E's Van's RV-14A: 2025

02 January 2025

Blog navigation and best posts

My blog has become a very large repository of my experience, thoughts and designs. This page will help direct folks to its more salient pages rather than always being presented in reverse chronological order.

Popular Posts

Modifications: Bigger oil cooler

Modifications: Aveo ZipTips Premier 2 installed

Modifications: EXP119 conversion

First Flight Prep: My POH, W&B, checklist, flight test card and condition inspection checklist

E's Favorites

Avionics: GRT/Garmin/Dynon/AFS flight data analysis tool - Cloud-free and public domain!

Avionics: Adding voice alerts to GRT EFISs

Avionics: Electronic ignition backup battery and controller

Fuselage: Rudder and Brake Systems. Longer rudder cable links

Most Recent Posts

28-Dec-24 - Powerplant: Switched to automotive plugs and harnesses

27-Oct-24 - Powerplant: Switched to dual SureFly electronic ignition

10-Jun-24 - Modifications: Added tail cam for EFIS main screen

Pages Showing Modifications

Pages by Plans Sections

Empennage Kit

Other Sections

53 ACK ELT (2)
OP-55 Wing Tip Nav Strobe Lighting (3)
OP-56 Tail Lighting (1)
OP-62 IO-390-EXP119 Engine Installation (2)

Pages by Subject

Build Information

Work Graph as of 4-Sep-17

Build Time as of 4-Sep-17

Subcategory	Total Hours	FTE
Shop Prep	29.25	0m, 3d, 5h
Practice	25.33	0m, 3d, 5h
Wings	611.18	3m, 16d, 3h
Fuel Tanks Redo	110.98	0m, 13d, 7h
Empennage	306.64	1m, 18d, 3h
Horizontal Stab Redo	37.19	0m, 4d, 5h
Rudder Redo	25.03	0m, 3d, 1h
Fuselage	440.46	2m, 15d, 0h
Finishing	290.20	1m, 16d, 2h
FWF	154.20	0m, 19d, 2h
Avionics	220.14	1m, 7d, 4h
Total Time	2196.01	13m, 14d, 4h
W/O Major Redos	2047.47	12m, 15d, 7h
Add'l Help from Others	599.69	3m, 14d, 8h

Averages: 495.86 hrs/yr, 41.95 hrs/mo, 1.36 hrs/day (from start). Hours/day worked: 3.51.

Cost as of 1-Nov-17

Hover your mouse over most categories for itemization.

Category	Amount
Avionics and Panel	$38,805.90
Antennas	$1,086.33
CPU for Shop	$531.31
Engine and Prop	$42,145.00
Fuel Tanks Redo	$1,537.51
Fuselage Bulkheads	$1,315.77
Interior	$2,477.41
Kits from Van's	$41,750.13
Lighting	$3,022.54
Maintenance	$775.77
Modifications	$2,303.66
Other	$3,391.36
Paint and Primer	$1,203.96
Replacement Parts	$2,123.02
Rudder Redo	$493.52
Tools and Shop	$12,773.35

Total: $155,737.88

Number of Rivets

Direct link to this table.

