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Order new engine now or wait?

bertschb

Well Known Member
Friend
I’m a new -14A builder. I ordered both the empennage and wing kits a couple weeks ago. The wing kit is supposed to arrive this summer and the empennage kit this fall.

I’m retired and have a LOT of free time to dedicate to this build. I’m moving to a house next month that has a hangar. Because of the amount of time I can commit to this project and easy access to a hangar, I suspect my build time will be faster than average even though I’ve never built an airplane.

I’m guessing it will take three years to build the airplane but when I crunch the numbers, it seems the timeline could be much shorter. For example, if I use a 2,000 hour build (Vans says 1,200) - working only 5 hours per day and 25 days per month, it would only take 16 months to complete.

Vans has my Thunderbolt engine on sale right now for $3,500 off the regular price but the lead time is 12-18 months.

I’d like to take advantage of this engine sale but I would need to order the fuselage and finishing kits before I could order the engine. This means I would be ordering the entire airplane before I even have the workbenches built. Plus, if it does take 3 years to build the airplane and I order the engine now, it could be sitting for 18 months before being flown and Lycoming says the engine is only preserved for 6 months.

If you were in my shoes, would you order the engine now?
 
First of all, I suspect your completion estimate is optimistic. You'd be surprised at how much of your estimated 5 hours per day are eaten up by looking at plans, ordering stuff on the internet, looking on VAF to see how other people have done stuff, the list goes on and on.

I ordered my Thunderbolt 390 in October 2021 With requested delivery date of May 2022 (as far as I could push it out and still get in before the looming price increase). It was right around a year before I actually received it.

Lycoming says 6 months on the engine, but it comes in a sealed plastic bag with humidity stickers in it. I left mine in the bag for around a year and they never changed color until the day I cut the bag open. It will be okay for well over 6 months as long as you don't open they bag and don't turn the crank to disturb the pickle juice they pump into it.

FYI- From the day it leaves the dock at Lycoming, you have two years or 1st engine start before the warranty starts, whichever comes first.
 
First of all, I suspect your completion estimate is optimistic.

Thanks for the feedback. So you think 3 years is optimistic?

I'm spending all my free time right now researching everything to do with building this airplane. Once I start building, I plan to spend my mornings and evenings doing this - building during the day.
 
Thanks for the feedback. So you think 3 years is optimistic?

I'm spending all my free time right now researching everything to do with building this airplane. Once I start building, I plan to spend my mornings and evenings doing this - building during the day.

I guess it's hard to say, You mentioned 16 months and I do think thats optimistic. I'm building a 7. Everybody says the 14 goes much faster, so who knows?

I bought my wings already mostly build September 2019 and am on track to have my first flight this summer/fall unless something comes off the tracks. I do know that no matter how motivated I am over all, sometimes I just don't realistically feel like working on my plane for a few days. It happens.

Also, at least on the 7, It's shocking how much time you kill on stuff you never think of. Couple of examples;

"What did I do with that widget? I know I saw that when I unpacked everything"

"What's the torque on the glan nut for the fitting coming off the fuel pump? I'd better look that up"

"why don't I have a 7/64" drill bit!!!"

"well heck. none of my bucking bars will fit in there."

"I'm out of coffee pods. A Costco run is required this morning because this simply isn't acceptable" :)
 
My -7 took 14 months build time and I had pretty much everything in stock when needed. Don't let supply chain issues and price increases delay your project, order everything you can before hand so it's on the shelf when you need it. Engine, prop, interior, avionics, exhaust etc. I purchased a new IO-360 M1B back in 2016 from Van's, that engine price has increased nearly 20K since then due to several price increases by Lycoming.
THINK AHEAD!
 
I’m more with the wait till the last minute. It’s a huge box. It’s expensive and the warranty starts even if you’re not ready. I timed my delivery so the engine was flying in 6 months. The recent discounts suggest negative pressure on engine prices.
 
