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Getting Started Thread?

agfly

I'm New Here
So I'm committed to ordering an RV14a kit. Is there a perma-sticky somewhere on the ordering sequence, do I get the quickbuild in the queue day 1, do I have to make my engine choice then, etc? I don't want anybody to waste time answering me if I can just read it. Please point me the right direction if it is there.
 
IMO, if you're planning to go with the QB wings & fuse, your best bet is to order the empennage kit for whichever end you want the tailwheel on ;) and put a deposit on whichever section you want next (most do wings 2nd) so you're in the queue -- which is > 1 year at this point :(

Most people seem to complete the empennage in < 6 months (many in much less), so if there's a 4 month lead time on the empennage, you'll hopefully have only a couple of months in between completing it and receiving your next kit.

Once you get a sense of your pace in building, you can consult the Van's kit lead times page and figure out when to order the next kit.

You do NOT have to make any decisions about the engine or avionics any time soon.

Hope this helps a bit -- and welcome to the fun!
 
Getting started

Where to start? Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to be. Oh wait a minute that is a song.

Well most builders start with the tail/emenage kit first. Depending on your skill and time restraints this should take less than three month. Then you wait.

Van's has already said that QB kits will be a year or more before they are shipped. Therefore I would at least put your order in for the wing and fuselage kit and maybe the finishing kit when you place your order. You just have to make a deposit to hold your order.

The engine can wait til later in build along with FWF andsame with your panel.

I got the empenage kit and then placed my order for QB components. Still had three months waiting fo them to come. My panel from Stein took almost a year and the engine was over six plus months if I remember correctly. Hope this helps



2020 RV 14A 140507 flying
 
Normally goes empennage, wing, fuselage, firewall forward and finish kit. Will need the engine info when you order the firewall forward and finish kit I believe. You can decide which end the little wheel goes on before ordering the fuse. Hope that helps. I’m not real familiar with the 14 but that’s how the nine goes.
 
I agree, good stuff here.

I also ordered my RV-14 kit today after watching a few friends build theirs. Figuring out what to order and when isn’t simple with the current state of everything.
 
If I were doing a 14, I'd do just what I did on the 10 when I built it. Order the empennage first. As soon as it arrives, order the "slow build" wings, and the quick build fuselage at the same time. The wings are REALLY east to build, they just take a while. About the time you're completing the wings, the quickbuild fuselage will/should arrive.
 
If you are in Little Rock, there is a venerable army of veterans at your fingertips. 1hr over a coffee or beer with your local crew will exceed days of internet back and forth.
 
I ordered the empennage kit, then the fuse kit because I figure the wings will be pretty easy to build and I want my kids to be able to sit in the fuse and make airplane noises. I will probably order the wings and the finishing kit at the same time when I get close to finishing the fuse.
 
I went ahead and committed to the entire kit a few weeks ago. Van said the emp kit will be first to arrive in four months, followed by the QB fuse/wings kits and finishing kit 12+ months out.
 
This makes a lot of sense if...

I went ahead and committed to the entire kit a few weeks ago. Van said the emp kit will be first to arrive in four months, followed by the QB fuse/wings kits and finishing kit 12+ months out.

...your build calendar is around two years. When I built my -14, my goal was to spend two years building it so I’d have a few years to fly it before insurance became killer around age 75. Worked out great, because I had time and commitment to keep working on it. If you have limited time to build and expect to stretch it over several years, sequencing may be more important; but if you have the time to build it over a couple of years, order all the kits. I ordered my engine and prop about ten months after starting on my build, but the wait time wasn’t as long then. Ordered my panel and avionics shortly after the engine. Didn’t ever have to spend too long waiting on kits.
 
Hi Little Rock,
Let me share my story..
I went ahead and ordered almost everything except the FWF kit and certain accessories, in one shot towards the end of April 2021. QB kit was also added on top of Std. kit (no advance to pay unless agreed up on Vans delivery schedule later on) to get in line in case of any delay in delivery, transport, customs as well as building it myself takes more time and effort than I anticipated. Just went ahead with the RV14A orders as if there is no tomorrow ... haha.
Next I will be shopping for the workshop local tools and Special tools bundle from Isham Inc.
It looks like, I will start receiving the Empennage kit in Sept, MT Props in Oct, Wings and Fuselage kit, IFR Avionics and the Lycoming Engine in Nov / Dec. By the end of October, I might know more about building timeline for my plane using standard kit and then I may be able to switch to QB or cancel it and continue with the Std. Kit.
At least a few of my Expert RV builder friends in this group must be raising their eyebrows looking at my approach and thinking what is this guy going to do with FILO (First in Last out) all the high cost last items in hand in the beginning of the project for over a year or so ?
My plan is to have my crazy looking Red crank case and Black engine Thunderbolt YIO 390 EXP 119 engine, 3 Blade 74" MT Prop and the IFR Avionics with Aera 760 all set up inside my house as display following all preservation norms until I complete the plane build for motivation and sharing the details with my friends as well as the Aeroclub students in the Engineering college, in India from where I graduated in 1981 as a token of giving back initiative probably using zoom on line. I am sure there are a few wonderful pilots, excellent aircraft designers and dedicated ground engineers in the making for this beautiful world that we live in...
Once all kits and parts are scheduled for assembly, depending on the timeline, the balance items such as the FWF kit, seats, side panels and carpets, AC (ASAC 5300), Turtle-pac, ELT, Battery, paint and so on and so forth.
A lot of work to be done within a year with all the help I can get from this knowledgeable group of RV experts. Already I am learning a lot following the discussions.
The year 2022 is going to be hectic for me.
Cheers
Sreekumar V Nair
 
Thanks all - keep it coming. I think we should make this a sticky thread somewhere 'cuz I'm sure I'm not the only one asking these same questions.

This is a very active forum - and one of the best reasons to go with RV as opposed to others. It takes a community and ya'll got it. I feel at home already.
 
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