Tim's Unofficial RV-10  FAQ
This FAQ was put together to answer some of the more common questions I get.  Hopefully you will find it useful as you investigate the construction of your own RV-10. Keep in mind when you read it that these are my opinions and experiences only, and if you ask other builders the same questions, they may have very different answers.

How fast does it go, and how fast does it climb?
What is the RV-10's approximate service ceiling?
How much fuel does it hold, and what is the the RV-10's range?
I've heard it's great on short or grass fields, is that true?
Can the RV-10 haul 4 adults?  How is the back seat leg room?
I've heard the RV-10 is Nose Heavy, is this true?
Build it light, right?  And what is the gross Weight?
How much does it cost to build?
How well does the cabin heat work...my wife gets cold?
What engines can I put in it?
How smooth is the engine (IO-540)?
Does the RV-10 need electric rudder trim?
Does the RV-10 need a Yaw Dampner?
How stable is the RV-10 for IFR Flight?
What about the elevator trim speed...I've heard it's fast?
What are the airplane's weaknesses in construction?
What mods are available for the RV-10?
I've heard there's a problem with tunnel heat, is this true?
How about CHT's, Oil, and inter-cowl temps....is it too hot?
How long does it take to build an RV-10?
What is the half-way point in building the RV-10...it's taking me soooo loooong?
Should I use a Throttle Quadrant or Push-Pull Cables?
How well do your Nav and Com antennas work?
If you were doing it all over, what would you do differently?
How Noisy is it inside the RV-10?
After I'm flying, what should I do next?

How fast does it go, and how fast does it climb?
The RV-10 has an approximate top speed of about 183-185kts if you equip it with a a standard 260Hp IO-540.  Refer to Van's Aircraft for their official specs, but what is listed here might be a fair guide too.  You can expect to cruise x/c at between 160 and 170kts.  Climb while solo is about 2100-2200fpm, and climb with 2 front seaters should easily make 1700fpm.  Loaded up full, you may see an anemic reduced climb of only 1500-1600fpm on a warm day.  Even up at 10,000' MSL, your climb will likely approach 900-1000fpm.  In short, yeah, it is plenty fast.

What is the RV-10's approximate service ceiling?
I believe there is some literiture out there that shows the service ceiling as somewhere around 22,000'.  This is probably very close to it's actual service ceiling.  There has been at least one RV-10 taken to over 21,000'.  You will no find great climb performance at those altitudes though.  Most RV-10 x/c flights will be very comfortable between 8,000 and 17,000'.

How much fuel does it hold, and what is the the RV-10's range?
The RV-10 holds a little over 30 gallons per side if you fill it full, giving you a round-number-fill of 60 gallons.  There are aux. fuel tanks available for the RV-10 if 60 won't do it, and other builders have done other more extensive mods, although these aren't factory approved.  The RV-10 has a very reasonable and not terribly tough to attain range of near over 1000nm depending on your power settings.  I'm a LOP (Lean of Peak EGT) x/c flier, and I can easily see a range of 800-1000nm with legs of over 5 hours if I manage power properly.  Fuel flows at altitudes over 10,000 will range from 7-10gph running LOP, at cruise speeds of 160-165kts TAS.  If you fly ROP, you will find fuel flows of 10-14gph on most x/c flights, with a more limited leg time of about 3.5 - 4 hours when you leave a good reserve.  At these power settings you're more likely to see 170kts TAS.  Choose your flying style to fit your preference and your needs.

I've heard it's great on short or grass fields, is that true?
So far it's been a very good plane on shorter grass strips.  Van's specs claim takeoff and landing distances of 500-650'.  You really can't use these as practical values though if you're trying to decide if you can shoehorn your RV-10 into your own grass strip.  A practiced and competent pilot should be able to operate out of strips as short as 1200' depending on obstructions. On pavement, the RV-10 can be landed and stopped conservatively in 1000' without too much effort for a moderately skilled pilot.   Give the RV-10 2000' and you'll likely have no issues, but more is better when it comes to runways.  It does handle well on grass, and the nose gear leg is a bit sturdier than its smaller brothers, although care should always be taken to land with the nosegear off the ground and set it down as gently as possible.