I’m more with the wait till the last minute. It’s a huge box. It’s expensive and the warranty starts even if you’re not ready. I timed my delivery so the engine was flying in 6 months. The recent discounts suggest negative pressure on engine prices.

Especially avionics. Plenty of discussions on why ordering early is not a recommended course of action.
 
I’m guessing it will take three years to build the airplane but when I crunch the numbers, it seems the timeline could be much shorter. For example, if I use a 2,000 hour build (Vans says 1,200) - working only 5 hours per day and 25 days per month, it would only take 16 months to complete.

Is the Van’s quote at 1200 hours just for the structure or include everything? I easily spent as much on avionics, firewall forward, interior and paint as I did on the structure that comes in the kits, and that was before prepunched kits.
 
Especially avionics.

Yeah, I'm not worried about ordering the avionics early. First, the wait list isn't an issue and second, technology changes more quickly with avionics. Engines? Not so much. Finally, Garmin gear isn't $3,500 off right now so there is no compelling reason to order now.

$3,500 isn't much of a discount when I figure my finished airplane will cost $250k but if I was buying a TV, $3,500 off would be hard to pass up :)
 
if I use a 2,000 hour build (Vans says 1,200) - working only 5 hours per day and 25 days per month, it would only take 16 months to complete.

"Only"? :) 5 hours a day 6 days out of every 7, continuously for 16 months...
 
Is the Van’s quote at 1200 hours just for the structure or include everything?

This is what Van's says:
"An RV-14 standard kit should take 1100-1200 hours."

I'm assuming this would include everything but painting. I'm guessing a minimum of 2,000 since I have no prior experience and I'm pretty particular.
 
"Only"? :) 5 hours a day 6 days out of every 7, continuously for 16 months...

Well, as I said I'm retired and have a lot of free time. I do a daily mountain bike ride during the warmer months but that only take 90 minutes. The rest of my day is usually wide open.

I suspect there will be plenty of 10-12 hour work days. 5 hours is easy and very conservative. Basically, I will either be building or sitting around watching TV. Easy decision for me.
 
Well, as I said I'm retired and have a lot of free time. I do a daily mountain bike ride during the warmer months but that only take 90 minutes. The rest of my day is usually wide open.

I suspect there will be plenty of 10-12 hour work days. 5 hours is easy and very conservative. Basically, I will either be building or sitting around watching TV. Easy decision for me.

Another thing to think about. There will be times that you will get frustrated and need to get away from the project for a while.
 
Build time

I don't know about the -14 so this may not have a lot of value.
Not that I want to rain on yours or anyone's parade, but beware of being too optimistic time wise..
Building your own airplane is a fantastic project as such, completing it is awesome. So do it if you have the means and the time.
This, from Van's about build time for the 7-8-9:
"Our estimate for the RV-7/8/9 airplanes is about 1400-1500 hours. These estimates presuppose a basic airplane, inside and out. Complex avionics, instruments and fancy interiors or paint jobs can add hundreds of hours to the project."

Not saying that this statement is false, especially if the builder has experience and keeps it basic and simple.
I plead guilty about having built a "complex" airplane as a first offender.
My time log is just about 2800 hours of ACTUAL work on the airplane.
This does NOT include reseach, study, planning, reading, head scratching, etc...
I admit taking my time, prefering quality over quantity...
I reckon that a second build would be much quicker as there's better overall proficiency/knowledge/confidence etc as others can confirm.

Agree on waiting at the last moment for avionics.
As for the engine, notwithstanding price variations, good timing sense would dictate ordering as to receive it when you're about ready to hang it while continuing building around it. There's a lot of stuff to do after it's hung...

Lastly, it's worth all the time and effort, I have the grin before, during and after all my flights, just short of 100 hours in 16 months.
Good luck
 
Another thing to think about is your expected quality of work. If this is new to you, you may find that the learning curve is fairly steep, and the cost of that curve may be less-than-acceptable workmanship, requiring rework or replacement.

Or, you may have the skills or innate ability already to do fine craftsmanship from the start. Only you know.

