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I need your wish list.

RV-10 builders!
I?m sure this has been asked before so if you know of a list please point me in that direction. What are the wish you did and wish you didn?t do items. What after market items should I get to make the nicest interior. What can I use for interior lights and maybe dome light switches for doors opening. Has anyone used ZipTips and not done the rudder position light. All insights are welcome and lists are exceptional. I?m in section 10 of the tail cone and don?t want to get to far without a direction. Message me if you have lots of great stuff and it?s easier to talk or email.
Thanks in advance.

Dave
 
Wish list

The first thing that comes to mind is the third door latch from planearound.com...this should be a mandatory item.

Any or all of the Aerosport products. If I were to do it again I would use the 310 panel.

I did the Showplanes cowl, EFII, Cee Bailey windows, most of the Aerosport stuff, Desser Retreads, Aluminum windshield fairing, and a bunch of other things.

Put more conduits for wiring in than you think you need; I might even run two down the tunnel.

Zip tips look nice but I have ER fuel tanks and fitting the zip tips would have been problematic...and expensive.

Check out PH Aviation for a better flap actuator with a built in position sensor.

Check out Baja Designs for landing lights, or look at the Seven Star units from flyleds.com.

Aileron electric trim. Mount it in the RIGHT wing to simplify wiring for the auto trim function if you are using Garmin avionics.

Rudder pedal extensions.

Decide which holes to use for the rudder torque tubes; use the forward set closest to the firewall for tall pilots and the aft set for shorter pilots. I am a bit over 6' and I used the AFT position.

I'm sure I will think of more...
 
In addition to the PlaneAround door latch, get their standoff for the main wheel pant mount plate.

SafetyTrim controller for the elevator trim.

Machined billet trim cable mounts for elevator trim.

Machined billet main gear pant axle standoff.

Ditto on the wiring chases for under the floor.

Lots more, if I could only remember them.
 
I did a lot of mods and if I was building again I would, again use a majority of mods and do it pretty much the exact same way. My build log covers pretty much everything but if I'm really digging deep to things I Would Not do again here's the short list-

  • Insulation - Thought this would reduce cabin noise and hold in heat/AC. I'm sure it does all that but I wear an ANR headset so the added cost, weight, complication isn't needed.
  • Plans Stall System - Even though was going with an AOA thought the per the plans system would help in the case of full electrical outage. Well it requires power so now it's just an annoyance.
  • Air Horn - This was a novelty item I put in. It 'works', but the cheap horns I'm putting in melt a bit over time and it goes from a train sound to a clown car. I don't want to use the space or weight to add a real airhorn system in. Fun while it lasted though.
  • 90 degree elbow - For my Ramair system (Do again) I would forego the elbow that makes your fuel servo forward facing. Works great now and maybe it's more efficient, however I had issues with the cowling mod, right sizing the control rods and caused a lot of time, money and headaches to resolve.

After 100+ Hours on the plane that is really all I can think of that I wouldn't do again. I personally think my panel is amazing and would do every bit of it the same!
 
Nav Antenna and Zip Tips

Im at the same point with the same questions. Just ordered the SB wing kit too.

I did have a question about the Nav antenna and whether to try and install an archer antenna in ZipTips (possible interference) or put a whip antenna on the Vert Stab.

I havent been able to find a comment about this so thought I would check.

Thanks,

Thad
 
I'm in the middle of my build (well, actually going backwards but the good news is that the fuselage damage from the lift failure wasn't too bad and so I only have to redo three skins and the doublers aft of the spar), and love everything I'm putting into it. But, if I were to do another, I would change a few things, starting with honoring the KISS rule. No A/C, no built-in O2, no overhead console. A simpler panel, without Vertical Power. No rudder trim (no yaw servo in current build). I'd forego an interior, especially a headliner, in favor of sand and paint.

I'd still do electronic ignition and fuel injection, and keep the throttle quadrant. Also keep AOA instead of the stall warning system. I'd also keep the center console, which is a great place to connect headsets so you don't trip over cords as you get in. Everybody talks about the third door latch but my doors (c. 2008) are so stiff it takes real effort to twist them enough to only latch either fore or aft, not both. Maybe later kit doors are more flexible, so I won't discourage that. However, I like the aftermarket ends for the door latch tubes. I also added platenuts to the door hinges to make them easier to work with, which is a mod I heard about here on VAF and is a great idea. Also, the trimming of the blocks in the front seat rails so the seats can be removed. And I like the extended handles for the seat backs.

A friend machined an insert for the step tubes, so you can put a bolt through them and there is more bearing surface for the bolts to make them more secure. It is also worthwhile to get a machinist to drill the holes for your axle nuts, though reaming the holes to mate the gear legs to the towers was no problem on my own. Getting flex lines for the brake system is much better than the aluminum tubes down the gear legs and around the rudder pedals.

In the engine compartment, I highly recommend a Wolf remote oil filter and that big engine should have enough power to run a backup alternator. Forget the flyweight starter unless you like replacing them all the time; get one that's up to the task. And no internally regulated alternators; I am convinced that the regulators can't take the heat in the engine compartment. Speaking of the heat, I'd insulate the tunnel and add access panels for the fuel pump and filter.

Not that I'm opinionated or anything. :p I'm enjoying my over-the-top build but I'd also like a simple -10 to replace my -6A. You'll have to decide how to balance building/flying for yourself.

@Thad: NAV? What's that? Seriously, you need to decide how important VOR navigation is to you anymore. It's not a big deal to put a V antenna in the vertical, which is the best option if you expect to navigate with VOR in IFR. Otherwise, if it's just a backup for GPS and VFR, than the archer antenna should be fine. I've had no problem with one in the wingtip of my -6A, but with my plan to have an all-the-way IFR panel for the -10, I went with the V antenna there.
 
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That's the right idea. My friend also made a drilling jig for the steps from a nylon block, so my inserts are match-drilled to the step and mount in place and absolutely through the center of the tube. The jig slips over the mount, then you position the step with insert in place and drill. I didn't get too anal initially but now that I am reworking the fuselage, I will probably ream the holes and substitute close tolerance bolts. People are always asking what are the best tools to have for building an RV and my answer, with a grin, is 'a machinist'. ;)
 
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