Can the RV-10 haul 4 adults?  How is the back seat leg room?
Oh for sure...the RV-10 does a great job hauling people.  The front seats are very near CG, so you can put two pretty darn fat people in front without phasing the RV-10.  Stuff a couple of pals in the back and you're probably fine in most equipped RV-10's.  Throw a pile of baggage in and you may have to start watching it pretty close, depending on your airplane's configuration and your passenger load.  The baggage area is rated officially at 100lbs, although in practice it seems that unless you're hauling unusually heavy items, it will basically hold whatever it takes to fill it up.  Always verify your loads before you fly, for safety's sake.

I've heard the RV-10 is Nose Heavy, is this true?
Well, yes and no.  I've flown in very modestly equipped RV-10's with Hartzell metal C/S Props and minimal accessories and interior, and then there's others like mine...equipped with the same engine and prop, but with aux batteries, full interiors, and things like that.   In an airplane built about as "normal" noseheavy as it gets, with a fairly forward CG, you can get to the point where you may just run out of nose-up trim during final approach.  In my own personal aircraft though, with it's added aux batteries and heavier main battery, I have no such problem.  In mine, I have full trim authority for all phases of flight, and do not notice it being at all nose heavy.  At the same time, I still have a very adequate C.G. range that allows for quite a bit of load and baggage.  So no, depending on your equipment, you may or may not notice any nose heaviness.  Even the more forward CG planes though are very comfortable to fly and pose no real issue.  During your first flights, it would be advisable for a pilot to fly with perhaps 50lbs of lead shot in the baggage area, and as the fly-off period progresses, remove some lead in a couple of stages.  This would allow you to see the effects of tail weight, and get some easier flaring during your initial flights.  Once you become accustomed to your RV-10, you will find in most cases that although you may enjoy flying with the weight there, it's not at all required.  On most of my flights, I leave my tie-down kit in the tail, which may help a little, but certainly it does not need any added ballast.  Some builders justify composite props based on how it's going to help "fix the RV-10's nose heaviness".  I can't disagree with this in theory, as depending on their aircraft, they may have that need.  But, if you do opt for a lighter engine and prop, be aware that while the RV-10 is very hard to load out of forward CG, it's not all that tough to load it out of aft CG.  It may be that if you go with a light prop, you need to be much more cautious with other accessories such as aux batteries, A/C systems, or other doodads.

Build it light, right?
This one will probably get me crucified by the purists.  While I'm all for keeping down unnecessary weight, I'm also all for comfort and function.  I enjoy a quiet, comfortable interior, and plenty of gadgets and good well-grounded wire runs.  I didn't try to cut every ounce as some builders do.  I've found the performace difference, being on the heavier half of the flying RV-10's just isn't noticible, and I wouldn't trade my comfort for the bragging rights to the low weight numbers.  The RV-10 will still do most anything you want it to do, even with a little junk in it's trunk.  Try to be weight conscious, but you don't have to overdo it, that's my thinking.  In addition, added weight gives a smoother ride in turbulence, and actually increases maneuvering speed.  As for the Gross Weight, you'll find that most RV-10's empty weight will come out in the 1600-1700lb range when completed with interiors and paint.  There are even a few pushing 1725-1750lbs.  Van's recommended gross weight for the RV-10 is 2700lbs, and although you are able to specify your own gross wt. and some people have done 2800lbs or even 2850 or possibly more, Van's does not recommend that at all, and they did the engineering to set the weight themselves.  So the useful load on most RV-10's will be 950-1150lbs, with most of them being over 1000.  Extreme care needs to be excercised from deviating from the gross wt. and this decision should not be taken lightly.  Note in even if from a weight perspective you were fine, if you indeed were loaded to a higher-than-2700-gross weight, you would also very possibly be nearing some out-of-CG range.  So know your plane and it's Weight and Balance and CG range, and flight test accordingly to prove it.