But I've seen a fair number of examples of poor workmanship that some builder deemed "good enough", rather than doing a better job which might mean redoing the work, or (gasp) *taking their time the first time*.

For best results, IMO, "Make Haste Slowly".
 
Another thing to think about is your expected quality of work. If this is new to you, you may find that the learning curve is fairly steep, and the cost of that curve may be less-than-acceptable workmanship, requiring rework or replacement....

You are correct - the learning curve has been extremely steep and I haven't even got my first kit yet. I'm not an expert fabricator. I have no experience building anything out of metal. I own a lot of tools but I've never had need for a band saw, drill press or any of the other tools used in aviation. It is all new to me and I'll have no help from anybody else - except the good folks here on VAF!

What I have going for me is a great deal of free time, attention to detail, good internet research tools, lots of workspace in my own hangar, (enough) money and the full support of my wife. I'm also attending a "Fundamentals" workshop at Synergy Air here in Oregon to get a head start.

I know I'll make a lot of mistakes and order a LOT of replacement parts. I won't accept sub-standard work. I'm a perfectionist and cringe when I watch most of the people on YouTube building RV's. I definitely will not be building an award winning airplane but from the few examples I've seen, it should be above average.
 
Not that I want to rain on yours or anyone's parade, but beware of being too optimistic time wise.

Are you guys thinking 3 years is too optimistic? Again, this would be working at least 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.

If it wasn't for these crazy looooong lead times, this wouldn't matter. But, with no prior build experience and 12-18 month lead times for kits and engines, it's difficult to plan.
 
Are you guys thinking 3 years is too optimistic? Again, this would be working at least 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.

If it wasn't for these crazy looooong lead times, this wouldn't matter. But, with no prior build experience and 12-18 month lead times for kits and engines, it's difficult to plan.

There's no way to know, as we don't know you. Only you know you. I think you'll find most people here will tell you that, without any experience in building an aircraft, you should just be aware that your estimates might be, uh, sporty.

Are you going to stay actively engaged and doing quality work 5 hours or more *every day* for 6 days a week? Or will you take breaks, slow down, get bored, leave it for a few weeks/months and do something else? While we admire the gumption, unrealistic goals which then become unmet can become gumption robbers and disappointments.

Besides, what's your hurry? I never said *when* I'd be done, only when I thought I might be, but "we'll have to see if that holds". It didn't, ever, until the last 6 months or so (but then, I have a day job, so that meant interruptions and delays that were unavoidable if I wanted to keep it :) ).

Take the course, build the empennage and then reevaluate your plans and schedule to see if you're being unrealistic with yourself.

ETA: To your original question, if I'm being honest, I'd advise anyone new to this NOT to buy an engine this early, for one simple reason: you might not finish. You might not like it, might decide it's going to take too long, might decide your skills aren't up to it, might get sick and delay the project for a few years, might just plain old take a long time, maybe it turns out like half of all projects and it just never gets done. You going to keep that engine around for 5, 10, 15 years if that happens? Or, if you decide in a year you don't want to build, but to fly and therefore abandon the project and buy one, you going to be able to recoup your investment by selling the engine (even though 0 SNEW, it's still "used" in a sense and therefore will sell for less).

BUT, internet advice is worth what you paid for it...it' s your money, do what makes you happy with it. You want an engine, go for it...nobody here will stop you :). And we're not trying to, as said, rain on anyone's parade, by a long shot. We would all love to see you succeed and join the ranks! Just be clear-headed about things as you go along.
 
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It's possible

If you have the time, and you work on it every day, you'll be surprised how fast the new kits go together.

I bought a 9A project that had the empennage done on 9-1-22. Since then I've completed the wings, fuse, and most of the finish kit. Hanging the engine and finishing the wiring now.

Stick to the plans, do something on it every day, and I'll bet you'll have it done in a year.
 
Besides, what's your hurry?

Oh, I'm in no hurry at all! I don't care how long it takes. I'm just trying to time the ordering of the kits/engine which is the purpose of this post.

