I’ve been reading these posts for a long time, and fortunately they don’t affect me because with my latest build - I bought a used kit that was mostly complete - didn’t involve as much kit component parts. I’ve built 4 of these RV kits and mostly didn’t have to deal with these unusually long delays. What bothers me is that the quality of this company seems to be ‘tarnished’. I never had to deal with these kind of delays with the kits I’ve built before. I spoke with Abby from Flightline Interiors yesterday and she said she is not accepting orders for her interior parts until she hires enough qualified people for her to meet demand. She said her orders were approaching a year out, and that is ridiculous, and she didn’t want to run her business that way. One of the things I wanted from her was her aileron control tube boots, and she has them in stock. Anyway, I commend her for having a business standard that doesn’t keep her customers waiting for something that they may need much sooner.
I don’t understand why Vans Aircraft doesn’t just stop accepting orders for new kits and subkits until they can get this under control. They are sacrificing their excellent reputation as a kit supplier with delivery dates they know they can’t possibly comply with, evidenced by their track record over the past year or so. The reputation of Vans Aircraft has been the best of any kit aircraft company for a long time, and that’s one reason why many of us chose to go with this kit decision. They are burning that loyalty that has been created over the last decades with quality parts and honesty with their business.
I ordered some subkits for my RV6 last year in February. Part of the order was my baffle kit. There were two parts on the baffle kit that was on back order, but they sent me the rest of the kit (plus an exhaust system and other parts on the order). Well, in May I called Vans and asked about the remaining baffle kit parts delivery status and they said they were still looking for some vender to supply these parts, and that they estimated it would be at least three months later. I told them to cancel the back order, and that I would just make the parts myself. These were parts that are flat aluminum that I made myself in maybe 1hour, and that they should have been able to pop out of a CNC machine at 1,000 an hour. Anyway, I canceled the back order. I’ve done that twice over the last six months, but the order is still open. The total order was over $2000, less the non-delivered BO parts, and it is still open….. 9 months later.
Don’t get me wrong. I think Vans Aircraft has the best series of EAB aircraft there is. I just think they have lost it when it comes to supplying kits in the way the company was created. I have many local friends that have ordered parts, been given delivery dates, and have not gotten them - months later. One of my local friends, 5 time RV builder, ordered parts for an RV7 aileron last winter. He was told to expect delivery in May. No word from Vans, nothing, even with inquiries, so he built the part himself, and finished the aileron for the customer. He just finally received the aileron rib part from Vans yesterday. No explanation about the delay - nothing. This is not an isolated story. I hope they can get their delivery problems straightened out, because this company is the lifeblood of GA in my opinion.