Section	Rivets
6. Vertical Stabilizer	300
7. Rudder	575
8. Horizontal Stabilizer	944
9. Elevator (Left)	623
9. Elevator (Right)	531
10. Aft Fuselage	1,239
11. Empennage Attach	0
12. Empennage Fairings	234
13. Main Spars	302
14. Main Ribs	274
15. Rear Spars	318
16. Top Skins	1,310
17. Leading Edges	796
18. Fuel Tanks	1,580
19. Systems Routing	0
20. Bottom Skins	1,812
21. Flaps	958
22. Ailerons	662
23. Aileron Actuation	50
24. Wing Tips	214
25. Fwd Mid Fuselage Bulkheads	284
26. Mid Fuselage Lower Structure	1,308
27. Firewall	439
28. Fwd Fuselage Lower Structure	541
29. Fwd-Mid Fuselage Side Structure	1,396
30. Aft Fuselage Attachment	465
31. Fuel System	30
32. Baggage Area	644
33. Rudder & Brake Systems	108
34. Flap Actuation System	0
35. Upper Fwd Fuselage	602
36. Aileron & Elevator Systems	51
37. Roll Over Structure	382
38. Canopy and Window	650
39. Seatbacks	162
40A. Tricycle Landing Gear and Eng Mnt	0
41. Wing Attachment	88
42. Miscellenea	60
43. Engine and Installation	4
44. Spinner and Propeller	34
45. Cowling	166
46A. Tricycle Gear Leg and Wheel Fairings	139
47. Cowl Baffle	168
48. Exhaust System	0
49. Fuel and Oil System	28
50. Control Cables	0
51. FWF Miscellanea	0
52. Antenna Installation
53. Ack ELT	0
54. Flap Position Sensor	0
55. Common Fuselage Harness	0
56. Garmin Autopilot Servos	0
57. Dynon Autopilot Servos	0
58. Autopilot Yaw Servos	8
59. Power Module Install	12
60. Control Stick Harness
OP-38. Electric Aileron Trim
OP-52A. Aero LEDs Sunspot LX	8
OP-55. Wing Tip Nav/Strobe Lighting	0
OP-56. Tail Lighting

Empennage	4,446
Wings	8,276
Fuselage	6,250
Finish	1,265
FWF	234
Optional	20

Total: 20,499

As counted from the plans by me. Prone to errors.

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Build Time as of 4-Sep-17

Subcategory	Total Hours	FTE
Shop Prep	29.25	0m, 3d, 5h
Practice	25.33	0m, 3d, 5h
Wings	611.18	3m, 16d, 3h
Fuel Tanks Redo	110.98	0m, 13d, 7h
Empennage	306.64	1m, 18d, 3h
Horizontal Stab Redo	37.19	0m, 4d, 5h
Rudder Redo	25.03	0m, 3d, 1h
Fuselage	440.46	2m, 15d, 0h
Finishing	290.20	1m, 16d, 2h
FWF	154.20	0m, 19d, 2h
Avionics	220.14	1m, 7d, 4h
Total Time	2196.01	13m, 14d, 4h
W/O Major Redos	2047.47	12m, 15d, 7h
Add'l Help from Others	599.69	3m, 14d, 8h

Averages: 495.86 hrs/yr, 41.95 hrs/mo, 1.36 hrs/day (from start). Hours/day worked: 3.51.

Cost as of 1-Nov-17

Hover your mouse over most categories for itemization.

Category	Amount
Avionics and Panel	$38,805.90
Antennas	$1,086.33
CPU for Shop	$531.31
Engine and Prop	$42,145.00
Fuel Tanks Redo	$1,537.51
Fuselage Bulkheads	$1,315.77
Interior	$2,477.41
Kits from Van's	$41,750.13
Lighting	$3,022.54
Maintenance	$775.77
Modifications	$2,303.66
Other	$3,391.36
Paint and Primer	$1,203.96
Replacement Parts	$2,123.02
Rudder Redo	$493.52
Tools and Shop	$12,773.35

Total: $155,737.88

About E

You just can't beat the intersection of performance and price with many homebuilts. Given my "mission profile", the RV-14 seems to have it all: Best bang-for-the-buck, good compromise between cross country and aerobatics (I don't plan on doing the latter, but the added structural integrity is comforting), can design your own avionics setup, plus you get your own repairman's certificate. I have no relevant experience or special skills relating to such an endeavor. My mean paper airplane folding abilities seem not to apply. If I can build an RV-14A, almost anyone can.

The experience has so far humbled, schooled, rewarded and penalized me. There have been days I've wanted to sell it all for scrap and others when I wanted to build every waking hour. It has challenged my finances, expanded my appreciation of aeronautical engineering, forever changed the way I look at aircraft and found me many new wonderful friends. When this airplane finally takes its first flight, it will be quite a personal feat and the start of a whole new chapter.

My vision for this blog is to be the kind of blog I would want to read if I were building the RV-14A. To that end, I endeavor to provide high quality images of the process, explain my approaches to building, accurately disclose my mistakes, itemize all costs and reference sources for materials and information. It is my hope that this blog is useful to others. If you find it to be, please drop me a line using the "Contact Form" above. I enjoy hearing from fellow builders and aim to respond to everyone.