How much does it cost to build?
Well isn't that the million-dollar question?  A wise man named Scott Lewis once said "When working out how much a project is going to cost, write down how much you think, then double it . . . . then throw the paper in the bin and just keep spending money until its finished!!"  That's probably some good advice.   The RV-10 will be a tough plane to even think of building for less than $100K.  Some builders will manage to spend double that amount.  The average will probably fall right about in the middle.  It's not only in how you equip it, but when you bought it.  Prices on engines have taken great leaps upwards.  Avionics have gotten more expensive, as has the kit price itself over the past few years.  What was a $150,000 plane 2 years ago may be a $160,000 plane this year.  My advice is to budget for at least $150,000 and if you can do it for less, great.  If you can afford to do it for $150K, you can probably also afford to do it for $180K, so at least from a relative standpoint it's still do-able. Some very very cost conscious builders will try to come in well under $150K.  This is great, but you will end up more likely having a VFR plane, or minimal trimmings once you get down in the $130K or less range.  The single biggest favor you can do yourself if you're truly tight on a budget is to build as much of the plane as you can on your own.  Skip the Quickbuild options, take the time to paint your own plane, and wire your own panel. You ARE building for "recreation, education, and enjoyment", aren't you? If so, why short yourself the chance to learn these new skills, and have a better grasp on your aircraft's workings.

How well does the cabin heat work...my wife gets cold?
If there is one thing you can tell your wife that will convince her that the RV-10 is for her, it's that the heater works well in the winter. The standard Lycoming equipped RV-10 with a vetterman exhaust system will very easily and very smoothly heat the plane on even the coldest days.  The heat controls are front/rear independent, and there is plenty of heat to warm the cabin.  Even on 10 degree days, I fly without any jacket most of the time, and still don't turn the heat on it's highest settings.  At temps below zero it would still be easy to heat the cabin to a very comfortable temperature.

What engines can I put in it?
Well, Van's recommends the 260Hp IO-540, which is perfect for this plane.  They also built a continental equipped plane with 210Hp that also performed well.  So pick an engine between 210 and 260Hp and you should be fine.  Any more than 260 is not factory approved.  260Hp gives plenty of power for the RV-10, and without turbocharging or turbonormalizing it gives plenty of safe performance at altitude.  Throw on a turbo and you may run into Vne or flutter issues at altitude.  You'll also want to avoid any engines that are too heavy or too light, for proper CG.  Another thing to keep in mind is that an IO-540, while typically a 15gph type engine, can easily be leaned and throttled back to provide very economical operation that will rival what a 4-cylinder engine would do in the same airframe...yet you still get the benefit of power when you need it and the ability to climb well on hot days. My advice is to stick with the tried and true.  As for alternatives, there are the usual Subaru and Mazda alternatives available, but as of this writing there are none flying, and they're for the very true "experimenters", as nothing has proven itself in aircraft as much as the standard air-cooled aircraft engine.  That's not to say they won't be great, but they're not for everyone, and choosing one of them will likely increase your construction time and complexity.

How smooth is the engine (IO-540)?
Very.  You'll often hear how builders choose 3-blade and 4-blade props, or automotive conversions just for their smoothness.  What needs to be mentioned though is that the IO-540 is a much smoother engine than the typical 4-cylinder aircraft engine they may be comparing their experience to.   With a dynamically balanced Hartzell C/S Prop and an IO-540, I constantly get comments from passengers as to how smooth the combination is.  The 3-blade MT prop is also very smooth, and it looks very pretty.  But, it also has a totally different, and higher pitched buzz to it than the lower pitched thumps of the Hartzell.  Smoother, well, perhaps.  More comfortable? Well, that's personal preference.  I was very surprised to find when I flew behind both on the same day that I prefer the sound of the Hartzell...and that's no sour grapes.  The engine is just very smooth, and no matter which prop you choose you will likely be very happy, especially if you take the time to dynamically balance your prop, which balances the entire rotating mass of your engine.

