Excuses to NOT build an airplane, and resolutions:
1. Don't have the time.
Bullsh!t. Got time to watch TV eat chips and drink beer, therefore got
time
to build.
2. Don't have the money.
America was built on credit.
3. Don't have the space.
Bought house with 3 car garage last year.
4. Don't have the experience.
Neither did the Wright brothers, and neither did most other
homebuilders.
5. Don't fly enough to justify the cost.
I also don't swim enough to justify owning a 40 foot diving pool, or
drive
offroad enough to justify a 4 wheel drive pickup with lifted suspension.
5. Friends will think I am crazy/stupid/etc.
Who cares? They already think that anyway.
6. OK, OK. Got the space, got the time, I can read instructional
books,
equally crazy friends are already volunteering to help, and the credit
card
works. But I can't even get started; the garage is a disaster area full
of junk, and I don't even have any worktables or anything.
Well, trash gets picked up twice a week...
AND... it seems bizarre that such a simple little minor thing can cause a cascade of events, but it is true. I was at the point where even if I did not build an airplane, I still needed some work tables for the garage for other projects around the house. But the solution didn't seem clear; I didn't want to spend a fortune on prebuilt tables (if I could even find some suitable ones), and I had no idea how to construct a decent table or even what size it should be.
So what solved this issue and pushed me over the edge?
The February 2001 issue of Sport Aviation magazine, published by the EAA. When I turned to page 101 and saw the article on how to build the EAA Chapter 1000 "Standard Worktable", something just clicked. I decided that the simplicity, modularity and reusability of the 2x5 table was exactly what I needed.
So, what to build?
Low time pilot. Live in Arizona, thus 90%+ VFR flying. Not interested in acro; mostly just short distance cross country flying and sightseeing, some 2-4 day trips on weekends, some night flying.
Particularly interested in metal construction.
Must have power to push my fat ass around at a respectable cruise speed.
+ All metal
+/- Blind rivet construction (easier?)
+ Not a bad looking airplane.
+ Distributor based at my favorite airport (GEU)
- Average cruise speeds.
- Pricey. $25K for kit, no subkits.
- Not many flying.
+ All metal
+/- Blind rivet construction (easier?)
+ Pricing OK. Subkits available.
+ Decent number of planes flying.
- Plane not ugly, but not as pretty as others.
- Average cruise speed.
+ True 4-place aircraft.
- Airplane is very fugly.
- Brand new, none flying.
+ All metal
+ Pricing OK. Subkits available.
+ Number flying? Many. Many.
+ Plane is cool looking.
+ Very excellent cruise speeds.
+ Van's has extraordinary reputation.
+ Will take full fuel and two Bubba size adults.
- Not the best low-time pilot choice.
-/+ Not blind rivet construction (harder?)
Van's RV-9a
+ All metal
+ Pricing OK. Subkits available.
+ Plane is cool looking.
+ Very good cruise speeds
+ Good slow speed handling, low stall speed.
+ Good choice for low-time pilot.
+ Van's has extraordinary reputation.
+ People that fly the demonstrator verify handling claims.
+ Will take full fuel and two Bubba size adults.
+/- Not blind rivet construction (harder?)
- None flying. Prototype crashed, but probably not due to aircraft
failure.
At one point, I was convinced that the RV-6a was what I wanted. After talking to some EAA folks, I changed my decision to go with the 9a. Then, out of the blue, Van's brought out the -7[a]. Then, out of the blue, Zenith brought out the 640. I put off a decision for a couple of weeks, but finally decided that based on the mission criteria, and my preferences for the look of the RV series, the RV-9a was the perfect fit.