Parts Shared With Other Models

Please alert me to errors. This list is based on part numbers.

RV-4

Rudder horn

RV-7

Vertical stabilizer skin
Vertical stabilizer ribs
Vertical stabilizer front spar

RV-8

Vertical stabilizer rear spar
Vertical stabilizer doubler

RV-9

Entire rudder
Entire horizontal stab

Addition of four inspar ribs from RV-10

Elevator skins
Elevator main spars
Elevator rear spars
Elevator counter balance skins

RV-10

All wing ribs
Wing walk doublers
Torque tube support brackets
Leading edge ribs
Leading edge-to-tank splice strip
Tank ribs
Tank attach zees
Flap ribs (main and nose)
Flap brackets
Aileron brackets
Entire aileron
Wing tips
Wing tip ribs
Horizontal stab inspar ribs (4)
Elevator ribs
Battery angles

RV-14

Wing spars
Wing skins
Leading edge skins
Tank skins
Flap spars
Flap skins
Elevator trailing edges
Elevator trim tab
Elevator servo access parts
Entire aft fuselage

Battery angles from RV-10

Entire forward fuselage

Brake side plates from RV-10
Roll bar base from RV-12
Flap crank from RV-10

Number of Rivets

Direct link to this table.

Section	Rivets
6. Vertical Stabilizer	300
7. Rudder	575
8. Horizontal Stabilizer	944
9. Elevator (Left)	623
9. Elevator (Right)	531
10. Aft Fuselage	1,239
11. Empennage Attach	0
12. Empennage Fairings	234
13. Main Spars	302
14. Main Ribs	274
15. Rear Spars	318
16. Top Skins	1,310
17. Leading Edges	796
18. Fuel Tanks	1,580
19. Systems Routing	0
20. Bottom Skins	1,812
21. Flaps	958
22. Ailerons	662
23. Aileron Actuation	50
24. Wing Tips	214
25. Fwd Mid Fuselage Bulkheads	284
26. Mid Fuselage Lower Structure	1,308
27. Firewall	439
28. Fwd Fuselage Lower Structure	541
29. Fwd-Mid Fuselage Side Structure	1,396
30. Aft Fuselage Attachment	465
31. Fuel System	30
32. Baggage Area	644
33. Rudder & Brake Systems	108
34. Flap Actuation System	0
35. Upper Fwd Fuselage	602
36. Aileron & Elevator Systems	51
37. Roll Over Structure	382
38. Canopy and Window	650
39. Seatbacks	162
40A. Tricycle Landing Gear and Eng Mnt	0
41. Wing Attachment	88
42. Miscellenea	60
43. Engine and Installation	4
44. Spinner and Propeller	34
45. Cowling	166
46A. Tricycle Gear Leg and Wheel Fairings	139
47. Cowl Baffle	168
48. Exhaust System	0
49. Fuel and Oil System	28
50. Control Cables	0
51. FWF Miscellanea	0
52. Antenna Installation
53. Ack ELT	0
54. Flap Position Sensor	0
55. Common Fuselage Harness	0
56. Garmin Autopilot Servos	0
57. Dynon Autopilot Servos	0
58. Autopilot Yaw Servos	8
59. Power Module Install	12
60. Control Stick Harness
OP-38. Electric Aileron Trim
OP-52A. Aero LEDs Sunspot LX	8
OP-55. Wing Tip Nav/Strobe Lighting	0
OP-56. Tail Lighting

Empennage	4,446
Wings	8,276
Fuselage	6,250
Finish	1,265
FWF	234
Optional	20

Total: 20,499

As counted from the plans by me. Prone to errors.

E's Van's RV-14A

Major Sections

02 January 2025

Blog navigation and best posts

Empennage Kit

Wing Kit

Fuselage Kit

Finish Kit

Firewall Forward (FWF) Kit

Other Sections

Work Graph as of 4-Sep-17

Build Time as of 4-Sep-17

Cost as of 1-Nov-17

Number of Rivets

Contact me

Contact Form

RV-14/A Blog List

Contact me