Does the RV-10 need electric rudder trim?
This is another tough question.  I recently added rudder trim using a Ray Allen servo and the other associated parts. I flew over 285 hours without rudder trim, and although it flew just fine with minimal foot pressure on the right rudder (I had a trim wedge taped onto the rudder that compensated for most of the trim in a 165kt cruise speed), a trim wedge is only good for one airspeed. Therefore, I spent a lot of time with very slight pressure on the rudder pedal, and my leg got tired sometimes as we often fly greater than 4 hour legs. My suggestion is to add it as a definite option, or if you're unsure, at least run the wires to the rudder and through the tailcone for it so when you realize you want it, that it's not as big of a job.  In addition, save panel space for a switch.  I would, however, suggest installing it because doing it after it's painted will be ok, but not as perfect cosmetically unless you paint the rivet heads perfectly. 
My trim block was too much in a fast descent, so I have to add left rudder on descent, right rudder in climb, and minimal right rudder in cruise.  Rudder trim can also benefit from the Safety-Trim system's dual speed control that I consider to be great "Must Have" equipment for the elevator.


Does the RV-10 need a Yaw Dampner?
Another tough question.  "Need" is the wrong word.  I've flown over 200 hours without, and there's really no way that I would bother to add one.  I have had some tail wag in turbulence, but only in lots of turbulence.  There are those, however, who have used Yaw Dampners in the past (not me), who may feel that the ride in turbulence would be improved.  I won't bother to try to argue with them, but my personal opinion is that not only is it not a "need", but you'd probably be wasting your money that could be better spent on other things...unless you have millions.

How stable is the RV-10 for IFR Flight?
Oh man, this is a question with a great answer...  The RV-10 is fantastically stable for IFR flight.  It compares nicely with a Beech Bonanza or my old plane the Sundowner.   Crisp, responsive, yet stable as can be.  The stick forces in roll get very firm at high speeds, which I feel is great.  It tracks and rides straight and true, and you can't just bump the stick into an accidently-commanded roll.  The forces in pitch are very light....just heavy enough, in fact.  It makes it a joy for even the most weak-armed pilot to hold back pressure in steep turns.  You do want to brief your flying passengers or co-pilot on the pitch sensitivity to prevent them from yanking hard on the stick.  It's a strong airplane that won't surprise you much, but you don't want to have a person use too much control the first time they pull on the elevator.  Once you've felt it though, it's clear how the airplane feels and you won't have any issue. Remember back to when you started flying and you were all over the skies up and down, because planes felt so sensitive.  The RV-10 isn't like that, but a pilot who's perhaps used to a heavy pitch airplane like the 182 may need a head's up that this plane is NOT like that.

What about the elevator trim speed...I've heard it's fast?
Again, here's one with a very complicated answer.  Yes, and No. The RV-10's standard elevator trim works pretty well much of the time.  With most RV-10's you'll probably have full pitch trim authority on the elevator for any amount of elevator required. (i.e. you can trim off all stick forces for any phase of flight) During the landing or low-speed phase, I'd say that the trim system is "just right".  It's basically perfect, and won't get you in trouble.  During high-speed flight though, say anything over about 120kts, and you've got an awful lot of speed to the elevator trim...enough so that I see it as a safety issue.  Once you hit 140kts IAS, you're looking at some very big consequences if you accidently hold the trim switch too long.  As it happened to me during my fly-off, I had a binder on my lap that depressed the trim and gave nose-up trim.  Within 1 second of trim application, the airplane will pitch up very sharply and will need a LOT of stick force to overcome the trim. It is FAST, very fast, and I've measured well into the 2+ G's that will happen if you hold the trim for a full second.  That's why in my plane I do have a switch on the panel that will disable the trim buttons from the co-pilot stick, when I want to take passengers like kids along.  There's just too much speed to the trim, and I don't want to only have 1 second to react to a sudden change.