I've been involved in just about every sport/hobby/recreational activity you could think of and at this point in my life, I've run out of new things to try. Hence this airplane build.

The purpose of this build is to have something to occupy my time in retirement. The longer it takes to build, the better!

I get the sense that most folks here think a 3 year build might be optimistic even working at it like a full time job so I think I'll hold off on ordering the engine. I don't want a new engine sitting for 2 years before I use it.
 
beware of long work days

Again, this would be working at least 5 hours a day, 6 days a week.

Beware of long work days.
Again, it's you and only you that knows how well and how long you can work at this every day.

As for my experience, even though I'm physically fit and was very motivated and passionate, I found that after a good 4-5 hours of actual work (that was spread on a 6-7 hour duration), I started to make errors, started to mis-read plans/instructions, couldn't find solutions to simple hurdles, and even injured myself more often (bangs on fingers, hitting my head or other parts of my body, tripping, etc, nothing serious thankfully).

Bottom line is that my brain was tired from all that attention/concentration/focus.
After a good night's sleep, work was way better the next day, not to mention solution/problem solving early in the day.

You will find your limits and these will vary.
 
Thanks for the feedback. So you think 3 years is optimistic?

I'm spending all my free time right now researching everything to do with building this airplane. Once I start building, I plan to spend my mornings and evenings doing this - building during the day.

Built my first plane a rv10 in 3 years. Building a 14 now and expect it to be under 2 years. So is do-able if you put the time in
 
I recon that Vans' build time is probably based on the guy in their prototype shop. Everything you need handy and very little time spent trying to figure out how to jury rig a modification idea, and not the measure 5 times, marking, then stepping back to double check if it makes sense and lingering and mulling it over....then finally I'll drill the hole. It's probably based on knowing what to do with confidence, measuring twice and cutting drilling the hole...done now.

I'm just a daydreamer rusty pilot, thinking about maybe doing what you are starting out to do when I retire in hopefully just a few years...so this is just hot air....

Odds are high that my wife will continue to work longer than I do....at lease a couple years. I've been considering that for at least a while I might treat a kit build as a more or less part time job, especially while she's still working we won't be in the mode of travelling and doing stuff together, so building a kit as a part time job might make some sense...

but I can't see working a fully productive 5 hours per day for 6 days a week non stop. Granted there may be some 8-12 hour days sprinkled in, but I recon' a good bit more days will be cut in half or even eliminated for things like grocery runs, do some laundry, replace a water heater in the house, take the car in for new tires, build a shelf, take the dog to the vet, etc....

As it is now with both of us working full time, we manage to fit those things in here and there but my hope in retirement is to take a little time to better enjoy life and not feel so rushed all the time.

Just based on my rare experience taking a stay-cation day at home...when I might linger over my morning coffee a bit longer, then do a little something like cut the grass or piddle on some other project, etc.... Usually though I don't end up getting nearly as much done in a day as I think I will and before I know it it's dinner time.

and then there's the "everything takes longer when you're figuring it out" thing.....
yesterday as an example. I ordered a new battery and battery monitor to put in my motorhome. It was on my porch when I got home for work. I ended up killing probably 2 hours piddling with it on the garage floor....attaching and connecting the monitor, then looking for my battery charger that I could not remember where I'd put it, then messing around with the settings in the monitor, scratching my head about how best to install the thing, finding a socket for my mini torque wrench, etc... then I had to go online to order an appropriate wire loom and a cable gland nut to fit. It just ate up a lot of time for not much to show. and it's not even installed yet!

So
I suppose planning on 2-4 productive hours a day for probably 4-5 days a week most weeks + taking a few weeks off through the year for trips with the wife, etc....
 
...measure 5 times, marking, then stepping back to double check if it makes sense and lingering and mulling it over....then finally I'll drill the hole.

That's EXACTLY what I think I'll be doing the first few months!
 
Can’t forget the research and how do I do this time and where do I find this time. I would spend an hour to save $4 on a $10 part and getting the shipping costs down.

