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Better resale; 14 or 14a

dspender

Well Known Member
Sorry for such a mundane question. I've completed then sold an RV10. Now plan to build a 14 or 14a. Would like the looks of the 14 more. Any objective data to suggest an equivalent 14 or 14a has a better resale?
 
Vans data

One data source is the completions page on Vans website. You could tally up the number of each completed to see which is most popular. A quick look suggests that it is the RV-14A.
 
Build it for yourself and what you want out of it, not for what others might want. There are enough people out there who would buy it regardless of the configuration so you're not going to get stuck with it if you ever find you have to sell it.
 
I speculate that part of the crazy run up in prices we have seen is due to increasing acceptance of experimental planes by the GA community, thereby increasing the demand side of the equation. If that is truly the case, I would expect that demand for the A models will grow in dominance over time as the bulk of the GA fleet is nose wheel.

Larry
 
Build it for yourself and what you want out of it, not for what others might want. There are enough people out there who would buy it regardless of the configuration so you're not going to get stuck with it if you ever find you have to sell it.

Exactly, I don't think the $ difference between a 14 and 14a is going to amount to anything in the grand scheme of things.
 
Somewhere around here, I remember reading relative sales figures for Van’s side-by-sides and noted (unsurprisingly IMHO) that sales of tricycle-gear “A” models were substantially higher than the tail wheel versions of the same airplane
 
As I've thought of my ridiculous question, I suspect more fliers are nosewheel than tailwheel, especially younger.
 
Given the higher popularity of the nosedraggers, if someone wants a taildragger, yours might be the only one around. It might then be worth more to that buyer.

Dave
 
Build what will satisfy your flying dreams and ignore the future sale. There will be a buyer when you are through with it.
 
I am taking TW lesson at the moment so I can fly my RV8. The owner of the outfit is having a very hard time finding qualified TW CFIs. Most of the CFIs never had TW training because they never need it for the airline career. I am suspecting this problem will not get better as more and more young people learning to fly in Cessna and Piper and only get interested in TW after they are established in their career path, many years in the future.
 
From looking at the RVs for sale it's clear that all the A models of the side-by-sides sell for a premium 90% of the time. Historically they have also spent less time on the market, although this is 2 to 4 months old, haven't watching the market that close lately.
 
Insurance Data

I love taildraggers but there is a reason Boeing and Airbus build tricycle gear aircraft. When my dad went from T-6, DC-3 (tail wheel) to a B-25 (nose gear) he said he thought he died and went to heaven. Yes, tailwheel aircraft have "swag" but when you are flying home and landing in gusty, nasty winds I will take a tricycle gear aircraft every time. And that is reflected in insurance rates and the number of incidents and accidents from FAA data. A tricycle gear aircraft such as the 14-A is a great aircraft with a broad appeal. Between lower insurance and far more pilots comfortable flying trigear I say 14-A. And I can confirm that as the owner of an RV-14A. I have a ton of tailwheel time but love my 14A. And people will pay a premium for that.
 
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Hard to beat a tail draggers for pure sexiness. Faster, too. My top speed is 191 knots (221 mph) - although most of the additional speed was the custom cowl we made (as opposed to having a tiny ‘third’ wheel). All that aside - the RV tail draggers are so easy handle it’s a shame folks lump them in with less manageable ones. My humble advice - build the one that puts a smile on your face.

2nVvMGJ
 
My Opinion

Agree that a 14 looks great on the ground and in the air. I have about as much tail-wheel time as a nose wheel, I chose to build a nose wheel because >

I believe 1) there are fewer pilots that are tail-wheel proficient over the past decade and that is the trend; 2) insurance on a tail-dragger will likely be higher; 3) a nose wheel may be easier to sell.

+ much better forward visibility on the ground.
 
If you want looks and sex appeal the 14, if you want to reach a wider target audience who try to reduce there fixed cost as much as possible I would build the 14A. I fly the A variarent because of insurance even though I am a tail wheel capable pilot.
 
I haven't flown conventional gear in years but I lean heavily to wanting a tailwheel version...even though I never mastered it and got teh sign off. Still I know I can do it....
but mostly the tailwheel looks better
& I like it because the nosewheel seems a bit weak...so better rough filed assurance...not that I'm going back country, but there are times when you want to taxi in the grass, or land on poorly maintained runways, etc...

but as I daydream about a retirement project here
I sometimes consider timid passengers (my wife) that might be 'bothered' by the pitching shenanigan's on takeoff.
and more importantly the insurance
 
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