Herein steps the aftermarket mod companies.  Recently, I found one that I really like, the "Safety-Trim" system that I'll describe in a couple paragraphs.  There is another one that I considered for a while that uses pulse modulation to control the trim motor speed.  This I thoguht was pretty good.  What it does though, is to bring the trim speed down to 50% for the first 1/2 second of application.  During the next 1/2 second, it begins to ramp up and at the end of a total of 1 second of trim application, you'll be applying full-speed trim.  My first impression was that this would be nice.  After thinking about it for a while though, I decided not to install it.  The problem is, during the landing phase, I very much like the trim speed to be 100%, ALL THE TIME.  I really WANT that fast trim setting when under 120kts, and I don't want to wait for 1 second before I get full speed trim.  In addition, it requires an override switch in the panel, in case it's microprocessor runs away on you.  Yes, it runs a real microsprocessor, and because there is a "program" running, the makers require a disconnect switch on the panel.  That doesn't give me warm fuzzies. Then the last straw was that in the example of the notebook binder laying on the switch, sure, now it wouldn't run away so fast, but still after 1 second of something pushing that switch, you're going to be quickly moving out of trim and out of control. An additional negative actually turned out to be the use of pulse modulation in the design. Talking it over with a design engineer, he warned that one of the catches with PWM control would be that you're inducing a noisy pulsing power signal into your electrical system that you really don't need.

Another system is out there uses an airspeed switch to control the system.  This seems much nicer in that now you have 2 settings, and they change based on your airspeed.  Much more appropriate.  The catch is, airspeed sensing switches can be pretty touchy and you have to buy one for the range that you want to switch at, and hopefully it'll stay set to that speed setting. You also need to be careful when a system changes trim speed by just lowering the voltage to the trim motor.  This means that the motor can stall out on you.  That's why the pulse-modulation at first glance seemed to be a good way to reduce the speed...but the noise negates that benefit. A properly adjusted voltage setting works well on the RV-10 though for slow speed.

So what did I do?  I installed the "Safety-Trim" system, finally, at 285 hours of flight time. It looks to be an ideal system for the RV-10. I actually had the opportunity to talk to the person who developed it, Bob Newman from tcwtech.com, before it was released, and get some insight into his operational concepts, and I found them very much in sync with what I had hoped to have in a trim system. His system includes some real safety benefits for the RV-10, such as dual-speed capabilities, a runaway trim prevention system, a reversing selector, and a panel-mounted trim disable switch. After installing it and testing it, I'm convinced that it will be a fantastic addition to safety for any RV-10, or other aircraft if you're not a -10 builder. Read my Safety-Trim write-up for more info.

You can install nothing for an aftermarket trim speed system and I think you'll enjoy the plane, but do be careful of inadvertent trim application.


What are the airplane's weaknesses in construction?
Well, there's a couple of weaknesses.  Overall it's a fantastic plane, but here are things that could use improvement.

Doors - The doors could be better designed, including locking latches to meet some state's lock requirements, and they could be a little tougher.  While for the most part they work ok, they tend to pull in better on the front than the back, and unless you add a handle to pull on the back side, it can be hard to get both the front and rear latch pin to go in without the properly angled pull on the door handle.  Also, if the rear pin doesn't make it far enough over, it will poke out and chip your fuselage paint, which by the way would be nice if they'd make a striker plate that would prevent this damage.  If you don't get the rear pin in when you latch the door, you will also very likely find yourself door-less once you get off the ground.  So, they added a door-latch warning system.  So in general, the doors could be improved a bit, but it's nothing too awful bad.

Air vents - The front NACA vents for the front seat passenger could be better placed.  As it is, it's tough to get ideally angled ventilation from them.  Overhead vents would be nice, and can be added by adding an overhead console.  So that is a nice recommendation.  It also would fix my next weakness....