And the 50 hours pondering priming, deciding to prime, and hundreds of hours prepping and painting parts. All extra time!
 
Can’t forget the research...

I've been spending 12 hours a day researching this build for 6 weeks now (ever since we found a house to buy in an airpark which sparked this airplane build).

My first kit won't arrive until thus summer so I have a few more months of research before I actually start building. I'll need every minute of that time because there is a never ending list of things I need to learn about.

Buying a 172 would have been soooooo much easier (and cheaper) but where's the fun in that???
 
I've been spending 12 hours a day researching this build for 6 weeks now (ever since we found a house to buy in an airpark which sparked this airplane build).

My first kit won't arrive until thus summer so I have a few more months of research before I actually start building. I'll need every minute of that time because there is a never ending list of things I need to learn about.

Buying a 172 would have been soooooo much easier (and cheaper) but where's the fun in that???

This would be a good time to procure tools, set up the shop, plumb in compressed air, add lighting, build a good-sized bench, etc.
 
Every time I over-pondered the best answer was just give it a go. Do it in scrap first. Then it was fine. I challenge anyone to find the extra rudder rivet and the small ding only I can find.
 
Bench is a very good idea. I built two EAA benches that are absolutely rock solid. One of them I added a little side shelf so the DRDT2 is the perfect height for skins on the table.
 
This would be a good time to procure tools, set up the shop, plumb in compressed air, add lighting, build a good-sized bench, etc.

We won't move into our new house for another two and a half weeks so I'm limited in some of the things I can right now. Kind of in a holding pattern. I do have the Cleaveland Tools RV-14 order in the basket. I'll order that a few days before we move so it arrives shortly after we move in.

I've drawn up plans for 4 modified EAA workbenches (I'm building 8' benches). Can't order supplies for those until we move but I have the plans ready.

I have a list of tools to buy from Harbor Freight and an "Airplane" List on Amazon populated with a few dozen items I'll order once we've moved.

The hangar has excellent lighting. I have a nice air compressor in storage but I'm going to buy a filter/water separator for the compressor (in my Amazon Airplane list).

I have plans drawn up for a modified DRDT2 table. Can't do that until we move.

I'm planning to buy an inflatable paint booth. Have that picked out but can't order that yet.

You get the idea....
 
Back to your original question, if it was 6 months ago I would say you should order your engine now as no one was meeting their dates and prices were definitely climbing. Now with them lowering the price, it appears they are seeing a reduced demand so maybe not so bad to wait 6-9 months so you don’t get it too far before you need it.
 
Probably not a popular opinion - but you are taking a bit of a financial risk ordering everything when you haven't even bucked the first rivet.

Yes, I know prices are headed up on most things and lead times are off the chart - but I think you would be prudent to build the empennage kit first and if that goes well - then consider ordering the follow on kits.

All you have to do is look at VAF to see the number of partially built kits for sale. Not everyone is a builder and it hurts the wallet a lot less to discover that before your shop is full of expensive kits, engines and avionics.

It's exciting to get started and I'm not trying to put a damper on your enthusiasm - but I've seen a lot of folks having to unload their kits lately. Some have done OK financially- others, not as much.
 
Engine

Probably not a popular opinion - but you are taking a bit of a financial risk ordering everything when you haven't even bucked the first rivet.

Yes, I know prices are headed up on most things and lead times are off the chart - but I think you would be prudent to build the empennage kit first and if that goes well - then consider ordering the follow on kits.

All you have to do is look at VAF to see the number of partially built kits for sale. Not everyone is a builder and it hurts the wallet a lot less to discover that before your shop is full of expensive kits, engines and avionics.

It's exciting to get started and I'm not trying to put a damper on your enthusiasm - but I've seen a lot of folks having to unload their kits lately. Some have done OK financially- others, not as much.

The way prices are going, engine may be a good investment. Even if he sells, he will likely make a profit. Of course, storage can be an issue but my dessicant was still good. Buy it and don't open it.

