piece and match the piece to another piece that has been finely punched and pre-punched and pre-formed. The extent of "getting your hands dirty" is snipping off a part, kind of like when you had those plastic models and had to snip them off from all the other parts. Fortunately, no airplane glue needed.
2. I miss the ISO drawings.
The step-by-step instructions are completely dummy proof although once you build via the old method, it's REALLY hard to get used to the RV-12 instructions. It's like assembling something you just picked up from Ikea. I find myself longing to see how every part relates to every other part in the big scheme of things. But with the 12 plans, you just have to trust that eventually everything will fit together, so just shut up and do what the step tells you to do.
3. It's really nice not "tooling up." You have to really guard against cockiness on a second build. My goal with the RV-12 is not to order any replacement parts. Not one. When I built the 7A, I actually built two airplanes -- one flew. The other is still in the box marked "scrap."
But it's really great having (most of) the tools needed to build -- excuse me: ASSEMBLE -- the 12 and having the knowledge of what needs to be done (the instructions on the 12 won't tell you to pre-drill (mostly) and deburr, or prime or any of that stuff (that's contained in the pre-build chapters of the instructions.
4. Things go together FAST. I think it took me 4 or 5 months to build the VS on the 7A. That was back when you had to use the jig to do things, and also when I was too stupid to know what I was doing. I build the VS in just a few hours. Working on the rudder now. It took even less time.
5. Van's is really good at this stuff. But I already knew that.
Anyway, a few main thoughts.
1. I'm not building (at least not yet), I'm assembling. Because I'm building as an E-LSA, I have to do things exactly the way I'm told. These kits are incredible. There's (at least so far) nothing much to do but take the piece and match the piece to another piece that has been finely punched and pre-punched and pre-formed. The extent of "getting your hands dirty" is snipping off a part, kind of like when you had those plastic models and had to snip them off from all the other parts. Fortunately, no airplane glue needed.
2. I miss the ISO drawings.
The step-by-step instructions are completely dummy proof although once you build via the old method, it's REALLY hard to get used to the RV-12 instructions. It's like assembling something you just picked up from Ikea. I find myself longing to see how every part relates to every other part in the big scheme of things. But with the 12 plans, you just have to trust that eventually everything will fit together, so just shut up and do what the step tells you to do.
3. It's really nice not "tooling up." You have to really guard against cockiness on a second build. My goal with the RV-12 is not to order any replacement parts. Not one. When I built the 7A, I actually built two airplanes -- one flew. The other is still in the box marked "scrap."
But it's really great having (most of) the tools needed to build -- excuse me: ASSEMBLE -- the 12 and having the knowledge of what needs to be done (the instructions on the 12 won't tell you to pre-drill (mostly) and deburr, or prime or any of that stuff (that's contained in the pre-build chapters of the instructions.
4. Things go together FAST. I think it took me 4 or 5 months to build the VS on the 7A. That was back when you had to use the jig to do things, and also when I was too stupid to know what I was doing. I build the VS in just a few hours. Working on the rudder now. It took even less time.
5. Van's is really good at this stuff. But I already knew that.