Overhead Wiring - It could be easier to mount overhead switches, antennas in the cabin top, vents, and wiring/lights.  In the RV-10 some of this can be done, but not nearly as easily as it would be if you add an overhead console.  Luckily they're available, and if they would have been there when I was doing my cabin, I would have definitely added one.


What mods are available for the RV-10?
There are getting to be more and more.  There are overhead consoles, center consoles, fiberglass panels, stronger axle extensions, numerous replacement parts of better design by rivethead-areo, the Sam James Cowl and plenum, the Forsling exhaust system, replacement rudder pedals and more.  That's the beauty of a homebuilt...you can dabble in the mods and make it the way you want it. Be aware that many mods may increase your build time, or expense, so look closely at things before you jump.

I've heard there's a problem with tunnel heat, is this true?
Personally I'm not convinced that there are any major issues with tunnel heat.  That's not to say that heat isn't going to be an issue you want to deal with....it is.  There are some simple things you can do that will lower the temps you see in your tunnel.  To see a previous write-up I did on this, just see this link.  Why is tunnel heat an issue?  Well, if you heat the tunnel, your fuel lines run through that tunnel and any added heat will decrease your margin of temperature before your fuel vaporizes in the lines, causing vapor lock.  There is at least one case of suspected vapor lock ending in an off-airport landing in and RV-10 from what I understand (this is unverified).  So that just means you want a tunnel that's as cool as possible, which isn't always easy with the exhaust so close, and with the cabin heat constantly blasting through the SCAT tubes at those cabin heat control boxes on the firewall.  But with a little extra work, you shouldn't have any problems that cause you any issues.  See this link for some solutions.  This year during annual inspection I also did one more step that seems to have further decreased the temps....I wrapped my SCAT ducts in the tunnel with double-sided silver foam/fiber centered insulation like I used on my firewall.  This would help keep the heater duct heat IN the ducts, and keep it from radiating into the tunnel.  I insulated them back to the wing spar.  Every bit of diligence helps, but with just a few simple steps, I can't help but think that this isn't one of those alarming major issues.

How about CHT's, Oil, and inter-cowl temps....is it too hot?
Well here again, there's been a lot of discussion about the high temps on the RV-10 CHT, and some people have resorted to louvres to "fix" the heat problem.  See this link for more info.  The problem is, I personally believe that these builders have just put too much faith in themselves and taken an easy way out that will mask the underlying problems.  They may not like to hear it, but hey, I was in that boat.  I thought I did a great job. I would have sworn by it.....until I found out that I could have done better.  Here's how. Basically, it's easy to make a couple of improvements in baffling that take care of most any heat related issues that you may have, at least for most builders.  If you live in the desert, not just fly there occasionally, then perhaps you may want to do more, but here is the way I see it:

Originally I could be flying in 10 degree F weather and on climbout I could hit 410degrees F or more on CHT within a couple thousand feet of climb.  So yeah, I was worried.  Then, some people told me the redline on CHT's was much higher, and not to sweat it.  Well, that didn't fully ease my mind.  But, after doing some baffle work, linked to above, I now find that even in the summer when it's 90F out, I'd still have a very hard time hitting 400F on my CHT's during climb.  So did I improve things?  Well, without a doubt I can say I did.  I did this by a fix to the cowls air ramps, to some sealing of holes, by filing out the slag from the fins on the very top of my cylinder heads that restricted cooling flow, and from some little tweaks with RTV to improve cooling.  In addition, I have done a pretty good job on my baffling.  I'm using a standard cowl, by the way, with no plenum.  So with all that done, I now see maybe 30F or more lower temps, and that's more than just a slight improvement on what I had thought was a plenty adequate job. So, if you're a builder with high CHT's in climb, I'd encourage you to drop the pride and start looking for the root causes before you hack in a pair of louvres and band-aid the problem.  There may indeed be situations where louvres are a good thing, depending on your location.  I myself will try to do some flights on the hottest of days this year, when it's 100F or more, and see if there is any more I want to do, but on flights in the 90-95F range, I haven't seen that I have any further issues that really need addressing.