If you have space for 8' benches that's awesome. My two semi standard benches were perfect. 2x10' end to end. 4x5' side to side. Worked great. I even used them to support the fuse when wings were mated.
 
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Probably not a popular opinion - but you are taking a bit of a financial risk ordering everything when you haven't even bucked the first rivet.

At this point I've only ordered the empennage and wing kits and at this point, that's probably all I'm going to order until I see how this new hobby goes.

As much as I'd like to save $3,500 on the engine by ordering it now, I just can't guess the build timeline accurately enough for that to make sense.

I was going to start with the empennage kit but that won't arrive until August and I want something to do prior to that which is why I ordered the wing kit (May/June arrival).

Aside from moving into a new house next month and all that entails, I need to build my tables, buy and set up the new tools, etc. So, I may end up just inventorying the wing kit and start on the empennage kit first. That's my preference. No way I'm going to start with fuel tanks! I've seen enough videos of that to know it won't be early on my list of things to build.
 
If I had the storage space (and finalized my engine decision) early on, I would have definitely ordered it early and preserved it. Prices are skyrocketing. I could not afford my own engine if I had to buy it today.
 
If I had the storage space (and finalized my engine decision) early on, I would have definitely ordered it early and preserved it. Prices are skyrocketing. I could not afford my own engine if I had to buy it today.

C'mon Ryan! You're supposed to tell me it will take me 5 years to build so no reason to get the engine years before I need it :)

As for prices - you are so right. I was really tempted to start this build in 2019. At that time the engine was $33,800. Today the same engine is $61,750. At that rate, the engine could be 100 grand before I finish the airframe. Sheesh!
 
As for prices - you are so right. I was really tempted to start this build in 2019. At that time the engine was $33,800. Today the same engine is $61,750. At that rate, the engine could be 100 grand before I finish the airframe. Sheesh!

If you'd bought a $33,800 engine in 2019 and left it in its crate in a rented storage unit, you'd still be more than $20,000 ahead now. :)

Space is cheap.

If you have the money, buy the engine as soon as you can. Don't worry about when you need it; If it's preserved, it'll still be good even if it sits in a box for several years.

- mark
 
Ok, so I've been following this thread, and I have a question for the aircraft engine experts here. I hope I'm not hijacking this thread, but if people are considering ordering an engine "early" so they're not waiting for it, or to hopefully save some money, it might be helpful to know the potential downfalls of ordering too early, then finding they don't need it as soon as they calculated.
I'm thinking quite a few builders fall into this category. Or asked another way, what do people need to look for when storing an engine? And what are the pitfalls of possible improper storage? If not properly set up and maintained for long-term storage, does an aircraft owner/maintainer run the risk of a catastrophic (premature) engine failure? Or will the engine just not make it to TBO due to internal corrosion? If the oil is changed regularly and the used oil is analyzed, and all shows up as acceptable, is all OK? Or could something be hiding in the weeds?

I'm just curious what people who know more about aircraft engines than a good share of us say or advise. Asking for a friend .....
 
With price increases and lead time issues, I would be buying everything and anything as soon as I could afford it. It sucks being ready for a part only to wait months for it to arrive.
 
If you'd bought a $33,800 engine in 2019 and left it in its crate in a rented storage unit, you'd still be more than $20,000 ahead now. :)

$33,800 to $61,750 in 4 years is approx. 20% year-over-year. None of my investments so far (or my salary) have increased like that. If I was smart, I'd fill a storage unit with new, boxed engines as fast as Lycoming could build them and retire in 10 years. :D
 
Lisa Turner's webinar

How are at dealing with frustration? Building an airplane is just as much a mental challenge as a physical one. I suggest you watch the webinar Lisa Turner just did on the "5 Project Killers". I think that's the name of it, you can find it on the EAA website. You'll probably have the answer to your question afterwards.

Good luck and go get 'em!
 
