Separate fuselage and wing kits?

[coosbo]

I'm considering a 4 place quick build kit. Perhaps this winter. Since space and cash aren't excessively abundant, I'm wondering about starting with just the quick build fuselage kit. Is this a logical step, or will I be a few months into the build and want the wings? I basically just want to avoid tying up 20k and then just having to store the wings for a year or so into the build if that's likely what would happen if I purchased the entire quick build kit. Can anyone offer their experience or recommendations to help guide my decision?

[Mark Goldberg]

It is common for builders to start with 1/2 kit - normally the fuselage as that requires MUCH more work than the wings. What we promise is that if you order the second half of the kit within 12 calendar months of buying the first half - that no price increase in the meanwhile would apply to you. Second half at the same pricing as when you buy the first half.

The only penalty for doing this (as I see it) is the second delivery fee. If you are close to Texas the 2nd delivery fee would not be much of a penalty. But if you are in Maine or Seattle, the delivery is much more expensive.

I have seen some builders do some creative things to store their wings while they are working on the fuselage. Getting the wings out of the way but secure so they are not damaged. Mark

[AKKen07]

For what it’s worth I am over 3.5 months into my fuse and have at Least two or three months of work before I’ll touch the wings. I think I’ve invested about 170-190 hours as well, as a reference. I have a decent amount of free time but I’m rather inefficient...

[James]

Impressive AKKen07, I'm amazed at how fast you guys seem to work... all the world's sprinting ahead except me! :-/

I was thinking about this today, actually - I've started on the wings, and after about 3 months, I'm at the point where I wish I could attach everything to the fuselage, drill it off, take the wings back off, and put them back in to storage. I believe the newer kits Mark offers have the wings pre-drilled: this is a MAJOR advantage, and effectively lets you defer this assembly stage a bit longer.

Probably the most important factor for me is this: I'm building at a faster pace than I'm planning. By this I mean, I'm not sure what the final fit-out of my plane will be. If you've got 20+ years experience building or flying this type of aircraft, and you know exactly what engine/avionics/fuel system/trim/panel layout/prop/undercarriage/fabric/tailplane/paint scheme you're going to end up with, then start with the fuselage.

But if you're like me, learning as you go, and getting a lot of guidance from the other guys on this forum, you'll appreciate having the 3-6 months head start building up your wings, while you have time to plan and purchase the things you need for the fuselage.

Overall, buying the wings at the same time isn't too much of an inconvenience. Saves shipping costs.

James

[AKKen07]

Thanks James. I may be charging ahead but I bet you will have a cleaner finished product. The craftsmanship of some people here makes me look like a monkey with a tool box! And I won’t be starting on the FWF or electrical until after a bunch of work on wings- probably. My piggy bank doesn’t add up to an engine yet so I’m just planning on doing everything I can while putting that, the prop, and avionics off.

[coosbo]

Thanks for the advice, guys!