In addition, I'm up here in the norther areas.  In the winters my oil temps struggle to stay in the 165-185 range.  In the summers they struggle to hit 185-190.  You really want to get your oil near that 185F mark to burn off moisture in your oil.  So if I added louvres, I may also have to add an adjustable control to my oil filter to allow my oil temps to remain high. I currently would have a very hard time getting oil temps to rise above 205, regardless of how hard I climb.

One additional note:  If you're climbing at high gross-weights, or if you climb on a hot day and seem to have higher CHT's, your first step should be to drop the nose, pick up 10-20kts, and see how that goes.  You can adjust your flying style a tad in hot weather and head off some problems as well, even without mods.  The baffling improvement that I have done on this page though, are well worth it for any builder.

Oh, and before I skip to the next question...what about the James Cowl and Plenum?  I think that's probably an excellent system, and should work well for many builders who want to opt for that change.  Hopefully it'll give the estimated speed improvements, because if it didn't, it might have a hard time justifying the cost.  But, it is a great looking system and the cowl quality of finishing work is better than Van's from what I've heard, so really, if it trips your trigger, even without the numbers being in as of this writing, it's not a bad decision.  Just don't think of it as a panacea from heat issues, because really those won't exist if a builder is diligent with their construction.


How long does it take to build an RV-10?
I have a question back.  Let's say you were fishing.  You cast your line, over and over.  How long will it take you to catch a fish?
So now you get the idea of what you're asking....it just depends.

That said, I built it in a hair over 24 months, and that was with a QB Fuselage only.  Had I had to build the fuselage completely, maybe add another 3 months or 4 months.   It took me 1700 hours to get it flying, and to finish the wheel fairings it was about 1900 total hours.  I built slowly for the first 3/4 of the build, but cranked out nearly 1000 hours in the last 1/2 year.  The motivation increases once your airframe is done.  Most builders will find it takes them 2-4 years to complete the RV-10.  If you don't have a day job, you could maybe do it in 1-2 years.  If you have lots of help, faster.  I know one group of 2 or 3 builders that is about 1/2 done in 4 months or so.  Amazing.


What's the half-way point in building the RV-10...it's taking me soooo loooong?
This is kind of a guesstimate of an answer based on my experience with a QB fuse only, so your mileage may vary a bit.  What I consider to be the 1/2 way point is at first glance to many builders a bit of a surprise.  I figure it's getting close to the end of the actual airframe construction, at about the time you're putting your windshield in the airplane.  Of course, some people leave the windshield out extra long for better access, but if you do it at the normal spot, that's about 1/2 way.  Most first-time builders, including myself, don't really have a concept of just how many wrap-up details there are at the end.  During the last couple months, I kept a list, and for ever item I completed, I seemed to add a couple more.  Do keep a list, so you don't forget anything, but you'll be surprised at how many details you will find.  Building a plane is not a big project....it's thousands of tiny projects and steps.  You get there by crossing them off one at a time.

Should I use a Throttle Quadrant or Push-Pull Cables?
Many RV's use push-pull cables, with vernier control.  The RV-10 has that as a standard, and an option of a throttle quadrant.  The push-pulls have the benefit of taking up less space.  The much touted other benefit of verniers is often that it allows a more precice control of the MP and RPM.  I have found this is a complete NON-ISSUE with the Van's RV-10 quadrant.  In fact, I had a MUCH harder time getting exacting RPM's and Manifold pressures in 220RV's push-pull controls than using the quadrant.  The quadrant is extremely smooth, and can be worked with lots of precision.  In some people's opinions, the quadrant looks nicer too (and I'm one of the people with that opinion).  So if you're up for a little extra spending, feel comfortable going that route.  I personally think it's a much nicer way to go altogether, and again, you don't sacrifice precision with this quadrant.  One other note....many formation groups will not allow airplanes with push-pull controls....no exceptions.  So if you're thinking of formation flying, just get the quadrant and be happy you did.  Although you can change your mind later and swap them, it wouldn't be a fun job, so just do it the way you want to the first time.

