Vans RV12 Build Log
Why an RV10
Well as many of you may know I started off with the RV12 after a long debate on whether to build the 9, 14 or 12. I eventually decided on the 12 for many reasons of which you can read my -12 blog on why I ended up choosing that route. I had just ordered the fuselage for the -12 near the middle of July and following labor day weekend a few weeks later during our 10 hour drive home to Dallas from New Orleans the plane was brought up and suddenly my wife decided that she wanted to join me and use the plane for travel, well the only 4 seater Vans sells is the RV10 which as far as I know is one of only a few 4 seat kit planes. I made the call to Vans following our trip and am starting over with a new empennage but for an RV10 this time. I have listed the -12 empennage for sale on the forums but if no one bites, well no biggie. I can hang onto it and maybe one day finish it. After all it is the least expensive kit to build from Vans. The cost of the -10 is nearly double the cost of the -12 and Vans most expensive kit. There will be a lot of personal preferences built into the plane vs the -12 where everything is picked out for you. Its like the difference from semi-custom building your own home to buying an inventory home. The RV10 takes a 260HP Lycoming IO-540 engine which is running just under $50k new right now. I will likely go with the Hartzell 2 blade constant speed prop and for avionics I really like Dynon's products. I want this plane to be IFR capable as I would like to get my instrument rating, which if you don't know will allow me to fly in zero visibility conditions (clouds, fog, haze, etc) not to be confused with storms. So I will likely end up with a Garmin 530 WAAS GPS on the panel as well. But I am open to suggestions and would like to hear your input if you are a builder. Its not like I don't have time. The plan is to have the plane flying in 5 years so that puts me around 2023 time frame, which is good as the boys will be about 6-7 and by then momma should be comfortable letting them up with me in the cockpit and even taking the controls.
Probably one of the funniest feelings is when you initially tell someone in the non-flying community that you are building a plane in your garage. Then there is that ominous look and then they say, a model airplane? No a real plane that I will fly. There is that brief pause and you get that look like you just told someone you are building your own coffin with hopes of soon filling it. Vans aircraft is the largest kit plane supplier in the world with over 10k planes home built and flying today and despite common assumptions there has not been 1 crash due to a builder error when the plane was built to Vans specifications.
So to start following along visit the "Empennage" page which is the first sub kit which includes the entire tail end of the plane. I will try post regular updates of at least once per week depending upon actual build time put in for that week. The most recent posts will always appear at the top.
Probably one of the funniest feelings is when you initially tell someone in the non-flying community that you are building a plane in your garage. Then there is that ominous look and then they say, a model airplane? No a real plane that I will fly. There is that brief pause and you get that look like you just told someone you are building your own coffin with hopes of soon filling it. Vans aircraft is the largest kit plane supplier in the world with over 10k planes home built and flying today and despite common assumptions there has not been 1 crash due to a builder error when the plane was built to Vans specifications.
So to start following along visit the "Empennage" page which is the first sub kit which includes the entire tail end of the plane. I will try post regular updates of at least once per week depending upon actual build time put in for that week. The most recent posts will always appear at the top.