If you are able to have that much time to work on it and it is an 18 month wait, I would say order the engine. At most I would guess it would sit in your hangar 6-9 months before you can hang it and start the firewall forward items.

If you wanted to add a little more time, don't order till the end of April so you are at the end of the list of people taking the latest discount.

My 14 seems to be going quicker than I thought and I have a full time job and two high school kids keeping me busy.
 
I retired in 2010. The next day started building my RV10.

I had previously ordered all of the kits and the engine and had them in hand.

I had it completed and flew almost two years to the day.

I designed, built, and wired the panel. I did the painting. I painted prior to final assembly at a body shop in a paint both. The painting took 4 months to complete and was the worst part of the entire build process. The total time for my build was right around 4000 hours.

I treated it like it was a job and worked 6-7 days a week all day and left the evenings for documentation and research. My biggest fear was if I stopped working I would lose interest in the project and it would never be completed.

Order the engine and the entire kit now and take advantage of the savings and have it there for when you need it. There is no downside. If you have a life changing event, you can always sell the kit for at least what you have in it.
 
Just sharing a heads up that I learned in researching my own decision on whether to pull the trigger on an engine order during this sale. The Van's website does stipulate on the engine ordering page that "Van's builders must have purchased, or have already on order, all kits through the Finishing Kit for that kit/aircraft serial number."
 
How are at dealing with frustration? Building an airplane is just as much a mental challenge as a physical one. I suggest you watch the webinar Lisa Turner just did on the "5 Project Killers".

Thanks for that suggestion. I just read that article by Lisa. The only time I really get frustrated now that I'm retired is when I watch the news. Actually, that's more depressing than frustrating.

My big challenge right now is learning about building this airplane. There is SO MUCH to learn. Right now I'm working just on engine ordering options. Should be simple, right? Just check a couple boxes, right? Nope! Which propeller do I want? Are Hartzells better than MT? Composite or aluminum? 72" or 74"? Which ignition should I get? What's the difference between Emag and PMag? Do I want the optional accessory plate so I can install a backup alternator?

Of course, this leads to dozens of other questions. Do I need a backup alternator? Will backup batteries work instead? Does this even matter since I'm a VFR pilot? Am I going to get my IFR rating? Should I equip the plane for IFR just in case? What avionics will I need for IFR flight? I could ask another 50 questions JUST TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ORDER THE ENGINE!! I've already spent several days on this topic alone and I have several more days to go. I'll probably put in 50 hours of research before I know enough to check two boxes on the engine order form.

And again, I'm starting from scratch. All I've ever done is rented 172's. I know ZERO about all this stuff and I don't know any other pilots so it's 100% up to me to figure all this out.

After reading this post you may think I'm about ready to throw in the towel before I even start! But, I'm not getting discouraged! I see this project as a good challenge and I need challenges at this point in my life. Retirement has been great but a little too easy. When I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed by the snowball effect these decisions typically follow I just remind myself - if others can do it, I can do it.

Now where was that excellent post I read here a few weeks ago about the differences between ignition systems....
 
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Just sharing a heads up that I learned in researching my own decision on whether to pull the trigger on an engine order during this sale. The Van's website does stipulate on the engine ordering page that "Van's builders must have purchased, or have already on order, all kits through the Finishing Kit for that kit/aircraft serial number."

Yep! I know about that and it's just one more complication with ordering the engine now.
 
You will get answers to some of your questions (or at least good information to help you make an informed decision) when you take that class on April 8.
 
You will get answers to some of your questions (or at least good information to help you make an informed decision) when you take that class on April 8.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the class. Thanks again for recommending it! Oh, BTW, they cancelled the April 8th class because there weren't enough students. Rescheduled for May 13th.
 
$33,800 to $61,750 in 4 years is approx. 20% year-over-year. None of my investments so far (or my salary) have increased like that. If I was smart, I'd fill a storage unit with new, boxed engines as fast as Lycoming could build them and retire in 10 years. :D

Don’t even mention this. Some company may start or even may be doing this. Like concert tickets.
 
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