How Well do your Nav and Com antennas work?
I have 2 belly mounted COM antennas, mounted under the rear seat area, in what I think was the 2nd bay inward. They both work excellently and I've been able to communicate over very long ranges with no problem.  My Nav1 is a V-shaped antenna under the tail, which is fairly protected by the tail except for possibly small children that may run into it, and it works very very well.  My wingtip Nav2 is a Bob Archer Nav, and I've been happy with that too.  It works well, but doesn't receive quite as far as the Nav antenna under the tail.  I feel that the airframe may shadow the wingtip antenna from some angles, which is why I went with the tail mounted antenna as my #1.  In a test one day, I got about 100 miles from a VOR and got signal on the SL-30 with the V antenna, but about 80 miles with the Bob Archer on my GNS-480.

If you were doing it all over, what would you do differently?
You know, this question requires some thought. There are some minor things I would have changed, like adding rudder trim right way, or using dual defrost fans that are larger, like I have now. Or perhaps finishing my wheel fairings before the plane went to the airport and I was flying.  But that said, the project as a whole is extremely satisfying, and for me, especially from an avionics perspective.  So there really isn't much that I feel a great need to change.  I suppose I probably would add a nice overhead console with tubing to my Oxygen system, and lighting, but that's hard to do after the fact. Also, this question gets harder as time goes by, because the things that you can change easy, you will.  The plane is never actually "finished".  Add to that the fact that the plane is such a complete joy to fly and own that you quickly forget about all the pains of building.  So while I may be able to identify some changes if I sat and talked for a couple hours, there just isn't a huge pile of things that pop to mind about what I would do differently.  I'm glad I built it, I'm glad I build it with a QB fuse, and I'm glad I did all the rest myself, without farming it all out to others.  It gives a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

How noisy is it inside the RV-10?
Well, since I don't have a sound meter and haven't done any actual testing to give a number in decibels, all I can say is that usually people who go for rides are fairly impresses.  Some people will pull their headset off just to check the noise level and they all seem to say it's a fairly quiet plane.  So, I think it must stack up nicely in comparison to the common GA plane.  One thing that I have done is to add 3/4" foam under the front floors, 1/2" under the middle floors, and 3/8" under the baggage area. In addition I have a firewall pad from Flightline Interiors with a foam/fiber center and silver on both sides that is attached to the firewall, and also lining the tunnel. I also put foam on the sidewalls except for above the wing roots, since it is so light.  And, my baggage bulkhead cover has foam that fills the low spots on the corrugation and I have a baggage bulkhead cover too, and fabric on the canopy top.  Combine this with Flightline's interior and carpeting and it really ought to be one of the more quiet planes you find.  I still highly recommend a good pair of ANR headsets, just for your total comfort and enjoyment.  I've got a plane-powered set of Bose A20 headsets for each of the family members and they really make for an enjoyable x/c flight.

After I'm Flying, Now what should I do?
So you've reached that awesome day, and finally taken it into the skies. You've put a few hours on it. Now what should I do to learn how to use this thing?  Well, I've heard great things about the Advanced Pilot seminars in Oklahoma, but I've never been to one myself.  But knowing a little about what they teach, I think it would be highly valuable to attend or buy their online seminar.  You will want to know as much as you can about how to fly and care for your engine.  You probably should also read "Fly the Engine" by Kas Thomas. But one of the first things I'd do to my plane is get those fuel injectors balanced. It doesn't matter which type of lycoming fuel injection system you have, you can use Airflow Performance's fuel injector restrictors to fine tune your fuel injectors, and bring about a real smooth running IO-540 on your plane.  Once you have that, you can fly LOP very easily and save tons of money on your x/c flights. So that is definitely something I would not waste much time waiting for!